Places To Buy Tools

[Puddle Jumper]

Hey Gang

I will be going to school in Thunder Bay for aircraft maintenance and was wondering where most of you guys buy your tools. I have bought tools in the past from Aclands and they seem to carry everything. Any suggestions?

 

[jetbox]

If you're just starting out and your budget is limited, I would suggest going to Sears or Canadian Tire. The "Professional Series" Craftsman or Martercraft tools are just as good as any Snap-on at 1/3 the price with the same warranty. Some items like racheting screwdrivers and 1/4 inch rachets are worth buying at Snap-on but for most of what you'll need, you can save a lot of money until you get a job and get a decent income.


This is of course just my opinion!!!

 

[picapart]

I would assume the college will supply you with all the tools you will need, so all I would show up with is a pen.
As far as buying tools after your finished, just go and see what the other engineers have so you don't go buy a bunch of tools you will never use. I bought the cheaper wrenches and stuff when i first got into mechanics and slowely replaced them with snap-on as i could afford them. Do not buy snap-on under there loan plans unless you don't mind paying 18% intrest.
I would suggest gear wrenches though , I don't know i lived without them.
cheers and good luck .

 

[MagSeal]

I do agree with buying snap-on for the higher use items. Cheaper wrenches and sockets spread and slip on the nuts. Another good thing to note is that you should try and use 12 point sockets only on 12 point fasteners, otherwise they wear out too quick. If you wrench on alot of 6 point fasteners, try and have a set of 6 points just for that job.
If you plan on helicopter work, you never need the full set of any wrenches. experience will help you decide not to spend $500 bucks on a whole set of snap-on wrenches when you only need a few of them consistantly. Buy a good quality adjustable or a cheap set of big wrenches and it'll get you out of a bind if you ever get caught with a large fitting (exceptions of course)

As for your question about where to buy...there are canadian tires all over the place. Break a wrench sometime and you'll have better chances of getting it replaced quicker. The quality is good, the price is good, and their chrome is just as shiny. It's alot easier to take a bent wrench to a cutie at canadian tire (they never ask questions, just replace) than it is to argue with the snap-on guy about why he should let you take away money from his kids college fund.

 

[Bullet Remington]

Have to agree with Maggioe. (Jeez, did I say that outloud??) Cambodian Tire is a good as pretty well anything. Especially when you get to the stage you have to "modify" wrenches. I have a couple of 5/16th that I modified for hauling off the bleed valves on the C20B. Plus C.T wrenches are easy to cut and weld.

Don't start buying wrenches until you know where you'll be working. Planks will require an assortment of larger wrenches than fling wings. Especially the engines. in which case ya do as Mag Pie stated and get hold of some 12 point wrenches, good quality ones. Again, if you're going on fling wing you'll eventually need some of those short "strike" wrenches for the fuel lines and hydraulic lines. You can get those from Allied. The 12 points better off to get from Snap-on.

The ratcheting screwdrivers, you can get from Busy bee, they make a really nice ratcheting screwdriver, just as good as Snap-on for about 16.00 to 18.00 bucks, depending on the length. Home Depot carrys a really nice (short) ratchet handle that will hold a 1/4" scocket, on one side or a screwdriver tip in the other. really handy for working under the floor or under the instrument panel.

Other than that, keep an eye out for some body packing it in, and make them an offer on some of the tools they may have for sale.

Good Luck to you, whatever you chose.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Thanks Guys

My overall plans are to work on fling wing aircraft as I also hold a CPL-H. I have already recieved some wrenches that came from Canadian Tire and I also have their ratchets that look like the snap-ons. As for sockets I have been told to buy all 12 point and was considering buying these from sears. As for extensions I can always rob my personal tool collection. I was wondering if 6 point is used in maintenance. I know that many engines use 12 point but what about the rest of the aircraft?? So does Sears make decent enough sockets for while I am in school?

 

[Bullet Remington]

PJ:

If ya can afford it, it's a good idea to carry a set of 6 points as well. Thety make it easier to pull of blots/nuts that have rounded edges. As, I catty a set of metric wrenches and sockets. They are graduated a little better that Standard sizes. and are excellent for grapping rounded bolts/nuts etc.

If you're going fling wing, it might be more advantagous to wait until you actually get a job wrench bending. then talked to the wrench benders and find out what they carry in their bush kits.

Other than that, good luck to you in school. Enjoy yourself and have fun!

 

[graunch1]

Schools generally supply you with a tool list (approx $1000) that you must buy at the start of the year. Specialty tools are available but primarily you are required to own a certain number of tools from day 1. Usually there is a tool fair and all the major suppliers have pre-made and priced kits.

