Tools aboard: Minimizing space and weight

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

Also, I have found this set of bits to be a really valuable use of space. Compact, cheap ($6), and a wide variety of drives. Square, torx, allen in metric and sae, and a host of security styles. Sure, probably low quality too, but it's smaller than my fist and seems to answer a lot of problems.
https://www.harborfreight.com/securi...ece-68459.html

So, if hex drive bits are really your thing you can get good ones. The $5-for-33-bits ones will cam out and round off fastener heads when you need them the most. See for example https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauke...4028/301308025


But I have come to dislike those--even the good ones-- for casual repair use. They're hard to keep organized, easy to lose, and awkward to switch out in the real-world situation where you're dealing with three different kinds of fasteners on a single repair. The small sizes are also awkward to fit into places where small fasteners are used, such as set screws on the pulley. (They are perfect, on the other hand, for the situation where you're driving three dozen of the same fastener using power tools, but that's not what we're talking about).


I have concluded that I really prefer the classic L-shaped keys in a block holder for coverage of unusual sizes. The thing about these is that they almost always work, that is, they fit in places where nothing else will:



https://www.tekton.com/hex-and-star-...piece-key91001


Another better choice for general repair use is the double-ended bits with drivers designed to use them and hold them in the handle. Wiha pioneered these but they are now available from several high-quality manufacturers:


https://www.trutechtools.com/wiha-77...one-multi-tool


With those you get a place to put the bits and there are half as many of them for the same coverage since they're double ended. I have one. It's still a little awkward to use, too long, and find the Klein 11-in-1 (upthread) for the sizes I use most plus the L-shaped keys to be a better answer.

[Patient]

It was beyond tempting to ignore the OP and list my gear and the surprising pleasure its been to strategize everything I have and the minimum I need to fix it, then rethink it again if I want to fix others peoples things.

So heres a few things I have been doing to maximize space as the OP requested.

• Build a wrench and ratchet set that tosses out the Metric and Imperial overlap.
• Build yourself a master ratchet that will take care of most of your socket work. Ie. An 1/4" ICON rotohead with an extension.
• I have a riggers bag from Veto pro pac that carries everything I use for day to day fixing and that follows me everywhere. Everything else gets put into bags based on use, ie electrical etc.
• Klein Canvas tool bags are a godsend for keeping everything tidy and together. Loose tools and accessories take up space.
• Some people swear by multi-function screwdrivers, but I tend to lose the bits, so I have a set of Southwire screwdrivers with lanyards. Those go right in the riggers bag.
• A cordless Fein Multimaster with starlock+ has replaced a ton of tools. It cuts, sands, pulls out teak caulking, polishes and scrapes all in one tool. Love it!
• Pick one brand of tool and battery size and stick with it. I like the Milwaukee M18. I carry a driver, drill, wet vacuum and flood light. Doesnt take up that much room and the vac is great with liquids and rectangular which makes easy to stow.
• I havent done it yet but I would really like to retrofit a saloon table that can be flipped as a work surface, I once saw a guy that had a flip out vice under his cushions.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Patient

• A cordless Fein Multimaster with starlock+ has replaced a ton of tools. It cuts, sands, pulls out teak caulking, polishes and scrapes all in one tool. Love it!
• Pick one brand of tool and battery size and stick with it. I like the Milwaukee M18. I carry a driver, drill, wet vacuum and flood light. Doesnt take up that much room and the vac is great with liquids and rectangular which makes easy to stow.

Did your purchase of the Fein Multimaster predate the availability of the Milwaukee M18 equivalent? Or is the Fein that much better?

[rgleason]

Is it the Cordless MULTIMASTER AMM 500 Plus Top https://fein.com/en_us/tools/oscilla...p-71293361090/

How do you charge this with 12vdc?

Re the 18v Milwaukee Drill, wouldn't the 12vdc be a better one for charging?

The Klein canvas bags don't seem that useful to me, too bulky and don't organize tools with just one space. Which one do you use?
I like some of the rollup ones with pockets...

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Did your purchase of the Fein Multimaster predate the availability of the Milwaukee M18 equivalent? Or is the Fein that much better?

I have a einhell multi tool aboard. I find it occasionally useful. But like most multi tools the dedicated battery power tools are much better

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Re the 18v Milwaukee Drill, wouldn't the 12vdc be a better one for charging?

