What makes a good tool kit?

[gator]

Bill,
Kobalt mechanics tools are made by J.H. Williams, a division of Snap On tools. They have a lifetime guarantee and are only available at Lowes. I used to work at Lowes, and don't remember a Kobalt tool ever being returned because it broke.
Like the others say, a good socket set with extensions, combination wrench set, selection of screwdrivers, filter wrench, multimeter, funnels, breaker bar is a good start, and add on as necessary.Just my opinion.

Wally <font color=green>JD 750 "GATOR"</font color=green>

 

[Rch]

http://www.ontool.com/store/search?keywords=CPL
The above link shows the Montezuma Welding & Manufacturing Inc. Montezuma KS 67867 tool boxes for sale on the Ontool web site. They ain't cheap but, as they say, they aren't crap either. I've seen them at farm shows and the construction is bullet proof; full welded seams, heavy gauge metal, with lid closed tools stay on their pegs even when the box is rotated, an empty peg lets you know a tool is missing, you can see all the tools instead of rooting through a pile. Has anyone had personal experience with these. A good tool box would seem to me the best first tool !

RCH

 

[DFB]

Got a few more pieces. These socket head wrenches and also some T-handle nutdrivers too!

DFB

 

[bgott]

I noticed that everybody left out the service and parts manuals. Those might be the most important tools to have. On the rest, I'd buy a set of El Cheapo tools and as you gain experience you can replace the stuff that doesn't hold up with good stuff. You can easily get 5 grand or more tied up in stuff that you'll never use. When I started building my last set of tools I ended up with a set of Benchtop (K-Mart) metric combination wrenches that I swore I'd replace as soon as I broke one. I used them for six years professionally, doubling them up and using cheaters on them daily, before I bought a set of Craftsman professional end wrenches. I never broke or stripped one.

 

[cp1969]

SK is a brand that I would estimate is between Craftsman and Snap On, both price and quality-wise. I only have an SK 3/8" ratchet set at home, but have some other SK tools at work. I would assume they have a warranty, but have never broke one yet so haven't had the opportunity to find out.

The reason I complained about the screwdrivers is that I just bought a German set of screwdrivers for work and there is absolutely no comparison between them and the junk you get at Sears, Walmart, or Home Depot, etc. It comes at a price, though: that five piece screwdriver set cost almost $80. After using a good screwdriver, it makes me cringe to pick up one of the screw-ruining POS that I have in my tool box.

Oh, and I second getting a good toolbox. Don't skimp here, either. The biggest mistake I made when starting out was not buying a quality tool chest and roll away. I have the remains of all the tool sets which I kept in boxes, canvas bags, lying on benches and who knows what else. Tools stopped disappearing once I finally broke down and bought a Kennedy tool chest. Get a good one with ball bearing slides, as a drawer full of tools gets very heavy, and buy one twice as big as you think you could ever need, 'cause you will fill it.

 

[jdkid]

Hi ya
yea like ya saying we all have some tools that will never wear out cos they never get used others 1/2, 3/4 spanners most tools sets don't have eneff of them 1/4 scocket i find good for small motors and useing torx and alain keys bit with ..1/2 scockets get used 99%of the time and 3/4 on wheel nuts and bigger stuff 3/8 i find not realy worth the money when starting out ..air powered tools i'd like to have but in all the years driving not alot brakes down in my workshop so i find handheld tools cheeper and travel to what i have to fix ..
catch ya
JD Kid

 

[Bird]

JD, you're running a lot bigger equipment than most of us. I don't have any 3/4" drive tools except one impact socket big enough for my brush hog blades and then I have an adapter to use it on a 1/2" impact wrench. Hand tools are definitely cheaper and suffice most of the time, but I'm lazy; never exert myself with hand tools if the power tool is faster and easier./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[GlennT]

Blurrybill: You would appreciate having a good, solid workbench. When I retired awhile back, this was one of my priorities. The flimsy things you buy at Sears and other places just don't cut it for some things. I went to my friend the local welder and told him what I wanted: height, depth, width, one shelf, HEAVY, etc. He made me up a framework out of 2 inch angle iron. I then purchased two sheets of 3/4 inch plywood, which I glued together (lay one sheet on the garage floor, cover it with a thin layer of Elmer's Glue, put down the second sheet, lay 2 x 6's on top to distribute the weight, drive the front wheels of the pickup on top and leave overnight). I cut the combined sheets into two rectangles--one for the top and one for the shelf and attached them to the frame with screws spaced every 6 inches. Then I purchased a sheet of 1/4 inch sheet metal (cut to the size of the top) and laid that on top. I drilled through the sheet metal and plywood of the top and bolted on my large vise; this makes a solid base for the vise and holds the top on securely. At first I thought that I should have asked for a 3 inch angle iron frame; however, after I added the plywood, the sheet metal top and the vise, that sucker is HEAVY!!! I can beat a piece of angle iron into shape and nothing moves. Oh, I should mention that I put strips of foam weather stripping under the angle iron base. That also helps keep it from creeping on the concrete floor. I really think you would find a workbench like this helpful and it isn't that much more expensive than a commercially-made one--my total costs were under $250.

 

[blurrybill]

Gator,

Thanks for your comments. There is a Lowes within 15 miles - I'll check out the Kobalt line as my tractor purchase gets nearer.

For Gator and Everyone: Dumb question, I suppose, but since the tractors have foreign components, are they basically metric or standard? Also, are some implements SAE and others metric? If that is so, guess I need to shell out for both. Let me know.

Bill

 

[DFB]

I can tell ya what my equipment is. The tractor has all metric hardware, including the loader. The JD 413 rotary cutter hardware is metric too, but blade removal calls out for 1 1/2" socket. The slip clutch asy on both the tiller and cutter is metric too. But the BUSHHOG built tiller and rake are standard along with the KK and WORKSAVER stuff. Definitely a mixed bag.

DFB