Newbie... What tools?

[samlol]

Hey guys, New to the forum and fairly new to plumbing! Almost completed my technical certificate level 2. I was wondering if anyone could shed some light onto a few essential for a plumbers "mate/Trainee" tool kit... Looking to get a torch, bender, cutters.. etc etc. If you can name drop a few brands that would be brilliant!
Thanks
Sam.

 

[dontknowitall]

Welcome Samlol!!!

Rothenburger Superfire 2 blow torch - £80 or so
Hilmor benders - £?? not cheap though!
Bahco spanner(s) - £25 ish
Monument pipe cutters - £10ish each
Pump pliers (Knipex?) - £?? can't remember these ones
Stanley knife
Stanley tape measure
Stanley Tool Box(es) and organisers
Stabilo spirit levels (I bought 5 different sizes for £30ish)
Decent battery drill - Makita, Dewalt (my choice)

New tool for me ... Bosch PMF 180E multifunction tool - great for cutting floorboards especially against skirting boards

Pencil ... WH Smith and/or Travis Perkins for some heavier duty ones

It's easy to get carried away. The list above will set you back a good £500 and there's no screwdriver mentioned, or chisels or stock of pipe or towels or hammer or solder or flux or ...

Unless you have a good pot of money I'd spend good money on spanners, grips and 15mm and 22mm pipe cutters. The rest build up as you make profits and buy as necessary. Most of us will have 10mm and 28mm pipe cutters but you'll probably not need these on your first few jobs. Likewise, if you have a spirit level, use it instead of buying a better one.

Hope this gets your mouth watering!!

 

[a.h]

thanks for the tools info,
actually am going to start course in september, but its good to know.

thanks.

 

[WHPES]

Search the forum - quite a few in depth threads in the past.

 

[AWheating]

where you buy them from can be very important to your wallet. Search the likes of ebay, car boots, tool markets etc.... you can find stuff very cheap. dont buy from the main diy stores if possible. last time i brought some pipeslices i payed about £4

 

[fuzzy]

big hammer, bigger hammer and massive hammer

 

[yogavo]

any websites in particular where you would buy tools or specialist plumbing tools?

 

[testarossa]

Welcome Samlol!!!

Rothenburger Superfire 2 blow torch - £80 or so
Hilmor benders - £?? not cheap though!
Bahco spanner(s) - £25 ish
Monument pipe cutters - £10ish each
Pump pliers (Knipex?) - £?? can't remember these ones
Stanley knife
Stanley tape measure
Stanley Tool Box(es) and organisers
Stabilo spirit levels (I bought 5 different sizes for £30ish)
Decent battery drill - Makita, Dewalt (my choice)

New tool for me ... Bosch PMF 180E multifunction tool - great for cutting floorboards especially against skirting boards

Pencil ... WH Smith and/or Travis Perkins for some heavier duty ones

It's easy to get carried away. The list above will set you back a good £500 and there's no screwdriver mentioned, or chisels or stock of pipe or towels or hammer or solder or flux or ...

Unless you have a good pot of money I'd spend good money on spanners, grips and 15mm and 22mm pipe cutters. The rest build up as you make profits and buy as necessary. Most of us will have 10mm and 28mm pipe cutters but you'll probably not need these on your first few jobs. Likewise, if you have a spirit level, use it instead of buying a better one.

Hope this gets your mouth watering!!

This is really helpful for me.. thanks!

 

[Guest123]

If you want to be a professsional, buy professional quality tools. Cheap crap will make your job harder! Power tools- buy Dewalt, Makita etc. Look after your tools too and they'll look after you.

 

[Resolute]

All I can say is buy the best you can afford and use the right tool for the job.

A few weeks back I'd misplaced my large flat blade and needed it to undo a screw on my motorbike. Instead of finding it I dug out an old cheap screwdriver which resulted in the handle shearing and slicing my hand open. The next day I brought a new fatmax screwdriver - for £6 it wasn't worth the cut on my hand!

 

[Guest123]

any websites in particular where you would buy tools or specialist plumbing tools?

For De Walt power tools, I use Plumbfix (Screwfix is same company) and it's always a good idea to buy tools and thus support your local plumbers merchants, plus if you have an account it will give you time to pay for them. Otherwise they're are many tool suppliers online, if you Google what you are looking for.
Just remember, you get what you pay for! I've just returned a jigsaw to Screwfix as the blade shot out and the machine body took a big chunk out of my thumb. I thought that at £80 it would have been reasonable quality, but now I'm getting a De Walt at twice the price which I'd normally have bought in the first place.

 

[samlol]

Thanks for all the help guys! So far iv required a

blowtorch
cordless & multi bit thingy.
steal rule
couple of pencils
hacksaw
levels
pipe bender
stanley knife
tape
pad saw
tool box
organiser
pipe slices

I know i'm missing adjustable spanners, basin wrench, pipe grips, screwdrivers...
But i feel that these are the most expensive! I;e Bacho & Knipix... Is it worth buying these brands? I know if you buy cheap you buy twice. But i was just wondering if there was a middle class range haha. Or shall i just bite the bullet? Also what sizes you think i'll need? Also anything else i have missed?

