Tools general

I buy harbor freight tools; ratchets, sockets, wrenches, sanders, power saw, etc.. Inexpensive and I've got about 90% success rate with them. But I also don't do anything heavy duty or professionally.

Probably an oscillating multi tool. Odds and ends mostly.

Guise what 41 inch class box/combo is gud for cheap? I'm between the HF 44 and Menard's MasterCraft 41 in black.

Which would you take? Are there others that are better for the $$$?

Also what socket sets are good now? Wanna kinda sorta replace my crapsman stuff.

Literally overflowing a craftsman project center with 5 drawers right now I need an upgrade bad.

Help me guys...I've spent sooo much on tools in the past 6 months.
And I just bought a KRL series cab on Friday that I'll be paying for forever.

Tools are just so nice...I guess the wonder of being able to fix shit hasn't worn off in the past 5 years and now I'm getting a bad addiction to wanting to have all the best tools/easiest for the job.

dumb

Just got these in the mail. I’ve already got a fuckhueg indexing/extendable GearWrench bar, these will help with smaller stuff. 12”, 17” and 25”

As far as eyeing up, been thinking about getting a set of crowfoots and a set of Alan head sockets. I also want a torque wrench, but don’t trust anything on Amazon to be a good deal so idk.

Crows feet have saved my assssss on more than one occasion.

Those occasions have always been replacing hard to read hydraulic fittings on blown hoses for field repairs on heavy equipment, but I'm sure they're good for automotive stuff too.

Just get an old Utica or Matco or Proto torque wrench off eBay
they don't seem to lose their calibration that quickly

Buying a new box is crazy. There are always better toolboxes for sale on CL

I actually work on 45 foot tour coaches for a living lol. The tight spaces of the engine bay make them super handy, which I didn’t know until I borrowed a coworker’s set to change an exhaust manifold the other day.

I mean obviously could have gotten an older one with just as much space for cheaper.
Buttttt when you're poor you don't have 2-3k to drop at once in a private party sale.
At least Im doing something to help my shit credit with StrapOn financing.

Plus I also just got a 41" box with a top hutch for free. Old shop box that they were seriously gonna throw out. Needs a slide for a drawer and ugly/dirty, but fuck it.

Can someone recommend a decent torque wrench? I’m searching for something mechanical between 10-100ft/lbs? I looked at a Kobalt one tonight but I didn’t like how the gauge only went down to 20 and not 10, what it’s minimum rating is, feel like I’ld never zero it right when putting away

>inb4 snap on
In the great words of the fairy wish prince, “Nigga you crazy, I can’t afford an Xbox!”

The pawl change is on the drive side? What the fuck is this.

Unironically, Harbor Freight, they're a copied old proven design and the one I have holds within tolerance better than most.

If you don't want to do that go with Tekton.

I need a universal head for spark plugs. And a set of torque wrenches.

i just bought a tie down/strap as a just in case. i've been meaning to get a toolbox to throw into the bed of my truck though instead of keeping all my shit on the floor

After almost 2 years of having dad help me out with every little thing when working on my bike I feel competent enough to work on it on my own -- the last couple times he was just hovering in the background watching me work. So now for christmas I've asked him to give me a Proxxon socket driver set so I can do shit on my own without having to wait for weekends just so I can borrow his tools.

The next time I visit my mom I'll go through my late granddad's tools and pick out a nice set of wrenches as well.

Perfectly acceptable on a torque wrench, and preffered actually.

Just got this for early Christmas from my dear old dad since I need to do a power steering pump
Its a fantastic set

>doing something to help my poor credit
>by taking on consumer debt
Uhhhh

I'd like to get an oil filter tool/wrench.
>Be me, car noob
>Decide to change the oil in my old beater shitbox
>Mechanically inclined friend comes to help
>"Ok, where's your filter tool?"
>"What the fuck is that?"

I'd really like to not be stuck in that situation again. I had to use a hammer and fucked up my screwdriver.

It'd also be nice to get a few more spanners in different sizes. The little fuckers come in handy.

That looks like a really nice set user, I'm happy for you

I have 4 filter wrenches.
they're all bullshit
pic related is the least bullshit

Nah, nigga, this the good shit. I use this on big ol’ Cummins, Detroit and Volvo diesels all day long.

