Shiny tools

CM contributor Rob Hawkins spent many months testing various starter toolkits to create a no-nonsense guide to the best on offer today, as you can see on page 38. He also handed the toolkits out to various mechanics of all ages and experience, from apprentices to industry veterans, to use them on different vehicles and see which set they preferred working with.

Of course, the companies involved in our Product Test can supply a far wider selection of toolkits than we can show on these pages, so I recommend you visit their websites for details of other sets to find the one that meets all of your requirements.

For me, I’ve amassed quite a few socket sets over the years – I currently own one each from Draper, Clarke Pro and Teng Tools. I don’t have the most extensive set of tools by any means, but one thing I couldn’t live without is my 14-drawer Clarke tool cabinet to store other things like spanners, screwdrivers, etc. Like most mechanics, making sure each tool is returned to its rightful place is essential to keeping my workshop organised and ensuring I have the right tool to hand when required.

Can you remember buying your first toolkit? Do you still use it regularly? If so, we’d like to see it, so send us your pictures and stories.

The best of them will be published in an upcoming issue of CM in 2019.