What tool wouldn’t you leave home without?

Good one Mick, but that is more than one!

Forced-rank, what would be number ONE!

Cheers, Baz

A cigarette lighter then.

Good one, but that is more than one.

The question is, if you could only take ONE tool, what would it be?

A cd with 'Blinky Bill' Shortens droning utterances to put me to sleep at night.

:)
Be a shame to leave Tony behind, but I think the compressor would be my "don't leave home without it" item.

OBJ

OBJ It could be worse, we could have Shorten in charge, He cant even speak correctly, He "finks' he the man for the job, but he aint !! ;)) Michael

........ x2

It would be generally possible to manoeuvre the vehicle so as to get one wheel in the air so as to be able to fit a spare, but without the wheel brace you 'aint gunna get those nuts off.

Good lateral thinking (I think)...

Cheers, Baz

If you want a tool made of metal then these would rate very highly.
At least 6 uses and guaranteed never to break or even bend,
1. Persuader
2. Protection in my RTT at night
3. Panel beating tool
4. Tent peg for when it really gets windy
5. Useful when digging a dunny in hard ground
6. Makes getting a tyre of a rim possible for an old fart

Strewth, sounds very useful, but fear the word tool should not be used in this instance.


(Rips the top off beers cans?)

Cheers, Baz

You should read Mick O's blogs he has lots of fun with butane gas.
http://www.exploroz.com/Members/92954.75/11/2010/Reseating_a_tubeless_tyre_using_butane_gas_and_other_volatile_substances_-_Updated_Mar_2013.aspx?p=%2fBlogs%2fDefault.aspx

Oh yeah - we know about Mick and his butane - lol. He also uses his to do his eyebrows and eye lashes I believe!

Phil, you know how difficult Man-scaping can be in the bush!

;-)

Man-scaping - Good one Mick.

Hope all is well with you - all well enough over here.

I'm calling that a tyre repair kit then!

Cheers, Baz

sigmund - brings back memories of riding in the bush in the early 70's. Basic tool kit was spark-plug socket, spacers, 1 phillips, 1 screwdriver, cheap pliers, 12 gauge wire & quick-dry araldite. Could fix anything with that.

Regards the OP, apart from standard tools, the thing I never travel without is my hub socket.

actually the phillips & screwdriver was one of those reversable ones.... save space. In my opinion, the greatest repair tools nowadays is a packet of mixed cable ties. Jesus what I could have done with them in old days......

oh and im going on the assumption your talking extra tools
so im assuming wheel changing kit is always in the vehicle

Me too. My 15 year old wave has been a faithful companion and fixer of many broken things. It comes on pretty much every trip - including overseas holidays etc.

Good one!

Cheers, Baz - The Landy

I'll third that, my Leatherman goes almost everywhere with me.

Yep me too, gets used all the time.

Every trip, many times every day it is used for so many tasks.
A must useful and handy gadget without a doubt.

The alternative I just thought of is a roll of duct tape. You can do lots with it.
Regards Philip A

You've bee in the bush too long John.
Must admit there is always a deck in my glovebox.
Mike.

John, you don't need a deck of coards, just take a leak by the side of the road....

Looks like the clamp-it gets the number one gig in your toolbox!

Cheers, Baz

Yep, that's pretty good, Bob - but I reckon that a pair of 12" Vise-Grips trumps a 12" set of Crescent fencing pliers, anyday (see my post below) - although those Crescents are a pretty handy tool.

Cheers, Ron.

Yes Ron,
over the years I have clamped off quite a few hydraulic brake lines and air lines with them + used them as nuts and held things in place and with them.

Ron,

I just came up from the shed and started browsing the forum. When I read your post I thought my vise grips are around the 12" size so nipped back down and measured them.
Yep 12" stem to stern. They are an Elora Grip P/N 500/3
I had a quick look at Elora on line and they list a P/N 500-300 set so if you have a tool store in your area that stocks the Elora brand may help to give them a call.
Definitely a bloody handy bit of kit. I have no idea how long I have had this set but it has seen some action over the years.

Cheers
Pop

Pop, you might have the set nailed. I always remembered them as genuine Vise-Grips - but the genuine ones have been copied so much, there's more copies than the originals.
I was virtually 100% sure, mine had flat jaws - but as you no doubt know, our memories aren't what they used to be!
The Elora 12" set sure looks like a suitable replacement for my much-longed-for, stolen pair.

Elora 500-300 grip pliers

Cheers, Ron.

Just on the subject of Vise-Grips

link

Cheers
Pop

Ron,

Fresh from the latest Tradesmart dogalogue:






And just on this vice/vise spelling thingy, err, umm...........if I had someone by the short 'n curlies with my Crescents, would this make them VICE Grips? :-)

Bob

No, they're not the ones, Bob - they're the specialised C-clamp Vise-Grips, particularly useful for welding.
It appears Irwin have decided that 10" (250mm) is the biggest set of regular locking pliers they are going to make, so it looks like I'll be chasing down one of those 12" Elora's that Pop pointed out.

The name Vise-Grip was the original patented name, and it's spelled that way because it was American.
However, plenty of Aussies and Poms spell them Vice-Grips, just because that's the way WE spell vice!

