Bruce In Philly

So.... I am not sure how to ask you to respond.... here is my issue: I own some Craftsman tools.... the ratchet set I purchased 20 years ago still works... and sucks. I hate using it.... I own Porter Cable power tools... some are fantastic like their orbital for polishing but my impact gun that I loved to remove lugs just broke... just outside of warranty. Gear Wrench... sold at Sears... has a lifetime warranty.... Harbor Freight has a lifetime warranty and I had to use it... some of their stuff sucks..... some of the Harbor Freight stuff is fabulous and include my go to wrenches. Husky is CRAP in my experience... I don;t have a Husky tool I like.

So.... I have to give advice to my nephew on what stuff to get.... ratchet set.... jack ..... basic tools etc.....

- What brand do you recommend for a general recommendation?
- What tool brands/models do you have that are great and suck?
- What are the most basic but required tools to do brakes, shocks, basic car maintenance?

I am not looking at a professional brand like Snap On.... Let's assume weekend hacks like me.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

DC911S

Meursault88

Agreed with above. The way Snap On feels in your hand is something special - like the early iPhones. They nailed that down perfectly as well as made of very good alloys. Now and then you can pick up a Snap On tool box on Craigslist for a good price.

BillNye

I'm a home gamer and a big fan of Snap-On. I've amassed a decent collection over the years and I take a lot of price in, and enjoy, owning them. Lots of them were given to me from my dad and have a lot of sentimental value. If I ever have kids I wouldn't want to give them a set of ratchets I bought on Amazon.
Like mentioned, they are not sold in retail stores, only by your local franchise or online direct.

If you're the patient type you can occasionally find some good deals at pawn shops, craigslist, eBay, etc.
Snap-On also has their Blue-Point grade that are "the same" quality but made offshore.
If you're the googling type, occasionally you can find the generic version of some of the tools that snap-on doesn't manufacture themselves.

You may want to look into Sonic, but I have no experience with them. Seem to be a step up from the big box crap but not quite to the pro-level.

My more sensible friends generally go with craftsman stuff, it's generally the best low end/value brand.

I do like a lot of stuff from harbor freight though, and from what I've seen they have increased the quality of some of their tools lately. I'm a big fan of their jacks. Other than having one stolen I've never had an issue. I recently bought a second just for convenience. Floor jacks are a race to the bottom, there are 2 types, the crazy expensive racing/professional models, or the chinese ones that may as well have all come from the same factory. Unless you're spending $600+ on a floor jack, anything more expensive than the Harbor Freight ones is just placebo effect for quality.

As far as which basic tools needed to do X, you'll most likely have what you need if you just get all of them. Like I mentioned, I have a decent collection of tools and there was almost a dozen times in the last 12mo that I needed to buy new ones in order to do "basic" car maintenance.
Joking aside you'll want a good set of Torx screwdrivers and bits. People complain about Torx all the time, but I haven't had any issues stripping either a fastener or a tool since I bought high quality ones. Other than that it's hit or miss, Porsche seems like E-Torx, VW uses triple square still, there's more. About the time you think you have everything you need you'll find yourself doing something that requires another thing you dont have. It's like cat and mouse.

Fined

good thread. tuning in for the results. I need to add some tools to the stash over time.

rockhouse66

I think the Kobalt brand at Lowe's is pretty nice and I have also been buying some Tekton tools. Nice looking/feeling and can't beat the price.

https://www.tekton.com/

Qwksnke

Most of my tools are craftsman with some snapon mixed in. I love snapon tools but hard to justify the price.
I have considered giving the kobalt brand items from Lowes a chance as the cordless impact I have made by them is fantastic.

Guess I am against the grain here. I have had 0 luck with anything harbor freight.

DC911S

Craftsman has gone down hill. I have some of their tools from the early 1970's, that belonged to my dad who was a machinist in a steel mill. I have bought some of their items in the past few years and you can tell by the feel they are using crappy metal alloy now, and cheaper ratchet mechanisms. The used to be owned by Daniher Corporation, a very huge corporation that owned lots of things, I think they got sold a few years back and in essence, now you are paying for the name only with reduced quality with tools made out of recycled refrigerators and junk metal in some off-shore or Chinese factory.

The Beast

I also have a mix of tools I try to consider the type of job I am doing on the car example I use my Snap-on torx bit when I don't want any additional trouble like stripping a torx bolt.

swingwing

mcfisticuffs

I have pretty much the entire Bosch 18V cordless set. It's pretty decent, probably not the best but what I sacrifice in having "the best" I make up for in availability (all on Amazon), price point (pretty reasonable), and a single battery type.

