What brand of tools to buy?

[Man_Named_Dave]

Hello all,

I'm gonna be getting started on doing the easy checks and adjustments on my NC30, and I thought I'd see what recommendations you might have.

I'll be getting a Torque Wrench and tyre pressure gauge to start with. Any particular brands/models I should go for? I agree it's better to spend a bit more to get good quality, but also bear in mind that I'm a student right now and in buckets of debt! :)

[Wacko Jacko]

You will also need a C Spanner for making chains adjustments. You can pick these up on ebay fairly cheap.

I have purchased mainly Draper Sockets Sets, Torque Wrenches e.t.c are they seem pretty good.

Your best bet if on a tight budget is get yourself down to your local car boot sales and get looking for the cheap tools and trust me there are many bargains to be had.

Jack

[Man_Named_Dave]

Thanks. Should I be getting a 1/2 or 3/8 torque wrench?

[royster81]

my father in law told me a cheap socket set will turn a 10m bolt but you're fingers wont, your not going to be working with them every day so a cheap set will do and if you start breaking wrenchs buy a better one the next time but the likely hood if that is slim, my £29 argos socket set is still going and i'm working on countless NC30's ,35's, a '29 and a hornet 600

[Hissing sid]

Hi

The "magnusson" range of tools from B and Q seem to be good quality at the right price
They do an articulated socket wrench which is great for acessing tight locations.
Their scewdrivers seem to survive abuse as good as any otheres I've used

BR

Neil B

[Old Painless]

I use Halfords Professional stuff, decent kit tbh. I have stripped a fair few bikes and engines to bits and back again with them with no problems.

+1 on the Magnusson kit too.

[graham72]

I use Halfords Professional stuff, decent kit tbh. I have stripped a fair few bikes and engines to bits and back again with them with no problems.

+1 on the Magnusson kit too.

on the Halfords Pro Kit
Ive had A Halfords 150 piece set for nearly 4 years now, cost £150 (still about the same price now for the same kit!) never had a problem with them and they come with a lifetime guarantee, you break it, they replace it!
Stripped several cars down with the kit and use it for work too, (car and HGV recovery) Top gear!

[Man_Named_Dave]

This is all really good advice guys, many thanks. :)
Although I must say that at the moment it's a case of the more I discover, the less I know and the more confused I feel!

I'm trying to get to grips with things like 1/4, 3/8, etc.

It appears that a torque wrench that works in the low ranges will be 1/4 and a bigger one will be 3/8?
So I should buy one around 5-20 Nm with a 1/4 head and one above 20Nm with a 3/8 head? And a socket set to fit accordingly?

[chrisja2]

I bought my torque wrenches from screwfix, do the job and were quite cheap. My small socket set i got for free by subscribing to the bike mag i always bought monthly anyway, so 2 birds one stone etc there. The bigger sockets like someones already said, car boot. Ebays good too, be quick with the buy it now stuff if its a well known brand!

[Man_Named_Dave]

So do I need a 1/4 torque wrench or a 3/8 torque wrench?

So confused...