Tool Time

Our list of 10 must-haves for your garage.

You've always admired Tim "The Toolman" Taylor from that American sitcom Home Improvement. And you've always wanted to save the world like MacGyver did with his swiss-knife and duct tape.

But you never had the courage to wrench a spanner or even strike a hammer down. Well sweat not, because we've jotted down a list of must-have easy-to-use tools that will keep you busy through any given weekend. And unlike Tim, you won't have the paramedics rushing in to save the day.

It's called: Oil can
Why do you need it? To oil squeaky doors, jammed locks, stuck control cables and anything else that might need lubrication.
How to use it? Hold canister by the handle, put thumb on the lever and squirt.

It's called: Car care kit
Why do you need it? To keep your ride shining like new and get rid the fenders of those unwanted scratches.
How to use it? Each kit usually has its own do's and don'ts. Read the instructions before using them.

It's called: Screwdriver
Why do you need it? To tighten those small metal screws that hold together the insides of your car. And some bits on the outside too.
How to use it? Hold grip firmly with one hand and guide the tip towards the screw with the other. The universal rule is turning clockwise will fasten the screw.

It's called: Tubeless tyre puncture kit
Why do you need it? To fix a puncture we'd assume.
How to use it? This one's pretty simple and doesn't even need you to take the tyre out. Just pull out the foreign object and insert the rubberised plug in the tyre. You now have a perfectly fixed tubeless tyre.

It's called: Pliers
Why do you need it? To do what other tools might not be able to do. It's pretty much a multipurpose tool that lets you cut wires, grip things, open nuts and do a lot more.
How to use it? They're just like a pair of tongs. No instructions required.

It's called: Spanner set
Why do you need it? To keep the nuts fastened to the bolts. Over time you'll notice things come loose "" a decent spanner set will cost you a few hundred bucks but will save you a lot more later.
How to use it? Match the spanner to the hexagonal nut or bolt. Once again, clockwise to fasten.

It's called: Jumper cables
Why do you need it? To inject some Volts into your car battery and help it crank it to life.
How to use it? Pop the hood and connect the jumper cables to the battery. Hook up the other end of the cables to a battery of another car, fire 'er up and you are now good to go.

It's called: Leatherman
Why do you need it? Because it has a very sharp knife, some cool screwdrivers, pliers, a diamond encrusted file, bottle opener... and what have you.
How to use it? You can find a million ways to use one of these but at Rs 10,000 a pop it's just worth owning one of them rather than using it. Imagine getting the diamonds off that file just to clean the rust from your Maruti 800.

It's called: Duct tape
Why do you need it? To MacGyverise whatever it is you're doing. Well, if duct tape can hold the world together, your car or bike is a cinch.
How to use it? Peel off the roll and tape where needed.

It's called: Hammer
Why do you need it? The general rule is that if all else fails, use the hammer.
How to use it? It's self-explanatory, but remember to keep the rest of your fingers away from the point of impact.