Aussie Industrial Fix-its

If you think that you have a fair degree of manual dexterity and would like to save some money on your automotive repair bills, you may be thinking about taking the matter into your own hands, quite literally. You may also have plenty of space in a sprawling home garage and reckon you could take on most of the maintenance jobs for all the vehicles in your household. Yet before you can get down to work, you need to have the right tools and money to invest in top quality so that they will perform as expected. What tools should you concentrate on to enable you to make a flying start?

Start With the Fundamentals

If you've ever watched a professional mechanic at work in a service centre, you'll see that they have an amazing array of tools and something for every occasion. However, you don't need to go that far but just focus on the basics to get you going.

Shopping List

To begin with, you definitely need an assortment of spanners in both metric and imperial sizes. These typically come in sets, and you may have to get several sets to cover miniature, small, medium or large. You can also get spanners with shorter or longer handles that give you the "purchase" you may need in tight spaces.

You'll also need a socket and ratchet set alongside your spanner selection. These are ideal if you are not working in an enclosed space and have room to move, and they will make it easier to deal with some of those stubborn bolts. Most ratchet sets are reversible.

Screwdrivers are another essential, and you need a set of Phillips (crosshead) and flathead screwdrivers. These will give you access to the different types of screws fitted to your vehicle, and again, choose some that have stubby handles as well as long ones. It's worth getting a good selection so that you can access each screw no matter where it is.

Some comedians might say that you only need a hammer for most tasks, but all jokes aside, it should definitely be on your list as well. They come in different sizes for various applications and can be used for some stubborn tasks. For example, if you want to reseat a bearing onto a hub, you certainly need a softheaded mallet.

Also, get a set of pliers so that you can remove insulation material and cut wires to size. There are a lot of different types, so talk with your tool supplier for further advice.

Getting the Best

When it comes to choosing the best tools, take a leaf out of the professional's book. They only source their tools from well-known and reputable sources, and so should you.

Speak to an auto tools supplier to learn more.