Need some advice

[t4t_mike]

I will be fully Qualified in about 6 to 7 mounths. Iv been byeing tools here and there with my part time job. If i give you guys a list of what iv already got. Could you advise me on what els i will definitely need!! Very much aprichiated!

4 X tool boxes
Open tote bag XL
22mm X 550mm SDS drill bit
28mm X 550mm SDS drill bit
Pipe bender
5M tap measure
Aluminum try square
Power change SDS plus
Bosch Hole saws..19mm, 22mm, 38mm, 44mm, 51mm
Immersion spanner
Compression fitting spanner
Basin wrench
Quick wrench
Adjustable wrench
Solder *O* mat
Leas free flux. brush’s
Solder wire
Bolster
Club hammer
De burner tool
Safety wear boots ect
Re seating tool
15mm, 22mm, 28mm, Pipe cutters
Spare pipe cutter blades
Plastic pipe cutter 15mm-45mm
Radiator keys
Wood Drill bits SDS
Drill bits SDS
A load off PTFE tape
Set of screw drivers

 

[sonray ltd]

blowtorch, gas.

allen keys come in handy.
star drive bits.
hose.
ladders.
torch.
work lamp.
radiator tail allen key.
rad bleed keys.
spirit level.
dust sheets.
stopcock keys. (not the crappy combination ones.)
bowl.
old rags. (unless your one of those that wipes all silicone on their
trouses)

 

[NickH]

Lots of pencils
Folding handy knife (takes stanley blades)
As many old towels as you can beg/borrow/steal
Wire wool
Screw selection box
Buckets
Hosepipe
Length of small bore plastic tubing (for sucking/blowing water out of pipework)
Handful of speedfit stop ends 15+22 (removable pushfit)
Set of box spanners for monotap fixing nuts
Large allen key for rad valve inserts

thats just of the top of my head

Beeping electrical tester that you can hold against a cable to find out if its live.

 

[Jay_1981]

pump pliers x 2
stilson wrench 12in
hacksaw (junior+full size)
drain down hose+bucket+roller paint trays
waterproof sheet or tarp
good quality socket set, makita make a decent one that has allens, torx, and the usual socketry, posi, flat blade bits

 

[buffy27]

whats the craic/
what u have at the moment with the addition of some of the obvious bits n bobs the lads have mentioned will do u the finest.
as u go from job to job u will buy the things u need.u can even include some specialized tools in the bill on materials{without being unreasonable}.don t panic about having everything.alot of tools that u might think u need may only b called on once or twice a year.,
pick up the things as u need them, thats my advice.

 

[REDSAW]

how do you know you will be fully qualified in 6 months?.
sounds like a course tool kit to me.
i am not knocking but, if you had every tool a plumber could use you will also need a lorry to carry them.
concentrate more on what type of jobs you will do and match the tools to suit,
i,e i can carry enogh tools and parts in a bass bag to refit a bathroom.
if bathrooms are your area, go to yours study every thing in it and match a tool for the job, if you have the you have enough gear to get you by. then as buffy says go buy what you need with the fittings.
i also have a life-times collection of tools and the lorry to carry them - almost,.

 

[t4t_mike]

Cheers lads for the input and the advice aprichiate it!

And yeah i see what you mean buffy27. Its allways playing on my mind thou, thinking *will i have most of the stuff i need? or one day i come up on a job when i dont have the right tools ect* That just me thou i worry alot! lol but cheers mate!

REDSAW34 what i mean mate by fully Qualified is when im down with the course i will have my 6129, c&g energy efficiency cert, 6022-2, 6032, BPEC....And i know what your going to say to that...*that aint fully qualified* cause i aint got a NVQ 2, NVQ Level 3 ect ect but i already know that. But i dident mean it to sound like that. I been on this course a year now. And im just takeing my time on it, just makeing sure i get everything in. Im in no rush, because i know things like this takes time. All i have done practical is Changeing some taps, washers, here and there. I know thats nothing! but its something for the mean time, till i go to the center and do my practical training. And yeah about the *tool course kit* Yeah you get one them at the end *Pipe cutters, Pipe bender, Blowtourch* The sales men acted like thats all i needed! but i aint stupid, thats why i been byeing bits and bobs, as you can see in my list. And about the van, I already got me self a vauxhall astra van. It aint in the best of nick but it gets me to A to B. But thanx for your advice mate

Cheers
Mike

 

[dam]

bigger van!

 

[dontknowitall]

LOL Dam!!

