tool thread

this is more or less a review thread for tools and supplies for the home garage. if you have an experieince with something-- post about it. if you have a question about a tool-- feel free to ask about it.

i will start off.

It is impossible for me to run through my tool box and give a detailed description of everything. so i will just give some quick run downs. keep in mind, i own 2 sets of tools too. one for work, one for home. most of my home tools are a mix of craftsman and name brand stuff i buy used at auctions/flea markets/ craigslist. My home boxes are a smorgasboard of sk/kd/snap on/mac/stanley/ klein/craftsman/ channelock/vicegrip whatever. I try not to buy cheap tools. ill spend a little more on namebrand handtools to make sure they last.

specialty tools im willing to take a gamble on if i wont use it often. just about everything i have in my work box is name brand w/ the exception of a few specialty items (brake caliper tool/ big tap/die set for example).

hand ratchets-- snap-on fine tooth. i am totally spoiled w/ them. so much, that i took all my standard tooth ratchets home and bought new fine tooth ones in their place. They are worth the money. I know most of you will be using craftsman ratchets. thats fine. use what you can afford. yet if you want to spoil yourself the caddy of ratchets is the snap on fine tooth.

If you are serious about learning to work on stuff, i’d advise that you buy sears 286 piece craftsman tool set (in a blow molded 4 drawer box none the less) as a starter set to get all the ratchets/sockets/wrenches you need to start. this set can be had for $200 and is a good starter set. I know i bought one when i first started to accumulate a second set of tools for my home garage and added/upgraded to it as money became available.

one thing that everyone should have in their box but dont is a brass hammer or a brass punch. how many times have you needed to tap something in w/o maring it? Or how about tap in a seal evenly and flush? the brass hammer will do it w/o marking, and the brass punch you can tap on w/ a regular hammer to seat the seal w/o messing it up.

speaking of hammers-- if you are using a “claw” style hammer on your car–it is time to go get new hammers. there are no nails to be found on a car. worse case scenerio spend $20 on the 5 piece hammer set from harbor freight. granted, the heads are not secured to the wooden handles as nicely as you’d want, and the wood handle itself is not the best. However, 5 bucks at a flea market will get you new quality handles and wedges to rebuild all 5 hammers.

speaking of harbor freight-- know alot of you shop at harbor freight. i have no problems with this. just be prepared to have stuff break. granted, you may get a specialty tool for 10 whereas a tool truck willl be 100+. In my opinion, if i use the tool a once or twice then it breaks, it paid for itself. if i use a tool semi frequently, i want it to last and will buy name brand.

Here is stuff i have bought from hf that i have had good luck with.

wire spools. their automotive wire set is actually good quality wire w/ nice strands and insulation. even comes w/ an organizer rack.

wire connectors- they sell a 1000 pc kit of insulated connectors you get on sale for 10 bucks. worth the money. i generally take off the rubber insulators and crimp/solder the connectors.

wire brushes-- a $1 buy that i use for cleaning brake caliper sliders and pad brackets.

heli-coil kit. they have a master kit of metric or standard thread. i got the metric kit. i picked it up as a what the fuck lets try it deal. the inserts are same quality as the heli-coil company or kd tools brand. again worth the money. as advance got me for 35 bucks last time i bought a heli-coil kit. you get 50 inserts 10 each from m5/m6/m8/m10/m12 along w/ the tang tool, drill bit and taps for each size. the h/f kit costs what 4 inserts and the required tools cost at the auto parts store.

115piece drill bit set-- another one i was not sure on. got it on sale for $39. has held up fine for 2 years. granted, have had to sharpen bits on occasion. but nothing out of the ordinary. Have drilled through stainless steel w/ these bits too. low speed on the press and oil kept the tip, and they drilled rather quickly. i figured i would have burned the tips off.

brake caliper tool-- this set is used for winding in the pistons on rear calipers of most german cars. worth the 20 i spent on it. have used it alot in last 3 years. still ok.

