Essential tools for a farmers toolbox!

DJ98

Recently read an article about essential tools and am just wondering what do you consider an essential! For me it would be vice grip, hammer and a good pocket full of bailing twine!

FREDNISMO

Get with the times cable ties where are you goin with baling twine

DJ98

FREDNISMO wrote: »

Get with the times cable ties where are you goin with baling twine

Use them as well but can't beat twine!

foxy farmer

If it should move but doesn't put WD40 on it.
If it moves but shouldn't put duct tape on it

my3cents

Not a farmer but might be considered a small holder and while I have masses of tools number one on the list has to be a good pair of VICE GRIPS. So useful in fact I've gone to the trouble of getting a few pairs so they are never far away.

If vice grips don't fix it then a good socket set or bit driver set will normally be my next port of call.

phelixoflaherty

DJ98 wrote:

Recently read an article about essential tools and am just wondering what do you consider an essential! For me it would be vice grip, hammer and a good pocket full of bailing twine!

A mobile phone.
For chats on forums.
To share probs when the head gets melted

kay 9

Vice grips should be banned. Satans tool. It has its place but rounds bolt & nut heads. Fine for use as a clamp or in emergencies but hate the things. For me, has to be a good set of sockets, spanners and a headlight 90% of breakdowns seem to happen at night.

Waffletraktor

First off make a proper sized holder to carry a a decent sized toolbox.
Lump hammer/claw hammer/ varried in size selection of hardened punches and chisels/spanner and socket set/variety of screw drivers and the new hex drive style/adjustable spanners from a good brand with fine thread/Allen keys/hacksaws/magnet tray/filter strap/ electrics tools pliers etc/ consumables glue,tape,ductape,variety of cable ties, nuts bolts,screws,/torch/ tyre plug kit/
I'm sure there's more.

mahoney_j

Dairy farmer here so vice grip,baler twine ,pen knife and phone !!!!sorry forgot a. Big hammer

Sam Kade

It's always vice grips, baling twine and pallets

The Cuban

A stanley knife

_Brian

A vice grips is a handy yoke for clamping stuff together, that's what it's for.
Any lad putting them on a nut/bolt wants them taken off and beaten over the head with. We had to ban them from tool boxes at work a while ago as we were sick of rounded studs needing removing.

Hard to beat a good socket set, I've an Aldi one and it's surprisingly good, good spanners are essential too. Of the brands I've used Teng probably the best but hard minded in busy places.

Most farmers could do well with a regularly used grease gun, I've an old style oil can too, handy for a drop of oil on stuff.

freedominacup

For a livestock farmer. A Hayes strainer. Plus everything waffle listed. Must get a new magnet tray. Handy to have are a small petrol generator and a consaw. Inverter welder also. Good bottle Jack.

ganmo

To have in your pocket - a knife and a pliers
Near at hand - hammer(claw or lump) screw drivers, shifty spanner and wd40

Dawggone

Livestock farmers could do well to own and regularly use a grease gun.

Lad that's wotking here was telling me he was working for a 'fancy' dairy farmer (new zero grazer etcetc) and his outlaws bought him a grease gun for Xmas. No grease supplied, so never used...

bogman_bass

Ratchet strap. It's amazing what can be pulled back into place with one

my3cents

kay 9 wrote: »

Vice grips should be banned. Satans tool. It has its place but rounds bolt & nut heads. Fine for use as a clamp or in emergencies but hate the things. For me, has to be a good set of sockets, spanners and a headlight 90% of breakdowns seem to happen at night.

I sort of agree with you about banning vice grips but then I'm sure I'll find them useful for some odd job where they save me time and hassle then have to disagree.

I think the problem with vice grips is that they are used when they aren't a good tool for the job. I know I'm not going to get a rusted on 21mm nut off with vice grips and even if I try I won't apply enough force to damage my chances of using a socket on it later. Its people that don't have the right tools and always bodge a job that should be banned from using vice grips, but then they'll just find another way of bodging the job.

inthepit

Waffletraktor wrote: »

First off make a proper sized holder to carry a a decent sized toolbox.
Lump hammer/claw hammer/ varried in size selection of hardened punches and chisels/spanner and socket set/variety of screw drivers and the new hex drive style/adjustable spanners from a good brand with fine thread/Allen keys/hacksaws/magnet tray/filter strap/ electrics tools pliers etc/ consumables glue,tape,ductape,variety of cable ties, nuts bolts,screws,/torch/ tyre plug kit/
I'm sure there's more.

