Which socket set?

[KevinV]

I have a little bahco1/4” set that covers to 13mm and a 3/8” set that covers to 22mm, over the last two years the 1/4” has done most jobs, a good solid set. Also have a small set of deep sockets, these are used more than I expect
https://amzn.eu/d/hNYGY2U

Always make sure I have selected combination spanners

I have precisely this set and it has become the first thing I reach for - really, really useful, compact and nicely made. I have a spare bit of pipe about 20cm long for when (a little!) extra leverage is required.

That and a set of spanners 6-21mm are my most used mechanics tools. The 1/2" set gets less and less use.

For the boat I have a nice (Teng) 1/2" ratchet and the three sockets that are required on board - all acquired loose. No point carrying a whole set.

 

[Daydream believer]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Extractor-...hvtargid=pla-2310310866139&psc=1&gad_source=1
Maybe something like this as an additional item, I use a somewhat more expensive set at work but they do work and can save the day.

A properly maintained yacht would need nothing like that & only 25% of some of the stuff mentioned above, Most of it would be superfluous junk just adding weight. as stated in #41. No point in carrying complete sets of anything.

 

[Nauti Fox]

A properly maintained yacht would need nothing like that & only 25% of some of the stuff mentioned above, Most of it would be superfluous junk just adding weight. as stated in #41. No point in carrying complete sets of anything.

Wow!

 

[penberth3]

That Britool T-bar is a very useful piece of kit. Mine has undone many a stuck, frozen or over tightened nut in conjunction with a 5 foot tube or club hammer. Split a few sockets though.
Last used a few days ago removing the flywheel bolts of a Dorman 2LD.

I've got one of these heads and an old tractor steering column, without the nut. Never had to use it, but the worm end makes a good hand grip!

 

[Stemar]

I've got one of these heads and an old tractor steering column, without the nut. Never had to use it, but the worm end makes a good hand grip!

View attachment 186501View attachment 186502

My 3' persuader is similar. There's also 5' of scaffolding pole lurking in a corner of my workshop

I also have one of these that lives in the car.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/rac-telescopic-wheel-wrench-17-19mm/7182r

The only time it wouldn't have done the job was on a friend's ageing Mercedes. I couldn't shift it, so I got 8ft of something like scaffolding pole and leant on it. Nothing, so I gave it everything I had. There was a loud bang and half of the good quality socket whizzed past my ear. I never did find the other half.

I took the car to a garage and asked for help. A mechanic built like a gorilla looked at me, obviously thinking, "You wimp" and took his spider to it. "F me, it is tight, isn't it!". The impact wrench took several minutes to shift it.

 

[BobnLesley]

...good value for money with lifetime warranty.

We could do with tool guarantees which cover 'dropped overboard/into the bilge' though

 

[dunedin]

A properly maintained yacht would need nothing like that & only 25% of some of the stuff mentioned above, Most of it would be superfluous junk just adding weight. as stated in #41. No point in carrying complete sets of anything.

Kind of depends if your sailing is local to your home mooring/marina/boatyard or heading off on a circumnavigation perhaps?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

When I was a lad 1/2 seemed to be the standard. I soon learned 3/8 was better on engines and most other things, lighter and slimmer.

This was the set we coveted. If I had one now it would be stashed in a dark corner and probably stay there!

View attachment 186500

That is mine I inherited it from my uncle, 20 years ago complete with torque wrench.

 

[Poignard]

Kind of depends if your sailing is local to your home mooring/marina/marina or heading off on a circumnavigation perhaps?

That's exactly the point

My boat was kept in Brittany, 7 hours driving plus a 7 hour ferry ferry crossing from my home.

No good being there and then, for example, finding I want that large socket and the breaker bar to unscrew the injector, or the two very large open-ended spanners for the shaft stuffing box, only to realise that it's back in the garage in London.

So you either carry tools and equipment to and fro in the car, and risk problems with French and British Customs, or you leave them on the boat.

 

[rogerthebodger]

That's exactly the point

My boat was kept in Brittany, 7 hours driving plus a 7 hour ferry ferry crossing.

No good being there and wanting that large socket and the breaker bar to unscrew the injector only to realise that it's back in London in the garage.

So you either carry tools and equipment to and fro in the car, and risk problems with French and British Customs, or you leave it on the boat.

My boat is 800 Km from my home workshop, so I have sets of tools at both locations but still find I still need a special tool on my boat that is located in my home workshop.