I wouldn't like to feel your Crescents on my short and curlies, it would certainly be a VICE-like grip! [:-0

One thing I can tell you - if I ever found the low-life who broke into my yard and knocked off my tools, I'd be setting his family jewels in a LARGE BENCH VICE, and leaving him there for several weeks!! [:-(

In the meantimes, about 8 yrs ago, I managed to score a 75th anniversary set of Vise-Grips (new), from a nice older lady at a flea market.
I don't know how she acquired them, I suspect maybe they were deceased estate.
I got them for $35, she originally wanted quite a bit more for them, but no-one at that market obviously appreciated genuine Vise-Grips!

They're a triple set, with 10" and 4" locking nut pliers, plus a regular 7" Vise-Grips.
The locking nut pliers will replace half a toolbox when it comes to gripping nuts and bolts.
No need to worry about corroded bolt heads or nuts, or what bodgy Whitworth/BSF/Japanese metric size it is - just clamp them on, and they're the correct size, straight up! [;-)

Now - will 3 tools in a wallet, qualify as ONE tool, under Landys critical requirements?? [;-)

Cheers, Ron.

Ron,

$35, you didn't buy 'em, you stole 'em. LOL. Nice pickup.

Not sure if you clicked on the link I posted a couple of followups back but if you did, did you notice the ad for the the original American Vise Grips in the bottom RH corner?

The largest of the 2 sizes they made way back then were the 10" jobbies.

Cheers
Pop

Ron,

Am sure Baz, being a fair-minded gentleman, would agree to them being classed as one tool, as long as you stick to his strict criteria!!!

They must carried/stored, AT ALL TIMES, in the roll pictured, unless using one of the tools contained therein, and when finished with said tool, it must be returned to its position in the roll, and the tool roll returned to the usual place of storage. :-)

I'm being a bit verbose above.......am sure you'll get a yes or no in due course. I've got a set similar to yours, Supercheap specials, as I recall. There's a bit of history in that link of Pop's too.

Bob

Pop - A man's got to have a win occasionally! The lady knew what they were worth, she just couldn't sell them for the $50 she wanted.
The problem with tools, as with many things, is the retail price doesn't mean much, when the retailers regularly offer deals with 30 or 40% off.

I got a "combo deal" from SuperSheep in November - a heavy duty 2 tonne floor jack, plus 2 x 3 tonne ratchet car stands - all for $139!
It was listed in the online catalogue - but no-one in the store knew about it.
However, they did have a store display showing the jack alone, on "special" at $189!

I nailed a store employee and got him to research the "combo deal" and he agreed with me.
So I got the floor jack, and the last two 3 tonne ratchet car stands in the store, for the $139! The stands alone are supposed to retail at $82 each!

Yes, I did click on your link, and I did notice the ad for Vise-Grips.

Cheers, Ron.

Mandatory equipment - so doesn't count ;)

Cheers, Baz

probabally the most useless invention in mans history

I still cannot for the life of me work out thier purpose

are they to stop your hand getting cold when holding a cold beer? if so stick to chardanay-- you dont deserve a beer weakling

or are they to stop your beer going warm ?- if so why dont you stick to chardonay -- if youve grabbed a beer then bloody well drink it not sit around waiting for it to get warm

or is there some other practical use for these devices im unaware of?

Each to their own, as the saying goes. Any thoughts on what "tool" you would never leave home with?

Cheers, Baz

Maybe, although one of "The Landy's" started without one...

Cheers, Baz

Landy - Ahhh! - so you owned the hot-wired, push-start model of Landrover, too? [;-)

Cheers, Ron.

I'd amend that to "spare ignition key" not fun being in the middle of the desert with the main key in the ignition, doors closed & locked (Central locking has it's drawbacks) claw hammer in the tray came in handy as well!

Where do they sell them, I'm thinking they would sell a few! ;)

Cheers, Baz

And, wat is number i one in your tool kit?

Cheers, Baz

I'm still thinking of my answer...it's hard. If it was one "thing" not "tool" it would be David (& he's no tool). But the best I can think of is air compressor because without it we wouldn't go off road. no fun in that.

I thought it would be 'a pair of joggers'.

p.s. I finished Alan Parkinson's book in four days! Heavy going.

My birthday presents - haha, all a girl like me could ever want!

Running shoes, tri bike shoes, thongs. I actually don't own a pair of high-heels, had to borrow a pair to wear with a dress for birthday dinner out!

Maybe they don't want to start a Silastic/Sikaflex debate, Ron!

It's great stuff alright, except on carbies..............

Bob

Silastic is also great for plugging up bullet holes in the car door.

Chewing gum works on Petrol tanks doesnt it?????

Funny you should mention bullet holes, my last Colorado had a 'spare' cb aerial in the front left guard from a dopey mate shooting across the bonnet......

Good choice, Troopy.

You can even repair mulga stake holes in a grader tyre with these, 4-6 strings and job's right.

Found a good supply of spare strings in Supercheap the other day. Worth checking out if you're getting low.

Bob

Are they the same as the ARB etc kits ?

I bought my Safety Seal kit from ARB in Rocky, Alby, years ago.

Think the ARB one is similar/same, but in an orange box.

Bob

Hacksaw, Baz? So 20th century.........

Am sure most would now have a cordless angle grinder. :-)

Bob

Bob,
how do you make your cordless angle grinder work. I cut the cord off mine and I can't get it to work.

Any tips will be appreciated.

Yeah, cordless, Slow.

You cut off the lead and araldite a battery on it. :-) Better to buy a proper battery powered one I reckon.

Would suggest these tools have also killed the old saying: "Locks only keep honest people out"?

Bob