Tools

[Atty]

For the last week I've been fixing things in my car and my girlfriend has noticed my frustration when I don't have the right tools so for my birthday she wants to buy me some. It is so nice to be understood!

Compiling a list of what to get, right now I just have a random assortment of misplaced tools so I'm wanting to just go out and get full new sets. Best places to shop? Things I NEED to have?

Really, she'll only be buying me something small and trivial (knowing her), so I'll be picking up the rest. Just need a solid list of things I would have to have.

So far:
Quality ratchet set
Oil canister (saw one on here before, so I can fill it with my oil when I drain it.)
Jacks and stands
A hammer (for clarkson moments.)

What else? I don't have a budget, most of this will be slowly bought as I need it for various projects, such as today's cleaning of my cars throttle body.

 

[wirednuts]

get a good set of hand tools first. that will include 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch ratchets. make sure it has extensions for all those sizes too. and deep wall sockets. and torx bits. and good box end wrenches.

you can get away with craftsman if youre on a budget, but i would look into mac tools as well. readily available and theyre a lot better then craftsman.

 

[96Firebird]

Harbor Frieght has some nice floor jacks and stands, I got the 2.5 ton for $80. Looks like they also have a the 3 ton jack stands for $15 after coupon code, which is a pretty good deal. I'm not sure what kind of ratchet set you are looking for, but around the holidays Sears usually has some good deals on the Craftsman mechanics sets. May not be the greatest quality, but I haven't broken anything yet, and I got mine a few Christmases ago.

 

[wirednuts]

^^ word. harbor freight isnt that great for hand tools (well, theyre great for spare hand tools that you need in a pinch), but for many things that store is awesome. jack stands would be one of them. their air tools arent horrible either, especially when you only need to use them once and a while.

 

[JCH13]

My must-haves now:

Gear Wrench ratcheting wrenches (both flexy and angled-head styles)
Professional grade ratchet drivers
Flexy-head ratchet driver for deep-well sockets
1/2 breaker bar, for those Clarkson moments
Kroil
Self-igniting propane torch that I can connect to a 20lb propane bottle
Light-duty electric impact gun (way more useful than I ever thought it would be)
Laser-etched 6-point sockets, no 12-point BS and I like being able to easily read them
Double-locking jack stands
Aluminum, low-profile, high-lift, jack ($100 at Jegs when I got it)
Flyin' Miata Jack Adapter, never bend a pinch weld again. I comfortably lift the whole side of a car with this baby, not so much as a slight ding on the pinch weld, plus it drops right in the cup on most jacks.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Craftsman hand tools are excellent quality IMO. I've been doing some research for an impact and it looks like bang the buck champ goes to the HF earthquake series impacts. I plan on picking one up along with a few set of impact sockets there which also have gotten decent reviews.

Im right there with you on the tools OP. On a recent project I was coming up short big time on the tools. It was extremely frustrating. When I needed something I drove to Oreilly's and just bought what I needed. They carry decent tools but pricey for what they are. Still they got the job done.

 

[Gs dewd]

My must-haves now:

Gear Wrench ratcheting wrenches (both flexy and angled-head styles)
Professional grade ratchet drivers
Flexy-head ratchet driver for deep-well sockets
1/2 breaker bar, for those Clarkson moments
Kroil
Self-igniting propane torch that I can connect to a 20lb propane bottle
Light-duty electric impact gun (way more useful than I ever thought it would be)
Laser-etched 6-point sockets, no 12-point BS and I like being able to easily read them
Double-locking jack stands
Aluminum, low-profile, high-lift, jack ($100 at Jegs when I got it)
Flyin' Miata Jack Adapter, never bend a pinch weld again. I comfortably lift the whole side of a car with this baby, not so much as a slight ding on the pinch weld, plus it drops right in the cup on most jacks.

And to this list I would add the XXL Gear Wrench ratcheting wrenches. You just do realize the value of the extra length until you use them. A nice set of air tools if you are planning to do alot of work on your car. These can be real time savers. I would also add a good quality multi meter and test light.

 

[JoeyP]

I'd think about:
Air compressor and impact wrench with 1/2" impact sockets
Ramps
Extra large oil pan that can be used to drain transmission fluid
Torx/Allen wrenches
Nitrile gloves
Battery terminal cleaners
Trickle charger
A bunch of funnels
Breaker bar
Bolt extractor

If you live in a cold climate area, I'd also suggest a torpedo heater.

 

[Atty]

Extra large oil pan that can be used to drain transmission fluid

Brands or things to look for? I'm searching through Amazon now, can't find any clear winners.

 

[JoeyP]

Brands or things to look for? I'm searching through Amazon now, can't find any clear winners.

I don't recall the brand I have. Got it a few years ago at Advance Auto. Helps if it has a drain cap or at least an obvious way to drain it without making a mess. Used it to work on my truck transmission.

 

[Raizinman]

I put tools into 3 catagories.
Novice
Experienced
Professional

The novice can get by with a cheap set of tools from Sams Club, Harbor Freight, or mail order. You might do a few light jobs a year. Perhaps one or two medium jobs a year.

The Experienced will go Craftsman and perhaps do a medium job once or twice a month.

The professional needs to have the best and will use his tools to make his living. Craftsman is on the lower range here, and otherwise will be Snap-On, Matco, or such.

 

[twinrider1]

This is a good forum for tools. They share their experiences and they keep track of good sales/coupons.

Craftsman
Can be good. Buying a set gets you quite a bit for the money. But they're shifting to overseas producers and the quality isn't always what it used to be. The folks at that forum can help steer you to some good stuff that isn't mostly nut drivers and allen wrenches.