They have a charger that takes a 12v or 24v input that will charge either the M12 or M18 batteries.


https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Produc...ers/48-59-1810


I don't use it. I have a rapid charger that I use on shore power and will (eventually) also be able to run from the inverter. Typically it charges a pack in 45 minutes. As a rule, the packs last a long time between charges.

[kayakerChuck]

ENOUGH ALREADY!

It started out innocently enough- I've been looking for a decent multi screwdriver. The Klein was highly recommended, so I bought a set to replace my el-cheapos.

My Channellock pliers are ancient & well worn. The Knipex Cobras are highly recommended, so I tried a friend's. Mistake. They work better than I could imagine. I'll be ordering a set.

The Knipex pliers wrench looked neat, but unnecessary for me. Today I was removing batteries from a friend's boat. She doesn't have tools aboard, so I just brought a smallish adjustable wrench. Access was a pain, as was adjusting the wrench with my freezing cold fingers. We know how this is going to end. $$$

ENOUGH ALREADY!

[carstenb]

I can pill my prop drop my ridder and disassemble virtually everything on our boat.
But we sail in places where help is non-existent

I can’t teplace my cutlass besring ( I think - haven’t tried as I don’t havd the right tools but I might be anle to jury rig something

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by carstenb

I can pill my prop drop my ridder and disassemble virtually everything on our boat.

But we sail in places where help is non-existent



I can’t teplace my cutlass besring ( I think - haven’t tried as I don’t havd the right tools but I might be anle to jury rig something

Here’s a way to do it in less than 10 minutes...... buy a case less Beneteau rubber shaft bearing, held in by 2 plastic screws. You can even do the change in the water. [ATTACH]267610

[skipperpete]

I haven’t read from the first post so maybe someone mentioned flank drive wrenches and sockets. I’ve got an old set and they fit 2 different size bolt heads for the same wrench and work really well on damaged hex heads. I mostly use mine on injector pipe nuts where a flare nut spanner fails. I’ve forgotten the name but it seems like Snapon has a huge range now so I guess they got the patent. You only need one set for both metric and SAE, they probably fit Whiworth as well if you have an old ( really old) English engine

[rgleason]

Is it a snapon flare plus with little grippers on the jaw?

All kinds of wrenches: offset, ignition, side, flex, rachet. flare nut with one side of a closed wrench missing, also crowsfoot.

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Is it a snapon flare plus with little grippers on the jaw?

All kinds of wrenches: offset, ignition, side, flex, rachet. flare nut with one side of a closed wrench missing, also crowsfoot.

I do have a set of Snap-on flare plus’s that I bought from an American powerboat owner at a dock sale.... he had just bought the huge ($10,000) Snap-on tool box fully loaded and was getting rid of the duplicated wrenches.... he was totally un concerned about weight or volume.
My flank drive set is really old and I think made in Australia. We may see them on “Antiques Roadshow” one day. The brand name totally evades me though.

[thinwater]

This started as a get-home tool kit thread, and now we're talking about replacing cutless bearings. And the OP predicted this.


I like the post re. delivery skippers. I travel as an engineer, often with a tool pack. I've traveled to pick up a boat. These things focus you on what you need to accomplish your objective, not to fix everything. I've got one of everything, 2-3 of many things, and a whole lot of materials and parts at home. I also have a variety of tool packs that I can take to a job site, daughter's house, or the boat, each customized to that purpose.



What would you put in your get-home tool pack? What does the pack look like? You must be able to carry it without strain and work out of it without dumping it out on the floor. I have both electricians ladder bag versions and backpack versions, each self contained, with hand tools and some parts and materials.


For example, no one mentioned a sewing and splicing kit. That's a pretty funny oversight on a sailing forum. No one mentioned twine, electrical tape, or Dyneema cord.

[thomm225]

For me, it's vise grip's, channel lock pliers, tape, a few odds and end wrenches and sockets with various ones missing, pliers (regular), a few old screw drivers, and an old ratchet

Plus my $12 meter for troubleshooting complex electronic and solar problems onboard

Along with 50 years of knowledge keeping my old boats going.

Good thing now is that most of my wrenches etc are not rusty and I don't have to get them freed up to use them like I did with my power boats on the Bay in the 70's and 80's.

[thomm225]

Forgot to add I also have a soldering iron, couple feet of solder, and maybe 10-15 feet of 14 gauge wire