Certain tools - do I need them?

[CountryFan]

I’ve never had a calliper or tap/thread kit and wondered do I even need them? I know there’s lots of posters on here who use callipers, I’m a boiler breakdown engineer, but started life out as a plumber. I’ve never felt the need for these tools, so would I be wasting my time purchasing them?

The reason I ask is, I wanted to fix a broken paint roller handle by using a piece of wood, so thought about the tap/die set. Not sure about the callipers. Can anyone shed any light/ideas as to why I may need one or both of these?

They’re in Lidl currently as well.

Thanks.

 

[ETAF]

just a DIYer

i use measuring callipers a lot, for diy etc - depth, as well as outer and inner size - i purchased mine years ago and avoided the digital ones - only because they are in a cold garage and also if i needed to measure something, it would be as part of job i'm doing so need to dhat NOW , and the chances are the battery would be flat and then i need to find a battery and replace - so knew i would not have a spare battery despite all the good intensions i may think i have

not sure what lidl have

I have a set of taps and dies on my amazon wish list they have been there for years waiting for a good price to come up - so far i have never really needed or got around to getting any - if they did come up really cheap and a good set , i might consider them other wise NO

lidl is an easy middle isle to just buy stuff never used , i have a digital angle measure - never used it - I alredy have a besel square which i do use , and quite a few tools and hardware from lidl and Aldi as OH thats good value , might come in handy !!!! somethings do - the majority have not

i purchased a load of single handed clamps from there and they just dont have the pressure and replaced with Irvin ones now when on offer at screwfix - i had 6 packs of these lidl deals , and pretty useless for really clamping

 

[foxhole]

New paint roller would be cheaper .

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I have a cheap digital vernier gauge, use it all the time, probably only about £5 off eBay, not incredibly accurate of course but great for measuring bolt diameter, drill bits etc, wouldn't be without it. But if you've never had a need to own such tools up to now then why would you bother?

 

[Burnerman]

Avoid carbon steel taps and dies.......HSS is the way to go, and ideally using split dies.
John

 

[Stuart981]

I use tools like that all the time for model making but have never needed them for any other type of task.

 

[CountryFan]

New paint roller would be cheaper .

Yes exactly, which I did purchase. However, I just thought about saving it for “less waste” and maybe it would come in handy for other things.

 

[CountryFan]

But if you've never had a need to own such tools up to now then why would you bother?

Precisely. Hence the thread, I can find plenty of how to use them links online, but only a handful of when/where to use.

 

[Old Salt]

I use taps & dies, calipers etc. both normal and digital. Invest in them as you need them and if a bargain comes along. Lidl are great for stuff you may only use infrequently. Not the best tools but reasonably priced and worth having “if it will come in handy”. My kids and grandkids know where to come if something needs fixing.

 

[stevie888]

Like Old Salt, I'm a huge fan of Lidl. Their stuff is amazing value for money and the corded tools have really long leads which is good. I have a digital caliper (£10 iirc when Screwfix were £35) which is really helpful for checking existing steels in buidings, the excuse/reason for getting it and a digital angle finder used mainly for roof survey

My recip died after a long life and was replaced by an Erbauer, simply because Lidl didn't have them at that time and I was finding so many jobs for it I felt I could go upmarket a bit. (Currently using on garden clearance with a long coarse blade: so much safer than chain saw and you can cut roots without worry). Multi tool is still going after maybe 10 years of getting me out of awkward holes.

Some decent, really well finished, spanners and loads more


.

 

[Tigercubrider]

I am more of a DIY than trade, although I am lucky to have worked alongside a well equipped wood and metal workshop with high end tools.
I do up old bikes so could take advantage of work but not take the mickey.

So I also use LIDL/Aldi and because I go to autojumbles I pick up stuff like taps and dies in Whitworth or BS for a couple of quid. Stuff that I won’t use a massive amount but I can’t justify a truly professional version (eg I have an Aldi tracksaw - schepach - v the festool from work)

I use cheap measuring gauges because my cutting doesn’t justify anything more acurate.

 

[CountryFan]

So I’ve just been, but didn’t get any of them. The Callipers I couldn’t make up my mind and the tap/die set doesn’t state what it’s made from. Although I am trade, I bought a Parkside hammer drill and impact driver approx 9 years or so ago and they are decent enough as not using them all the time.

The batteries have lasted a lot longer than the Makita stuff work bought for us, but then gifted to us because they didn’t want to replace the batteries after 3 years.

I have also bought some ratchets because my Halfords one kept breaking, one was less than a year and didn’t suffer much use!

 

[Old Salt]

I also have spanners that are over 50 years old so sometimes it pays to buy decent stuff.

 

[^woody^]

I do have a bit of a problem and have many tools that fall into the "bargain, must buy it", or "that will be useful one day" categories. These mainly sit unused, some still in their packaging, and actually create other problems when I need to look for tools I actually need to use.

I used to have a policy of if I did a job and thought i needed a tool, I would buy that tool afterwards ready for the next time. That spawned into just buying "cool" tools out of the job profits.

I reflect back to my early days when I would go to do jobs with a few tools in a small bag and a power tool or two. Now I may turn up to similar jobs with multiple tool boxes on a couple of trollies.

Anyway, over the last few years I've tried to resist random buying and try and be logical, on the basis of any tool can be had so quickly - next day or even same day, so i try to wait until I actually need something.

Mainly for carpentry, I have calipers, several types and sizes. Bought after watching too many videos for things I planned to make. I have never actually needed them.

I have taps and dies. Used them once to adapt some door ironmongery.

None of the gas fitters and service blokes i know have calipers or taps and dies in their standard tool kits.

 

[blup]

If you think you might need them and they’re at a good price, buy them. I got a screw extractor set from SF twenty years ago, just in case, and used them for the first time last year on a metal bed frame.