JD5103 & Hand Tools

[ShookFarm]

Thank you very much, YM2610D! I looked at and bookmarked your question and the responses. One change for me, I had thought about the whisk broom for the tractor, but I had already opted for a stiff bristle 2" paint brush (cheapy - toss is when it's broken down). I'm still looking at hand tools. I wound up buying a 1/2" drive Stanley deep well metric set at Wal-Mart for $18+Tax. I have a 1/2" drive air impact wrench I use when I'm working on my truck.

My biggest issue is: we don't live on the farm - yet. I'm constantly hauling tools back and forth. I have a guy living in the old farm house who also uses the outbuilding where the tractor lives. He's got lots of tools so I don't want to leave things there if they aren't secure due to possible mix up.

 

[BobinIL]

Shookfarm, A 3/4 inch socket set is overkill for use with a utility tractor. On our farm the only time we break out the 3/4 in sockets is to tourque down the duals on our big tractors 150hp to 400hp. Then we use a 3/4 breaker bar and piece of 5 foot pipe. A 1/2 inch set should do anything you want to do. I have had good luck with Craftsman and S-K tools

 

[ShookFarm]

I borrowed a 1/2" drive set from my neighbor to check the torque on my lugs (after 10 hours of operation). Got around to the last tire (left front) and one bolt was not snug. When I applied pressure, the bolt snugged and I twisted off the very end (square hammered part) of the 4" long extension I was using to reach inside the rim. Not a major deal. But, I know for my purposes, I don't want to break a 1/2" set working on the rotary cutter (1 1/2" nuts) and the Category 2 pins on implements as well as the huge bolt lugs on the rear tires. I also don't really want to have to carry a 3/4" set all the time, but I don't want to buy both either. May have to break down and do the HF deal. That way I can afford multiple drive sizes. What a pain!

When the question was posed, in another thread, about why you use cheap tools on one of the most expensive purchases you'll make. It's because the pocketbook is more forgiving for breaking a cheap tool than an expensive one. In my experience, all tools CAN break, cheap or expensive.