TOOLBOX?
I hope to get my workshop that well kitted out sometime.

bogman_bass wrote: »

Ratchet strap. It's amazing what can be pulled back into place with one

Hammer,vice grips,a few rusty nails of various sizes,knife and blue binder twine.
They go in the cepravin bucket on the door step.Handy bit of electric fence wire hanging from plough lamp.Then if you can't fix it get the ratchet strap from behind the seat and drag it home.

davidk1394

Grease gun is a good preventive measure, 1/2 socket set and a set of spanners and a needle nose pliers

Waffletraktor

inthepit wrote: »

TOOLBOX?
I hope to get my workshop that well kitted out sometime.

Like everything its how much their used and only on things that rarely return to yard/workshop iykwim.
Forgot a selection of bungies/levers and a nailbar/optional impact gun+battery grinder.

Keepgrowing

We bought a complete tool box €300. Sockets and spammers up to 22 I think. Have 2 shifters, small and larger one. Hacksaw, gennywelder, junior and senior grinder. 1 bottle jack and a trolley jack. Grease gun on loader and another at fuel tank to use when filling up

Hayes wire strainer and a good fencing tool, safety glasses, gloves, ear muffs and 3 Stinson wrenches and a good quality water plaits. Claw hammer, sledge and lump hammer. V grip is in parlour for emergency use.

What's vital though is a younglad to gather things up.

Have a tool box for plumbing one for fencing and one for other jobs. Very handy just pick up box and go.

I'll admit that it's a guy who worked here that organised all this not me.

Dawggone

Waffletraktor wrote: »

Like everything its how much their used and only on things that rarely return to yard/workshop iykwim.
Forgot a selection of bungies/levers and a nailbar/optional impact gun+battery grinder.

+1 battery Impact & Grinder. Whole range of uses. Have Milwaukee here and two new batteries last week, €104 each. Well worth it.

Stealthfins

Secateurs is handy for cutting back briar's and anything hanging in the way.

Who2

Have all my own kit here but also have a next door neighbour a mechanic and a fitter working for me so I get a fair bit lazy with mechanical stuff. As dawg says but, I'm a huge fan of Milwaukee kit, good solid long lasting tools even if a tad expensive. I've one set of Milwaukee tools have that out lasted four other kits of makita.

MF290

I only leave the one tool in my toolbox, the phone to call the auld lad/boss when I break something

patsy_mccabe

I've put a fair amount of tools together now. Got most of it free from a company that I worked with closing down production. Also got a large tool chest free if I agreed to go and collect it with another one. Both were going in the skip.
On the tractor though, just vicegrips, hammers, large screwdriver and knife. That covers everything in an emergency.:cool:

Sam Kade

bogman_bass wrote: »

Ratchet strap. It's amazing what can be pulled back into place with one

I've a big holstein cow that always manages to go too far into a cubicle one time she had trouble getting up so I used a ratchet strap to pull her back enough to give her more room to get up.

patsy_mccabe

The last time vet was in to do a test he said to use a ratchet strap along between the lower 2 bars on the crush to stop calves getting out. Simple and a great job.

blue5000

It depends on the job in hand, jeep would normally have a metric tool box of spanners and an imperial box. A jfc multi bucket for fencing stuff, and another jfc bucket for plumbing stuff.

One of them roller drawer boxes for paperwork, calipers, eartags, taggers, bottles of calmag and flutter valve. The good spanners, like a 24mm ratchet that nobody else sees. The dormer drill bits likewise.

Tractor would have a hammer, chisel, punch and vice grip. If I'm ploughing the imperial tool box and a tape measure comes with me.

As a young lad I worked in Denmark and the attitude to tools has had a lasting affect, if you use it regularly, buy a good one and if it's only occasionally a cheap one will do.

maidhc

I don't think you can have enough tools! I'm at the other end of the spectrum to most; i probably spend €500 or more each year on tools and kit. €1000+ this year on a new mig welder. I think they are a great investment.

Btw Halfords sockets are great value and very good.

MickeyShtyles

The grinder is the most used yoke here. Had an Einhell hammer drill, when it fave up the ghost. I picked up a lidl battery drill for the small stuff and a DeWalt 18v for everything else.
Pay peanuts get monkeys is the way I see it.

jfh

Carry phone with herdwatch & fence tester with me while on the farm

Waffletraktor

Dawggone wrote: »

+1 battery Impact & Grinder. Whole range of uses. Have Milwaukee here and two new batteries last week, €104 each. Well worth it.

