Tools for the UK

I think that cash money would be the most versatile tool she could have.

With enough money, she could fix just about anything.

How handy is she, as this will dictate what tools she should have and what jobs should be left to the hired help.

If she's allowed to hang pictures, then a decent hammer and an electronic stud finder would be useful. One of the handiest tools I've got is a Black and Decker 18V drill with extra rechargeable batteries and a combination drill-screwdriver set for it. It's useful for a huge range of projects.

If the walls of her apartment are drywall and she wants to hang a picture or mirror between studs, then these wall anchors are really easy to use and will hold a fair amount of weight:

Adjustable wrenches work anywher :) but a metric socket set will help if she needs to do any work on a vehicle. Most tools are compatable worldwide.

Phone sockets and of course electricity are different. Most modern computers have a switching power supply (sometimes manual). You can make sure household transformers will work by reading the input voltage on them. You can get plug adapters in America at most big box stores but the British ones have fueses (13 amp usually) in them.

Keep in mind that the electricity in Europe is 50hz so anything with an electric timer or designed to run on 60hz may have problems. Clocks run slower and I heard microwaves don't last long.

Best advice is look out for cowboys. They are people who run legitimate looking businesses but are only out to rip people off. Only hire reputable craftsmen and mechanics. I remember watching a show where a legitimate HVAC repairman disabled an inexpensive part on a heater and the cameras caught 2 or 3 cowboys builders who camein and claimed the problem was the more expensive parts.

^{<disclaimer: I am not saying it is any worse in England than anywhere else>}

Drew K

"Best advice is look out for cowboys"

Trading Standards run a scheme where they list reputable contractors.

Tape Measure.

Hammer.

Nails.

Level, two feet long, 3 bulbs, good straight edges.

Black & Decker cheap reversable drill, to start. xtra heads.

Pliers.

Screwdrivers. Maybe some wood screws.

Metal files.

Wood rasp.

Maybe a hand saw?

Maybe a miter box?

No electric saws/drills.

Pruner?

Electric hedge trimmer?

Electric weed eater?

Torch, I think they're called over there.

Something like this should cover just about anything that comes up.

I laughed when I saw the title of this thread, "Does the OP think it's still the middle ages over there?" Why would you expect to need a different set of tools?

I'm amused you got so many replies, I don't know if any of these posters ever lived there.

What might be more useful is a translator so she knows what to ask for. This one is translated to Australian, but that is almost identical to English usage.

One of my favorite translations, not connected with tools, concerned trucks/vans: Hertz Van Rental is not a Dutch painter.

I just figured he wanted to know what type of set a female might need to do limited fixes around the place. It would be the same in London as anywhere, but metric. I'll bet they even sell little sets like that over there.

I thought that also, but we drive cars made by the same companies, we use computers made by the same companies etc. We use a mix of Imperial and Metric here these days

But you know as well as I that no matter how good a tool set she takes it won't have the exact tool she needs for the first job.

Every place is different.

Do you know the difference between a #2 Robertson and a #0 Robertson. While I am at it do you know why Henry Ford after accepting the screw type refused to use it?

This is probably the most important thing!

A travel Plug

And a boyfriend? :p

In my experience the multi country travel plugs often break or just don't fit right. This is the style I recommend.

Drew K

In case she's filling it too fast on the wrong side of the lavatory?

I recommend a few outfits like this....apartment maintenance shouldn't be a problem....

A tool set for a daughter-in-law?

I saw some rather strange ones.

But, this one tops them all.

Why not?

There is a lot of limestone in London. It makes for nice soft water, and eventually blocked water pipes. She should take a large Stillson wrench, so she can belt the pipes and loosen the lime deposits. Also handy for removing a tap when she does this pipe thumping and letting the loosened lime out. Take a tap washer assembly replacement kit, tho' might be better to buy one in the local hardware store in the High Street (might be better to get someone in when this problem comes up). If she can find a Pole or a Scotsman rather than an English tradesman, go for it. She has a better chance of a good one this way. ASK people for recommended tradesman and other things. The English are often not noted for for providing good service.

Remember she will be dealing most of the time with small shops if she is after anything other than food and clothing. Tesco's is the best place for cheap food and clothes, if she's not fussy about fashion and tucker. Watch out for the horse in the meat (big scandal at the moment, but if the dogs and cats eat it, should be OK for humans).

She should learn what grade of oil to use in her car, and do her own oil-changes (garage services can be expensive). For this she needs a plastic bowl the size of a wash-basin, adjustable crescent wrench to remove the sump plug, and lots of newspaper to clean the sump, bowl and wipe hands, and to lie on. Buy a funnel, and pour the waste oil back into the bottle that had the new oil in it. Ask the local garage to get rid of it for her (this will cost her). She will probably be parking her car on the street along with everyone else, so if she can't find a handy lane or spot near a field, she will have to do all this in the street. Make sure she knows how to use a car jack so she can lift the car SAFELY to get under it (something tells me she will need to team up with a handy fella).

