Tools for home servicing

Imp

Joe_Horner wrote: »

+ about 5 million on that. !/2 inch drive is overkill for probably 98% of what you're likely to do, cost more, weighs more and takes up more space.

Get a basic 3/8" drive set and a 1/2" drive breaker bar, then buy odd 1/2 inch sockets as you find you need them for the really tight stuff. As soon as you've got the moving you can swap to the 3/8 for convenience.

Got to agree as well, I have a cheap 3/8" set which I use all the time, and a high quality 1/2" set which hardly ever has been used, and has been a waste of money. I should have bought the larger sockets individually as and when I needed them rather than in the set.

I have replaced the ratchet in the 3/8" set, but other than that I still have every socket and they all still work perfectly.

andygb

I would second the shouts for Halords pro line and Silverline ratchet spanners - brilliant value. I would question not using 1/2" drive where a bit of "grunt" is needed, but agree that the smaller drives are good in tight spaces.
Good trolley jack (2 if possible)
4 good axle stands
Good metric socket set and ratchet spanners
Oil filter wrench
Junior and full size hacksaws
Rubber mallet
Selection of screwdrivers and different pliers.

s_b

i have 3/8 gear never use it to the point ive stopped buying it
most modern stuff is so tight you run the risk of injury if something snaps
i use 1/2 inch
if i need 3/8ths to get in i use a tool that steps down

for small average stuff i mainly use 1/4 drive

TrickyWicky

I personally recommend the Halfords Vortex socket sets. You'll always have the odd nut that is about a mile down the thread that a normal socket set can't reach. With the vortext the handle goes around the outside of the socket which has a hole in the midle to let the thread through it meaning you can get down to nuts that are on long threads.

The the oil filter, bang a screwdriver through it and unscrew it. You'll also need an oil pan like this so that the oil coming out of the engine is collected nicely. You then take it to the local dump and empty it into their oil recycling container.

Spark plugs, halfords sell a really cheap spark plug tool (it has a flexible joint and a spring on it). Avoid that like the plague not only is it crap but brittle and can snap.

If you can't afford a vortex socket set, get yourself a good normal socket set - 8mm to 30mm is a good range. I use this Draper set which has never let me down yet and was cheaper than some other branded socket sets. It's a very good set and I chose this after a couple of weeks of research because this has nearly every size of socket inside it that many other socket sets didn't have - eg 16mm and 13mm are missing in some socket sets (yet they're the ones you need). This set is only missing a 26mm, 29mm and 31mm which is actually very good. Most other sets will have a few missing in the lower ranges that you'll need frequently.

Also if you can, ratchet spanners (preferably with the flexible heads) again, smallest size possible (8mm) to the largest - which seems to be 19mm for some odd reason - I've never found any bigger. IF you buy the set from Halfords it has a few sizes missing - it comes with 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 17mm, 19mm so you end up having to buy the missing ones as and when you need / can afford them.

Also a good quality set of axle stands and a trolley jack. You can buy 2T stands/jack but I've found these to be a bit weak in the past. I always use the 3T stuff: This is a good set of Stands (I have two sets of these and had one car stood on a set for 14 months non-stop - very strong) and this should be a good Jack (I have a similar one by another brand). I can not emphasize enough how important it is to have solid lifting and support gear. NEVER prop a car up on a jack and leave it on the jack - always use stands. A jack may seem incredibly strong however they do fail and I've witnessed it. Jacks are for lifting only - Lift, position stands and slowly release the jack.

Some of the stuff may be expensive so be warned, a good set of tools could set you back £200 but it will pay dividends very quickly. Not only will it save you the cost of your servicing but it will also enable you to perform minor repairs which garages can charge £mega for. It depends really how far you intend to go with your own car work as to what you buy. I don't like car work - it's mucky, oily dirty stuff yet I ended up with a 2T engine crane and hauling out two engines because its cheaper to buy the tools than hire them or go to a mechanic and you get to keep the tools after!

As for the 3/8 vs 1/2 arguement, if you buy 1/2 and need smaller you can fit an adaptor to step down to 3/8 size / sockets. You can't really go the other way though as the 3/8 square is so small it could round off. I have 1/2 size sockets and 3/8 and the only time I needed the 3/8 (market quality tools I might add) was when I was rebuilding our car and it had a few small nuts under the headlights. For everything else I've only ever needed 'car size' not 'bicycle size'.

mikey72

alexalexalex wrote: »

I want to start servicing my car at home, nothing fancy - just the air, oil, and fuel filters and changing the oil etc. I've found guides online specific to my car for the jobs but my tool bag is a bit lacking with not much more than a hammer, saw, and a few different size screwdrivers

Would I be ok getting a kit like this from Halfords and along with a socket like this to swap over the oil filter?

