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Aircraft Mechanic Tools?
- Thread starter Jerelld13
- Start date
Dust Devil
Well-known member
Just curious...
How can you have your A&P and not know what tools you need ?
How can you have your A&P and not know what tools you need ?
Just curious...
How can you have your A&P and not know what tools you need ?
I know what tools I need but my money has ends to it. I just want to know the basic tools that I need to start at a job if I get hired. People have tons of tools but the always need more to get a job done. I just want to know the basic tools I need
MF'er
Well-known member
Ive never seen anything metric, but I have never touched an Airbus product. It will depend on who you work for and what you work on, but I would start with this:
1/4 and 3/8 socket sets, 12point
a good set of angle wrenches up to 1 1/4
combination/ ratcheting wrenches up to an inch or so
Pliers: you're going to be removing and installing a lot of cotter pins, use whatever works best for you.
safety wire pliers
flashlight & headlamp: There are some good inexpensive ones out there, and the $70 Led Lenser model won't survive a Skydrol bath anymore than the $12 Coleman.
1/4 and 3/8 socket sets, 12point
a good set of angle wrenches up to 1 1/4
combination/ ratcheting wrenches up to an inch or so
Pliers: you're going to be removing and installing a lot of cotter pins, use whatever works best for you.
safety wire pliers
flashlight & headlamp: There are some good inexpensive ones out there, and the $70 Led Lenser model won't survive a Skydrol bath anymore than the $12 Coleman.
Ive never seen anything metric, but I have never touched an Airbus product. It will depend on who you work for and what you work on, but I would start with this:
1/4 and 3/8 socket sets, 12point
a good set of angle wrenches up to 1 1/4
combination/ ratcheting wrenches up to an inch or so
Pliers: you're going to be removing and installing a lot of cotter pins, use whatever works best for you.
safety wire pliers
flashlight & headlamp: There are some good inexpensive ones out there, and the $70 Led Lenser model won't survive a Skydrol bath anymore than the $12 Coleman.
Ok, thanks for the help but why should I get 12 point sockets instead of 6 point? I hate 12 point sockets because you can round stuff off with them.
Are you wanting to go into ga or commercial? GA will require a lot more tools of you.
Common metric on GA aircraft is pretty much only on the lightweight alternators. No real reason to buy metric until you find out what your working on. I'm halfway betting that I could go and look at the wear on my sockets and tell which sizes of 1/4 and 3/8 drive to buy. My 1/2 drive only really sees the 7/8 deep for spark plugs.
Needle nose, duckbill, side cutters, and safety wire pliers would be bare minimum. If you can add a pair of the small knipex plierwrench's. They have a million uses, and are excellent on an fittings.
Standard combination wrenches and a decent set of angle wrenches, I started with tekton angle wrenches and never had one spread. Upgrade when you get some time and money under you, they are stupid expensive.
Flashlight and a headlamp, buy what fits your budget. I have a rechargeable led lenser headlamp and a rechargeable streamlight flashlight. Nice to not have to keep batteries around.
If your going to a shop that will require some fabrication.
-Air drill get a palm sized drill yardstore.com sells the texas palm drill which looks a lot like my sioux but a lot cheaper.
-An automatic center punch
-1/8 and 3/32 pin punch
-Cleco pliers (nothing worse than running cleco's with needle nose, those bastards fly)
-Steel rules and squares, honestly some of my most used tools.
-Hammers ball pein's and a deadblow should get you
A lot of the tools you need depend on where you get hired. They generally will give you a list at your interview. Stack a lil money back so you can fill in a gap if you have to.
Don't worry about starting out with big brands, the way the industry is going for the commercial and manufacturers, privately owned tools will be going away anyway. If you end up in GA be prepared for an intimate relationship with your tool truck driver or whomever you mailorder your tools from.
Common metric on GA aircraft is pretty much only on the lightweight alternators. No real reason to buy metric until you find out what your working on. I'm halfway betting that I could go and look at the wear on my sockets and tell which sizes of 1/4 and 3/8 drive to buy. My 1/2 drive only really sees the 7/8 deep for spark plugs.
Needle nose, duckbill, side cutters, and safety wire pliers would be bare minimum. If you can add a pair of the small knipex plierwrench's. They have a million uses, and are excellent on an fittings.
Standard combination wrenches and a decent set of angle wrenches, I started with tekton angle wrenches and never had one spread. Upgrade when you get some time and money under you, they are stupid expensive.
Flashlight and a headlamp, buy what fits your budget. I have a rechargeable led lenser headlamp and a rechargeable streamlight flashlight. Nice to not have to keep batteries around.
If your going to a shop that will require some fabrication.
-Air drill get a palm sized drill yardstore.com sells the texas palm drill which looks a lot like my sioux but a lot cheaper.
-An automatic center punch
-1/8 and 3/32 pin punch
-Cleco pliers (nothing worse than running cleco's with needle nose, those bastards fly)
-Steel rules and squares, honestly some of my most used tools.
-Hammers ball pein's and a deadblow should get you
A lot of the tools you need depend on where you get hired. They generally will give you a list at your interview. Stack a lil money back so you can fill in a gap if you have to.
Don't worry about starting out with big brands, the way the industry is going for the commercial and manufacturers, privately owned tools will be going away anyway. If you end up in GA be prepared for an intimate relationship with your tool truck driver or whomever you mailorder your tools from.
Ok, thanks for the help but why should I get 12 point sockets instead of 6 point? I hate 12 point sockets because you can round stuff off with them.
if you work on jets you'll need 12 point.
porschedude996TT
Well-known member
if you work on jets you'll need 12 point.
Ditto, they use a lot of reduced head sizes.
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I just recently got my A&P License so I have to buy myself some tools in case I need them. I wanted to know what basic tools do I need to start out and have you guys ever seen anything metric on airplanes? All I have seen is SAE.
Some Light reading on the topic.
https://www.google.com/search?q=any+A&P+++garage+journal+site:www.garagejournal.com&biw=970&bih=565
Good Luck
RECox286
Well-known member
You will need 12 pt sockets to accomodate 12 pt nuts.
That's the reason ! Don't say you haven't been warned.
Uncle Bob
(BTW: Stay away from any lantern that has an open flame.)
That's the reason ! Don't say you haven't been warned.
Uncle Bob
(BTW: Stay away from any lantern that has an open flame.)
MFolks
Well-known member
wblake
Member
get some retrieval tool, like a telescopic magnet and jaws
( dont remember the right name for that!)
wire locking pliers( small one seems to suit me better!
my favorite is plastic handle snap on ratchet screwdriver-the long one i found more suitable for GA, more leverage!
quality duckbill pliers, have a million good ways to use....good delicate feel on what you are doing! ( i find it much better than the normal general purpose pliers!!
you can live without them but gradually when you get them is a sort of luxury you deserve
( dont remember the right name for that!)
wire locking pliers( small one seems to suit me better!
my favorite is plastic handle snap on ratchet screwdriver-the long one i found more suitable for GA, more leverage!
quality duckbill pliers, have a million good ways to use....good delicate feel on what you are doing! ( i find it much better than the normal general purpose pliers!!
you can live without them but gradually when you get them is a sort of luxury you deserve
Phixer
Well-known member
A short handled, fine-tooth ratchet in 1/4 and 3/8 drive.
Joeaksa
New member
If you are at an A&P school, please talk with some of your instructors.
Years ago when I got my license the Snap-On rep would not come to our facility as it was in the middle of no-where. I sent a letter to Snap-On and asked for some help. They replied that if we could get an order of a minimum of something like $5000 and sent to them on a school letterhead, that they would give us a 45% discount.
It was like Christmas and our first order was over $23,000. Every A&P class got together and bought tools, as well as several of the instructors. Snap-On does give discounts to schools like this so you might see if thats possible.
As for what to buy... get a 1/4 inch socket set and I got the spline drive combination wrench set. I bought them 35 years ago when I got my ticket and they are still in my toolbox today. You need 1/4 inch stuff for airplanes and spline drive is a must around jets.
Years ago when I got my license the Snap-On rep would not come to our facility as it was in the middle of no-where. I sent a letter to Snap-On and asked for some help. They replied that if we could get an order of a minimum of something like $5000 and sent to them on a school letterhead, that they would give us a 45% discount.
It was like Christmas and our first order was over $23,000. Every A&P class got together and bought tools, as well as several of the instructors. Snap-On does give discounts to schools like this so you might see if thats possible.
As for what to buy... get a 1/4 inch socket set and I got the spline drive combination wrench set. I bought them 35 years ago when I got my ticket and they are still in my toolbox today. You need 1/4 inch stuff for airplanes and spline drive is a must around jets.
Ggzzlittle
New member
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2013
- Messages
- 2
Basically the same tools you
Used in shop practice.
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Used in shop practice.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk