What makes a good tool kit?

Egon · Dec 22, 2001

Bill:
Got to be honest, I've got a small B7100 kubota. I've also got all the tools mentioned in the posts plus a whole lot more.
But JDKidd has it right. That will do you just fine and add as required.
Egon

DFB · Dec 22, 2001

Blurrybill, with a new tractor especially under warranty there's probably not a whole lot of wrenchin' you'll have to do to it.

The battery can sometimes be the source of common problems and to read battery voltage and charge current a multimeter is good to have. I like the digital display types.

If you live in a colder climate and/or anticipate using your tractor in below freezing weather an inexpensive antifreeze tester might also be handy to have around the garage to check the condition of the coolant.

DFB

Bird · Dec 22, 2001

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gifOf course you're right, JDKid, as far as actual needs, but it sure is nice to have just the right tool for the job at hand./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif And the only reason I have a quarter inch ratchet is because it was a gift (manual ratchet; don't have a quarter inch air ratchet - but sure did repair/rebuild a lot of them - there's no way you can stop the mechanics from using them for a breaker bar/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif). And like a lot of folks, I have lots of tools that are almost never used (and a few that I actually have never used/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif). But of course I have lots of tools (most, in fact) that are for other things than my tractor.

Oh, by the way, you ain't steppin' on anyone's toes, as I see it, the more opinions we get, the better informed we are./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Edited by Bird on 12/22/01 05:08 PM (server time).

DFB · Dec 22, 2001

But of course I have lots of tools

Bird, over the years have you ever seen any ratchet wrench sets like this?

DFB

Bird · Dec 22, 2001

Nope, DFB, hadn't seen that one before. I'll bet it's almost as old as I am./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Solo · Dec 22, 2001

blurrybill,
I would recomend a good hydraulic floor jack, 2 tons should be plenty.

Anonymous Poster · Dec 22, 2001

Ah yes. Walden Tools. Made in Worcester Massachusetts. The factory building was torn down several years ago. In later years they opened a factory tool wharehouse on the first floor of the factory building. They sold all kinds of tools. In my younger days I spent many hours brousing. Seemed strange to be looking at jointers made in Taiwan while you could hear the punch presses working above you. The place always smelled of cutting oit

Bob_Trevithick · Dec 22, 2001

Hi Bill,

Not sure about other options as factory installed.. just know the rear work lights should be factory installed. I assume things like the heaters, which the dealer installed, should work okay.. although I have yet to have occassion to try them. Okay, honestly, I'm half afraid the tractor will catch fire when I first try them. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I asked our oil supplier about a diesel tank for the yard, and the smallest he had was 190 gallons. The kind folks here told me that it would take me about four years to use that much, and yeah, it might be stale by then. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I bought a couple five gallon cans, and make runs to the local truck stop for fuel now. Maybe someday I'll get a slightly bigger tank, maybe 50 gallons, but I haven't figured that out yet.

I add "Power Service" to all my fuel. You only need a small bottle of it, because the big one is supposed to condition a few hundred gallons. It doesn't matter if you don't need it given the ambient temperatures.. it doesn't do any harm and it gives peace of mind. You never need to worry about gelling (which can occur at as high a temp as +30 F.)

Yes, the little GT235 was a great little tractor.. but I "under-bought." I really needed more, but let financial considerations get in the way. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I plan to maintain my machine, except for the sections of the manual where it says "have a John Deere dealer do this." Things like fuel injector maint, etc. I'll certainly do all the maintenance like oil and filter changes. But every now and then I plan to have them take the machine and tell them "do whatever it needs."

I'm anxious to see what the new 4x10 series looks like.. I bet it will be impressive!

I'm told that, even if you buy from dealer X, you can always go to dealer Y and say, hey, I didn't know about you at the time, and would have bought from you had I known.. but please service this thing, and if I'm happy you'll get all my business from now on. I did this when I called one dealer, and he said "yep, no problem. We'll help you out." Sounds good!

Regards,
Bob (another clinical psych kind of guy /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)

Bob Trevithick

gerard · Dec 22, 2001

Blurry Bill, I you're not familiar with Harbor Freight tools check them out. They have a lot of VERY reasonably priced tools. Yes they are on the cheaper side as far as quality goes but unless you're making a living with them it's hard to justify snap on type tools. (I haven't broken anything yet). I bought a set of the large sockets (I think 3/4 to maybe 2 1/2 inches) for about $50. Yep made in China but snap on for that I guess would be a couple hundred bucks. MY two cents and I'll disagree with bird on one point. Oil filter wrench - I have the strap kind that a 1/2 socket fits in. One size fits all. Grease gun - get the pneumatic, loader has 12 zirks alone. $20 in H Freight and they work well.

PaulinSD · Dec 22, 2001

I have the usual basic complement of tools, 1/2; 3/8 and 1/4 inch socket sets, end wrenches to 1", cresent wrenches, nut drivers, and the like. VOM comes in handy for electrical work. Grease gun. I have a 4 HP air compressor with a 7 gal tank. At work I have access to impact wrenches and the bigger tools, so far I have not had a use for them. I change oil and fluids at work, mainly because it's handy, there is a pit there if needed, and we have a used oil barrel there. I've found so far, it's the minor things that need attention more than the big stuff. So far, I've been able to handle maintaining 2 tractors, 2 trailers, 3 mowers for the tractors, a DR, 1 ton dump truck and the wife's Tahoe. After reading the above posts, I have to agree, it's the refrig in the garage that makes it all possible!!

Paul

gator · Dec 22, 2001

Bill,
Kobalt mechanics tools are made by J.H. Williams, a division of Snap On tools. They have a lifetime guarantee and are only available at Lowes. I used to work at Lowes, and don't remember a Kobalt tool ever being returned because it broke.
Like the others say, a good socket set with extensions, combination wrench set, selection of screwdrivers, filter wrench, multimeter, funnels, breaker bar is a good start, and add on as necessary.Just my opinion.

