Hey guys! I am new to the forum, and kind of new to the motoring industry in the UK.
I am a Canadian by birth and had a Honda that I loved and looked after back home, and I was lucky enough to have a pal with tools.
I am getting in a position where I can start doing maintenance work on my girlfriend's MR2, and I am in need of some basic tools.
I am wondering if anyone has any recommendations about where to go for a starter set, something with enough sockets to allow me to do most of the work on the car, things like:
Normal Sockets
Deep Sockets
Spark Plug Socket
Caliper Tool for Rears
Jackstands
Oil Filter Wrench
Oil Drain Pan
I have seen Halfords have them, but I am wondering if anyone else out there is a fan of finding bargains, and knows where I can hunt something down.
So far I have found this:
m http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_255215 (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_862443_langId_-1_categoryId_255215) m
Which looks good, but I am not sure if I am maybe still spending a few too many bucks on a kit.
Also, can someone fill me in on how to properly dispose of fluids here, like spent oil, or coolant?
Thanks in advance for helping with a seemingly silly query!
Evan
That kit looks good and halfrauds tools are really rather good.
you also need OBDII reader and O2 Socket (22mm)
Thanks mate! OBDII Reader is a good shout. A quick Google says about £50, does that sound about right? We had one of the sensors done last year at Kwik Fit which was a bit of a charade, and I know they are prone to go, so I will keep them in mind.
As far as pricing goes though, is Halfrauds' (I like it!) pricing about right? The trouble with living in a foreign land is that I have nothing to compare it to.
Thanks for getting back to me Russ!
£50 is about £40 too much
m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/U480-Car-Auto ... 3a719b1e66 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/U480-Car-Auto-Diagnostic-Scanner-OBD2-OBDII-CAN-BUS-Code-Reader-Memoscanner-UK-/251014094438?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item3a719b1e66) m
Halfrauds is good kit for sensible money, most of use buy tool by tool but as a one stop shop that looks great.
02 socket also under £10
m http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000MQ7XRA/? ... B000MQ7XRA (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000MQ7XRA/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9550952469&ref=asc_df_B000MQ7XRA) m
Russ
Cooooool. Thanks Russ!
I've got a similar Halfords set and their professional range is very good :-) :-) :-)
Another for the Halfords Professional range. I have this set (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_862421_langId_-1_categoryId_255215) which I got half price of course s:D :D s:D well worth the money @£100. You can't go wrong with the one you've linked, they always have at least 1 set half price all the time.
My bro has a similar set to the one you've linked, been using it for almost 10 years.
The Halford sets are good quality and value....the 6 point Draper Expert sockets are very good as well,i've bought a few sets lately.....the older Halfords sets are the ones to get though,apparently Snap-On made them,the newer ones are Sykes Pickavent....still good quality though.
Some great buys on BAHCO stuff.....top of the range quality sets (6 point sockets) at rrp £450 can be bought for £150 or less.
m http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bahco-Socket-10 ... 537&sr=1-8 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bahco-Socket-106-Piece-2-Inch-Drive/dp/B000Y8OFI6/ref=sr_1_8?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1362593537&sr=1-8) m
m http://www.buyaparcel.com/pageview.php? ... de=BAHS106 (http://www.buyaparcel.com/pageview.php?page=show_product&ecommerce_stockcode=BAHS106) m
Looking to kit out my garage over the next couple of months too.
Great thread, really useful info. s:) :) s:)
Just worth mentioning that if you have an Aldi or Lidl store near you they regularly have some really good value and, importantly, quality kit on offer. Trolley jacks, axle stands spanner sets, torque wrenches, battery chargers etc. all TUV stamped. You need to keep an eye on their websites.
Over the years I haven't bought anything from them that has broken, or anythong that has broken a car. I now have far too many tools s:crazyeyes: :crazyeyes: s:crazyeyes:
That halfords set looks ok ,and they have a lifetime guarantee with them but
you are better off buying the 6 sided sockets not the 12
get some of their flexible ratchet spanners as well
These are a good buy
m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bahco-SL25-So ... 589961f539 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bahco-SL25-Socket-Set-/380530455865?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item589961f539) m
m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bahco-S330-So ... 484afc7c3a (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bahco-S330-Socket-Mechanical-Set-34-Piece-1-4-3-8in-drive-BAHS330-/310495706170?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item484afc7c3a) m
m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bahco-S240-So ... 53f20b76a3 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bahco-S240-Socket-Set-Square-Drive-24-Piece-1-2-in-Drive-24pc-/360543123107?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item53f20b76a3) m
Quote from: "trevsmr2"That halfords set looks ok ,and they have a lifetime guarantee with them but you are better off buying the 6 sided sockets not the 12
Looks like there are a few in the set, four at the back in black, impact sockets aren't they specially for windy guns?