From my point of view the Crappy Tire/Sears options are the best when starting out as you can buy the tools for $500 and spend the rest on beer and mummy will never know the difference

also a good place for the larger grunting type wrenches is the local pawn shop as there are often super buys if you don't mind tools with experience

 

[lamanated]

watch for a sale at sears or can tire,I don't like the long wrences but the swivel gear wrenches at crappy are good.The princess auto torque wrench is as accurate as the snap on ones the princess auto offsets are good enough.wire twist pliers are from House of tools for $34. get the narrow duck bills from snap on,but watch ebay
for stuff.tools are half price this week at sears

 

[arctic_front]

I would like to add a few things.....

1) you get what you pay for, cheap wrenches are just that. Cheap

2) you will end up owning snap-on at some point, so go out and get them while they are affordable now, they don't come down in price, EVER. 1/4 drive sockets are a must-have, so are the off-set open ends. 12 point socket is a lot more useful on a 6 point nut than a 6 point socket is on a 12 point nut.

3) never stop buying tools....buy what you need....if you borrow it once, buy it next pay-day. I don't mind loaning an apprentice my tools once, but not all summer.

4) get a couple of small bush-boxes....1 gets too heavy, and you can't carry 1 heavy box as easily as 2 lighter ones.

5) if you buy a roll-cab, buy a much bigger one than you think you'll ever need, believe me, you WILL fill it. 20 yrs in the Biz, and I seem to out-grow my roll cab regularly.

6) like a previous poster said, buy just what you need for wrenches, but don't ignore the "strange" looking ones, they can be a life-saver. ie: half-moon wrenches ect.

7) build stuff. lots of helicopters need modified or custom wrenches. look in the "old guy's" kit...see what he has made, then copy it.

8) don't cry when you have to spend $$ on tools....without them, you are just a over educated pilot. Take pride in your stuff, it makes it easier to remember to not leave them under the cowls when you paid a king's ransome on a tool. you might have to skip a few nights of beer drinking with the crew until you get your tools, but then you have something to show for it later.

9) remember, you are a skilled craftsman. craftsmen have good tools. home handymen and Red Green have crap tools. You get my meaning? Good...now go make friends with your local Snap-on dealer( or Mac ).

 

[Elvis]

Excellent post Artic.

:elvis: :elvis: :elvis:

 

[Spinner]

great post Artic

after 25 years I grew out of about five different boxes. Just kept getting bigger and
bigger ones.

I love princess auto but do not buy any real tools there.

As previously posted gear wrenches from can tire, quarter swivel sockets from snap on
are among the best.

When i went to Con they gave us a tool list that basically was just open end wrenches and one set of sockets and pliers.

I find a quarter drive deep set is the set that I use the most. Wire twisters are nice but
you don't have to start with a set. They probably wont let you use them any ways in school. (least I hope not you deserve the torture of doing it by hand)

I swore when I went to school that I would never buy those expensive snap on tools. Now I own a small fortunes worth (more than my car is worth anyhow)

oh yeah and buy all your tools before you get married. Why? You'll find out!

 

[rookie314]

If you are just starting out Sears, Canadian Tire and Princess Auto are your best bets. Snap On is overrated and overpriced. The only Snap on you should by are there torque wrenches. The rest can be bought from other suppliers a lot cheaper, with the same warranties, and just as good of guaility. Also be warned that snap on 1/4" 12 deep sockets have a ridge in them( the machining for the 12 point doen't go all the way to the bottom of the socket) this will cause the socket to ride up on the stud. SK and Gray are machined all the way through and do not have this problem. To understand the idea that you will need some different tools for specific jobs I offer the following example. The nut over the crosshead bearing on a Bell 212 is a 5/8" 6 point nut. If you try to us a 12 point it will not come off. You will round it or your socket off. Solution- Sears 3/8"drive 5/8" 6 point socket. Price $2.99. Works great lasts long time. Best of luck to you and good luck in school.

 

[MagSeal]

I was holding a wrench in my hand the other day, the one I use daily, noticing it was the most comfortable wrench, the best balanced, and the one that rarely, if ever, slips off the head of nuts. It a 10mm/11mm combo wrench, open ended, it's chrome sucks, no-name, and to boot, it's made in taiwan and probably older than Elvis.

Why is it that the most cheapest wrench in the world turns out to be the best one in my toolbox for reliability and strength???

I've got snap-ons that weren't given warranty because they were deemed worn beyond their useful life.

 

[Elvis]

That's one old wrench.

:elvis: :elvis: :elvis: