IndyGarage
Well-known member
About a year ago, I created a "crash kit" for my home. I'm always fixing things: from the appliances, to the furnace, to the cars or whatever. I do probably 1-2 small fixit jobs a day and on the weekend maybe 10 of them.
I'd say about 80% of the time I have to take the tools to the project rather than bringing the project to the tools. I found myself making constant trips back to my garage to bring in more tools.
So I took all my most used tools and supplies, and put them in a rolling cart that can be rolled to the fix. It had to be small enough to fit in the trunk of the car, and light enough to pick up or take up stairs.
That has worked out very well. I'd say I can do the average project about 30% faster. For big projects, I still have to bring more stuff, but even then those items only supplement the basic kit. After about six months I redid the box and took some stuff I hadn't used out, and put some other stuff in.
So now I'm ready for phase 2. I'm putting together a "mini crash kit" which will be intended for carrying to the initial evaluation of the problem - even before I would retrieve the crash kit - like as soon as my wife says "the dryer isn't heating".
This will be a much more portable kit, and have only the bare essentials for fixing a lot of things. I would also throw it in the car with me. My goal is to keep it under 5 pounds and fit into a handbag sized nylon tool bag I have.
So far the contents are:
1. Stanley 25 pc 1/4 inch socket set in blow molded case - I find that I use 1/4 inch sockets all the time on projects - especially in the 8,10,12 mm sizes and the 1/4, 3/8, 5/16, 1/2 sizes.
2. Heavy "medical" type scissors/shears - I use these all the time to get overpackaged items out of the box.
3. Surefire G-2 LED light, plus extra batteries - almost every project needs light.
4. 4-way screwdriver
5. Small 12 foot tape measure
6. Fuller slip joint pliers
7. 6 inch and 8 inch adjustable wrenches
8. Leatherman - I've currently got a skeletool in there.
9. Clamptite tool and about 10 feet of wire - great tool for creating wire clamps.
10 small bag of various zip ties.
11. Caribiner
12. Cool little bit driver ratchet I found, and a bunch of bits.
13. Nite Ize flashing safety light - Little reflective LED strip light I found. You can hang it to the back of your car, or your belt loop if you have to work in traffic, and drivers will see you.
14. Nite Ize Figure 9 rope tightener and 10 feet of rope - I love the Nite ize stuff.
15. Emergency poncho - fits in a 3" x 4" thin pouch
16. Foam ear plugs - 2 pairs.
That's what I've got in there now. There are many other things I'd like to have, but the weight adds up pretty quick. I just want a kit that will fix maybe 30% of the jobs I come across immediately.
Does anybody else have a mini kit like this? What do you carry?
A couple Items I'm thinking about putting in there:
Swap out the skeletool for a Leatherman crunch tool.
8 inch pair of Knipex cobras.
Superglue.
Comments?
I'd say about 80% of the time I have to take the tools to the project rather than bringing the project to the tools. I found myself making constant trips back to my garage to bring in more tools.
So I took all my most used tools and supplies, and put them in a rolling cart that can be rolled to the fix. It had to be small enough to fit in the trunk of the car, and light enough to pick up or take up stairs.
That has worked out very well. I'd say I can do the average project about 30% faster. For big projects, I still have to bring more stuff, but even then those items only supplement the basic kit. After about six months I redid the box and took some stuff I hadn't used out, and put some other stuff in.
So now I'm ready for phase 2. I'm putting together a "mini crash kit" which will be intended for carrying to the initial evaluation of the problem - even before I would retrieve the crash kit - like as soon as my wife says "the dryer isn't heating".
This will be a much more portable kit, and have only the bare essentials for fixing a lot of things. I would also throw it in the car with me. My goal is to keep it under 5 pounds and fit into a handbag sized nylon tool bag I have.
So far the contents are:
1. Stanley 25 pc 1/4 inch socket set in blow molded case - I find that I use 1/4 inch sockets all the time on projects - especially in the 8,10,12 mm sizes and the 1/4, 3/8, 5/16, 1/2 sizes.
2. Heavy "medical" type scissors/shears - I use these all the time to get overpackaged items out of the box.
3. Surefire G-2 LED light, plus extra batteries - almost every project needs light.
4. 4-way screwdriver
5. Small 12 foot tape measure
6. Fuller slip joint pliers
7. 6 inch and 8 inch adjustable wrenches
8. Leatherman - I've currently got a skeletool in there.
9. Clamptite tool and about 10 feet of wire - great tool for creating wire clamps.
10 small bag of various zip ties.
11. Caribiner
12. Cool little bit driver ratchet I found, and a bunch of bits.
13. Nite Ize flashing safety light - Little reflective LED strip light I found. You can hang it to the back of your car, or your belt loop if you have to work in traffic, and drivers will see you.
14. Nite Ize Figure 9 rope tightener and 10 feet of rope - I love the Nite ize stuff.
15. Emergency poncho - fits in a 3" x 4" thin pouch
16. Foam ear plugs - 2 pairs.
That's what I've got in there now. There are many other things I'd like to have, but the weight adds up pretty quick. I just want a kit that will fix maybe 30% of the jobs I come across immediately.
Does anybody else have a mini kit like this? What do you carry?
A couple Items I'm thinking about putting in there:
Swap out the skeletool for a Leatherman crunch tool.
8 inch pair of Knipex cobras.
Superglue.
Comments?
