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‘Time is money’ and ‘grazed knuckles bloomin’ hurt’ – truisms that have inspired Nicola St Clair to look at some new tools designed to save valuable workshop minutes and needless hassle.
To achieve efficiency in your work, you must know what tools are best for the task in hand and it’s imperative you know how to use them. Whether you’re undertaking common maintenance and repair tasks or performing an initial diagnosis on a potentially complex fault, take a look through these tools to see if you could be working a little more quickly, safely and smartly.
Flexible bit spanners can access tight spaces.
ACCESS AWKWARD SPACES
The hex-headed, or star-headed, set screw or fastener is commonly used on the modern engine, gearbox and ancillaries, and are often hidden behind pipework, wiring harnesses or other components. With the aid of a workshop light, you may be able to see the fastener you need to get to but may find you can’t get a screw or bit-driver anywhere near.
This is when a flexible bit spanner comes into its own and Laser Tools has recently added part number 7480 (hex bit) and 7481 (star bit) to its inventory. The ultra slim spanners have a flexible joint, allowing the bit to swivel through 240° and fit into the tightest spaces. There are five spanners in each set, all double-ended, offering ten commonly used bit sizes per set.
The 7480 hex bit set is typically priced at £88.00 and the 7481 star bit set at £81.98, including VAT, but look out for special offers at local stockists.
This one-metre long probe helps access part numbers.
Laser Tools has also released a portable inspection camera with high res 5” colour display, to help locate problems and identify out of reach part numbers with ease. The flexible, semi-rigid camera probe is one-metre long and just 3.9mm in diameter and can be helpful inspecting engines and its components, checking cables and wiring. The very narrow diameter of the camera probe makes it ideal for inspecting combustion chambers in diesel-engined vehicles using the glow plug aperture for access. It will also prove useful when reading the part number of a component buried in the engine-bay, without dismantling. The tip of the camera probe features six LEDs with three brightness settings for use in dark environments.
The instrument is fitted with an 8GB Micro SD card, so you can save still images and video recordings, plus sound is also recorded. Images or video files can be transferred to a PC or laptop via the supplied USB lead or by removing the Micro SD card from the camera and connecting to the PC via a card reader. The 7604 inspection camera is typically priced at £589.00, including VAT, but look out for special offers.
A 136-piece ‘Mechanic’s Tool Kit’ is said to be popular with technicians at the moment, and available in Sealey’s Christmas Promotion. The AK7980 kit contains a comprehensive range of frequently used hand tools – including 1/4″ & 1/2″Sq drive 72-Tooth offset comfort grip ratchet wrenches, plus 1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″Sq drive sockets, hex keys, spanners, screwdrivers, pliers, bits and accessories. The tools are supplied in a sturdy storage case that features reinforced corners, aluminium trim and lockable metal catches. It is available for £227.94 inc. VAT until 29th February.
TAKE ON THE TOUGH NUTS!
Induction tools are becoming more popular within workshops, removing the H&S issues associated with open flame torches and dramatically reducing the time and hassle involved in a multitude of tasks.
The Mini-Ductor series of handheld, flameless torches that have been available from Induction Innovations since 2005, use Invisible Heat® to heat ferrous metals in seconds. High frequency magnetic fields release corroded or frozen hardware and other metallic components from corrosion and thread lock compounds, without the damage caused from traditional torches. By using one of the included coils that can flex around corners, the Mini-Ductor heats a 3/4″ nut red hot in seconds.
The Venom HP is the latest addition to the Mini-Ductor Series, available for pre-order now for its January launch, which is the most powerful yet. Applications include releasing: ABS sensors, Bearings, Brake bleeder nuts, Corroded exhausts, Decals and graphics, O2 sensors and steering/suspension components. A Bearing Buddy Coil Pack is also new, supplying a 41” and 96” flexible coil with a heat resistant mat, which prevents abrasion and overheating of the coil.
FESTIVE TOOL TREAT
You can build up your own Bit Set when you open all 24 doors of this advent calendar from Draper Tools. The century-old tool specialists are donating £1 from every sale to Care For Veterans.
The set includes ratcheting, stubby and precision screwdrivers along with 31 1/4″ drive hardened and tempered chrome vanadium steel bits and 20 3mm drive precision bits. There’s also a bottle opener behind one of the doors that may come in handy during the festivities!
For more information and stockists , please visit: www.drapertools.com (Advent calendar stock number: 93673).