45 piece metric tap and die set. this is a set i figured if i used it once, it paid for itself. as i have a “quality” tool truck brand tap and die set. problem is it starts at 3mm and stops at 12mm thread. this set goes from 6mm to 24mm. I paid $49 for it on sale. $49 is what id expect to pay for maybe 2 of the bigger sized taps from the hardware store. this set has proven to be invaluable. everything from fubar’d axle nuts or outter cv threads to o2 sensors have been saved w/ this set. i know i have lent it out on occasion. because like i said, the cost of one of the bigger tap and dies will pay for this entire set.

5 piece hammer set-- as mentioned above, handles and wedges suck. so expect to rebuild them. however, a trip to trader jacks or perry flea market is all you need to fix all 5 of them for cheap. figure 15 for 5 hammers, and another 5 to rebuild them. still cheaper than 1 vaughn or tool truck brand hammer.

speaking of hammers, i bought a dead blow hammer from hf for home use. no complaints.

and last items i bought that i was impressed with was the digital micrometer, 6 inch digital caliper, telescoping gauge set and dial indicator w/ stand. Now all this stuff i was leary on and bought when they came on sale–like 10 bucks or less per item. for 10 bucks or less, if it is junk i could care less.

the micrometer and calipers i tested with standards from my “good” brand stuff at work. they both checked out to be as accurate as stuff i paid alot more for w/ the same repeatability. As for the dial indicator, it is as accurate as the name brand indicator. i had both name brand and cheapo hf set up at same time when i was degreeing cams on a 911 engine. the downfall to the hf dial indicator is it does not move as quickly, if that makes sense. fine movements the needle wont recognize as quickly as my good dial-- seemed like the dial’s needle was slower to react. the telescoping gauge set looks identical as the one snap-on sells. same plastic case and all. really dont know how you can f it up regardless.

thats it for now.

prob one of the most invaluable tools to me is the exhaust hanger removal tool. don’t know how many times used to use a screwdriver to get the rubber hangers off. found the tool for around 25 bucks and has been a lifesaver/time saver for me last couple years

I don’t work on cars much anymore but I do work on motorcycles.

Two tools I like are the Harbor Freight Manual tire changer w/ motorcycle tire attachment. This tool can be purchased online or locally. It is a two piece set that consists of the Tire changer for doing regular tires and a motorcycle tire clamp.

This unit works well with some simple modifications if you don’t want to dishout the $600 to $1400 for the No-Mar changing system. I actually may end up buying their system down the road because I have people coming to me to change their tires due to local shops closing up and dealers wanting an arm and a leg. This changer paid for it’s self the first time I changed both my tires.

  1. I coated the 3 clamps for the tire with rubber. This helped with the metal on metal contact. I also coated the bead breaker blade with rubber as an extra precaution. (not pictured)

  2. After doing my first tire I found the mount / dismount bar to be barbaric and it took everything I had not to damage the rim even with rim savers. I ended up using a Tire Tamer spoon from K&L. As soon as I was done with the first tire I went online and ordered a No-Mar Bar. This bar has Polyethylene tips with steel cores to eliminate scratching. The tipe are also replacable, it comes with 3 spare sets of tips, paste and spray lubrication and the tips are life time warrentied, send them back they send you new ones. Total with shipping was $114 and worth every penny.

  3. I opted to bolt the changer directly to the floor of the garage. I used 3 inch lag bolts and sleeves so it can be moved if I need to. I originally though I would have but where it is it allows me to work on two bike, and access both my side and back work bench so I just leave it where it is.

http://www.nomartirechanger.com/product/show/6

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42927

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=34542

The second specialty tool I recommend is the Mity-Vac vacuum pump for bleeding brakes and clutch lines. It is a hand operated pump that cuts down the time needed to properly bleed a hydraulic brake system. If you know of a retailer that uses Parts Unlimited you can get the basic kit for 25-30 buck and the kit with a vacuum guage for 40-50 bucks. I was able to completely change out the front lines of my old ZX-12R and refill the whole system after a caliper rebuild in 10 minutes for both sides.

