LWTK: Tools.Where is a good place to buy? What brands do you recommend? etc.

[lit]

I need to buy a shitload of tools and a roller cabinet.

Where do you buy your tools?
What brands do you recommend?
What brand should I stay away from?
What places locally to check out or avoid?

Thank you in advance. Here is some sideboob:

[Captain Starfish]

After a lot of running around I ended up getting a Calibre chest from super cheap. Surprsingly enough for something this cheap from somewhere this cheap, the build quality, strength and smoothness of stuff like the slIdes and locks was better than nearly anything else.

I know a heavy diesel mechanic who tooled up at supercheap and who only replaces stuff he breaks with new toys from Toolmart. It's an approach I've now adopted with teh great success.

[Rich]

I recently bought a roller cabinet and tool box to go on top from Bunnings...

Kincrome...good quality...

I have a few Kincrome socket sets now, but the bulk of my stuff in Sidchrome, bought when Sidchrome quality was good...

I would happily replace it with Kincrome nowadays...

Tools and Hardware - Tool Storage - Bunnings Warehouse

I got the 7 draw trolley and the 9 draw chest...heaps of storage room...

[Old frt]

Once upon a time you would be advised to buy the best you could afford and it should last a lifetime, however when you can replace them for two bob at bunnings, why lash out?

[Hewie]

I use Kincrome ... .. reasonably priced good quailty.

Bunnings, tool mart or glenfords is where I buy my gear from depending on what Im after.

[Captain Starfish]

Once upon a time you would be advised to buy the best you could afford and it should last a lifetime, however when you can replace them for two bob at bunnings, why lash out?

This is the way I started out. But my mad mechanic mate pointed out that most tools, ESPECIALLY at the home workshop, will never be used. How often, for example, has anyone used that deep 7mm socket? So he said (and I now agree) - buy a cheap kit that will get you past not having the tool at all, and will mostly get the job done. If you trash it, you're using it harder or more often than other things and it deserves to be a good quality one - so get something decent. It's why I have a mix of GMC and Hitachi power tools - some I don't flog, others need some quality and life expectancy behind them.

And the quality of some of this gear is surprising. I still roll out the drawers of the kinchromes, sidchromes etc toolboxes when I see them in shops and am surprised by how tinny and shit they feel in comparison to my "cheap and nasty" boxes

[darkfibre]

After a lot of running around I ended up getting a Calibre chest from super cheap. Surprsingly enough for something this cheap from somewhere this cheap, the build quality, strength and smoothness of stuff like the slIdes and locks was better than nearly anything else.

I know a heavy diesel mechanic who tooled up at supercheap and who only replaces stuff he breaks with new toys from Toolmart. It's an approach I've now adopted with teh great success.

Good advice
OK, speaking as a mechanic, a fully stocked toolbox will only have less than 10% of its tools needed on a regular basis. Shop around and get a 'reasonable' set up and then buy quality common items.

Coventrys brand is not too bad, and there is a 4WD parts mob on ebay that have a shop in welshpool that does Teng brand at affordable prices, and Teng is decent.

[Rich]

Lit... I'm assuming it's for work and you need it to have a good life and claim as a tax deduction?

I understand your system *fish, but when you are making money with your tools, you can't really afford to have them fail on you, and if they do, lifetime warranty, you don't buy it again, they replace it for free...

[Captain Starfish]

Ja, is nice if you can affort id vie bloopy klopt not bekin serch de cheap dickfish blort..

I understand your point, too, Rich. Aren't we all happy and understanding? Isn't it nice? Haha - I always giggled at this crazy jewish prick (yes, he was Israeli) who was too, well, jewish, to buy decent tools; stuck out on a minesite somewhere trying to tear down a dump truck with a supercheap ring spanner... but he was happy and got by with it. If you're broke and can't afford $40,000 worth of Snapon shit to get tooled up to be productive when you're starting out, it's an option anyway.

[SpeedTrip]

Snap-On all the way man.
There big and ballsy and they'll make you look really cool too.
Give you something to boast about, while your paying it off for the rest of your life!

Do as the *Fish says, buy something half descent, not too cheap,but you'll soon learn what gets used and what doesn't.

I have a set of Stahlwille, that the company I worked for paid for. Good shit, but I hard to find replacements.

[lit]

Good info so far, I was looking at buying Sidcrome but I will stay clear.
I have some calibre stuff and I don't mind it. I am not a fan of the roller cabinets though.
I have a few k to spend so I figure I can get anything reasonable besides the wanker class stuff.
I would rather quality stuff with a lifetime warranty. Some of the tools will be used daily thus I would prefer quality stuff with a lifetime warranty. I would hate to break my fuckit tool.

EDIT: This was replied before I read the last 5 or 6 comments.

[SpeedTrip]

If you really want some semi half decent tools for a reasonable price.
Have a look at the Bahco range, Bunnings stock them now too.

[Rich]

Here something to think about to...

Are you workshop based, or head out to breakdowns...

Big roller boxs and chests are fine in a workshop environment, but are a pain in the arse to put in a ute...

Smaller tool boxes with the tools sorted into some system works very well for easy quick loading in to a vehicle by one man...

[agrid]

I bought some GearWrenches back from the US and now all my mates want to borrow them.

WRENCHES > Ratcheting > Combination > Sets# 9543 | GearWrench™

[SpeedTrip]

I bought some GearWrenches back from the US and now all my mates want to borrow them.

WRENCHES > Ratcheting > Combination > Sets# 9543 | GearWrench™

I have some of these too, just whatever you do, don't get them covered in oil.
Mine stopped ratcheting and never worked properly again.

[lit]

I am workshop based and will not be doing any break downs. I work on electric motors.

[Rich]

I have JBS ratchet spanners...

One of the reasons a bought that brand in that they can be stripped down and cleaned, some brands are made in a way that you can't pull them apart...

[SpeedTrip]

[SpeedTrip]

I am workshop based and will not be doing any break downs. I work on electric motors.

C'mon Lit
How big are these motors,what's the largest size spaniard you'll be wanting to use etc..

[lit]

We mainly do Rio and BHP trains. so they are pretty fucking huge. Largest spanner 55mm+

I will need metric and sadly we use a lot of imperial stuff.