I have that one and it is the most bullshit of all.

I use this one for mine, as I've been unable to find an actual cup that fits mine while not costing a kidney

I prefer these

Yeah, I hear all the gay guys use them now.

Works on the Miata which is probably the least accessible filter in the world. I like mine a lot. Prefer removing and tightening by hand though.

>2017
>wasting money on that and not using a leather belt
What the fuck are you doing sissy man you could have bought some Carl’s Jr. after doing some hard work or some shit

Any /tacomabros/ want to share their taco-specific toolkits with a like-minded individual?

10mm sockets, they should sell them in bulk...

What the fuck do you use Snapchat for?

>WHERE MY TEN DEEP REEEEEEE

this is my favorite tool to use on my tacoma my main dude, gotta fix up that frame rust every 2 weeks

>what are friends

user...

I bought a 10mm deep socket for 1/2" drive because I would be less likely to lose such a large socket

That is how that works.

There's multiple variables that go into good credit. Carrying a balance is actually good for your credit score (from a personal finance perspective it gets iffy at best, unless the APR is lower than the rate of return of your investments, it's bad debt)

My go to brand

Lol just fixed a 4runner, cracked frame in two places, ball joints are ready to go too

looking to get some ratcheting wrenches in a couple select sizes. think these protos look decent for around $25 each. may also go with sunex for few bux cheaper they have similar v groove in the spanner

i have full non ratcheting metric and sae sunex v-groove set pretty decent

Just got this the other day. Cv tools part number 483.

Get GearWrench, they’re on sale on Amazon right now. Good quality for the price.

i've seen shit like that before, do you use an extension to apply torque to your socket?

i saw a snappy one that had 3 holes in it, pic related.

close up of the bottom 3/8th hole i was talking about

When would you use such a thing?

I'll get a couple next year.

>mfw i kek'd as hard as i would have being 13
god being immature may have it's drawbacks, but laughing about a wrench manufactured by KING - DICK sure as hell isn't one

Just bought a gas/non-gas mig welder for mega cheap but I'll probably never use it.

Make a miata go-kart, faggot

When you need 2.5 more inches of ratcheting leverage or if shit is at a super funky angle.

Thought I lost a duralast ratcheting wrench with 8mm 10 mm 12 mm and 14 mm and found it in my hoodie was going to replace it. Comes in super handy all these sixed in one small package.

What are those to the left in the middle. The sockets with the slits?

If you can't laugh at a wrench made by KING DICK, you should kys

o2 sensor sockets

ohhh. Thanks!

Been looking at induction heaters and welders lately.
Never encountered a bolt that needed anything more than penetrating oil and beating with a hammer, nor do I know how to weld but I still want them so I can heat up bits of metal and weld others bits of metal to each other.
More practically I'm gonna pick up a set of interior trim tools before I go about soundproofing/insulating my brother's van.

Right, thank you. Pretty neat tool

>Been looking at induction heaters
this made my dick hard

>£600
Holy shit i didnt realise those things were so expensive

I really want one of these

I'm seriously considering one of these. I dont use my air ratchets in the shop nearly enough and I know they would improve my flat rate times. I just cant be bothered to fish them out of the box when I've already got a regular ratchet out.
I will say, I have Milwaukee's 1/2 drill, 1/2 impact, and 3/8 impact and they are all god-mode.
That 1/2 impact will break bolts loose that my 1/2 Snap On PT850 wont break.

I have the old version and I'm not sure I want the new one, the head is really big on it which makes getting into tight spots hard.
Also while it has more torque I'm not sure that's a good thing or a bad thing, if the bolt is stuck I just use it like a normal ratchet, torque isn't really needed.
Also you have to be careful, even the old model with only 35ftlb of torque can still really really tighten down an M6 bolt to the point that it makes me uncomfortable.
You have to be aware and careful when you're sending an M6 down with it, it tightens down so hard to worries me lol.

Bought a dent removal kit

Dope, getting good at PDR can make you a lot of cash

Going to start on my own car, which has far too many dings from cunts, then maybe buy a cheap bonnet or fender to practice on.

>Snap-On salesman's wet dream

If you're gonna get a torque wrench just bite the bullet and get a good one ($150 to $200 at least), you get what you pay for when it comes to calibration and accuracy

stupid.

