Kinda along the lines of "what did you buy today" but more orientated towards future purchases and around tools.
I love my tools and always looking out for new or used good quality hand and power tools.
Don't have to be top of the range, but not crap either. Im my view, good mid range tools when looked after will last a very long time for the usual garage mechanic.
I'll start off: Currently shopping for a metric and imperial tap and die set, my current one is more than 20 y.o and last week I broke one of the M10 taps, making the set that was already suffering a few missing pieces pretty much useless. I have my eye on a few, the current fave is this one: https://sydneytools.com.au/product/daytona-dtds110-110-pce-metric-tap-die-wrench-set
I fancy one of those sonic bath parts cleaners.
D.D.
I hear ya Eric, I like tools as well & have plenty that get just the very occasional use, but it's nice to know they're there.
I'd like a torque tester, to check the accuracy of my wrenches & check the claimed power / setting of the impact drivers. I know they do the nuts up tight, but how tight?
Torque bar for your rattle gun Col. Was compulsory on wheel nuts when i was working.Not sure but think around 80ft/lb most cars.My new tool will be a pressure washer.Reckon my old Karcher has lasted 30 yrs, still works but weaker like its owner
Quote from: grog on Friday, 15 August 2025, 04:15 PMMy new tool will be a pressure washer.Reckon my old Karcher has lasted 30 yrs, still works but weaker like its owner
i had a Karcher, great little unit. Issue is they all run a polyfibre pump impeller, this wears and creates more bypass and pressure falls inside the pump. I tried to service the Karcher, but it was no good. Bought a Gerni, same deal. The new Bosch Aquatak units look pretty good. I see Husqvarna makes washers too. Shame we are such a throwaway society.
Yeah Eric, throwaway. Nilfisk, Gerni became Ozito. I can buy 4 for the Bosch price same pressure.
I owned a Snap-on Tools van for 7 years I have a lot of tools. Only for the most basic of servicing etc. I have metric and imperial stuff as I owned Harley's prior to Suzuki making them.
Everything fits nicely into a 9 drawer racebox which is very heavy. I sit it on a rolling unit to move if necessary.
I'd hate to think of the retail value of it all if I needed to replace it now. :confused1:
Quote from: Dwain Dibley on Thursday, 14 August 2025, 09:30 PMI fancy one of those sonic bath parts cleaners.
D.D.
I´ve got one of those 10l ones, very useful, despite not using it much. In the company where I work we´ve got those industrial gigantic ones, where an Airbus landing gear fits in and it does wonders regarding the cleaning process. But speaking with the guys that work with it, has got a lot to do with the cleaner you put inside.
Agree with the additives to the sonic cleaner, I put hot or boiling water, detergent or even phosphoric acid depending on what I'm cleaning.
Tools, yeah we all collect some, others lots. Everyone says theyll always evaluate. My Dad started his mechanic trade 1948.He had lots of tools, some hed even worn out. 2011 he passed.Nobody wanted his old tools,I offered to lots.Too heavy to cart to markets, didnt want people coming to Mums house to look.Mum phoned his car club mates?, yeah they came, said nothing theyd pay any money for. She didnt know until i checked his sheds, they stole his lathe, mig, plasma cutter, bench grinder, more that i mustve missed. Rest of his collection, went in a skip bin, i took a few things but not a lot. They are good to collect but not always collectable
A good quality digital torque wrench... And someone to tell me how to use the circuit tester i bought.. :mwink: :mwink:
That Daytona tap & die set is something to have as a stand by for the odd sizes that might come up once in a lifetime. I've been tapping holes for over 60 years & never come across M11 but this set has it in four different pitches. High quality heat treated steel and ideal for rethreading fasteners and machinery repair tells me they're shit carbon steel that's worn out after tapping one hole & tapping stainless, forget it. Save your money & stay away from that rubbish.
Buy quality high speed steel taps & dies in the standard metric sizes and if an odd size comes up then again buy quality. Don't waste money on taper, intermediate & plug tap sets but have a gun & spiral flute in each size.
Tools for the bike I couldn't do without would be the bike lift, front & back paddock stands, compressor with enough grunt to run a sand blaster, polisher & mops, decent 1/2" & 1/4" drive socket sets, plenty of spanners, a rattle gun, hydraulic press, screw press & these days a good multimeter. There are times that a lathe & turret mill come in handy too.