Essential Car Tools and Value for Money Car Tools in your garage

[MaddAussie]

Ohhh one of these



http://www.diy.com/nav/build/motorin...-Jack-11377527

[Guy]

Never been a fan of aluminium jacks, not to mention cheap and cheerful ones either. (Had one collapse/explode on me whilst I was under the car sorting the axle stands out!)

Picked one of these up from Costco a few years ago, don't think they've got them anymore but should still be around elsewhere (unfortunately they have shot up in price, but worth the weight in gold. Sub £100 when I got mine)

3 tonne lift, stupidly low entry so it could even get under the Silvia, solid as anything one of my better purchases
Not portable but I didn't need it to be, you'd have trouble lifting it into the back of a car!



A decent set of axle stands as well!

On the subject of jump leads, don't be cheap. Proper quality will last you a life time. I can't recall who mine are made by, but stupidly thick cabling, very long (as seen below) and quite happy to regularly boost engines 5, 6 & 8 cylinders in size.

[Funkstar]

Picked one of these up from Costco a few years ago, don't think they've got them anymore but should still be around elsewhere (unfortunately they have shot up in price, but worth the weight in gold. Sub £100 when I got mine)

That's the exact same one my father in law got. I thought it was 5 tonne, but you are right, it's 3. Weighs a frickin tonne too, you definitely have confidence that it will hold the car in the air

[Zak33]

My coveted Bacho socket set probably rules the roost, pricey but they really are precision engineered tools at their best. Amazon have some fairly good deals on them at the moment too!

I have one of these now... really lovely

[Zak33]

Because you'll need one at some point

Site light: http://www.screwfix.com/p/portable-s...40v-400w/46377

Inspection lights like above are very useful, but sometimes you just need to flood an area with light.

and I have one of these now too....
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

a Site Light.. for flooding light.

Have tested it... it is AWESOME.. and it'll keep me warm if I need to use it in winter.

[Zak33]

any new ideas guys?

Tools that you just MUST have!!!

I've now bought Screwdriver sets for my house AND my garage. so they are accessible easily and tidily stored at all times.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...?ie=UTF8&psc=1



these.. top grade for the dough and stand tidy and neat.

[Apex]

Bungee cords, want to hold a hub assembly out the way, use a bungee cord

Come across a lot of quick connect connectors on fuel lines ect, get the proper tools that allow you to take them off with little fuss

ie http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-37000-Co...9626704&sr=1-1

Test light, none LED version if possible

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-36583...rds=test+light

Bleed kit, kinda obvious [not seen this one mentioned]

Posh one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-71205...ords=bleed+kit

Stud / Screw extractors; you will thank me for this.

[Zak33]

Apex.. I need bungees but I have had some rubbish ones.

Any suggestions?

[stevie lee]

my most used (and favourite) tools are,
Thor hammer with interchangeable rubber heads.

used with a length of 2x4 to remove wheels that have stuck to axles on mobility scooters.
also used for gentle persuasion on other random stubborn things.

and some safety specs,
used to protect eyes from random debris from air compressors and people hitting things with a certain hammer.

random old photo to illustrate.

edit: got annoyed at my stupid grinny face being at the top of the page every time I looked in this thread.

not sure where you buy the hammer from, it was a donation to the shopmob workshop. a lot of the tools we use are.

all the rest of the tools I use have already been mentioned in one way or another.

the 12V/24V battery chargers are specific to certain makes/models of scooters.

the air compressor is a Wolf.
I think its the previous model to this one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Sioux-9...olf+compressor


been used for 3 days a week since june 2006, no problems with the compressor part whatsoever.

hydraulic lift is this one http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...otorcylce-lift

aslong as you keep dust and muck off the rams its fine. been in use since june 2006.

only major problem (apart from the release valve seal on the pump breaking due to us not keeping muck out) is the ramp at the end.
I don't recommend keeping it attached while the lift is in use, you will end up banging your legs on it every time you walk anywhere near it. this will break the lugs/pins that hold the ramp on. easily replaced with a few penny washers and a large bolt though
saves you bending down to fix stuff, and keeps your legs exercised with all the pumping up and down.

[Apex]

Apex.. I need bungees but I have had some rubbish ones.

Any suggestions?

18" http://www.flecktarn.co.uk/dpbgb5ux.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/PIECE-BUNGEE.../dp/B002R1PW0I

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-1.../dp/B002QRYGMI

http://www.screwfix.com/p/thorsen-bu...6-pieces/21962

http://www.screwfix.com/p/thorsen-ad...ack-of-2/37297

[Apex]

Safety Specs

http://www.screwfix.com/c/safety-wor...&sortBy=-price

[Apex]

Long Reach pliers

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Piece-Long-R...ds=hose+pliers

[shaithis]

My McAllister bolt grip set has been quite handy.

[Zak33]

My McAllister bolt grip set has been quite handy.

oh you beauty

[Apex]

Never been a fan of aluminium jacks, not to mention cheap and cheerful ones either. (Had one collapse/explode on me whilst I was under the car sorting the axle stands out!)

Picked one of these up from Costco a few years ago, don't think they've got them anymore but should still be around elsewhere (unfortunately they have shot up in price, but worth the weight in gold. Sub £100 when I got mine)

3 tonne lift, stupidly low entry so it could even get under the Silvia, solid as anything one of my better purchases
Not portable but I didn't need it to be, you'd have trouble lifting it into the back of a car!



A decent set of axle stands as well!

On the subject of jump leads, don't be cheap. Proper quality will last you a life time. I can't recall who mine are made by, but stupidly thick cabling, very long (as seen below) and quite happy to regularly boost engines 5, 6 & 8 cylinders in size.

The look like

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Guy]

Yep they look like the same ones.

Can't fault them.