Work on a sytem of the farm buys the expensive rarely used specialist stuff and has a well kitted out workshop but the lads have their own tools in a large box moved from machine to machine as required. So you dont need to come back to the yard for every little thing as thats a half a day gone in the blink of an eye. Stuff they wear out/break we will replace, but wont buy for them initially.
Have a snap on and milwauke impact gun in the mix forget who own which.
Spare parts kept on a tool box of the implement mostly.

whelan2

What head torch do ye use?

Muckit

whelan2 wrote: »

What head torch do ye use?

Ive used the cheap battery led ones for about a tenner. But they are crap and can let you down so want to get a rechargeable one. If anyone has any recommendations?

MickeyShtyles

Muckit wrote: »

Ive used the cheap battery led ones for about a tenner. But they are crap and can let you down so want to get a rechargeable one. If anyone has any recommendations?

LED Lenser all the way.

selectamatic

Led lenser here too think the model number is 7 or something like that serious light out of them a bit sore on battery charge but I think the new one has a battery like a phone that last longer compared to the older rechargeable battery pack in our older model.

Someone mentioned a fence tester above and was surprised it wasn't mentioned earlier the simple phase tester screw driver gets a lot of use. Come foddering time the Stanley knife for opening bales will be the top dog

laoch na mona

a pen knife and a good multitool would be the big two I keep to hand for every job. After that a hammer, set of spanners, a pliers and something to tie up stuff, either baling twine or cable ties

and of course a phone to call someone to bring more tools/save me

99nsr125

Hmm . . .
Lots of tools are needed

1) Impact driver
--held off buying one for ages, sooner or later it'll
have touched every fixture or fitting here.

2) Hayes Strainer
--fantastic piece of extremely durable equipment

3) 200 piece socket set

4) Gasless MIG Welder/Angle Grinder


Lots others used but they make my life and quality of
finish significantly better

emaherx

For the tool box, spanners, sockets, screwdrivers, sharp knife, jnr hacksaw, vice grips (used appropriately of coarse), multi meter, ball and pane hammer with a good long handle, a roll of insulating tape, plumbers tape and silage tape and a handful of cable ties.

In the Cab, good set of heavy duty jump leads, at least one ratchet strap a fire extinguisher and small first aid kit.

In the workshop, a compressor, battery charger, welder, selection of grinders and drills and a bench grinder. Various hand tools bought as required. And a fire extinguisher/ first aid kit

whisky_galore

kay 9 wrote: »

Vice grips should be banned.

Old lads love vice grips, that and a hammer and chisel combo where a screwdriver would normally be used.
Also nails hammered in everywhere where screws should be used.

visatorro

Fire extinguisher should be in every vehicle. Had to put out a loading shovel here doing silage a few years ago. Dried grass caught fire. Only for extinguisher she was gone up.

TITANIUM.

A sledge, vice grips and evostick. Sorted

emaherx

visatorro wrote: »

Fire extinguisher should be in every vehicle. Had to put out a loading shovel here doing silage a few years ago. Dried grass caught fire. Only for extinguisher she was gone up.

In every workshop too. I have the fire extinguisher on standby whenever welding on machines, no matter how well you clean them down before work there is always some dried grass or grease waiting to burn.

Welding Rod

Sledge hammer. Everything else just superfluous to needs.!!

inthepit

Welding Rod wrote: »

Sledge hammer. Everything else just superfluous to needs.!!

The sledge hammer was called the bosse's favourite spanner.

Odelay

Remember a call out to a breakdown, it was going to be a two man job. Asked what extra tools I should bring from the workshop. "A sledge, and a callipers" was the answer, knew there was going to be some seriously accurate whacking going on there.
Job was an out of line sprocket so it was the right call, he already had Allen keys, block of timber and spanners in the cab.

Cattlepen

A good fencing tool.
A carpenter type toolbelt also

queueeye

A mechanical brain. Was in yard once when fella said his tractor was broken down and was waiting on a mechanic to replace front wheel bearing of ford 5000.

Englebert Humperdink

A good Leatherman multi tool is your only man.

zetecescort

queueeye wrote: »

A mechanical brain. Was in yard once when fella said his tractor was broken down and was waiting on a mechanic to replace front wheel bearing of ford 5000.

While a wheel bearing wouldnt challenge most, knowing when to call the professionals is a skill too imo. Far better than going pigheaded at something