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bravo

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the hammer method has worked for me on my own car..just not on andys for some strange reason. my bad.

They double-up as a useful tool for self defence ,especially with Irate owners.[They never seem to understand the merits of taking to their prized possession with a hammer]

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I invested in a rather heavy copper [persuader]Hammer

Yup, that's the one... I have a very well used copper hammer, had it for about 30 years now. Ball joint splitters are a waste of precious metal IMO...

BTW, my chargeout rate for hammer expertise is a bargain at only $25.. :D

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Guest Andrew

the hammer method has worked for me on my own car..just not on andys for some strange reason. my bad.

They double-up as a useful tool for self defence ,especially with Irate owners.[They never seem to understand the merits of taking to their prized possession with a hammer]

Gus nearly had to use the hammer on me as I was about to attack him after he broke both the tierod AND control arm on my race car while using the hammer method.

Hence why he is looking for the proper tools to undo the other side of the car and remove the control arm from the side he broke.

The bastard.

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send him to me... I will train him in the proper use of a hammer... for a small fee of course... B)

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Guest Andrew

send him to me... I will train him in the proper use of a hammer... for a small fee of course... B)

The order of the pictures nicely sums up why my car isn't having its big assed brakes fitted this weekend AND is still stuck in the awkward corner of the garage where no other work can be done on it!

:angry::D

1.) ooo look a hammer

2.) mah bad

3.) stuck car

post-1-1154053507_thumb.jpg

post-1-1154053543_thumb.jpg

post-1-1154053533_thumb.jpg

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1) there's your problem - its too small!

2) doh - I'm getting a wheel align today after a similar experience a week or so ago

3) henna space craft.

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Well done Gus, it looks like you were smashing down on the castle nut/or thread. When I get an E30 racer I want you as a mechanic,[for the other teams]

Looks like my charge-out rate as a 1st class hammer swinger was too cheap!

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Gus nearly had to use the hammer on me as I was about to attack him after he broke both the tierod AND control arm on my race car while using the hammer method.

Hence why he is looking for the proper tools to undo the other side of the car and remove the control arm from the side he broke.

The bastard.

Hey Andrew , I've got a new training method [smack Gus on the side of the head until he jumps]

tell him you always hit the steering Arms perpendicular to the Taper of the ball joint [not down it] Use the violence method for a subtle comparison[it might work,Haha]

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haha i was....i was not hitting the top...have mushroomed them before back in the day!

no excuses, was an off day for gus the mechanic!

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so if andrews using gus to undo his control arm ... does that make gus a "tool" :D

interesting philosophical question

yes?

he should stop whinging....he is more than welcome to undo his struts himself! :D

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Is the Crescent brand any good for its price? They got one at Dick Smith (CAT# T6127) seems quite good value.

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Sorry to resusitate a year-old thread, but I'm asking for advice- sorry, there is a fair bit of reading to do here!

Basically I want to purchase tools to work on car, basic engine work, interior trim etc, doing more as experience and knowledge improve. The essentials I need now are combination ring/open ended spanners, socket set, screwdrivers, pliers, etc. Yeah there is more (axle stands etc) but again, I’ll build on these later. These will be used on a Toyota and a BMW (when I get one), so I need metric only (I’ll get cheaper stuff for imperial later- will hardly use it, but pays to have it around)

Figure I will start with 3/8â€, then purchase 1/4†and 1/2†socket sets further down the line…

I’m from the UK and ya never know, I might end up back there, so whatever I buy must be sold over there too for upgrade/warranty purposes. And yeah, must have a lifetime warranty!

Where to look?

Amongst many others (kiwibiker, visor down, a few others in the UK, etc.), I checked these threads:

And I came up with five makes: I eliminated these three- yup, reasons sound fussy, but it’s a fair amount of cash I’ll be laying out, and I’ll be looking at and using them for a while! :D (And yeah, I would love Stahwille, but waaaay outta my budget! ):

Facom- didn’t like the ratchet (funny/ flimsy feeling selector dial, fibre reinforced?!)