http://street.parts-unlimited.com/21/226/7873818?q=mityvac

I hope this can help people out and kudos to Sailor for the thread suggestion.

i am a big fan of snap on ratchets, sockets and wrenches. you won’t find much else in my box. the dual 80 technology rachets are like nothing else in this world. smooth like butter and stong as an ox. i have yet to wear out a snap-on anything… other than a couple screwdrivers

blue point ratcheting wrenches 8-19mm - probably the best $250 i’ve ever spent, i use the 13mm so often it’s completely dulled the chrome finish from scratches. still works like the day i bought it and has never slipped a tooth

mac deep 1/2" universal impact sockets - perfect for balljoints, tierods, caliper bolts, exhaust nuts, strut nuts. any stud/nut combo. not too deep more like a semi-deep, snap-on doesn’t offer any sockets just like these. i have 15-18 and a 21

snap-on 1/4" shallow universal sockets 7mm, 8mm and 10mm - great for hard to reach COP bolts, valvecover bolts, intake manifold bolts etc. at 30 bucks a pop these things are not cheap but they will eventually wear out as any universal does

for more specialty tools like pullers or seal installers i go with OTC and lisle. no need for mac or matco, most of them get their stuff from these guys, you can go on to amazon.com and find almost any OTC tool. i found many that amazon actually stocks and qualified for free shipping. i recently ordered a lisle inner tierod tool, OTC diff side bearing puller, OTC bearing splitter and a lilse ford axle seal installer ALL qualified for free shipping

i love to look in harbor frieght but i never buy a whole lot. they are good for some things though. I found a GREAT 5lb sledge there. it wasn’t the super cheap one but this one had a sweet hickory handle on it. i also have a little vacuum pump/gauge that works really well. it came with a bleeder cup that i’ve used a bunch of times for misc shit like emptying a rear end or transfer case

one other thing i’d like to point out-- all the new people and young techs-- do not go out and buy a mega expensive toolbox just to look like you have something. Be smart, and spend that money on tools. Eventually you will work yourself into a “proper” tool box. in reality–the box does not make your money. the tools inside it do. Spend your money where it counts.

i agree w/ the snap on universals. i have the complete 1/4 and 3/8 drive metric sets. the 3/8 drive set is “open” in the end so you can get on a nut on a stud. i know cornwell/mac/craftsmans universals are solid. that litte 2mm of clearance is all i need alot of times.

gear wrenches too are awesome. gearwrench/kd owns the patent. so pretty much everyone’s version is the same thing it seems. the flex head versions are tits!

locking extensions come in handy, as do universal spark plug sockets. i know on some porsche/vw/subaru boxer engines id be fucked at getting plugs out and back in w/o cross threading w/o them. actually, i pulled a bug engine today to fix the sparkplugs as they were so butchered i couldnt heli-coil it in car.

i also whore out ebay alot. have scored older tools companies (bonney/proto) stuff for dirt cheap. granted, no warranty, but it is worth the money. i got a bonney wrench set from 6mm to 32mm for $50. shit like that you cant beat. if you know older quality namebrands, you can score major deals.

im a huge fan of buying tools used. As the snap on socket i paid 10 bucks used works the same as the one that costs 35 new. i average 5k a year on tools. i want the most bang for the buck. 5k on all new stuff doesnt go far. 5k on all used would be like 10k-15k worth of shit new. moral-- used stuff doesnt fetch as much money, buy wisely. i personally wouldnt buy air or battery operated (drills/impacts) tools used-- you cant tell how beat up they are. atleast a socket or a wrench you can see.