Wally JD 750 "GATOR"

Rch · Dec 22, 2001

http://www.ontool.com/store/search?keywords=CPL
The above link shows the Montezuma Welding & Manufacturing Inc. Montezuma KS 67867 tool boxes for sale on the Ontool web site. They ain't cheap but, as they say, they aren't crap either. I've seen them at farm shows and the construction is bullet proof; full welded seams, heavy gauge metal, with lid closed tools stay on their pegs even when the box is rotated, an empty peg lets you know a tool is missing, you can see all the tools instead of rooting through a pile. Has anyone had personal experience with these. A good tool box would seem to me the best first tool !

RCH

DFB · Dec 22, 2001

Got a few more pieces. These socket head wrenches and also some T-handle nutdrivers too!

DFB

bgott · Dec 22, 2001

I noticed that everybody left out the service and parts manuals. Those might be the most important tools to have. On the rest, I'd buy a set of El Cheapo tools and as you gain experience you can replace the stuff that doesn't hold up with good stuff. You can easily get 5 grand or more tied up in stuff that you'll never use. When I started building my last set of tools I ended up with a set of Benchtop (K-Mart) metric combination wrenches that I swore I'd replace as soon as I broke one. I used them for six years professionally, doubling them up and using cheaters on them daily, before I bought a set of Craftsman professional end wrenches. I never broke or stripped one.

cp1969 · Dec 22, 2001

SK is a brand that I would estimate is between Craftsman and Snap On, both price and quality-wise. I only have an SK 3/8" ratchet set at home, but have some other SK tools at work. I would assume they have a warranty, but have never broke one yet so haven't had the opportunity to find out.

The reason I complained about the screwdrivers is that I just bought a German set of screwdrivers for work and there is absolutely no comparison between them and the junk you get at Sears, Walmart, or Home Depot, etc. It comes at a price, though: that five piece screwdriver set cost almost $80. After using a good screwdriver, it makes me cringe to pick up one of the screw-ruining POS that I have in my tool box.

Oh, and I second getting a good toolbox. Don't skimp here, either. The biggest mistake I made when starting out was not buying a quality tool chest and roll away. I have the remains of all the tool sets which I kept in boxes, canvas bags, lying on benches and who knows what else. Tools stopped disappearing once I finally broke down and bought a Kennedy tool chest. Get a good one with ball bearing slides, as a drawer full of tools gets very heavy, and buy one twice as big as you think you could ever need, 'cause you will fill it.

jdkid · Dec 23, 2001

Hi ya
yea like ya saying we all have some tools that will never wear out cos they never get used others 1/2, 3/4 spanners most tools sets don't have eneff of them 1/4 scocket i find good for small motors and useing torx and alain keys bit with ..1/2 scockets get used 99%of the time and 3/4 on wheel nuts and bigger stuff 3/8 i find not realy worth the money when starting out ..air powered tools i'd like to have but in all the years driving not alot brakes down in my workshop so i find handheld tools cheeper and travel to what i have to fix ..
catch ya
JD Kid

Bird · Dec 23, 2001

JD, you're running a lot bigger equipment than most of us. I don't have any 3/4" drive tools except one impact socket big enough for my brush hog blades and then I have an adapter to use it on a 1/2" impact wrench. Hand tools are definitely cheaper and suffice most of the time, but I'm lazy; never exert myself with hand tools if the power tool is faster and easier./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

GlennT · Dec 23, 2001

Blurrybill: You would appreciate having a good, solid workbench. When I retired awhile back, this was one of my priorities. The flimsy things you buy at Sears and other places just don't cut it for some things. I went to my friend the local welder and told him what I wanted: height, depth, width, one shelf, HEAVY, etc. He made me up a framework out of 2 inch angle iron. I then purchased two sheets of 3/4 inch plywood, which I glued together (lay one sheet on the garage floor, cover it with a thin layer of Elmer's Glue, put down the second sheet, lay 2 x 6's on top to distribute the weight, drive the front wheels of the pickup on top and leave overnight). I cut the combined sheets into two rectangles--one for the top and one for the shelf and attached them to the frame with screws spaced every 6 inches. Then I purchased a sheet of 1/4 inch sheet metal (cut to the size of the top) and laid that on top. I drilled through the sheet metal and plywood of the top and bolted on my large vise; this makes a solid base for the vise and holds the top on securely. At first I thought that I should have asked for a 3 inch angle iron frame; however, after I added the plywood, the sheet metal top and the vise, that sucker is HEAVY!!! I can beat a piece of angle iron into shape and nothing moves. Oh, I should mention that I put strips of foam weather stripping under the angle iron base. That also helps keep it from creeping on the concrete floor. I really think you would find a workbench like this helpful and it isn't that much more expensive than a commercially-made one--my total costs were under $250.

blurrybill · Dec 23, 2001

Gator,

Thanks for your comments. There is a Lowes within 15 miles - I'll check out the Kobalt line as my tractor purchase gets nearer.

For Gator and Everyone: Dumb question, I suppose, but since the tractors have foreign components, are they basically metric or standard? Also, are some implements SAE and others metric? If that is so, guess I need to shell out for both. Let me know.

Bill

DFB · Dec 23, 2001

I can tell ya what my equipment is. The tractor has all metric hardware, including the loader. The JD 413 rotary cutter hardware is metric too, but blade removal calls out for 1 1/2" socket. The slip clutch asy on both the tiller and cutter is metric too. But the BUSHHOG built tiller and rake are standard along with the KK and WORKSAVER stuff. Definitely a mixed bag.

DFB