Powerbuilt- ratchets felt crap compared to Koken & King Tony;

Teng- don’t like finish- don’t care about shiny, but still feels funny!

Which leaves me with pretty much the two I started with:

King Tony- unsure as to whether these guys operate in UK, though definitely in Ireland- I can live with that;

Koken- (Sockets & Screwdrivers only? No spanners, pliers, tool boxes?)

Of course, if anyone knows of any other tool makes, let me know- I may have thought of them, I may not, but any ideas will be good!

Questions/advice

  • Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with these makes? King Tony is being sold by a number of the shops I've visited, and Koken is one of the middle to higher makes recommended by a few here, but if I really know what I was talking about I wouldn’t be asking you guys now, would I? :P
  • Should I gradually build up my collection by buying stuff separately, e.g. socket set, spanner set, screwdriver set, etc. (more expensive in the long run than purchasing a tool chest for instance) or buy a tool chest a la:

    http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...5595734.htm?p=6

    Risk is that I end up with stuff I never use? I know they contradict each other, another reason I’m asking around!

  • Any good places to go to for these? Tried a few places in Wellie and Waitemata Hydraulics in Auckland, but open to suggestions…
  • Has anyone purchased from overseas? Exchange rate is fantastic right now...
As I said, any help in this is much appreciated- thanks! Edited by Sick Puppy

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In the end I bought individual stuff as I needed it and I'm happy. I wouldn't discount Teng as they are actually very good generally, and Powerbuilt is OK if you buy there more durable lines. I have plenty of Powerbuilt, but none of it the cheaper stuff and its fine. Don' get fixated on drive size. I use 1/4" for all the millions of 8mm trim bolts on e30's. 3/8" for alot of the 10mm etc stuff where 1/2" is a bit big to fit in the gaps. Again we're talking mostly trmis etc here. Then 1/2" for all the serious stuff - trans and engine bolts, bumper bolts, exhaust etc. You can use 3/8" with a bar to extend the ratchet length etc but as with most things you are basically "making do"..

My shopping list (from someone who has recently done it)

A set of metric combination spanners 6 to 26mm (for the front pulley)

A set of 14" (cheap) sockets 5-10mm with a driver plus extension and a "Screwdriver attachment"

A set of 3/8" sockets (nid range price) 10-20m with a decent driver and extensions for alot of work.

A set of 1/2" sockets from 13-32mm (decent quality. 32mm for things like wheel bearings) with a very nice driver, a few (3 or 4) extensions of varying lengths (at least 2 long ones) and at lest 2 universals, and at least 1x 1/2" to 3/8" reducer.

A decent power bar.

A decent torque wrench.

A set of allen sockets - 2mm - 8mmish

A set of torx sockets - for get sizeds but standard set for 3/8" - 1/2" driver will be fine

A set of screwdrivers. at least a few jewelers drivers, a couple of small phillips and flathead drivers, a couple of "stubbies" (phillips and flathead), a few mid-size, and then various mid to VERY LARGE flathead for use as levers etc.

A set of torx screwdrivers. (small).

A decent pair of pliers.

A decent pair of longnose pliers.

A decent pair of sidecutters

A set of smaller pliers/sidecutters/wire strippers etc.

A stanley knife.

Centre punches.

Hammers - 1x rubber mallet, 1x claw, 1-2x ball pein, 1x soft head, 1x mini sledge (optional unless your name is Gus).

Trolley jack 3 tonne.

Axle stands x2 min, x4 better.

Multi grip pliers x1.

Stilsons 2x.

Hacksaw.

Drill.

Oil filter wrench.

Work light.

Halogen on stand (optional bt recommended).

Rattle gun (optional - need air compressor).

There's plenty else, but thats a good starting point. Get a good tool chest and at least one "tool tray" to throw in the tools you are using for the job at hand so they are not lying on the floor. I also have work blankets etc, but then again, most of my work is done on a dirt floor.

Good Luck.

