Thread: Tools

When I was an appy I used my tool allowance to buy second hand tools at auction - not sure if you can still do that but it was a great way of getting quality tools very cheaply. I used to bid on whole boxes and just take out what I wanted and re-sell the rest.

I did buy a few things like ratchets and air tools brand new.

A quality box is a good start - White International are good, so is SP.

Keep an eye out for garage sales too. I've scored quite a few old Stahwille, Gedore, "made in Australia" Sidchrome etc. tools for a dollar or two each over the years.

Forgot to mension, the SP kit comes with metric and imperial ring/open end spanners as well, they go up to 19mm and 3/4''.

CHEERS TIM.

i agree with second hand stuff.......

if only i thought about it back in the day......back then it was more important to have all the name brand stuff......

i could have had 2 or 3 times the amount of tools right from the start if i got second hand stuff.....


look on ebay.....closing down workshops......classifieds in the papers......even garage sales and deceased estate sales......

its more important to have all the tools you need to get a job done properly using the right tool.......
rather than not having the right tool and destroying things by using the wrong tools......such as using vice grips or shifters and rounding
off nuts and bolts because you dont have that size socket.......

with the dollars saved on the second hand tools.....you can replace any that are worn or missing.......
but look at what you buy so you dont end up with a boxfull of useless crap......






and dont throw out old or broken tools.......they get used to make up special tools.......as they can be bent.....ground........cut and abused
without ruining you proper tools......

Originally Posted by hiline

my 2nd eldest boy has just started a Diesel Mech Apprenticeship
well 4 months now..........

his 1st tool allowance is coming through soon i think around the $600 mark
so what he's after are some good tools

does anyone on here have any contacts in this field or know of anyone that can point him in the right direction.........

no point wasting his money on cheapish tools that wont last

any help would be greatly appreciated

Ray good to hear your boy's going to learn a trade.
My youngest is going to go along the same lines , but in the ADF. No apprenticeships there, they go in as Adult trainees and get full pay and all allowances instead of the $6 per hr that Civvy apprentices get. If your son was inclined to put up with the Drill etc, the pay's better and he'll get to work on more stuff

Originally Posted by DEFENDERZOOK

and dont throw out old or broken tools.......they get used to make up special tools.......as they can be bent.....ground........cut and abused
without ruining you proper tools......

Very Very good idea..from Defenderzook.

So many times that i have needed a tool that was 1/2" shorter or needed to be bent to get at something that some manufacturer has designed/re-designed.

At home i have on my wall a Kingchrome double door toolkit.
At work i have a mix of Kingchrome/Sidchrome/Repco & Snapon.
Yes Snapon, expensive but they do make some excellent tools.

Again as Defenderzook has said, it is quite amazing what you can find at auctions, ebay, garage sales, trading post & deceased estates.
If you have the time look around, ask what deals can be done as an apprentice, but be wary, lots of people out there that arent trustworthy.

All the best to the young fella, you must be proud

For a short time in my youth I was in the trade and my box is full of a real mix. Some top shelf stuff like Stahwille & Snap On , some middle of the road like sidcrome and some bargain basement stuff from india and taiwan. There have been some disappointments over the years but some of the basic stuff from india & taiwan like sockets and spanners continue to serve me well some 35yrs on. The only thing about top shelf stuff is they handle better (usually). I mean by that , the sockets are easier to change or the ratchets have less backlash and are smoother. In general developing countries mostly seem to have a good handle on tool steel now days.

I got this with my $800 voucher.... the SP Tools kit as mentioned above.
Great quality and decent range of sockets. Spanners are top quality as well but only go up to 19mm which is pretty poor, I revert to cheapy bigger spanners until I build up SP collection. They also miss a 15mm spanner which I can not fathom, its pretty common! I coughed up and bought a SP 15mm to fill the gap....

I was tossing up between the SP and the Kinchrome set. I have a little 3/8 Kinchrome set that has done some pretty heavy work, its also very good quality for the price.

Govt used to give you a voucher, but now they just dump $800 cash into your account which is much better! On my second $800 I went and bought a Waeco fridge haha.

For $800 you could probably pick up a fantastic 2nd hand lot of quality tools. Thats what I would be looking for first, better value for free money



Good luck for your boy, hope he sticks it out.