I also am collecting Tekton tools (torque wrench, screwdrivers, etc etc) due to their Amazon availability.

I'm sure there are better options (I agree with Snap-On being #1 or close-as-makes-no-difference) but I am not a pro, nor do I use my tools that frequently or that strenuously.

bhvrdr

For hand tools I like Kobalt and Husky (HD and Lowes). Almost all hand tool manufacturers offer "lifetime" replacement. The key to me then is going with the company that is the best in customer service and convenience in replacing these hand tools. Since pretty much anywhere I ever live will most likely have a home depot within 5 miles this is very convenient.

You're going to break tools over time... its going to happen and both HD and Lowes have been really cool with me. I walk in the door with a socket that is cracked to bits and they walk me to the aisle and just pick me out a new one. One time my hundred dollar torque wrench broke because its possible I may have been trying to use it as a breaker bar and same thing.... they gave me a brand new one after 5 years of owning it.

For cordless power tools I have done from Dewault now over to the Milwaukee brush less lineup and ive been super happy with their durability. I have their torque drill that supposedly can do 300lbs of torque and it makes removing the wheels an absolute breeze.


I'll spare you the list of all the common tools but here are some slightly less often used tools I've collected over the years working on various German, Japanese and domestic cars. These are the tools that I learned I needed over time after having started with more generic sets....

- Magnetic Spark plug took the perfect length for our cars to get in those tight spaces...


- magnetic and shielded lug bolt sockets. If you have nice wheels, I like these to protect their finish when removing them...

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben...eces/pps-1721/

- Wheel hanger -

- a complete set of triple squares

- torx bit security / tamper proof set...


- Torx Plus bits...


- hex bit socket set...


- Brake Caliper spreaders

- a complete set of hook tools

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-4-Pi...l-Set/50158911

- panel removal tools...


- a good fluid pump

- a torch for heating up metal or rubber to loosen things up for assembly or disassembly

- a set of cheap manifold gauges and vacuum pump -

https://www.harborfreight.com/automo...set-60806.html

- Clic R clamp pliers...


-ratcheting wrenches...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-20-P...Set/1000224979

-Xtreme Acess socket sets (these are AWESOME for swaybar end links)...

https://www.kobalttools.com/mechanic.../xtreme-access




And some basic "stuff" I have learned to keep on my shelf...

- loctite blue and red,
gasket maker,
silicone lubricant,
silicone sealants,
silicone adhesives,
Goo Gone,
super clue,
all different sizes of zip ties
lots of different solders
all sizes of heat shrink connectors
-a multimeter
- NT510 Scan Tool, programmer, data logger
- CLAMPS - all different sizes and types
-3/4" heater hose
-1/4" silicone tubing (use for anything from bleeding brakes to putting in trans fluid)
- a 5 gallon gas can for used motor oil
- Rhino Ramps
- a good aluminum floor jack
- Esco Jack Stands

JO911

If I had to accumulate a tool set again I would start with a mechanic's tool box set at HF along with 3-ton jack stands and a 3-ton floor jack. The mechanic's tool box set would eventually be kept in the trunk on road trips and be replaced by better tools as I worked through projects. Over time I would pay attention to the tools I used the most and upgrade them as necessary and try to avoid the temptation of low price value sets. My least favorite tools were bought as beginner sets (eg a 1/2 inch drive 14 piece Craftsman ratchet set with 12 point sockets) but my favorite tools have been bought piece by piece (a 3/8 Craftsman ratchet, a set of 6 deep SAE sockets or individual sockets I have bought as needed). I would recommend 6-point sockets and beam style torque wrenches when possible. Above all I would recommend a mindset that expects challenges - projects to take a long time at first, many trips to the store are sometimes necessary, and sometimes things that seem easy are not.

Ben Z

I think the answer to this question hinges on how much and how hard your intended use is. For occasional weekend use I would have no problem buying HF (except anything electronic, I've heard from so many people those things work once or twice and die). For heavy-duty pro use that's another story. I have 1/2" and 1/4" Snap-On ratchet sets and a hand impact driver I bought in the early 70s, still good as new. But the sockets are SAE and when I needed metric in the 80s I bought Craftsman, those too are good as new, as is my 1/2" beam-style torque wrench from the late 60s. But I hear Craftsman isn't what it used to be. OTOH my Snap-on screwdrivers from the 70s the handles started exuding a vinegar-smelling oily substance some years back, and now several of them have turned chalky and broken apart in pieces. I read that's not uncommon, and people who aren't regular customers have had trouble getting Snap-on to make good on their lifetime warranty. I haven't had a chance to try my luck yet.