Best Tools for apprentice agricultral.hgv mechanic

Apprentice Mechanic

I am just wonder what is the best tools I should have as an apprentice agricultral/hgv mechanic,it must be a lifetime gaurnatee,all links greatly apprectied, Since saving up 10 yrs old i have brought the teng tool 1001 piece kit with britool rachet spanners 8-19mm, Should I consider buying deep sockets?,should I buy more 3/4 inch sockets or even 1/2 6 point sockets,1/2 & 3/4 Impact socket set? Does anyone where I can get a complete imperial rachet spanner set in Ireland or Northern Ireland as I work with a lot of old tractors:)

beretta686s

snap-on thats all

Apprentice Mechanic

beretta686s wrote: »

snap-on thats all

I wouldn be earnin big amounts of euro to get snap on plus the snap on dosen to the place only britool and facom once every 8 or 9 weeks,but the place i work sell britool

beretta686s

tis a pity great tools and if u do break something the dealer has it a replacement tool usually the next week:D

Apprentice Mechanic

beretta686s wrote: »

tis a pity great tools and if u do break something the dealer has it a replacement tool usually the next week:D

Sorry beretta are you on about snap on or brtitool slighty confused:o, are you in the trade yourself:)?

Slidey

I'm a truck mechanic and there is no way I would justify the Snap-On prices.

Have a lot of Britool stuff myself. Its about a third cheaper than the SO stuff and has a good back up service too.

For everyday use I prefer the 12 point sockets myself, there is some applications where the 6 point won't do the job. Of course you should have a set of 6 sided sockets for those times when you need them. I have them in impact, both long and short reach. The short reach ones, I gave about €80 for them about 8 yrs ago. The long reach I bought out of the back of a Transit if you know what I mean for 30 and have had an 1'' drive gun on one once when I was stuck.


Keep an eye on donedeal or the local markets, you might pick up an old set of imperial spanners there.

I bought a set of King Tomy 3/4'' sockets and rachet and have given them a lot of abuse and had no problems.

Apprentice Mechanic

thanks slidey for the advice,,any advice in general for someone staring out in the trade?

Slidey

Yeah. Don't!

Ah no, if you are thinking of getting into it, it isn't the worst of trades. Have you found someone willing to sponsor you yet?


Make sure you get into the wiring/electronics/diagnostics side of things. It is where the money and the jobs are

twincamman

gas to heat stubborn bolts .gas is a must have really when your working on trailer and stuff.we call it the hot spanner haha

Apprentice Mechanic

@ Slidey doing a few days in a garage till I get 4 days week but I go 2 Omagh for day release on mondays learning loads everyday at work and college, nly gettin a few €€'s at the week, I love doing wiring/elctrioncics, its not hard to get into 2 be honset,i enjoy the mechnical and diagonstic side,hopefully I will like the welding as much

@ twincamman I have used gas on serval ossaications already to heat stubborn bolts

beretta686s

Apprentice Mechanic wrote: »

Sorry beretta are you on about snap on or brtitool slighty confused:o, are you in the trade yourself:)?

yea agri mechanic,and snap-on

rs8

sealey all the way. dont get caught up in buying all sorts off bits you will never use, by what you need! i tend to buy in the local market or the back of a transit!

slidey also gave you the best advice there, get out while you can

Apprentice Mechanic

thanks all the advice greatly appreaticed,

Fishtits

Buy cheap to start.

I've been at it for more than twenty years, I pick tools based on how I use them.

ie I have Snap On screwdrivers because I break one every two months, new replacement on every visit... They are crap quality IMHO But the no quibble warranty is king. They wprk out cheaper in the end.

The rest of their stuff I tend to decide on a case by case status, for example the generic Snap On Pliers is a pipe mans tool... no doubt high quality but designed for Bubba, not Seanog....

JohnBoy

tends to be only available in metric and the smaller sizes but the halfords pro tools are excellent quality, come with the lifetime warranty(keep the receipt), and they're open sundays if you need to take something back.