Edited by bravo

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Questions/advice

1. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with these makes? I know Sergei likes King Tony tools (had to put the tools in or it sounded dodgy! tongue.gif ) and Koken is one of the middle to higher makes recommended by a few here, but if I really know what I was talking about I wouldn’t be asking you guys now, would I? tongue.gif

2. Should I gradually build up my collection by buying stuff separately, e.g. socket set, spanner set, screwdriver set, etc. (more expensive in the long run than purchasing a tool chest for instance) or buy a tool chest a la:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...5595734.htm?p=6

Risk is that I end up with stuff I never use? I know they contradict each other, another reason I’m asking around!

3. Any good places to go to for these? Tried a few places in Wellie and Waitemata Hydraulics in Auckland, but open to suggestions…

4. Has anyone purchased from overseas? Exchange rate is fantastic right now..

Im working with my tools for most of the day and if I were you id be more than happy buying King Tony, there a good brand at a good price. I wouldnt bother with koken unless your going to use them on a daily basis.

The only down fall with buying a big starer pack is that if you find working on cars isnt for you...... its a big expence.

Risk is that I end up with stuff I never use?

This all depends on how much work you intend to do.

Be carefull about the "life time warranty".... On some occatoins the life time of the tool can expire extreamly fast....

Hope that helps.

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King Tony...naturally.

Decent quality at a decent price.

If youre in around Auckland, Wairau eng supplies in Vega place Mairangi often does 1/2 price deals on the stuff.

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Hey everyone, thanks heaps for the replies! Another long post I’m afraid, but then I’ve been shopping and reading... Bravo, thanks for the list of stuff to get- certainly makes my writing a list much easier (and by easier, I mean I’m using yours! Lol).

I went to Waitemata Hydraulics in Auckland (was up there for a volleyball tournie) and they reckoned their tool rep had seen a study/ experiment result showing that the King Tony stuff failed only a few hundred RPM under Koken in some test or other (whatever that meant), with Powerbuilt faaar behind, so the King Tony stuff looks really good value for money. I am inclined to go for the King Tony stuff at the mo, but Koken feels that bit better- worth the $100+ more though?

I must admit I’ve only seen limited ranges of the Teng and Facom gear, but here aren’t that many retailers around selling it, and they don’t have that much in the way of sets... Powerbuilt stuff looks alright, but first impressions count- The King Tony ratchets felt and sounded good, the Koken ratchets felt better, but in comparison the Powerbuilt one felt and sounded tinny, and the selector lever was really loose, which didn't reassure me about it lasting- generally when stuff like that moves around, it isn't designed to stay long in this world! lol I guess I’ll stick with King Tony and Koken stuff, though I must say I’m happy with that, and I do like the KT stuff. Westy, thanks for the heads up re: the Wairau shop, will give it a crack and se what they have!

Ideal world, I would like to get everything I need at once with storage to match, but then I would also have Stahwille... it's not an ideal world, so I'll make do. (of course, if I could locate Stahwile gear second hand... :) ). I want something that will last within the boundaries of what I can afford and frequency of use, so I’ll have a hunt around the Koken and King Tony websites and see what they have- pity their webistes like all asian sites suck! Man, if I could website design and speak Japanese/ Chinese I would make a bomb!

The King Tony set I quoted in my last post looks good, (the ‘Racing’ box is allegedly made by/ for a German tool company beginning with S... :D) but I can’t see myself using the Imperial stuff... anyone managed to get a full metric set from King Tony?, Also, it has offset wrenches- anybody find these useful?

Finally, has anyone looked at importing stuff? I’m figuring it’s not a go because of freight, but worth asking... again, thanks everyone for your help!

Edited by Sick Puppy

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AutoOne just sent me a KingTony flier. I took a look and was very very impressed with the prices. AutoOne is trying to get my familys' business so they've been quite generous with the discounts. Picking up a rattlegun and some sockets this week. Will let you know what I think of them.

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AutoOne just sent me a KingTony flier. I took a look and was very very impressed with the prices. AutoOne is trying to get my familys' business so they've been quite generous with the discounts. Picking up a rattlegun and some sockets this week. Will let you know what I think of them.

you get tools for cheap?! ... erm very keen mang

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PM me if you're not taking the piss. ;)

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