If you have to buy something (eg a drill, car, laptop) and the only reason you have to buy it is due to your job, then (I think) you are within your rights to hire it out to them..........they'll soon buy you one through the company if this is the case!

I agree that it is perfectly acceptable to ask an engineer to provide his own hand tools, I do, however, think that it is a different matter to ask en engineer to buy his own power tools. 

33621[/snapback]

I think clarification is required to what is a power tool. We do not supply tools to our engineer other than specialist tools, which are to be returned to the office. Battery screwdrivers are tools and should be purchased by the employee. We use the 24vSDS Bosch as drills these are supplied by me, as are Meters, consumables and plant. The Battery Screwdriver is a tool and an employee can have or not as they please, i know what my evaluation of any employee without the right tools would be and how it’s measured.

Jef

I agree with most of the posts. All hand tools eg screwdrivers hammers etc etc should be suppled by the employee. I am very fussy about which hand tools I uy. I mean you dont wat your employer t buy you a cheapset of screwdrivers only to find the head gets chewed on the first screw and you nered to replac it.

As for other tools eg plant, ladders, testmeter, drill etc should be supplied by the company and regulary inspected and tested.

i totaly agree thats why i buy all my own hand tools learnt the value of good tools when i was an apprentice (cheap ones break)

all the ones i own now have a lifetime guarentee i break them , manufacturer replaces them at no cost.

as long as you say it happened under normal working conditions

Who makes some decent tools? I don't have a job yet, but hopefully I will in a few months, so I suppose it might be a good idea to put together a decent set of tools beforehand. Any recommendations?

I'm more than happy with the CK 1000V VDE range at the moment, not cheap but top notch quality-wise.

I've spent years building up a decent collection of tools of varying quality and some are 'just right' for certain applications. If you go down to your local electrical wholesaler(s) they should have a decent range between them. Get some that you are comfortable with and that aren't made from tin foil.

Yep with Lurch on this one. C.K VDE range. Cant go wrong with them.

totaly agree with both of you, got a set of vde CKs cant fault them had mine about a year noe and they come with a life time guarentee as for cutters and pliers i like knippex or facom got a set of each tend to use the knippex more though

I use Snap-on cutters, rachet screwdriver and pliers, not cheap by any means, but all guaranteed for life and certainly my cutters have outlasted my trainee's stanley **** by 7 years to 3 months.

buy good gear ...buy it once

buy cr&p gear ...end up skint