I have some dogs bollox .... Jaw Dropper - expensive but I never undid one nut with a basin wrench - far too fiddly.

Wet vaccuum cleaner. Great for emptying radiators, cisterns, fitting new pipework to existing and oopsies (the water shouldn't have come out then). Got mine from Jewsons for £60 and nearly time to buy another (too many oopsies!)

 

[dontknowitall]

LOL

Jaw Dropper Plumbing Wrench - NoLinkingToThis, Where the Trade Buys

 

[shepster]

The temptation is always to buy some fancy piece of kit thinking you will absolutely definately use that every week when in fact you will mostly use the same handfull of tools all the time for many or most of your first years jobs..... save your money at first and only buy when you must. Good luck with it all. You've already got plenty of tools.

shepster

ps any body want to buy a shed full of unused tools!

 

[unguided1]

18lb sledge hammer for when your having a bad day and all on sight are taking the mick, it can command a lot of respect when approaching the perpertators nice new shiny van, go on you know it makes sence
cheers
Mike

 

[t4t_mike]

Yeah i been thinking about it lately STEPSTER, I think i got enough to get me started, Just spent me last bit of bob 10mins ago on screwfix for a Makita SDS 24V plus drill, I aint heard one bad review on that drill so i had to have it, gonna keep it there now.

Hahaha UNGUIDED1, I like that kind of attuied mate, I keep that in mind.

 

[Avatar]

What about power tools mate:

Essentials for installation

Recipricating saw (no hacksaws for me!!)
Impact Driver 18v
Bosch Multitool (this is a life saver def!)
6kg SDS corded
2kg SDS corded (when the 6kg is too damn heavy!!)
10.8v Bosch Screw driver ( another essential, use it every day)
Diamond core set (Diamak, bout a ton to buy)
18v Makita LXT Lion cordless hammer drill (really good, no cordless can beat this)
Corded angle grider (for hardcore cutting)
3.8v screwdriver for tool box (small and better than a real screwdriver)

Plus i have a few light wieght cordless drills that are back up/spares.

True I am a reet lazy bastid and dont like doing any real work . . . .

Ha!

Ps i use all of these (apart from the angle grinder, dont like the sparks) all the time.

If you dont use tools like this, you must have discovered another type of laziness . . .

 

[t4t_mike]

Nice one mate! I'm gonna wright all these down, and keep all this in mind.

Haha yeah it might be lazy, but the way i look at it, is power tools are going to get the job done much quicker. And your going to get a much neater finish with a Circular saw or a jigsaw, then any kind of hacksaw.

mike

 

[migoplumber]

how can you live without footprints?

shaun

 

[Jay_1981]

guess he must be a ninja

 

[Bernie2]

Some great ideas, but what if you get a power cut?

When I worked on the sites all that fancy gear knocking about would last about 10 minutes before it was "Whizzed". We only ever took the basics and that is all you where covered for by your companies insurance. Beside that not many sites had any sort of electric on them, you hand balled nearly everything.

Today of course its far easier and quicker with cordless stuff.
I suppose the main tools are a good 18 volt ion combo cordless, sds mains cable all the bits to go with them. A circular saw if your taking up your own floors with a good quality fine cutting blade, not a rip blade that turns a floor into firewood. I would also say a roto tool. You could go on and on depending on the work your doing.

Mostly though you can get by with a good medium slot head screwdriver and a No 2 Posi driver, plus a couple of Conex type spanners and a crows foot. With of course our old mates, a pair of medium size Footprints, large and small hacksaws. Primus blow lamp, pipe cutters and file. Hammer and chisel, pliers.
It all depends what your work is. You can't dress lead with a screwdriver and you can't solder a joint with a lead dresser. I wound up over the years with tools I seldom use, bought for specific jobs, but if I worked on similar jobs again, I would have to go and buy again.
The rest of the kit are tools of personal choice and add on's.

 

[jobsrus]

whats the craic/
what u have at the moment with the addition of some of the obvious bits n bobs the lads have mentioned will do u the finest.
as u go from job to job u will buy the things u need.u can even include some specialized tools in the bill on materials{without being unreasonable}.don t panic about having everything.alot of tools that u might think u need may only b called on once or twice a year.,
pick up the things as u need them, thats my advice.

Great advice, Just have money spare for the tools you may need for the job one at a time.

 

[PLUMB111]

If your thinking of site work... you better rethink your list a bit.

Generator, 110v Lights, 110v Leads.....and on and on.

But good luck to you lad.