Tools. Tool Reviews, Tool Recommendations, Brilliant tools to downright dangerous

[Duncodin]

I've seen discussions about tools and garage equipment. Fault scanners, Lifts etc. So thought it might be nice if there was a thread where people could heap praise on their favourite pencil or slag off a dowright dangerous piece of kit doing the rounds on the bay.

Reminds me of a joke. "Ow! I've just cut off my ear". Other guy says "Is this it?" First guy says "No. Mine's got a pencil behind it".

Anyway. To start the ball rolling - I've ordered one of these.

A LOT cheaper than the other brands. So is it cheap tat? It doesn't lift as high as some of the others but I don't have the headroom in my garage anyway. I'll be sure to come back and give my feedback once I've crushed my foot getting it off the delivery pallet next week.

 

[Nodzed]

Cheap and simple and a great tool, my best buy this year.

 

[Duncodin]

. .

Cheap and simple and a great tool, my best buy this year.

View attachment 281627

I'm probably being dull. What is it?

 

[Nodzed]

Ratchet pads for compressing brake calliper pistons

 

[Duncodin]

Ratchet pads for compressing brake calliper pistons

Oh. I see. You wiggle the handle and the black plates move apart pushing the pistons into the cylinder. Is that right? That's posh. I just use a big wrench.

 

[Nodzed]

Oh. I see. You wiggle the handle and the black plates move apart pushing the pistons into the cylinder. Is that right? That's posh. I just use a big wrench.

I always used a G-clamp, this is so much easier and as I have had a lot of zeds through the doors for brakes thought it would be useful, and it is.

 

[the Nefyn cat]

I saw someone using those a while back and thought they looked good. Can't really justify buying them these days, but would have come in handy once.

Meanwhile, can I mention Metrinch sockets and spanners? Been using them for years, they just never slip. Those who swing spanners for a living know exactly what I mean.

 

[Stevo7682]

@Nodzed they are a great piece of kit for twin pistoned calipers like Transit vans we use them in work makes easy work of pushing both pistons in at the same time.
Stephen.

 

[ExMX5owner]

Cheap and simple and a great tool, my best buy this year.

View attachment 281627

What is it ?..., new to me is what it is...

 

[Stevo7682]

What is it ?..., new to me is what it is...

Basically its 2 paddles with a threaded ratchet in the middle you place between caliper body and piston crank the ratchet handle pushing the 2 paddles apart pushing the piston back into caliper body great for multi piston calipers as you can push in all pistons at same time and same rate.
Stephen

 

[Zephyr]

electric drill pump.
you attach this to any kind of drill and it sucks any sort of fluid.
depending on your imagination and crafting skills you can use this to change engine oil from the top, refresh power steering oil, empty stale fuel from a tank, engine coolant, anything.
just 10€ for these and make your life so much easier.

 

[IainP]

IKEA Ivar shelving, wonderfully robust and perfect for Halfords middle chests. Screw wood on the ends you can hang stuff, use steel sheet if you want to weld clips, or grinder mounts. If you get those chests on offer, especially if you have a card, they’re fantastic value and last decades. Works out much cheaper than top chests or, roller cabs. Which you won’t roll any

Secure the shelving to the wall and you can safely store welding cylinders, those straps are also IKEA, from bed mattresses.
A decent table or bench is a must. Wooden ones start about £65.
Welding tables are great but expensive. This cost less than £100 all in and took an afternoon to measure, cut and weld. Box section on an old steel desk frame.
I can clamp things through the slats quickly and easily for welding, or a grinder, sander, vice.

You can buy all sorts of fancy quick release clamps, I have some, they start at £25, which gets expensive.
“Knuckle duster clamps”, 3 nuts on a washer, about 50p. Super quick to use and very secure, I have 8,10 and 12mm ones, use with bolts or threaded rod.

You’ll see in one of the above, peg board, got fed up with that.
Piece of mdf, painted white, two sizes of L screws, med and long. Laid out all the spanners and tools I wanted on it. Marked all the holes with a sharpie, took a pic so I could remember what was going where, drilled all the holes, installed all the L screws. Use a piece of 12 rod with a slit in it, then you can use a drill or it’ll take ages. Mount on the wall.

You can go even further.

If you want to work on a car outside, put the tools in a caddy, plastic or steel, start from £4, makes life easy.

 

[t-tony]

If you don't have one of these, you really should have. They come in 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4" drive versions and in steel or plastic cases.

I know 1 other member has/had one. Brilliant bit of kit.

Tony.

 

[Duncodin]

If you don't have one of these, you really should have. They come in 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4" drive versions and in steel or plastic cases.
View attachment 281861
I know 1 other member has/had one. Brilliant bit of kit.

Tony.

Now that's clever

 

[t-tony]

I’ll add more pictures and info when my phone comes back to life. It comprises of 2 gears connected by a chain inside a closed case.

Tony.

 

[t-tony]

The " Tite-Reach", I bought this while I was in Florida a few years ago. It's most common use was while changing front suspension drop links. You can use it fro either side, or both ends from one side. It came with a double ended 3/8 drive, a 3/8 x 1/2 drive and a 3/8 x1/4 Hex. for bit driving. Here are a few variations on how you can apply the tool. Yes, you can use it with impact wrenches too.

I have a Snap-On 1/2" down to 3/8" adaptor to use on the 1/2" impact Wrench.

Tony.

 

[the Nefyn cat]

If you don't have one of these, you really should have. They come in 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4" drive versions and in steel or plastic cases.
View attachment 281861
I know 1 other member has/had one. Brilliant bit of kit.

Tony.

Still got it, doesn't get as much use as it might have once, it would have saved so many knuckles over the years. A very clever but simple idea, strange how often the two go together. Really must get myself the 1/4 drive one, all these damn motorcycles with their hidden-away bits.

 

[Duncodin]

After much debating which lift to go for I eventually decided on the Liftech. It's rated at 2.8 tons.

The rams in the middle will prevent work under the transmission, clutch etc. but all the front suspension is clear.

Same at the rear. Lots of room to work on the axle and suspension.

 

[Duncodin]

I'm on the look out for a bench - with wheels/castors. Something that I can roll under the car. Lower the back end onto it and roll it out from under the car and work on it.

What do you guys use?

 

[t-tony]

Tool station sell a wide range of nylon castors at different weight capacities. I used some to roll my lift out of the garage. Just custom make a frame to carry the built up beam and add some castors.

Tony.