Is there a bare minimum set of tools that you should have for car repairs or will a kit like I linked to get me off to a decent start?

So, what will all these spanners, sockets, and tool boxes actually be for?

All I use for these jobs, is a torx bit for the sump plug, or an allen key, or the right size socket, and a driver to suit.
Oil filter is either the right size spannner for the nut on the end, or it's a disposable one piece one, and if I can't twist that off by hand I usually wrap a piece of sandpaper around it for more grip, air filter is just clips, and the fuel filter is either a torx bit or a cross head screwdriver, or by hand.

So all one off purchases from Halfords, or Lidl during their tool promotions.

Joe_Horner

TrickyWicky wrote: »

I have 1/2 size sockets and 3/8 and the only time I needed the 3/8 (market quality tools I might add) was when I was rebuilding our car and it had a few small nuts under the headlights. For everything else I've only ever needed 'car size' not 'bicycle size'.

Conversely, over the past 3 or 4 years I've recommissioned 3 classics, one of which had been standing since 1978, and am half-way through the 4th (only standing for about 10 years this time) and haven't needed 1/2 inch at all except for 22 and 28mm on a breaker bar for wheel- and hub-nut.

That's including full steering, brake and suspension overhauls on 2 of them, complete engine rebuild on one, head work and re-ring on one, top overhaul, cam change and gearbox rebuild on another, and engine out / clutch change on the 4th. And that's not to mention the stuff I've done for other club members on club weekends.

The record to date is 4 long term non-runners (4 years or more each standing) driving, with one of them going through an MOT the day after, plus a couple of ball-joints, a steering rack rebuild and getting their MIG welder working in a day). By the end of that, the lighter weight of 3/8" stuff pays dividends on your ability to drink the beer they owe you

Not sure what the OP is planning, but I doubt he's going deeper than that, in which case 3/8 will do everything he needs

TrickyWicky

mikey72 wrote: »

So, what will all these spanners, sockets, and tool boxes actually be for?

Well we've no idea what car the op has or what tools may be needed. On my car the oil filter is at the bottom of the engine so the only way to get to it is to jack the car up onto stands, remove the engine undertray (using sockets), get to the oil filter, the sump plug needs a spanner rather than a socket as the head isn't very tall... Every car is different so my recommendations were trying to be as helpful as possible. I do agree the op won't need all of that but they're welcome to pick and choose what they will or won't need right?

They asked what tools they might need, we've responded as was requested. There is no right or wrong answer here mikey.

forgotmyname

Imps post #10, Dont buy anything like that. Thats the sort of thing you buy someone as a gift and they hope they never need to use it.

Not something you would rely on and use often.

A proper socket and spanner set is a must. 3/8 or 1/2" 99% of my stuff is 1/2" and i do have a 1/4" set from machine mart for light duty work.

I can get recessed plugs out with a 1/2" socket. The socket is the same size its only the drive bar thats different.

Cheap sockets will tend to have thick sidewalls to make up for the poor quality metal used.

alexalexalex

WOW!!! :eek: thanks guys, I was NOT expecting such a big response

The car's not a Vauxhall (don't know where that came from), it's a Rover 75 (diesel) hence the socket I linked to because I've read they can be a pain to get off and are easily damaged so I wanted the right tool for the job

Thanks for all the other opinions. I'm sure you're all right and I don't need a full set with all the bells and whistles (yet ) but it's good to know for the future when I become more competent/brave/foolhardy

Strider590

Very useful for the home mechanic is a ratchet screwdriver with interchangeable bits, a set of hex bits (allen), a set of Torx bits (star shaped security bolts used by manufacturers to force people into dealerships). Both male and female of the above bits.... You can buy them all in one set on Ebay if you look, doesn't matter about quality as the screws/bolts they're used for generally aren't torqued up too much.

I'd also recommend a very small socket ratchet wrench, like the Draper stubby (Draper 71959) ratchet, they're not cheap, but youd be surprised how often you come across a screw/bolt/nut that you can't get a full sized tool anywhere near, it can save you spending 3 hours taking the car apart JUST to get at a screw head.

Gone are the days where servicing a car only needed a spark plug wrench, oil filter wrench, a 13mm spanner (oil sump plug). Now you need to take out half a tonne of plastic covers and security screws just to get at the service items