You do definitely want a set of then though for those stubborn rusty nuts, the twelve sided ones will just round the nuts s;-) ;-) s;-)
Can I add a little question in about torque wrenches... are they needed? What is a good one?
A lot of the repair guides I've been looking at recently specify the torque for certain bolts so I figured they were pretty important to have but after looking around there seems to be a massive range of prices for them.
I bought my first torque wrench when I was rebuilding an old 'A' series engine. If you are doing any major rebuild work (engine, discs, calipers etc then they are 'must have' bits of kit. The most use mine gets these days is for the wheel nuts!
Just buy a basic budget type and that will be fine for diy use. Calibration is not really as important as making sure that all nuts / bolts are tightened equally.
Just noticed that LIDL have got a very useful looking 94 piece socket set (chome vanadium and S2 steel) for £34.99 from 14th March.
Got a brochure from aldi through the door today, had a flick through before shotting it in the bin like normal and noticed they are doing an air compressor with loads of attachments for £99 also doing spray guns and a load of other air tools too. Brilliant little starter pack for someone I reckon
You can get sets of Draper Expert 6 point sockets on plastic storage rails/strips......they range from £8 to £20 depending on drive size and if they are deep sockets or not.....shop around between Amazon and Ebay for the best price...theres usually around 8 to 10 sockets per rail,you can even get them colour coded.Very good quality for the price,i've bought a few sets over the past few months....the 6 point was able to remove the heat shield bolts on the 2 as they apply pressure to the flat of the bolt head not the corners that were rusted away.
A set of the hex/torx head sockets is worth having as well...the Draper Expert set is approx 20 quid from Amazon,bought it at christmas....good set,read the reviews.
m http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-Expert-2 ... B0001K9R6W (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-Expert-21932-40-Piece-Tx-Star/dp/B0001K9R6W) m
Quote from: "eg_wanna_be"Thanks mate! OBDII Reader is a good shout. A quick Google says about £50, does that sound about right? We had one of the sensors done last year at Kwik Fit which was a bit of a charade, and I know they are prone to go, so I will keep them in mind.
As far as pricing goes though, is Halfrauds' (I like it!) pricing about right? The trouble with living in a foreign land is that I have nothing to compare it to.
Thanks for getting back to me Russ!
You could go for the "TORQUE" app. if you have a smart phone. It's an OBII reader free app or about 3 quid for the "pro" version. You just need a Bluetooth plug to put on the car connector for about 10 quid (fleabay)...so probably cheapest option, and has more useful features than a hard wired reader.
Wished I hadn't read this thread. I wasn't aware I needed/wanted any tools at the moment. Now I'm hankering after a new socket set!
This one has extra 30 pieces for the same price, web only offer until Monday though,
m http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_255215 (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_862421_langId_-1_categoryId_255215) m
The worst thing about the Halfords sets is they make up the numbers with alot of screwdriver bits etc.
Wow bargain on my set at the moment, reduced from £200 to £80!
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_862421_langId_-1_categoryId_255215
Wow good find. Cant resist a bargain like that
Quote from: "onion86"Wow bargain on my set at the moment, reduced from £200 to £80!
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_862421_langId_-1_categoryId_255215
Have they ever actually been 200 quid though......they are always reduced s:lol: :lol: s:lol: still its a decent set.
They are full price sometimes, people probably don't buy them during that time though s:D :D s:D
When this thread was started they were full price and some of the other sets were reduced, cheapest I've seen this set was £100 (same price I got mine 3 or so years ago) so £80 is a bargain, it's a great set.
Just picked one of the Halfords sets today. I don't know how true it is (they always have offers on) but they claim the £79.99 price is only on till Tuesday.
Quote from: "AndyM"Just picked one of the Halfords sets today. I don't know how true it is (they always have offers on) but they claim the £79.99 price is only on till Tuesday.
Probably...they were £129.99 in my local yesterday......i would buy a set but have a similar set already,but tbh i would only buy the 6 point sockets after using them.This Bahco set is next on my list.
m http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bahco-Socket-10 ... 277&sr=8-5 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bahco-Socket-106-Piece-2-Inch-Drive/dp/B000Y8OFI6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1364842277&sr=8-5) m
Just ordered a new set of ramps and super low ramp adapters from machine mart. Collection tomorrow so I can take my bumper off to repair and paint it. Cant even get a low jack under it as it stands lol
I just damn near broke my pinky (might be broken actually) on my stupid Halfords trolley jack.
Stupid thing has the most ridiculous and unstable jacking lever. It pops out all the time.
So I punched the floor full-force
I haven't read all the replys, so forgive me if this has been covered... you seem to have plenty info on tools.. so, the recycling of old oil etc..