Harbor Freight.
I was surprised to read many folks like their composite ratchets. Normally ratchets are one place I would spend good money on, but I'm tempted to try these.
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-heavy-duty-composite-ratchet-66313.html
Also, they have a few good cabinets for storage.

 

[cbrsurfr]

I've not had good luck with Harbor Freight, I've only bought a few things from them but they all broke and had a very short warranty period.

Jack and stands aren't something you want to cheap out on either.

 

[JoeyP]

I put tools into 3 catagories.
Novice
Experienced
Professional

The novice can get by with a cheap set of tools from Sams Club, Harbor Freight, or mail order. You might do a few light jobs a year. Perhaps one or two medium jobs a year.

The Experienced will go Craftsman and perhaps do a medium job once or twice a month.

The professional needs to have the best and will use his tools to make his living. Craftsman is on the lower range here, and otherwise will be Snap-On, Matco, or such.

HF is also good for small specialized tools and stuff like: magnetic part holders, terminal cleaners, impact sockets, step drills, clamps, zip ties, bins, jack stands, funnels, gloves, comealongs, bottle jacks, utility wheels. I don't trust most of their electrical stuff like meters and drills, although I do have their variable speed multi-tool that came in really handy a few times.

I have an old Husky socket set from around 2001 that is very nice. I've beat on the tools and they've held up. Except for the 1/2" and 3/8" ratchets, which jammed. Got a free exchange at HD, but the new ones are made in China. See how they hold up.

I'd love to get a good Craftsman set for my garage, along with a nice tool chest. Right now I lug my tools up from the basement whenever I need to work out in the garage or driveway. My toolbox weights about 50 lbs now.

 

[manimal]

friends dont let friend buy duralast


jk


http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...d-SAE-tool-set/_/N-255s?itemIdentifier=914103

100 bucks for 175 pieces of duralast tools. Its fine for a novice but I wouldnt want any in my tool box.

 

[JCH13]

friends dont let friend buy duralast


jk


http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...d-SAE-tool-set/_/N-255s?itemIdentifier=914103

100 bucks for 175 pieces of duralast tools. Its fine for a novice but I wouldnt want any in my tool box.

Yar, they're great for occasional use, but not great for heavy use. You won't find me trying to un-stick a 20y/o head bolt with one of those, but replacing a component that's been loosened in the last couple years... you might have a good shot.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

PB Blaster or Kroil

a 2ft - 3ft length of pipe to slip over wrenches - extra torgue ftw.

Some sheets of old cardboard to lie on. I throw a sheet under the car while Im working on it. Its soft enough to lie on, doenst hurt as bad if you bang your elbow/knees on the ground, soaks up oil and water spills, cheap, disposable, and actually works as a really good insulator from cold concrete.

dont cheap out on ratchet sets. I bought a cheap set last year and found that they didnt fit perfectly and were often times rounding the nuts/bolts. This past year I bought "Gear Wrench" brand and they are awesome, fit snuggly, and never had a problem with rounding since.

Also, more of a luxury, ratchet wrenches are super cool. Expensive but, the savings is in the flesh from your knuckles.

 

[JCH13]

Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches are on sale for about half-off at Sears a couple times a year, $40/set is much easier to tolerate than $80+.

I've got four sets, worth every penny.

 

[manimal]

PB Blaster or Kroil

a 2ft - 3ft length of pipe to slip over wrenches - extra torgue ftw.

Some sheets of old cardboard to lie on. I throw a sheet under the car while Im working on it. Its soft enough to lie on, doenst hurt as bad if you bang your elbow/knees on the ground, soaks up oil and water spills, cheap, disposable, and actually works as a really good insulator from cold concrete.

dont cheap out on ratchet sets. I bought a cheap set last year and found that they didnt fit perfectly and were often times rounding the nuts/bolts. This past year I bought "Gear Wrench" brand and they are awesome, fit snuggly, and never had a problem with rounding since.

Also, more of a luxury, ratchet wrenches are super cool. Expensive but, the savings is in the flesh from your knuckles.

I have those same gearwench wrenches!

 

[JCH13]

Also, if you find yourself doing brakes a lot, something like this is invaluable:

http://www.amazon.com/Alltrade-64862...brake+tool+kit

 

[pauldun170]

Craftsman impact driver - http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947641000P
Torque wrench
Rubber mallet
Socket wrench 3/4 and set of sockets
high quality philips and flat head
Hex keys

I tend to keep a set of regular and metric

 

[JulesMaximus]

get a good set of hand tools first. that will include 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch ratchets. make sure it has extensions for all those sizes too. and deep wall sockets. and torx bits. and good box end wrenches.

you can get away with craftsman if youre on a budget, but i would look into mac tools as well. readily available and theyre a lot better then craftsman.

What's wrong with Craftsman? I have a bunch of their socket sets and open end wrenches and I've never had any trouble with any of them over decades of use. I sheered off a 1/4" adapter but that's pretty easy to do.

 

[Black2na]

now for the occasional weekend wrencher this set is amazing!
http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-301-piece-mechanics-tool-kit-45951.html
we use it pretty regularly during the lemons races and outside of a few hammers more pliers. this kit as done EVERYTHING we could need it to. so unless you do heavy project after project or are a professional mechanic this set is More then perfect for an at home wrencher!

 

[Howard]

I have those same gearwench wrenches!

They're... not the same.

 

[Safeway]

For budget, I wouldn't look lower than Cobalt or Craftsman. I would never use something purchased from Harbor Freight. I use Snap-On for nearly everything.