Apprentice Mechanic

@ Fishtits i alaways heard kinpex were good pilers

@ JohnBoy Would halfords have a big range of spanners & sockets

O.A.P

Halfords tools are very good for your normal car, but they don't really have the stuff you need for tractors or lorries. (It will be to small )

Fishtits

Apprentice Mechanic wrote: »

@ Fishtits i alaways heard kinpex were good pilers

Yes, and I still have screwdrivers made by these guys (I bought in 1984), which unfortunately they don't make any more.

Snap On stuff is good, the lifetime warranty is obviously attractive.

My attitude is to buy the stuff I break regularily, ie screwdrivers, from Snap On.

A lot of their tools are geared towards Bubba and his tractor.

I find Blue Point better value tbh.

For everyday stuff I tend towards Britool/Facom

101sean

Halfords pro stuff was made by one of the major tool suppliers, can't remember who though. I have a good 3/8 drive set from there

I started with lots of crap tools years ago (I'm not a mechanic, just mess with Land Rovers) but have a half decent range now. Aside from decent ratchet drives, I have umpteen different good spanners and sockets in the just the common sizes that I use all the time. One or two sets of really big spanners (20mm plus) is useful and better than trying to use adjustables. Anything unusual or really stuck I go down to my brother in law's toy shed

Finding decent imperial spanners is harder and you'll really struggle to find ratchet ones. Once you get over 14mm-9/16", metric/imperial spanners are close in size anyway. The bigger vintage shows with lots of tractor stands can be rewarding but there's also a lot of crap sold. If you are that way inclined, auctions can be a good source. If you're looking at real old stuff you'll come across other sizes like Whitworth.

Go into a big agri or commercial spares place and pick up Draper and Sealey catalogues, around a 1000 pages with loads of different quality ranges, makes ideal toilet reading

JohnBoy

Apprentice Mechanic wrote: »

@ JohnBoy Would halfords have a big range of spanners & sockets

Not massive

It's nearly all metric and they wouldnt have massive sized stuff, but their 1/2 and 3/8 drive stuff is very nice.

I also have a halfords pro torque wrench I really like, it's got a much simpler setting system than more traditional ones.


I have had good experience with draper expert too, but not sure how long they'd survive in a professional environment, you might be better off with draper's higher end brand elora.

The thing I dont like about sealy is that a lot of their lower end stuff is just real chinese rubbish which makes me not trust them

Apprentice Mechanic

Fishtits wrote: »

Yes, and I still have screwdrivers made by these guys (I bought in 1984), which unfortunately they don't make any more.

Snap On stuff is good, the lifetime warranty is obviously attractive.

My attitude is to buy the stuff I break regularily, ie screwdrivers, from Snap On.

A lot of their tools are geared towards Bubba and his tractor.

I find Blue Point better value tbh.

For everyday stuff I tend towards Britool/Facom

Is bluepoint as good as britool/facom?

Hermy

rs8 wrote: »

sealey all the way.

Never rated their stuff myself.

Fishtits wrote: »

Buy cheap to start.

Buy cheap - buy twice.

Slidey

Hermy wrote: »

Never rated their stuff myself.

Same as that. I always thought it was shyte enough stuff, Gave big enough money for a large water pump pliers after I had a Sykes one stolen on me and it was fcuking useless comared to the sykes one.

Buy cheap - buy twice.

That can be true but for a young fella starting off its crazy to go out spending huge money on tools when the wages are so poor and you don't be as sensible with them.

Hermy

I suppose I'm thinking 'buy cheaper' rather than just 'buy cheap'. Any time I bought the cheapest option I ended up going back to the shop for a refund. But there are good quality cheaper tools which will adequately do the job.

Suckler

A nut cracker. Very handy device for removing nuts that are "rust welded" to the bolt!

