Favorite Tool

My favourite tool is a pair of slip jaw pliers. They live on the boat and no matter how rusty they still work. And having cost about 1 quid they never go overboard. Of course I need 2 screw drivers. and a knife which seldom gets used.
I keep the pliers hooked under elastic attached to the inside lid of the locker in cockpit seat. It is always easy to get even with one hand on the tiller. olewill
 
This one's metric one end, imperial the other. Wouldn't be without it.

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Sorry Vic..can't agree with you there.

Adjustable spanners are the most useless thing on a boat. I simply can't see the point ?!

For the cost of a decent one you can buy numerous sets of spanners that actually fit....cheap ones are even more bl##dy useless.

All best Nick
 
The best adjustables are those that have fallen overboard. However, they have a role as a quick fix, but for anything serious, they are a liability, often resulting in rounded nuts, or under tightening.
Tools are a bit of a passion to me and I like to feel that I am able to cope/cater for any requirement save very rare and/or specialised jobs.
I fully agree re the false economy of cheap tools, but tool snobbery should be avoided. A rusting, lost or sunk "Designer Brand" spanner is far more upsetting than a non Brand, quality version at a fraction of the cost.
Tool Kits. Many of us carry tool kits onboard which weigh more than we might like to admit, and worse, contain tools that will not or cannot ever be used ie spanners for nuts that aren't even present on the boat, but we like the comfort factor of a comprehensive kit.
Without prompting, it would be interesting to see f'mites suggestions for an on board tool kit and a supplementary list of tools that need not be kept permanently on board.
My toolbox is a plastic monster from B& Q, bottomlined with WD40 soaked kitchen roll in an attempt to limit rusting and supplemented by an occasional good squirt of the miracle spray over all the tools.
Naturaly assuming that corkscrew plus spares, tin opener and knife are permanently fastened to the vessel, any suggestions for kits (basic everyday essentials and car boot based) would make interesting reading.
Other tool related tips welcome also, such as color coded spanner sets, rust prevention, drill bits, screw driver bits etc)
One "branded" purchase I did make many years ago was a ratchet screwdriver with hollow handle for bits, from Snap on (with life time guarantee against all but loss or failure to float) was one of the best investments I ever made.
While on the subject, for those into woodwork, I can thoroughly recommend the Triton range - Google - made in Australia.
 
My wife bought me one of these sets for the boat a few years ago. Socket Set But I still have to carry an extra two sockets. One for the injectors on the engine and one for the nut on the end of the crankshaft.

But then I write as one who carries everything down to stud extractors and a rechargeable drill... and yes I did use both to remount the alternator when it fell off somewhere in the atlantic.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Adjustable spanners are the most useless thing

[/ QUOTE ] I did not say i would regard it as a substitue for a proper set of spanners, in fact i have a set of combination spanners on the boat and more sets of spanners than you'd believe at home. Far from useless. Possibly the most useful.

The trouble on the boat is that all the original fittings have Whitworth fastenings, newer things have metric fastenings and the engine is all Imperial AF(thats what the combo spanners are for).

I just said an adjustable is one thing I would not be without. On the boat it gets used as shackle key as well,

I agree no place for cheap tools, most, if not all, the adjustables in the pic are King Dick or Bahco except for one of the 8" ones which is Elora. Of the three not in the pic, two on the boat and one in a tool roll in the car, two are K.Dicks.
 
Quite agree with you Vic.
Proper spanners are best, but a good adjustable is better than a "near fit" spanner.
Good quality is essential. Cheap ones lock up on the flats and the jaws open as you apply pressure.
Also proper technique is important. Pulling the spanner down to close the jaws rather than using then the other way round.
I've about 5 or six adjustables and the best are the oldest. Which shows what a sucker for a "bargain" I've become.

A lanyard is a good idea. I use a long one attached to a cleat so I can roam the rigging screws and put the spanner down with piece of mind.
 
Well I guess its each to their own on this one!

I have a set of Metric and A/F spanners left on the boat and I carry to and from the boat a bit bag of tools including full set of screw drivers and Allen keys, pliers etc. This includes such things as Pump pliers which I would'nt be with out.

I don't have a single nut or bolt on the boat that I cant put a proper spanner on so whats the point of an adjustable?.

Thing is that I enjoy tinkering about whilst on board and that means using decent tools !

All best Nick.

BTW I'm not a tool snob..My main kit is Halfords (probably 20 + years old now) and most of my boat spanners are Lidl cheap as chips and quite good enough..
 
[ QUOTE ]
most of my boat spanners are Lidl cheap as chips and quite good enough..

[/ QUOTE ] Wait until you get one like my Lidl secuteurs Failed half way though their first cut!

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Its your fault Vic they werent intended for cutting stainless /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Ive got two Bahco adjustables a 12inch and really usefull 4 inch They arent cheap but worth their weight in gold.Also carry most sizes in combination spanners .
 
Its easy to tel Vics adjustables apart..the Imperial ones are in mint condition...obviously.

I dunno about useful tools, but the most useless ones were a few my mum kept for sentimental reasons. They belonged to her dad who was chief engineer on the White Star liner MV Britannic. They were a bit big for fixing her Triumph Herald /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Tim
 
[ QUOTE ]
Vics adjustables

[/ QUOTE ] My joke about some being left handed reminded me that two of those in the picture, the 12" one and one of the 6" ones have a worm that operates the opposite way to all the others. (RH thread instead of LH thread) a real pain when you forget and cannot work out why it wont close onto a nut!

BTW I didn't actually buy any of those in the picture, some were my father's and the others I just seem to have just "acquired".
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
and the others I just seem to have just "acquired".

[/ QUOTE ]

Knew I,d seen them before, you auld b#####r, Bill.
 
Now that's what I call a troll... completely accidentaly, it must be said! Just reflecting on the sandbankssunset post, I think the results here were much more entertaining, and informative to boot!
 
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