You have lots of choices, m http://www.westlothian.gov.uk/1210/1054 ... ingcentres (http://www.westlothian.gov.uk/1210/1054/recycling/recyclingcentres) m
West Lothian Council provides a range of Community Recycling Centres throughout West Lothian where residents can take household items to be recycled or disposed of.
There are Community Recycling Centres at the following locations:
Blackburn, East Mains Street
Broxburn, Greendykes Industrial Estate
Linlithgow, Braehead Road
Livingston, Deans Cleansing Depot, Nairn Road
Livingston, Oakbank
Whitburn, Dixon Terrace, Burnhouse Industrial Estate, Whitburn
You can dispose of batteries and old engine oil at any of the above depots.
Just one off the wall really but Lidl have a 101 piece kit for £69.99 at the moment. Comes from the same region in China as the Halfords one does s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
I only plug Aldi and Lidl from personal experience of their quality / value.
Quote from: "shnazzle"I just damn near broke my pinky (might be broken actually) on my stupid Halfords trolley jack.
Stupid thing has the most ridiculous and unstable jacking lever. It pops out all the time.
So I punched the floor full-force
I bought a Halfords quick lift 4x4 trolley jack for the Rav 4 last year....had two replacements and still not that happy with the one i have...sometimes it will lose height very slowly,sometimes its ok,don't trust it that much tbh
Quote from: "Markb"Quote from: "shnazzle"I just damn near broke my pinky (might be broken actually) on my stupid Halfords trolley jack.
Stupid thing has the most ridiculous and unstable jacking lever. It pops out all the time.
So I punched the floor full-force
I bought a Halfords quick lift 4x4 trolley jack for the Rav 4 last year....had two replacements and still not that happy with the one i have...sometimes it will lose height very slowly,sometimes its ok,don't trust it that much tbh
Indeed. The release valve seems a bit sensitive to say the least. Haven't lost height yet, but I always put it on axle stands straight away.
Too many horror stories of crushed people trusting trolley jacks.
My finger properly hurts today... Considering legal action s:) :) s:) hehehe
[strike:2u5z7il5]Spotted this on the old fleabay and wondered if it would be fit for purpose for a DIY torque wrench?
m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROLSON-3-8-DR ... 0876258193 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROLSON-3-8-DRIVE-MICROMETER-TORQUE-WRENCH-5-80-FT-LB-/130876258193) m
What do you think?[/strike:2u5z7il5]
Scratch that... Just found a pretty damning review
Quote from: "AndyM"[strike:yi73d887]Spotted this on the old fleabay and wondered if it would be fit for purpose for a DIY torque wrench?
m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROLSON-3-8-DR ... 0876258193 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROLSON-3-8-DRIVE-MICROMETER-TORQUE-WRENCH-5-80-FT-LB-/130876258193) m
What do you think?[/strike:yi73d887]
Scratch that... Just found a pretty damning review
s:lol: :lol: s:lol: ...these are very good,bought two for myself and my dad a while back.....almost essential for torquing wheel nuts up.
m http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-6335 ... que+wrench (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-633567-Torque-Wrench/dp/B000LFTSG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365261563&sr=8-1&keywords=silverline+torque+wrench) m
Quote from: "Markb":.: ...these are very good,bought two for myself and my dad a while back.....almost essential for torquing wheel nuts up.
m http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-6335 ... que+wrench (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-633567-Torque-Wrench/dp/B000LFTSG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365261563&sr=8-1&keywords=silverline+torque+wrench) m
Thanks Mark. I looked at these and they seem well reviewed. Is the torque range not a bit high though for anything other than wheels?
This one only goes down to 42Nm and I though quite a lot of the '2 needed 27-35Nm? I may be wrong though.
Quote from: "AndyM"Quote from: "Markb":.: ...these are very good,bought two for myself and my dad a while back.....almost essential for torquing wheel nuts up.
m http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-6335 ... que+wrench (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-633567-Torque-Wrench/dp/B000LFTSG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365261563&sr=8-1&keywords=silverline+torque+wrench) m
Thanks Mark. I looked at these and they seem well reviewed. Is the torque range not a bit high though for anything other than wheels?
This one only goes down to 42Nm and I though quite a lot of the '2 needed 27-35Nm? I may be wrong though.
Depends what you really want it for.....ideally i suppose you would need the one i mentioned and a smaller version (for both size and lower torque range).....the draper one below the Silverline might suit you better if its more for engine bay work/lighter jobs.
m http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009 ... diy&sr=1-2 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009VYBFBO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&keywords=torque%20wrench&qid=1365346287&s=diy&sr=1-2) m
What Jacks / Trolley Jacks would you recommend for (safe s:mrgreen: :mrgreen: s:mrgreen: ) under car work?
None.
I would use axle stands.