>Works at jiffy lube, strips every oil plug he touches.

harbor freight. they're $10 and are accurate enough. if they break bring it back in and exchange it

This is the best thing to do. If you keep breaking the same tool, buy the matco or snap on version.

does any of you own this shitty excuse for a tool? i bought one since chrisfix shills it in some videos but it's absolutely useless. i've spent more than an hour in total aligning these shitty pipes and adaptors and keeping the car part in place while cranking the tool is impossible.

not like it could ever loosen a ball joint either as it took 10 tons of pressure on a press to get out and i assume i'll need around 5 tons to put the whole way in

i want a welder and a big air compressor. then i can start putting together a set of air tools.

I actually want one of these sets to do some u joints. I'm hope somebody can recommend one that isn't ass. I see a lot of videos of people using impact wrenches with them, so I'd say try that so you have a free hand to keep the clamp part aligned. The hardest part seems to be finding a relatively affordable home mechanic version where the clamp doesn't bend on you, and then having a decent range of adapters. I'm sure there's gonna be joints where you end up using your sockets anyway.

I dunno, anybody got a ball joint/u joint tool rec? I'm looking for something around the $100 mark.

Good starter toolkit for someone who’s never worked on a car before?

By the way, I think it's ok to use PB blaster or something on the joint, too. Hey, so did you have to just take the damn steering knuckle off and have a shop press them out? Are you going sand the rust off the holes and deburr the edges? I might just buy a new knuckle if they're chewed up really bad.

I've used a very similar one with very good results

>socket set with 1/4" 3/8" and 1/2" drive ratchets
>a set of spanners. (metric if thats your vw)
>wire cutters/crimpers/strippers
>a couple sizes of adjustable crescent wrench
>breaker bar (with a longer hollow pipe you can slide over it for extra leverage)
>pliers (round nose/needle nose)
>a steady supply of break parts cleaner and PB blaster
>jack and jack stands (2 minimum)

this would probably be your most commonly used stuff, and im sure i forgot about some necessities. some of the other guys probably have input on the essentials.

Basically, you're gonna need a ratcheting socket wrench set with an array of standard and metric sockets, combination wrenches, a spark plug socket, some socket wrench extensions, a torque wrench, various screw drivers, some style of oil filter wrench, and a couple pairs of pliers. From there you can buy individual tools as needed, really. You'll know when you need a specific tool. I'd get a jack and a couple jack stands, too.

to be fair, none of the adapters on the tool i got actually fit properly and the tool itself is strong but having 3 widths is fucking ridiculous. should have thought about that when i bought it but what you spend on a good kit gets close to buying you a used hydraulic press

summitracing.com/int/parts/apt-7865 pic related is what i bought.

yeah, i was able to do it at my high school until my teacher got angry about not being able to boss me around like the teenagers around there and banned me from doing auto repairs in class. i dont need to prep the hole at all since the ball joint was seated so nicely in there and the car is only 10 years old.

did any of the adapters fit? i'll have to make tons of them on a bench when school starts again

This, they actually are not bad if you can't afford USA-made and want new tools.

what is it?

am i the only one that doesnt really like ratcheting wrenches? i can never get it to stay on the bolt head while i ratchet. maybe thats my fault though

i love them. put your thumb on the bolt head

Gearwrench makes good shit, actually. Their multi-purpose ratcheting sockets are a bit better than most because they're not just fucking little bumps and have a reduced chance of rounding out your fasteners - they actually fit pretty tight and have more contact area.

They can take some practice getting used to if the bolt head is not flanged (built in washer)

not particularly Veeky Forums related but I thought an inflatable shim would be neat

for second i was thinking, "duh, why didnt i think of that?" i think its because im only using spanners anytime i dont have space for a ratchet. every tool has its place. i think ill give ratcheting wrenching another go.

It's a ball joint press tool. You know the two ball joints on your steering knuckle (top and bottom) that allow you to turn your wheels left and right via the tie rods or whatever mechanisms? Well those joints are press fit into the sockets with extremely tight fits and require something like this or a hydraulic press to install or remove. All those little adapter plates (theoretically) fit within or around the holes on the knuckles or yokes of axle/drive shafts. Problem is, they don't always have the size you needed on your vehicle.

You mean this? I use them all the time for dashpads