Tool kits

[puntadeleste]

For a first time owner who would like to try to mantain and fix simple things on his/her own sailboat what a tool kit should/must have?

Should I buy tools separately or as tool kits already put together?

Where are the best deals?

Thanks
Ben

[Faster]

We carry a pretty full array of tools.. socket set, wrenches (metric and std - our engine has some metric fittings) a battery drill/light kit, filter wrenches and the like. Handy side gadgets include a mirror on a stick and a small magnet.

I like the kits you can get now that come in a nice plastic case.. a good way to contain them and keep them dry and organized. They do, however take up a bit more space that way.

Another invaluable (for me and others) is what I call a 'knick knack box'.. one of those compartmented carryalls that has an assortment of bulbs, shackles, SS nuts and bolts, fuses, wire, you name it. It's saved us a few times and also has allowed us to help out others too. Extra belts, filters, impellers (natch), lengths of hose, hose clamps etc and there's not much you shouldn't be able to handle 'out there'.

[tommays]

I have (4)22" husky tool boxes (12.95)each so I can keep my tools and spares in some semblance of order and mostly I buy the husky tools when there on sale because it is to painfull to be droping snap on overboard



Tough tobeast 5 dollar multi tools and packing picks

One for electric tools for example in which a basic 20 dollar multimeter is a must have tool

It really depends on your ability to drive the tools as to what will do any good to have onboard

I have a second starter motor BUT the unit onboard is in perfect condition and it's a lot of weight to take daysailing which brings up the how far away are you going to be ? As unlimited get me to homeport towing insurance is fairly cheep


I could keep the second carb, fuel pump ,ignition parts coil and still not have the item that fails

[Lake Superior Sailor]

I would suggest that it would depend on what your capable of doing or willing to learn.All the tools in the world won't get the job done..Dale

[paul323]

What I would suggest is that you get a toolbox - personally I got a couple of nice canvas ones from Home Depot, $10 a pair. Then buy the tool you need for the project you are doing. Each time you do a project, you'll add a couple of tools. Over time you'll build up a set of tools you'll need.

I say this because one person's necessity is another persons anathema. If you do electrical work, you want multimeter, crimpers, etc. If you want to service the engine, you'll need a socket set, etc. Sewing - well, you get the picture.

A last observation - this is one of the rare times when I'll not say "buy quality". In some cases - like a crimper - yeah, kinda essential, get a good one. In other cases - screwdrivers - you'll lose them over the side, they'll rust - so go cheap. Stuff in boats gets wet, gets dropped over the side, knocked/shaken around, etc. So a $250 voltage meter, probably not - get a $50 one.

[bljones]

IMO, and in my practical experience, there is a "maintenance" tool kit and a "project" tool kit.
I keep the maintenance tool kit on the boat. The maintenance kit is in three parts.
Part 1:
In a cloth tool bag I have
two adjustable wrenches, big and small.
Screwdrivers that fit the screws on the boat. About five in total. All screwdrivers have holes in the butt end of the handle and lanyards with wrist loops. I got tired of losing screwdrivers overboard, even cheap ones. You never lose a screwdriver at the end of the project, but always in the middle, and that gets expensive even when the tools are cheap.
A ball peen hammer. With a hole drilled through the handle and a lanyard.
A hacksaw with a lanyard looped through the handle. See a pattern?
Wire cutters, needlenose pliers, lineman's pliers
3 sizes of vice grips.
An "eggbeater" hand drill and bits.
A container of silica gel.

Part 2: Along with the tool bag, I have a $250/$70 socket/ratchet/box wrench set. Alleged Craftsman/Husky/Stanley/Kobalt retail is $250. Next week it will be on sale for $70. Somewhere. Buy it on sale. Thorw in a couple of "do not eat" sugar packets of silica gel.

75% of the sockets and wrenches will not fit anything on your boat. That's okay. They WILL fit something on some dumbass SeaRay owner's boat, and those guys never have tools but they always have beer. You can see where I am going with this.

Part 3: I have a third small tool box for electrical work. In it is a crimper, cutters, and a multi-meter, a small torch and soldering iron, and accessories, and a couple of "do not eat" sugar packets of silica gel.


