First-year fitter and turner apprentice tool list

What your employer usually supplies and what you buy

Before you spend a cent, ask your employer what they supply. Big miners and utilities often hand apprentices a full tool kit on day one. Smaller workshops and maintenance contractors may expect you to build your own hand tool kit over time.

As a rule, anything large, expensive or specialised stays with the employer. Your personal kit is the hand tools and measuring gear you use every day.

• •Usually supplied by the employer: lathes, mills, CNC machines and their tooling, presses, grinders, cordless and corded power tools, torque wrenches, bearing pullers and heaters, laser alignment kits, dial indicators with magnetic bases, slings and lifting gear
• •Usually bought by you: calipers, a micrometer, steel rule, square, spanners, sockets, allen keys, screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, files, a hacksaw and a toolbox
• •Grey area, so ask: feeler gauges, taps and dies, drill bits, and your own consumables like cutting inserts

Measuring gear: your first real buy

Measuring is the heart of this trade, so this is where to spend first. A cheap caliper that reads wrong will cost you more in scrapped parts and embarrassment than the money you saved.

Look after your measuring tools. Keep them in their cases, wipe them clean, and never drop them or use them as a hammer or scraper.

• •Calipers, digital or vernier, 150 mm: budget options from Kincrome or Toolpro, pro options from Mitutoyo
• •Outside micrometer, 0 to 25 mm: Mitutoyo is the trade standard, Moore and Wright is another known name
• •Steel rule, 300 mm, and an engineer's square
• •Feeler gauges, a scriber and a centre punch
• •Later, once you know what you need: a 25 to 50 mm micrometer, depth gauge and telescopic gauges

Hand tools for the fitting side

Buy metric first, as most gear you will see is metric, but you will run into imperial bolts on older plant and imported machinery, so add imperial sizes later if your job needs them.

• •Combination spanners, metric: budget from Kincrome or Toolpro, mid from Sidchrome or SP Tools, pro from Stahlwille, Koken or Snap-on
• •Socket sets in 3/8 and 1/2 inch drive: same brand spread, with Koken and Snap-on at the pro end
• •Allen keys, metric and imperial: Bondhus or Wera
• •Screwdrivers: Wera, Stanley or Kincrome
• •Pliers, side cutters and internal and external circlip pliers: Knipex at the pro end
• •Ball pein hammer and a soft-faced or dead blow mallet
• •Files and a hacksaw: Bahco is a common choice
• •A lockable toolbox or roll cabinet: Kincrome, Toolpro or Sidchrome

What is different on the machining side

If you lean towards turning and machining, your employer supplies the machines, chucks, vices, tool holders and most cutting tools. Your own gear is mostly measuring tools, deburring tools, a few files, allen keys for tool posts and a good set of safety glasses.

Machinists tend to build up more measuring gear over the years, like bore gauges and a wider range of micrometers. Buy it as you need it, not all at once.

PPE you need from day one

Your employer must provide PPE required for the job under work health and safety laws, but many apprentices buy their own boots and glasses so they fit properly.

• •Steel cap or composite toe boots: Blundstone, Oliver and Steel Blue are common Australian choices
• •Safety glasses rated to the Australian standard, plus a face shield for grinding
• •Hearing protection, earplugs and earmuffs
• •Gloves for handling and cleaning, but never near a turning chuck or spinning drill
• •Hi-vis long sleeve shirts and pants for sites
• •Hard hat and other site PPE, usually supplied on mine sites

Tool allowance under the award

The Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 (MA000010) has a tool allowance for tradespeople and apprentices who supply and maintain their own tools. Apprentices are paid a share of it based on their stage. The amount changes each year, so check the current figure in the Fair Work pay guide or the Pay Calculator.

If you are on an enterprise agreement, check your agreement, as it may have a different tool allowance or may supply all tools instead.

Claiming tools on tax

The ATO lets you claim a deduction for tools and equipment you buy and use for work. Items costing $300 or less can usually be claimed in full in the year you buy them. Items over $300 are claimed over time as depreciation. You can only claim the work-related portion and you need records.

If your employer reimburses you for a tool, you cannot claim it. Keep every receipt, take a photo of it, and store it somewhere safe.

Tool rebates and government support

Some states have run tool rebates or tool bonuses for apprentices in the past, mostly for construction trades, and several have closed. We could not find a state tool rebate currently open specifically for fitter and turner apprentices as at October 2026. Check your state training authority before you buy in case a new program has opened.

Federal support changes over time. Check Australian Apprenticeships for current payments for apprentices in priority occupations and other help, and ask your Apprenticeship Connect Australia provider what you are eligible for.

Buy smart, not all at once

• •Wait until your first week to see what the employer supplies
• •Spend first on measuring tools, as they matter most
• •Start mid-range on hand tools, then upgrade the ones you wear out
• •Engrave or mark your tools, as tools walk on busy sites
• •Never lend your micrometer