She should think of an English Pound being the same as a US Dollar in value, or even less. It is expensive there.

A lot of the English go for a piss-up after work, drinking pints of beer. If this comes up, she will have to decide if she wants to do as they do, or save her money by going home. A session of this each day is expensive. Remember one person buys a round of drinks for all present, and then the next person buys the next round and so on. The way to beat this is to team up with one other person, and buy drinks for each other, and tell the others this is what she will do. This also means that she can drink something other than cold lager or warm ale.

The Poms don't believe in good house insulation, particularly old places. The country is warmed by the Gulf Stream, but the temperature does fall below zero, so for winter have some good US cold weather gear. Windproof clothing recommended, as the winter gales can be horrific. The chances are she won't be able to walk out of a warm house into a warm car, then park near to her destination, and conveniently walk into another warm house, but will do lots of walking between places in the cold. And it rains, cold rain, so carry a collapsible brolly and poncho (rather than a coat).

Use the London Underground (Tube) system, best transport around, buses are too slow. Tickets available from the newsagent. I've forgotten most of the detail, but they can be got for daily and weekly travel, and go by zones travelled.

I hope she can cook. Eating out food is not great, unless you are paying top money.

She may have to tip in a restaurant, but little tipping required elsewhere. Play it by ear. As an Aussie, I always avoided tipping as much as possible. If they want their brass, they can ask for it. I have yet to visit USA.

Wish her all the best on her trip.

How can someone be so often wrong in just a few paragraphs?

Just for starters (I am sure many Brits will correct you further!), the water in London is mostly/all extremely hard.

Hard water does fur up pipes, but soft water does not!!!!

You don't tell us where you are from, but my impression is that you were also once a tourist (could even be from another part of the UK or its dominions) for a time (obviously not long enough!) in London, who never got properly orientated there, good places to eat without spending vast amounts of money for example are really easy to find....

I haven't lived in the UK since 1981, but I visit regularly (nowadays only once or twice a year as I am retired) and I can still find great places to eat without emptying my bank account or getting mixed up with the drunks as in Germany, Australia, USA or almost any westernised country - sadly!!!!!

Your post was both inaccurate and mostly pointless.....

He did say at the end that he is an Aussie...but I will try not to hold his comments against any other Aussies I might meet.

Tescos is actually a nice place to get some of the best fruit and veg, Sainsburys is good to, Iceland is good for the frozen American style meals.

I would be willing to bet he was stuck working there once and had a bad time of it (possibly attitude?). Food in England is very good, pub food is almost always well prepared, burger vans in lay-bys have some wonderful breakfast and burgers, kebap vans and shops are everywhere and provide an excellent fast food service.

A visit to the local pub should be a wonderful experience. Only a rude tight baxtard would ignore the comraderie involved in sharing a round with some new mates. I quite like a pint of cider with a touch of black currant and never had trouble with getting it in a round. When it was my turn to buy a round I would usually try to hide in the loo always know or find out what everyone wanted.

As for the English being bad at service?!? What a misstatement! I know there are criminals who are out to take your money (I met some when I went for an MOT) but I found another garage that went out of their way to help me get my Mini fixed for the test. The MOT test is strict and for very good reason, poorly maintained vehicles can kill!

Drew K

Great post, I agree entirely with your comments.

You know what you are talking about, far more than some others here......

Yes. I did work there for a while.

I ate one day in an East-end restaurant, saving my Luncheon Vouchers for it. The meat was tough and the vegetable cooking was bad. I don't care for burgers. I prefer meat and veg (no chips thanks) if I can get it, oats not corn flakes, whole fruit not juice. This is not an easy cheap ask if you eat out.

Yes, I was missing home.

I did buy a S/H Morris 1100 once, and had the engine changed. That took 2 weeks, as an exchange engine wasn't available locally. The repair price was OK.

I once hired a small European car from a supposedly reputable company, checked the oil which was black as tar and about as thick. I decided on an emergency oil change. I eventually found a mob who would do it that day, and charged me 140 pounds. It was worth it from the point of view that at least I wasn't likely to end up with insufficient oil feed to the engine at 80mph up the M1.

I went drinking after work, soaking up a lot of brass that might have been used elsewhere. I was a little older than the rest, who were good company.

About the water, I may have confused it with Leicester, but I do remember the weak flow from the Isleworth taps.

The 1846 house in Primrose Hill had heating, but one didn't stray too far from the radiator to keep warm.