The "Project" tool kit is more extensive, and stays in the back of the jeep during boating season. In it is a sawzall, palm sander, RO sander, cordless drill, cordless driver, jigsaw, circular saw, dremel kit, sandpaper file, sandpaper cutting board, sanding blocks, generator.

Unles you are into refit work, you'll rarely need a "project" kit. Some will argue that you need a cordless drill in the "maintenance" kit, but I have never had any issues with a hand drill for those times when you only need to install a couple of screws, and any more than that is not "maintenance" it is a "project", right?

[WanderingStar]

When I bought my boat there were no tools aboard. She has a diesel, pressure water, installed head. Before the first time I took her out, I walked over to Boater's World and bought a $45 tool kit in a plastic box. I thought cheap chinese tools are better than none. I still have them, they've been very useful. Before sailing her home from Florida, I added a hacksaw, hammer, visegrips, pipe wrench, bigger adjustable wrenches, etc. Start with a basic kit, add stuff as you need it.

[erps]

Should I buy tools separately or as tool kits already put together?

Both.

A small kit to leave on the boat and then a bag for other things that you might have at the house when you go out for longer weekends. After you've owed the boat for a while and do a few maintenance chores, you will develop a list of tools that your particular boat requires.

[hellosailor]

Pre-packed tool kits often have junk, or ten screwdrivers when you really only need 4 good ones. OTOH I know Sears had some good basic kits for homeowners, that would also work on a boat. Pliers, screwdriver, etc. but I think you'd soon find you needed more tools and a bigger bag or box.

I'd agree with "buy quality", especially since I've seen a lot of things like the $5 multitools turn quickly into rust and dull blades. A good screwdriver makes work easy for 40 or 50 years. A cheap one gives you blisters until you break it--and damage screw heads and finally give it away.

WalMart carries Stanley tools, often reasonably, and Sears has brought back a really wide line of tools. Sometimes at absurd prices, usually reasonable on any "holiday" sale.

A good socket set (the $10 ones break and rust), a #1 and #2 Philips, a couple of slotted screwdrivers, a regular plier, needle nose, and "water pump" plier aka ChannelLock, a can of PBlaster not just WD40, and probably a ball peen hammer for things that need to get whacked would be a good start. Probably also a 10" mill bastard file, a rattail file, and a small triangular file, all for cleaning up edges and making things fit. If you can find a "Yankee" drill, that's a pushdrill, bits store in the handle, it looks a bit like a tubby screwdriver, but is a great way to make small holes without needing electric power. There are great ones and lousy ones out there, wait till you see one that looks well made and fits your hand.

Sears and Harbor Freight (generally a source for disposable tools) may also be the onyl sources for tool rolls these days. This is a simple flat canvas piece full of pockets, you put the tools in it, roll it up, it stores without any fuss or clanking and if you spray a little oil into the canvas, it prevents the tools from rusting. Just a little, if the tools are well used what is on them is enough.

If you want a real treat, order a couple of screw thread pitch gauges, $5-10 each, one SAE the other metric. You lay these up against a screw or bolt and they will tell you what size and pitch the thread is, very handy if you "need another one of these" and don't know what "these" is.

And, a couple of good flashlights. Maybe one headlamp, one 2xD-cell flashlight, one small 2xAA like a MiniMaglite. (Costco seems to be the cheapest source on those.) Buy GOOD flashlights, you want to be able to drop it without breaking it. Put a little silicon grease (sold in auto stores as "brake grease" or "light bulb grease") at both ends of each battery, and when they do corrode they won't ruin the flashlight.

[RobGallagher]

To add to the above, I would just recommend:

Rechargeable batteries and charger for your flashlights and headlamp, hand held GPS, etc.

A small vice that clamps to something (you can clamp it to a dock). It also makes for a good anvil type thingy for whacking things against, or holding them whilst whacking

I use an old backpack for stuffing spare parts and doohickies. I put them in ziplock bags sorted by "class" ie" all types of tape go in one bag, head parts in another, water pump parts/gaskets in a third, etc.

Soft tool bags with canvas roll up organizers are great.

A second hammer or large pipe wrench is great for banging things with both hands when you really get frustrated. I tend to run at it with the "sword in each hand gladiator method". If nothing else it may tend to scare rusted parts loose. Impresses the ladies as well.