Man of Aran

Being the Apprentice lad on here, I'm surprised you did'nt get advice yet on going out to buy "left handed screwdrivers", "1/2 pint of tail light oil" , go fetch " a long weight" or for the young chippie apprentice " go out to the van for a skirting board ladder"

Seriously transport or agri plant fitter can be a tough but satisfying trade.
A trade like plumber, chippie or sparky will always be in demand.
As the man said, good to be interested and study hard on the electrics and electronics side of it - now its all going to uP micro processor controls, common rail and emsiions related.

Good gear to look for? Starting from the more reasonable priced Britool (mentioned from UK) to Gedore(German) then to King Dick to Bahco (Sweden) finally up to Stahlwille (superb stuff, std supply to LH and SAS airlines).
In my younger days used the Bahco and Gedore a lot.
Like Swedish ploughs, they reckon you could never strain Swedish steel and that's true. Then I heard recently they got 'taken over' by ,,,, SnapOn.:(

Man of Aran

Forgot to mention ELORA too, reasonable price from Germany and will last you years. Had a 'sister' budget product call Elafort , as BluePoint was to Snap On if I recall clearly.

Some superb DC electrics and general electronics video on YouTube now.
Wish that was about when I was a laddeen.
Learn why and how parts break down, dont just become a 'parts changer' without knowing. They'll have robots for that soon.
Troubleshooting and diagnostics is where it's at.

Apprentice Mechanic

I have heard all of jokes people play on an apprentice mechanic from my uncle is an aircraft mechanic by trade,Did anyone hear of this one before I heard in a garage I did prior getting work expericence prior getting my apprentice the boss told a lad when I didn't were anything was in the garage (who would lost his paitence over anything didn't go his way)
WHEN YOU ARE OVER THERE AT THE TOOLBOX (THE MECHANIC NAME) BRING OVER A CAN OR TWO OF PAITNENCE BEFORE DOING RESUMING THE JOB AS THE MANUAL ONLY WANTS PEOPLE WHO HAS PAITNENCE TO THE JOB I was tempted to laugh out but I didn't because it was first day

Apprentice Mechanic

Man of Aran wrote: »

Being the Apprentice lad on here, I'm surprised you did'nt get advice yet on going out to buy "left handed screwdrivers", "1/2 pint of tail light oil" , go fetch " a long weight" or for the young chippie apprentice " go out to the van for a skirting board ladder"

Seriously transport or agri plant fitter can be a tough but satisfying trade.
A trade like plumber, chippie or sparky will always be in demand.
As the man said, good to be interested and study hard on the electrics and electronics side of it - now its all going to uP micro processor controls, common rail and emsiions related.

Good gear to look for? Starting from the more reasonable priced Britool (mentioned from UK) to Gedore(German) then to King Dick to Bahco (Sweden) finally up to Stahlwille (superb stuff, std supply to LH and SAS airlines).
In my younger days used the Bahco and Gedore a lot.
Like Swedish ploughs, they reckon you could never strain Swedish steel and that's true. Then I heard recently they got 'taken over' by ,,,, SnapOn.:(

More so agri but the odd lorry

Man of Aran

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLX2159bplM

Take a look there for ideas ....

An interesting field to get into apprenticeship.
High demand all over the world from Saudi to Sydney right now on skilled transport refrigeration technicians.
Specialized trade .... you're part diesel fitter, welder, plumber, refrigeration engineer and electrician DC and AC electrics all rolled into one.
Food preservation, medicines, sensitive electronics are the cargos that need protection while on the road ....it's becoming an ever more important topic.

There's TTP, Michael Tierney, Ballinlough, Marshalls Cambridge and a few others to enquire at.
You could do a lot worse than look them up and just ask. Always great to see a young lad showing some initiative in these times.

Good Luck!

valtra8150

im going for an agri mechaic myself and two uncles nd grandfather are also mechanics and either get snap on or craftsman snap on are dear and craftsman are chep but as every bit as good as snap ond both have got life time guarntee. i have ordered a 239 piece mechanics tool set from sears.com there the craftsman dealer it was 180 euro. they nw deliver to ireland.
and yes youll need deep sockets both in metric and af as all the old tractors are af and most of the new tractors are metric expect for johndeere and new holland and anyother tractors that are nade in the us