Thanks for you help.
Sam.

 

[samlol]

also would i need insulated grips and screwdrivers!?

 

[unguided1]

well my loveslaves usually require a kettle and a firstaid kit

 

[samlol]

Pretty sure its mandatory for the company to supply the first aid kit As for a kettle thats optional.. Personally i don't drink tea or coffee so i don't carry one Haha

 

[unguided1]

Pretty sure its mandatory for the company to supply the first aid kit As for a kettle thats optional.. Personally i don't drink tea or coffee so i don't carry one Haha

Lol the Kettle is definatley to keep the guvnor happy and the Firstaid kit is fer when the loveslave dont keep the Guvnor happy

 

[AWheating]

also would i need insulated grips and screwdrivers!?

1 x insulated pliers and 1x insulated terminal screwdriver would be a good idea, but not important as you should not be touching electrics anyways!

 

[samlol]

So for now just a normal set of screwdrivers would be fine? And a standard non insulated set of water pump grips? Could you advise what I should get, everyone talks about Knipex.. Iv seen to different types Alligator & Cobra.. Cobra being "automatic" Adjusting..? Is there much difference? Also would 2 10inch Bahco 9072 adjustables be ok?

 

[dontknowitall]

I bought one of those cheap screwdriver sets with about 9 normal sized screwdrivers, a few mini ones, a magnet, a bendy screwdriver thingy and another handle that takes loads of different bit sizes (pozi, flat, nut shaped things, etc). Got me out of all sorts of difficult situations when working with boilers especially.

With regard to spanners I had an 8" Bahco thin nosed(?) and have recently bought another 8" and a 6" Bahco (thin/narrow blade). All three are having plenty of use now, and the smaller one is used much more than I thought it would be.

 

[AWheating]

[DLMURL="http://www.toolmanyardley.co.uk/product.aspx?productid=79"]Knipex 250mm cobra grips 8701250 KNipex tools :: Toolman Yardley, tools ,bahco tools, C.K,stanley tools, estwing,stabila, marshalltown, bosch, knipex, trend, irwin,draper, fluke, monument, kamasa, fisco, silverline, rothenberger, irazola screwdrivers[/DLMURL]

i use these knipex grips

[DLMURL="http://www.toolmanyardley.co.uk/product.aspx?productid=1"]Bahco 8224 10" 250mm pump pliers, grips,bahco tools, :: Toolman Yardley, tools ,bahco tools, C.K,stanley tools, estwing,stabila, marshalltown, bosch, knipex, trend, irwin,draper, fluke, monument, kamasa, fisco, silverline, rothenberger, irazola screw[/DLMURL]

these are also quite good

[DLMURL="http://www.toolmanyardley.co.uk/product.aspx?productid=60"]Bahco 8" adjustable spanner :: Toolman Yardley, tools ,bahco tools, C.K,stanley tools, estwing,stabila, marshalltown, bosch, knipex, trend, irwin,draper, fluke, monument, kamasa, fisco, silverline, rothenberger, irazola screwdrivers,[/DLMURL]

an 8" bahco for 1/2" / 15mm nuts

[DLMURL="http://www.toolmanyardley.co.uk/product.aspx?productid=64"]Bahco 9031 8" wide jaw adjustable spanner :: Toolman Yardley, tools ,bahco tools, C.K,stanley tools, estwing,stabila, marshalltown, bosch, knipex, trend, irwin,draper, fluke, monument, kamasa, fisco, silverline, rothenberger, irazola screwdrivers,[/DLMURL]

an 8" wide jaw bahco for 3/4 / 22mm nuts

[DLMURL="http://www.toolmanyardley.co.uk/product.aspx?productid=699"]Amtech 15mm pipe/tube cutter c0260 :: Toolman Yardley, tools ,bahco tools, C.K,stanley tools, estwing,stabila, marshalltown, bosch, knipex, trend, irwin,draper, fluke, monument, kamasa, fisco, silverline, rothenberger, irazola screwdrivers,[/DLMURL]

cheap pipeslice if you need one

 

[AWheating]

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&so...sg=AFQjCNEHMneUoV9eCUJASsVUM3NbJ4-nvA&cad=rja

i also have a couple of channelock grips which are very good and normally will grip anything

 

[samlol]

This is all very helpful!! thanks for the links Greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Black-Gas]

u should def look at toolman yardley think theyre in coventry they got a website , i got a super fire 2 for 47 sheets cheepest ive seen anywher bahco stuff was cheap too , only took a couple o days to arrive .

 

[AWheating]

yep toolman yardley are great, if you get chance visit the shop (near brum airport) you should. i got a 1"1/4 x 12" long Record auger bit from there once for £4.99 and a benzomatic pencil flame torch for £2.99..... bargins, i love a bargin.

 

[moogwai]

Toolman yardley........fantastic cave of goodies.....I've spent my fair share of time in there.....always walk out with a lot more than what I went in for!

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