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  • More Tool Talk

    I know there have been several tool threads lately, but i have a serious question as a young hotrodder. I have recieved a decent amount of money for christmas and my 18th birthday. I have also been saving up and working as much as i can lately. I want to buy a good tool set but im not sure where to begin. I could go the craftsman route (i have almost 200 bucks in sears gift cards), i could go the snap-on route, or an off name brand.

    I have a very limited supply of tools (basic rachet set, wrench sets, ect) but i often find myself in the garage without the right tools. at my schools auto shop we have a large amount of tools and ive never not had the right tool, but im graduating in May so i will not have access to the shop.

    Basically i want to know what you guys think i should get. I plan on working on cars for the rest of my life, hopefully professionally (but not at a dealership). Like i said, i have some money to sears so i think im going to start out with a few torque wrenches (im sick of borrowing). but should i buy a whole craftsman set? im on a budget, but at the same time i want to invest in something which will last. Any thoughts guys?


    Bill

  • #2
    Re: More Tool Talk

    Bill,

    My suggestion is to be realistic with your tools. Unless you have a huge wad of cash or are working on cars for a living, I would leave Snap-On and the like alone. I would also leave anything made in China or Taiwan alone for the exact OPPOSITE reason. Craftsman, S-K, Proto and other good American-made quality tools are available with their lifetime warranty for much less money than Snap-On, Mac and Matco.

    A good set of combination wrenches, standard and metric, ranging in size from 5/16" to 1" and 7mm to 19mm is a great place to start. Also included in your first set of tools should be a 3/8" drive ratchet and a 1/2" drive ratchet and a good assortment of shallow and deep-well sockets. A good quality screwdriver set, including Philips and Torx is a wise addition. Invest in a GOOD 1-pound ball peen hammer, too!

    I would lay off the air tools until you get a bit more cash to play with as they are only good with a compressor and as you know full well, a compressor is a good chunk of change.

    Check eBay for used tools. They have a large variety to choose from.

    Ron
    It's really no different than trying to glue them back on after she has her way.

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    • #3
      Re: More Tool Talk

      The most usefull toolset I have is the socket-set I got for FREE years ago with my BP-fuel "FreeBees"-pointsystem.
      Although it's a cheap-a$$ set, it has helped me out more times than I can remember.

      It came with numerous of bits, torx-bits, allen wrenches, Metric and Inch-sockets starting from 1/4" and up.
      I just replaced the ratchet for a better one 'cause these Chinese things suck of course.
      Best value for 'money' I ever got.

      www.BigBlockMopar.com

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      • #4
        Re: More Tool Talk

        I bought a 240 piece Craftsman set in about 1987 for the same intended purpose as you. I still have it -- its well used and I've added a lot of stuff over the years, but very few were ever lost or broken. I have replaced a few for free over the years and overall am very happy with it.

        That 240 piece set (of course they have changed their sets from time to time) was about the perfect size -- it had all the basics, both metric and SAE, along with some pliers and screw drivers.

        One Craftsman product I would stay away from is their clicker style TQ wrenches. I have had a couple come apart and loose their TQ setting -- they want a mint to refurb and calibrate. I would look at Snapon for TQ wrenches personally (no beam style stuff)

        I hope that helps!

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        • #5
          Re: More Tool Talk

          First thing I'd recommend is to go to every Pawn shop in town and find the best Tool Box you can afford.... ( look around for that Torque wrench ... but don't sweat it if you don't find one dirt cheap... it would have to be calibrated and that's more then most wrenches are worth...)....

          While your in the pawn shop get a feeling for what stuff costs...there... Then run off to Sears and buy the Very best tool set you can with the money you have left....

          Basically this is how I've built my tool set over the last 32 yrs. I have bought a bit of Snap-on New in the last few years... but only because Money has become a bit easier for me... but almost all the tools in my boxes have come from Pawn shops... even my big Snap On Roll away came from one for 500 bucks 5 or 6 yrs ago...

          I should share that my folks owned one of these and my brother who ran them would save all these Snap on stuff for me... but so did several pawn shop owners in the city's I lived in... they knew I was interested in good quality tools and be by every so often....

          When you don't live near swap meets... what else are you going to do?

          Keith... ( yeah basically I'm cheap as hell )

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          • #6
            Re: More Tool Talk

            I got some great deals on Craftsman and Snap-On on the eBay site. Good luck !!!

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            • #7
              Re: More Tool Talk

              Buy the basic stuff, end wrenches, plyers, hammers, chisels, screwdrivers, sockets, ratchets etc..... Buy the special tools as you need them. I have found out that it is cheaper to go buy a tool to do a job than it is to pay somebody to do the job for you then you have the tool the next time that particular job somes up. If your doing a paying job, buy the tool needed to do the job and use the procedes to pay for it. It also helps to have a friend who owns a shop so you can borrow a tool once in a while. Pawn shops and yard sales are a good source for good used stuff.