***NEVER*** get under a car with just a trolley jack in place.
+1 to the power of many, don't risk it. Use a jack for jacking and stands for standing.
Ramps can be very handy too for a quick way to get under the back end safely. The lightweight cheaper ones with a hefty gradient are hopeless and potentially dangerous though. If you opt for ramps get something with a bit of weight and a friendly slope.
+ (another) 1 to the stands
I've got a 2-tonne Clarke set with trolley jack and pair of axle stands.
Think I paid about £50 from Machine Mart in about 2002. Works fine and I haven't lost any bits of me yet s:) :) s:)
Ok thanks guys - Well I was asking for any recommendations (brands or ones to avoid like the plague) as I saw this:-
2T trolley £34.99 which you get 2 Axle stands (worth £19.99) free limited offer
m http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 2tjackaxle (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchCmd?catalogId=10151&storeId=10001&categoryId=255203&langId=-1&action=listrefine&scope=inl%7C%7Cpartnumber%7C%7C2%7C%7C332244%7C%7C332293&constraints=sor%7C%7CPrice%7C%7C1&cm_re=10cms+slides-_-Slide+1-_-2tjackaxle) m
Is this something worth investing in? And purchasing an additional set of stands?
I got both jack and stands from Halfrauds separately last November. I reckon its a half decent deal, better than I paid with my discount card.
Looks ok to me.
Personally I haven't found I've needed more than one pair of axle stands at any one time and either work front/back or left/right half at a time. Also there are some reports of 4 axles stands being a bit unstable so as far as I know most people work with 2 wheels on the deck at any one time.
Another option (and something I'm considering) is using ramps and stands if you need to lift the whole car. Not sure how kosher this is though and obviously it won't work if you need to work on all 4 wheels/hubs.
Ramps like these?
m http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews ... ewpoints=1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B003G1PTBK/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1) m
I've been looking myself for a jack /stands and I like the look of the jack or jack + 2 axle stands from:
sgs-engineering.com
The jack has an entry height of 89mm and open height of 359mm with a 360 degree rotating handle which means that you can use the jack in a typical narrow garage width.
The jack alone is£27.99 and with 2 axle stands£41.99 +£5.30 next day delivery.
Sorry I haven't shown a direct link but I think you will agree it is worth a look
Quote from: "Joesson"I've been looking myself for a jack /stands and I like the look of the jack or jack + 2 axle stands from:
sgs-engineering.com
The jack has an entry height of 89mm and open height of 359mm with a 360 degree rotating handle which means that you can use the jack in a typical narrow garage width.
The jack alone is£27.99 and with 2 axle stands£41.99 +£5.30 next day delivery.
Sorry I haven't shown a direct link but I think you will agree it is worth a look
m http://www.sgs-engineering.com/hydrauli ... xle-stands (http://www.sgs-engineering.com/hydraulic-jacks/trolley-jacks/tjl2jsr-low-entry-trolley-jack-axle-stands) m
Looks ok.......seems to be good value.
Continuing an older thread, some thoughts on a couple of recent additions.
Irwin Bolt Grip Nut Removers (and/or expansion set)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515L2DwY2jL._AA160_.jpg)(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mTRcSPKvL._AA160_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/418Kz06JJwL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
These are reverse fluted sockets. I've tried a few like these over the years, but the Irwins really are the dog's danglies. I'd consider these an essential item now that our '2s are getting a bit crusty around the edges.
They provide insane amounts of grip on the gnarliest of nuts. Nic and I discovered that they work ridiculously well on seized in studs too. Ruins them, but shifts 'em!
Alongside the 3/8th drive option, all sockets have metric hexes which give a handy alternative to swing on if access is limited.
Owning a vice is useful to remove nuts from the sockets once they're off. They bite so hard they sometimes don't want to let go s:D :D s:D
Basic and expansion set cover different nut sizes.
King D1ck 19mm/22mm ring spanner
(http://galleryplus.ebayimg.com/ws/web/360697984633_1_0_1/1000x1000.jpg)
Not sure how long these will be around for. If you feel the need, nows the time to lay your hands on a King D1ck!
Ex-military issue, a batch of these is currently appearing secondhand on - well, you know where. As far as I'm aware, they're not available new in the 19/22mm variant to Mr. and Mrs. public.
I bought this as a multi solution for some common '2 related stuff. The 19mm swan neck is ideal for access to the recessed crank pulley and suspension gubbins. The 22 end slips over O2 plugs to get to stubborn sensors whilst clearing the heatshield. Perfect for Bank 1/post-cat. Need to come at it from 7 o'clock for Bank 2 'cos of the filter box heatshield, but that's no biggie.
A beautifully made, very substantial spanner - and the business ends are deep. You can get oodles of torque through 'em.
Awesome! You live about 5 minutes away from me! s:D :D s:D