What Tools should I Get For Starting An apprenticeship

[Liam-1]

i am starting an apprenticeship in january but wont be going to college till september but i would like to have a rough guide on what tools to get any input would be great thanks !

 

[fuzzy]

good tape and level, notepad to start with

 

[fuzzy]

dont scrimp, get good ones and mark them up

 

[SimonJohns]

Rothenburger superfire 2
Grips
Adjustable spanners


Bss and pts are doing a very good deal ATM for most of this

Superfire 2, burn mat, bag, gas, grips £70+vat. That's cheap btw. And good quality

 

[Resolute]

Rothenburger superfire 2
Grips
Adjustable spanners


Bss and pts are doing a very good deal ATM for most of this

Superfire 2, burn mat, bag, gas, grips £70+vat. That's cheap btw. And good quality

Thats a brilliant deal!

 

[dontknowitall]

Mug, teaspoon, spare kettle element ...

These will earn you brownie points.

If you were to ask me, I'd advise you not to buy too much. Tools depreciate very quickly (financially) and if things don't work out or if you can't find a job then you won't have wasted large amounts of money. It is not very difficult to spend £500 on only a few items.

You can't go wrong with Bahco spanners (they're expensive though!)
Pump pliers don't have to be Knipex but if you can afford them, lucky you! To start with you might prefer the price of Rothenbergers.
A set of screwdrivers won't be expensive and will be useful.
Pipe cutters (15mm and 22mm) to start. Wheel cutters are better than the fiddling G clamp shaped affairs.

If you can work for a week and borrow tools, make a note at the end of each day of what you use. Then go shopping on the Saturday and buy those tools if you think you'll use them again soon.

This way, you'll not spend needless pounds on tools you hardly ever use.

 

[tamz]

What age are you?

If you are a young lad and depending on how many plumbers other work at the place, just get some basics. A hammer, a couple of decent screwdrivers, 15 and 22mm pipe slices, a tape, a junior hacksaw a set of 9" footprints and a pair of pump pliars and a couple of adjustables. Put a mark on everything as someone will nick them. Don't bother with a gas torch for now. Most places will give you one if they are half decent.
If there are a few other guys there they will probably pass you some other tools and you can build up the rest to suit the work you are doing

 

[tamz]

Pump pliers don't have to be Knipex but if you can afford them, lucky you! To start with you might prefer the price of Rothenbergers.

Lidl sell half decent pump pliers for about £4. Good enough to learn with.

Good advice dkia :wink:

 

[gasmanrob]

find a good bootfair and keep your eyes WIDE open the ammount of people that retire and sell everything in site is un real!! if you find any speak to who ever is selling it as im sure they may do you a deal if they knew the tools would be staying in the trade. i have picked up some real gems for next to nothing that way and ten years on there are still a few i use top of my head a hilti te 26 110v for £60!! that thing just runs and runs!

If you did buy a blow lamp get your self a sheet of plasterboard some fittings,clips and pipe then practice practice practice! try to keep the board clean from grubby hands and burn marks learn your different fixings and fittings and you'll also see what tools you use and need to do the basics.

well done on landing an apprenticeship they are few and far between, welcome to the industry its an ever changing world.
but most importantly remember there is no point teaching someone who knows everything or cant listen to simple instructions! best of luck for the future pal

 

[SafeGasInstall]

i am just to add get your self a comfy safety boots will be lots of running about