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              • #8
                Re: More Tool Talk

                What Keith said.
                You need a tool box, then you can keep hold of all of the tools you do buy.
                Buy decent quality, not over the top (Craftsman is a good starting point). Replace whatever breaks (the stuff that gets used the most/hardest) with Snap-on. If you need a specialty tool you cannot borrow from somebody (hoist, puller, etc), buy it instead of renting. You will have a decent set of tools in a few years.
                Take care of these tools. Clean them and put them back where they belong when you are finished using them. The extra time you spend will pay back when you don't have to search the garage for something the next time you need it, and if anything is missing you can find it before you drive away and it falls out on the road.

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                • #9
                  Re: More Tool Talk

                  Originally posted by FEF100
                  ... Clean them and put them back where they belong when you are finished using them. The extra time you spend will pay back when you don't have to search the garage for something the next time you need it, and if anything is missing you can find it before you drive away and it falls out on the road.
                  Our local racetrack has a fully-stocked toolbox with all the tools they have picked up from the starting line. It pays off in the long run to make sure your tools STAY your tools!

                  Ron
                  It's really no different than trying to glue them back on after she has her way.

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                  • #10
                    Re: More Tool Talk

                    The first tool box was the most fun by far... everything after that has been required to sort out the junk thats been collected.

                    Seems like I spent hours and hours sorting out exactly where everything was going to set... ultimately it stayed like the original set up most of it's life...

                    One of the things you learn in Helicopter mechanic's school is to organize and build a way of instant inventory for you junk... ( seems they were a little pissy about you leaving stuff around the helicopter )...

                    You had to open the box and be able to see "everything" you owned... and out side of that you got tools from a tool room.

                    Anyway the best part of all that is Normally other then racing I've maintained my set fairly well...

                    K

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                    • #11
                      Re: More Tool Talk

                      I appreciate the replies guys. im really looking forward to this. i guess i technically should buy the box first, but i have found a nice set at sears that i like (and can afford). is the general consensus that i should NOT buy a beam style torque wrench? i have used both and dont really care that much, but should i buy a click style instead? Thanks


                      Bill

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                      • #12
                        Re: More Tool Talk

                        Click's are better... but I've still got my Craftsman bar type and it's put on a Bunch of cylinder heads in it's life... Not many bottom ends... always borrowed a click type back then...

                        K

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                        • #13
                          Re: More Tool Talk

                          Originally posted by NMCA_Ron
                          Buy decent quality, not over the top (Craftsman is a good starting point). Replace whatever breaks (the stuff that gets used the most/hardest) with Snap-on.
                          Very good advice here, I dont know how many craftsman 3/8 ratchets I've had to get fixed/replaced over the years...bought a snap on 5 years ago and never had any issues with it.

                          They really did make tools better in the old days, so listen to Keith's words of wisdom
                          My fabulous web page

                          "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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                          • #14
                            Re: More Tool Talk

                            Originally posted by KeithTurk
                            ( look around for that Torque wrench ... but don't sweat it if you don't find one dirt cheap... it would have to be calibrated and that's more then most wrenches are worth...)
                            Here's a cheap and easy way to calibrate your torque wrench at home, so that it's close enough for almost anybody. Clamp the square drive end in the vice, and rotate the wrench until the handle is horizontal. Measure out one foot along the handle from the center of the square drive end and mark the spot. Use a piece of welding rod or music wire, and bend it into a hook that will go over the handle of the wrench at that spot; tape it in place. Then, hang weights from your Charles Atlas dumbell set on the wire (everybody has one of those, right?), and note the weights you are hanging vs. the deflection of the beam of the wrench. If you have a clicker, just keep changing the click setting until it just clicks when the weight is added. If you have a longer handle, measure out more than a foot and divide appropriately (30 pounds at 18 inches is the same as 45 pounds at 12 inches, etc.)

                            You can develop a correction factor using this method that will ensure accurate torque values. For example, one of my clicker wrenches clicks at 100 ft-lbs on the wrench, but is actually delivering 112 foot pounds to the bolt I'm tightening. If I need to torque to 100 ft-lbs, I just set the wrench at 88, and I know I'm very close. This particular wrench was given to me by a guy who knew it was off somewhat, and didn't want to pay to have it calibrated ;D

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                            • #15
                              Re: More Tool Talk

                              I have a couple of those Craftsman clickers that lose their setting, they are pretty easy to get back working again, I've calibrated them with a beam torque wrench and a 1/2" 8 pt socket. Just make sure you never go over about 100 ft lbs with them (they go up to 150) because that's what gets them to go haywire, you have to tighten the plastic handle against that spring, and all that's holding it on is two nuts jammed up against it.

                              My fabulous web page

                              "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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