Apprentice starter Kit

[Tradesmadness]

Hello People, this is my first post i hope i get some reply's.

If you were a apprentice plumber and needed a selection of tools to start with what items would you expect to find in this kit and also how much roughly you would pay.

Many thanks

Tom

 

[WaterTight]

If I were you I'd get a smaller selection of quality tools rather than a large selection of cheap tools. Then add to it as you go along. The bare basics are not all that numerous. Of course there are loads that you could use but I'd start with:

Pipe slices 15 / 22
Small, medium and large grips
Small range of screwdrivers including stubbies
Wire wool / abrasive pads
Tap spanner
Monobloc spanner set
Torch, flux, solder
Burn mat
PTFE tape and or paste
Bender + formers
junior hacksaw
Adjustables
Tape measure

 

[WaterTight]

You could get away with not having much more than that and borrowing what your boss has. If you're just starting out with a bloke you may well need nothing - I didn't. So check.

 

[Resolute]

Difficult to say but if you search the forum then you'll find a few threads like this with some good advice.

Some essentials will be pipe slices, speed fit stop ends, wire wool, adjustables, screw drivers, pencil.

Try not to buy cheap though.

 

[Tradesmadness]

View attachment 3473thanks for your reply's!
how much would you pay for this and do you rekon its a good kit?

Thanks

 

[Resolute]

View attachment 3473thanks for your reply's!
how much would you pay for this and do you rekon its a good kit?

Thanks

Can't see the link - what is it?

 

[Tradesmadness]

can you see this?

sorry

 

[Resolute]

View attachment 3474

can you see this?

sorry

On my phone at the moment so can't see it clearly enough to see any makes etc. However it does look quite cheap and I would bet you'd end up replacing most of it pretty quickly!

 

[Tradesmadness]

its just a picture of some stuff i have got and just wondered if it is good,

its...

1x blow torch and gas
1x radiator valve key
1x ptfe tape
1x jointing compound
1x solder
1x powerflow flux
2x pipe cutters 22/ 15 mm
1x ck screwdriver
1x 24mm adjustable spanner
1x silicone grease
1x griplock pliers.

 

[Tradesmadness]

what makes would u reccomend?

 

[WaterTight]

Well you've got it now so might as well give it a go. To be honest you need to try some cheap stuff before you learn the value of better stuff. And not all cheap stuff will let you down anyway. You'll soon get pee'd off with that torch.

 

[Resolute]

Bahco adjustables and water pump pliers are good.
I use monument pipe cutters, and a benzomatic torch (although I wish I'd spent the extra on a rothenburg).
I have a set of wera screwdrivers and Stanley fatmax screwdrivers.

 

[WaterTight]

I've given up buying nice screwdrivers because for some reason I can't keep hold of them for more than a month.

 

[Resolute]

I've given up buying nice screwdrivers because for some reason I can't keep hold of them for more than a month.

One of the easiest things to lose! Another reason I like my wera's - due to the design of the handle they don't roll as much so tend to stay where I put them!

 

[GQuigley67]

you wont need your own set of tools when your starting out, you'll usually find that your boss will have too much tools and have alot of spares that you will be using but to be honest you'll probably just be shadowing for a good while before your let loose on the tools, maybe using the odd hacksaw, pipeslice and tape measure

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

Are you looking to create a beginners tool kit or is this for your self?

 

[unguided1]

Kettle, teabags, milk, water, sugar, and a cup for the guvnor, loadsa plasters and bandages, a pencil, a tape measure and a good sence of humour!!!!!!!!!

 

[dontknowitall]

A thought ...

How about buying nothing - then, at the end of each day, write down what tools you borrowed? At the end of the week you'll have a list of things you use most of the time and on Saturday you go and buy them.

It's all too easy to spend £500, for example a good blowtorch, gas, flux, solder and a mat will set you back a little over £100. A set of Stabila levels could easily be £30 and a reasonable toolbox another £20. There's £150 gone and hardly anything marked off the original list.

In time you're probably going to have to buy a flue gas analyzer (at least £300, usually nearer £500) so you need to spend wisely and carefully all the time.

 

[SimonG]

This used to get me started when I was an apprentice and didn't get my rs into gear.

 

[unguided1]

An Alarm clock, the amount of times I have turned up at a loveslaves home to be greeted by its mother in a dressing gown saying its not up yet, so left em there.

 

[kay-jay]

1 ptfe will last about a day.<br>
that tiny pot of flux maybe last 2 days.<br>
<br>
cheap isn't always bad in the beginning untill you get the hang of not leaving pipe slices under floor boards and screwdrivers under baths etc but you will need something that will do the job!!<br>
<br>get yourself a toolbox saw as well, irwin are pretty good. also irwin grips from either screwfix or machine mart are pretty good. i also use a irwin small adjustable as it has slightly wider jaws than most and i can therefore use em more often.<br><br><br>
p.s my grips cost 75p from lidl had em over 12 months and they are great.<br><br><br>KJ

 

[WaterTight]

lildl sell tools? i thought they barely sold food.

 

[AWheating]

i have alot of spare tools that i am considering putting into a plumbers tool kit and selling on here or ebay, when i get chance and if anybody is interested i will list what i have to put into the kit and take some photos.

of the top of my head i have

new rothenberger bender
new bacho spanners
new knipex grips
new pipe slices
new go systems torch
flux, solder,jointing compound
new tool box
new and nearly new other items

 

[WaterTight]

you'll get more money if you list them as separate items on eBay than as a whole i reckon.

 

[LegionellaSlave]

Screwdrivers, CK HD classic
Adjustables, Bahco
Pump pliers and tap spanners, CK or Rothenberger ( the telescopic ones)
Cutters, Monument, and Kopex slices

Dont buy anything by Rolson

 

[wiggers]

Dont buy cheap take time to build up your set
First you gota get a 6inch wide jaw bahco adjustable i use this for loads great for removing taps in awkward places
and bahco grips £38 buys you a set of 3 on amazon i would leave buying a torch and benders for now unless you know your gonna need them. monument slices, coulple of decent screwdrivers

 

[LegionellaSlave]

Good advice wiggers, I used my Rothenberger telescopic tap spanner on a deep catering sink last week. Couldn't have done it with anything else,

 

[EPH]

Very basics I encourage our lads to get are:
15 and 22 pipe slice
2 pozi and 2 flathead screwdrivers
Tape measure
Hammer
Grips
Adjustable spanner

They're the only tools I think they can use un supervised for a while so don't need anymore than that.

 

[desrob]

Very basics I encourage our lads to get are:
15 and 22 pipe slice
2 pozi and 2 flathead screwdrivers
Tape measure
Hammer
Grips
Adjustable spanner

They're the only tools I think they can use un supervised for a while so don't need anymore than that.

tea bags

 

[unguided1]

Lol leave a loveslave unsupervised :willy_nilly::rolleyes4::smilielol5::smilielol5:

 

[EPH]

tea bags

I supply that on the understanding that's my involvement over.

Had one lad refuse to even boil the kettle on a weeks trial, didn't pick him up on the Tuesday!