www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Hi all,

I find myself wanting to do some bike repairs and some petty work around the house and would like to furnish myself with a basic toolkit.

I don't need professional quality tools, but I'd also rather not waste money on really terrible tools. If I were in the US, I think I'd go for the Denali set suggested in this article: http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-tool-kit/ , but it's not widely available in the UK and hard to import (cheapest I can find is £55 for the kit and 3-6 week wait).

Can anyone recommend a reasonable quality cheaper tool line I could buy from in the UK?

In particular, I'm looking to buy a hammer, mole grips, pliers, screwdriver set (incl. precision screwdrivers), spanner set/good adjustible spanner, allen keys, tape measure, spirit level, and a utility knife.

I think I'll need some painting and decorating gear too (brushes, rollers, scraper, spirit level), so any suggestions for manufacturers and brands there would also be appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

CMC

That USA set looks pants TBH.

Have a look/google at argos/b&q/homebase/screwfix. (in no particular order) bear in mind that cheap and quality don't go hand-in-hand.

If you know which Hand tools you want, you may find that older S/H tools will be better quality for the price....scout around car boot sales locally..

Thanks for the welcome!

How were you able to tell that the Denali set was naff? What could I look out for as indicators of naffness in other tool sets?

A £15 set from argos was suggested to me, but I don't imagine the tools would be any good. I suppose the quality I'm aiming for is: won't mess up what I'm working on, won't need to be replaced anytime soon with light usage.

Just a suggestion, but do you have a LIDL nearby? If so you'll find their own brands (Parkside, etc) as well as better known brands such as Stanley offered from time to time. With a bit of patience it would be possible to build-up a home owners kit ovr time for a reasonable amount of money. BTW I don't consider £15 a reasonable investment - a half decent low-end claw hammer from Stanley costs more than a tenner, for example - but as everybody has different requirements it is a bit difficult for me to advise on what you'd need for your circumstances. At home (as opposed to my work kit - I'm a chippie) I have the following for general use:-

Claw hammer, 16oz

Water pump pliers
Radio pliers
Long-nose pliers
End cutters
Wire strippers
- all bought in a kit for a tenner on eBay

Compression union wrench, open-ended (stamped steel) - for compression nuts on plumbing

Set of screwdrivers (PZD #1/2/3, Phillips #1/2, 5 sizes of straight bits)

Birdcage-makers awl
7.2 volt cordless drill
Small selection of drill bits

Small pry bar (Stanley)

Tape measure, 3m
Torpedo level, 300mm

and that kit allows me to do basic fixit jobs around the house.

I do live near a LIDL, so I'll keep an eye out for their tool deals, thanks. I've also found a nearby market that sells second hand tools and will be visiting on Sunday.

I was expecting to have to invest more than £15, I was expecting something more like £40-60 for everything I think I need except the drill.

Thank you for the list of tools as well. I'll consider adding a birdcage maker's awl and pry bar to my list.

cmc wrote:I do live near a LIDL, so I'll keep an eye out for their tool deals, thanks. I've also found a nearby market that sells second hand tools and will be visiting on Sunday.

I was expecting to have to invest more than £15, I was expecting something more like £40-60 for everything I think I need except the drill.

Thank you for the list of tools as well. I'll consider adding a birdcage maker's awl and pry bar to my list.

thanks

How were you able to tell that the Denali set was naff

As a general rule 'buy cheap buy twice' particularly when buying tools. Most cheap tools are made in China and use softer metal so don't last as long.

If you're after good quality hand tools at a reasonable price you should look at ebays antique tools. You can pick up some really good quality tools from there. I bought a set of Marples chisels from there last year for about a tenner I think.

Old thread alert!
Looks like it was revived by someone who just got themselves a good banning!

Didn't spot that cheers

cmc wrote:Hi all,

I find myself wanting to do some bike repairs and some petty work around the house and would like to furnish myself with a basic toolkit.

I don't need professional quality tools, but I'd also rather not waste money on really terrible tools. If I were in the US, I think I'd go for the Denali set suggested in this article: http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-tool-kit/ , but it's not widely available in the UK and hard to import (cheapest I can find is £55 for the kit and 3-6 week wait).

Can anyone recommend a reasonable quality cheaper tool line I could buy from in the UK?

In particular, I'm looking to buy a hammer, mole grips, pliers, screwdriver set (incl. precision screwdrivers), spanner set/good adjustible spanner, allen keys, tape measure, spirit level, and a utility knife.

I think I'll need some painting and decorating gear too (brushes, rollers, scraper, spirit level), so any suggestions for manufacturers and brands there would also be appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Bader 1

Have you tried Maplins, they sell a basic tools or your local handyman store, I would fist give these a try and see how you go if you want professional quality.

Bader1

Please don't dig up threads that are over two years old, and which have already been answered.