This is why my car if full of tools

 

[Poignard]

My boat is 800 Km from my home workshop, so I have sets of tools at both locations but still find I still need a special tool on my boat that is located in my home workshop.

This is why my car if full of tools

Of course.

The tools I mentioned in my post #49 have no use at home, and there's a reasonable chance I'd need to use them on the boat from time to time, so they stay on the boat.

But I also have a special tool for extracting the liner from a BUKH engine. I don't think I need to carry that on board, so I don't.

You have to make a judgment as to what you are most likely to need.

 

[Daverw]

We could do with tool guarantees which cover 'dropped overboard/into the bilge' though

Like a marine version of snap on?

 

[madabouttheboat]

Obviously Snap-on on a boat is a bit OTT, but the nice thing about the non-budget ratchets is that you should get more teeth in the ratchet mechanism which means a smaller movement on the ratchet handle will move the nut. Useful in the cramped confines of a boat.

These budget ratchets have 120 teeth. thats more than your typical snap on.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SATA-ST139...8&hvtargid=pla-833075343102&gad_source=1&th=1

 

[William_H]

My 3' persuader is similar. There's also 5' of scaffolding pole lurking in a corner of my workshop

I also have one of these that lives in the car.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/rac-telescopic-wheel-wrench-17-19mm/7182r

The only time it wouldn't have done the job was on a friend's ageing Mercedes. I couldn't shift it, so I got 8ft of something like scaffolding pole and leant on it. Nothing, so I gave it everything I had. There was a loud bang and half of the good quality socket whizzed past my ear. I never did find the other half.

I took the car to a garage and asked for help. A mechanic built like a gorilla looked at me, obviously thinking, "You wimp" and took his spider to it. "F me, it is tight, isn't it!". The impact wrench took several minutes to shift it.

Yes wheel nuits on cars can be a real concern. Possible the tire shop tighten the nuts with impact driver so tight you can not move em when you get a flat tire. I carry an extension tube for my wheel brace and have made a point of checking tightness of wheel nuts after getting new tires. (they were OK) ol'will

 

[Poignard]

A way to loosen wheel nuts is to utilise the weight of the car.

Jack up the car a little.

Put the wrench on a nut with the handle pointing aft and as near horizontal as possible.

Find something to put between the end of the handle and the ground: a block of wood, bricks, a rock....

Release the jack and the nut will loosen.

Repeat for the other nuts.

 

[penberth3]

Yes wheel nuits on cars can be a real concern. Possible the tire shop tighten the nuts with impact driver so tight you can not move em when you get a flat tire....

Don't know about your area, but all the tyre places and service garages I've used in the last 20+ years use torque wrenches on wheel nuts. They might spin the nuts up with an air tool, but final tightening always with a torque wrench.

 

[Neeves]

Don't know about your area, but all the tyre places and service garages I've used in the last 20+ years use torque wrenches on wheel nuts. They might spin the nuts up with an air tool, but final tightening always with a torque wrench.

I'm in no way sure of the reason but historically (40 years ago) punctures seemed quite common.

Now....I have not had a puncture, or need to remove a wheel, for over 2 decades. I have had to replace tyres, lost too much tread, and the replacement purchase includes installation and balancing ( I don't hang around for all the work to be done and just pick the car up)

I do like Poingard's trick . I just need to remember to carry a couple of rocks.....

Jonathan

 

[colind3782]

Don't know about your area, but all the tyre places and service garages I've used in the last 20+ years use torque wrenches on wheel nuts. They might spin the nuts up with an air tool, but final tightening always with a torque wrench.

My local "go to" tyre shop uses an air tool for the wheel nuts but I always check the torque after a bit of a drive around and I have never had to adjust the torque, always spot on.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I'm in no way sure of the reason but historically (40 years ago) punctures seemed quite common.

Now....I have not had a puncture, or need to remove a wheel, for over 2 decades. I have had to replace tyres, lost too much tread, and the replacement purchase includes installation and balancing ( I don't hang around for all the work to be done and just pick the car up)

I do like Poingard's trick . I just need to remember to carry a couple of rocks.....

Jonathan

An adjustable axial stand can be used under the wheel wrench to help undo tight wheel

I have long tube in my car and stand on the end of the tube to undo the wheel nuts

 

[Stemar]

One of the reasons Formula 1 got the job of servicing my car was because I had some new tyres fitted, and I saw the guy tighten the nuts up with a torque wrench. This was confirmed when the car passed the MOT test with only a minor advisory that I was already aware of.