My ex-pat aussie sister-in-law had trouble with getting reliable workmen, until she finally hit paydirt, and gave a little extra time and money, cups of tea, to ensure they didn't give up on her. She misses the Poles, who are going home, now times are better there.

The best accommodation I remember was the Old Rectory B&B in Lockerbie, which had 2 foot thick stone walls, warm as toast, and the local pub grub was good. B&B outside London was and is always good, basic but comfortable.

Maybe I had some bad luck, and I remember that, but I still like to visit UK. Where else is there such a breadth of history in one small country?

I don't know when you were there last, my last visit was in 06. Almost every pub would serve a 'sunday roast' every day of the week complete with peas, sprouts roast tatties Yorkshire pudding and some of the most delicate flavourfull roast beef I have ever had.

Even the (Americanized portion size) Hungry Horse has a good menu. I am sure no matter where you go you can find places that serve poor food, I found some in Turkey, Korea and America (but never found one in Germany or England).

I am a pretty good judge of people and knew pretty quick when someone was trying to scam the foreigner...no offense but perhaps you were seen as an easy mark.

If the O.P. is still reading this post at this point, my best advice is to make good freinds with people who will 'introduce' you to reputable mechanics / craftsmen that way you can avoid the foreign accent induced price hike.

Drew K

A telephone and a copy of the local Yellow Pages will do just fine.

Firstly, sending tools may cost more in transport than they cost in the first place and anyone moving for a time will need the usage of every "free" pound weight.....even if a company is paying the bill.....she still needs to "move" it.

Nothing electrical should be taken, plugs don't match, neither does the voltage or the frequency....

A kit of tools may be purchased cheaply in a UK DIY/Supermarket store with most needed small tools in it. If anything breaks due to a lack of quality, replace it with a better quality tool that will still fit the transport box of the kit....

Electrical tools that will work in the UK and Europe can also be purchased easily in the UK....and you only need a minor plug change for Europe if she goes there.....voltage & frequency are the same as the UK.

Plumbing is in many areas quite differently done to the USA, as are certain door locks and the like.....though an intelligent DIYer can easily handle the differences.....

Do make sure that she purchases both Pozidrive and Phillips screw drivers as both screw types are in use in Europe and the UK. Its a good idea to grind a little off the point of the Phillips screwdrivers so that they fit properly in those screws used in plastic and light metal objects. Only a touch or two on the stone, and they will still fit correctly in normal Phillips screws that we see less and less every year here and in the UK.....

Pozidrive has taken over most of the big screws used in wood and similar from the old slotted screws (Phillips wood screws were never big here as far as I remember).....though a couple of those flat screwdrivers will be in such a kit as I mentioned, if not buy them extra when needed......they are cheap and easily available over here in Europe/UK.

Best of luck to the Lady....

Thanks: I really needed to know what kinds of screws are the most used.

She is thoroughly aware of the voltage and frequency issues, as she travels between the Netherlands, Brazil and Canada.

Pozidrive mainly, with some Japanese Phillips, eg. stone off the nose of the Phillips screw driver as I said before....

I always call them Japanese Phillips, to differentiate them from normal Phillips and the grinding trick works well on both types, stopping them damaging the screws of both types.....been doing that for more than 30 years....for me its normal practice.

I don't know where that screw type originated, but almost all Japanese equipment that I have worked on has them somewhere....as does almost any similar from other countries. You can buy the screws here in Germany in DIY stores....I would guess other western countries are the same.....they are usually of otherwise good quality and make a strong fastening in the right situations and the right materials.....

So I don't hold anything against them for not fitting an unmodified Phillips screwdriver...that's just being silly and picky....the mod takes just seconds.....

My tool box which I use for electrical faults, simple plumbing, carpentry work etc. contains:-

1. Hammers one small and one medium.

2. Large screw driver.

3. Small connector.

4. Plier.

5. Fuse wire.

6. Soldering hand gun with solder wire.

7. Electrical adhasive tape

8. Small chiesel.

9. Adjustable spanner.

10. File.

11. Hand operated drill.

12. Set of drills.

13. Hack saws.

14. Allen key set.

I'd also recommend a general how-to home repair manual.

Lots of duct tape.

Just in case the rest of the tools happen to fail!

Your son!

He is in Wyoming, playing with rocks. Actually after many years in university that Doctoral paid of.

A Man is always the best Tool for an young women...

Remember, it's all metric now, not imperial... so you'll need a metric crescent wrench, with a millimeter screw driver....and Euro's to pay someone to use them new tools!

By the by, what job has she taken? Could it be working for Ikea?

rather than buy in Canada and try to import tools, and exceed your/her baggage allowance, unless your daughter-in-law is travelling by ship, I suggest the following.

Tools from a British company for British DIYer's... and the odd Canadian or two!

http://www.screwfix.com/

But I still don't understand WHY!!