Cleared out the van yesterday & had a general tidy up. Got me thinking about the most useful tools & bits I carry. The stuff you use every day.
Great benefit of doing DIY stuff for a living is that I can finally justify buying the right tools for the job - since I'm going to use them all the time.
No particular order, links below (not necessarily where I bought);
Black & Decker Lightbar. Great for working under sinks, lofts, dark cupboards. Battery lasts for yonks. Really bright light shows up the smallest drip of water.
Split Ring Compression Fitting Spanner; Doesn't slip, enables you to get that extra 'graunch' to stop that drip. Often used with:-
Stanley Locking Adj Wrench; Sort of a cross between mole grips & an adjustable wrench. Self locking bit gives you an extra hand in tight spaces. Good for brass fittings, when locked on it doesn't slip & round off the hexagon.
Hole & Slot Stopcock Key; Why are stopcocks positioned in the most awkward bloody place possible? And why are they so useless? Very useful tool for that 'laying on the floor with your arm under the kitchen unit' scenario. You can get a lot of leverage with one of these.
Gap Measuring Tape. I've had - and lost several of these, but this one is the best, markings on the back of the tape give you an accurate 'inside' measurement because they take into account the dimensions of the case. So useful for shelves in alcoves etc.
Rawlplug 'Uno' Plugs; Really do what they say on the tin. Work in concrete, stone, plasterboard, brick and blockwork. Never had a bad fix with them. Saves carrying lots of other plugs. Five sizes.
Bosch Multi-Construction Drill Bits; Bloody brilliant! Especially on tiles, sharp point stops wander, good for battening, often don't need hammer action.
Jaw Dropper Plumbing Wrench; Put off buying these for a long while because of the price, finally bit the bullet and they are worth every penny. I change a lot of taps for people. You can undo tap connectors by feel & touch. Fit in anywhere, even those poxy corner basins.
Decent Sealant Gun; After years of using cheap £4 shed guns I finally bought the PC Cox Powerflow Gun. I wouldn't have believed the difference. Much better control, less hand ache.
Sawboard; Not something I bought, made from scrap but the most useful thing you could imagine. So simple, yet so effective. Rarely use a circular saw without one.
Wera Ringmagnet Rapidaptor; A bit holder with a really, really strong magnetic bit holder that really, really does work.
Oh. Its 11 :-)
Any additions to make up a top 20?