Im one who never trades in or sales my tools. to me, if someone who worked w/ tools for a living is willing to sell off a key item that helps them make their livelyhood-- then they must be in desperate times. that generally means good deals can be had.

get a 3/8" drive 6" wobble extension. a good one not hf chinese shit I think mine is proto

cant go wrong with craftsman boxes i have 3 of these


just keep an eye out sometimes they have crazy sales or the scrath and dent place will have some the last one i got for 70 bux, i keep metric in one, sae in the another and power tools in the other one.
also like stated hf for tool you dont use all the time. the other day i picked up 2 sets of t handle allen keys 10 pc sae and metric for 4 buck each if i use them more than once they paid for them selves

My box is full of stanley tools, I got a couple hundred piece set at Wal-Mart a few years back with a rolling tool chest for only $80! Over the years, I’ve continued filling it with various Stanley/SK/Snap-On/Craftsman/Harbor Freight pieces so much that I eventually upgraded to the 3 tier Craftsman box.

As for hand tools, most wrenchers don’t need the quality of SK or Snap-on so Stanley, Harbor Freight or Craftsman are just fine. As long as you accept that most tools bought at Harbor Freight are “cheap” tools, they’ll last you just fine.

while i do have a big snap-on box i did not start out on one. i had a lot of tools already and my craftsman was getting a little small. wait until you’re making the money to support one and you’re sure you’re going to stay in this business. i love my box and i wouldn’t give it up for anything. i keep the thing clean and waxed just like a car. call me crazy but i don’t care

i still need a lot of stuff though. I’ll probably spend 2-3k more this year, i wasn’t making a whole lot this winter/early spring so i wasn’t buying much. now that it’s broke loose it directly influences how much i buy

im sure i have said this here before, but i have some really old benchtop wrenches that were purchased from kmart about 15-20 years ago

these things are really good believe it or not, i always beat the shit out of them and i have yet to break any of them… i did a search for them a while ago and i couldnt really find much about them, except some guy who basically said the same thing as me

aside from those, i think im going to start using my craftsman tools more often, even though they are really shitty, i dont really worry about breaking them because i can just get a new one at sears…

regarding snapon, i have only had one of their tools break on me, and that happened when it was being abused by my friend trying to lift a full gastank with it… i dont even think the snapon guy would even stop at my house to replace it though… other than that, i llve snapon stuff… my only gripe about them is sometimes it is hard to get a socket off of the ratchet, i need to use a screwdriver to pry it off

This is why I stopped using my craftsman tools, they started claiming “abuse” and refused to replace them. Luckily for me, Home Depot in my area replaces craftsman tools with an equivalent Husky tool so I now completely boycott craftsman all together. It’s bad when I get a better warranty from Harbor Freight than craftsman at sears. :frowning:

i’ve had sears question me about using tools professionally and had managers tell me they can’t replace tools if they’re used for work. blow me craftsman. i just put in a $500 snap-on order

That’s usually the excuse they give me also, which is funny since i’m not a mechanic or anything.

I also find it extremely ironic that they tout they are “the official tool of nascar” and such but if you actually USE your tools, they won’t honor their warranty. I mean hell, they were pretty much started by selling to mechanics.

iv never had any problems taking tools back, and neither has my friend… who found a craftsman breaker bar on the ground, and proceeded to bend it after trying to get a bolt out

the guy asked him what happened and he told him that he put a 6’ metal pipe on the end and was jumping on it to get the bolt loose

gut yeah, craftsman might be the “official tool of nascar” but i can almost bet that most teams use mac/matco/snapon

well the issue i had i was wearing my uniform. that’s a dead giveaway really but still, anymore you have to squint pretty hard to find a craftsman tool in my box

SK makes decent tools i’d say they’re a notch above craftsman, there’s a dealer in coraopolis i used to deal with, CL tool i think it was called. that’s what i have for my basic home tool set.

I have snapped a few SK sockets and its not like I’m that big.

chech this out for good deals.

http://myworld.ebay.com/fryman-tool-sales/

this is a local (g-burg mon valley areas) mac dealer that has decided to retire from selling tools, and is sellig off inventory on ebay.

i know he has tool boxes too. so you can get good deals on boxes/carts.

I’m a big big fan of mac air tools. i have a couple IR impact guns but all my drills, die grinders, cutoff wheel, air ratchets are mac

I’ve actually been looking for a big pair of internal snap ring pliers but i don’t have an ebay account.

you want a pair like he has listed?

yes sir!