Fill a Toolbox...

Well, went to my parent's place tonight (across from St. Marks School) to pick up some tools and supplies to paint with. Only problem is my craftsman tool box sara bought me for christmas and all my tools are gone, along with the weed wacker, blower, and lord knows what else. My dad has a tendency to forger to close the garage door. Plus, tonight i opened the garage door, opened the door to the kitchen, and walked up on my parents who were sitting in the kitchen eating watching tv without them realizing anyone was in the house-- my mom jumped out of her skin. I know my tools were there last night when i took the miata out of the garage, so it happened between 8pm tues. and 8pm wed.

Anyways, done ranting. The reason for the post is I now have no tools. No SAE or Metric Wrenches, no pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, vice grips, wire cutters, tin snips, pipe wrenches, and any other hand tool I've forgotten about.

I need suggestions on what to buy-- preferably cheap Harbor freight style tools that will last for a couple years of medium/ light use. I know the screwdrivers I had came from harbor freight and they were fantastic. Links or any suggestions appreciated.




Funny thing is they didn't touch any of my dad's crappy tools as far as we can tell.... GRRRRRR

? Marks denote things I am not sure on. If there isn't a question mark, i already had it from Harbor Frieght

The biggest question I think is what Metric/ Sae wrenches??... The ones I had before were a gift from my uncle, anyone have experience with the HF Wrenches?

Screwdrivers? $7.99 (don't see the ones i had before)

Offset Ratchet Wrenches? $9.99

Torx bits $7.99

Trim Removal $7.99

Breaker Bar $10.99


Wobble Extensions $11.99 VERY USEFULL

Claw Hammer Sounds silly, but my BFH with a wooden handle served me well.... One of the first tools I ever owned.. Similar, but not exactly what I had

Pliers? $8.99

Vice Grips $2.99

Tin Snips $8.99

Telescoping Magnet $1.87

Wire Stripper $4.99

Hacksaw? $4.99



And lord knows what else that I can't think of... hex keys, ford stereo removal tools... I'm tired

torque wrench, dremel.....

I would start with one of the Craftsman Mechanic's tool sets. I started my toolbox with one of these twelve years ago, and it still makes up the bulk of the tools I use on a regular basis.

I would also add a nice set of GearWrenches to the above.

I buy the occasional Harbor Freight tool for something I might not use that often (angle grinder, etc.), and I love their lightweight aluminum jack, but I wouldn't want my day-to-day wrenches and ratchets to be Harbor Freight.

http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_101...7&blockType=L7

FWIW - I started with a setup similar to this 154 Piece Set back in 1984 & I still have it today. It is inch & Metric which is nice since I got cars that have both.

My wife has given me some really cool tools over the years and now I have a pretty good collection.

my experience with HF wrenches and ratchets and ratcheting wrenches has been less than ideal.

I use the "slightly cheaper than craftsman" ratcheting wrenches from Sears (gear wrench like Iain posted, you want the flat ones, not ones with the offset head), cheapest "lifetime warranty" box/open wrenches I could buy from HD/Lowes/Sears and Husky (lifetime warranty) ratchets from HD (in 3/8 and 1/2 drive).

I use a cheap set of HF impact sockets for the few times I need a big 1/2 drive socket, but otherwise I stopped using cheap sockets a long time ago (rounded bolts, broken socket walls, etc. My husky deep well 1/2 drive sockets are likely my favorite sockets since with the 1/2 drive and deep well I can get most anywhere and put an incredible amount of force onto bolts that otherwise wouldn't be removed easily (think rusted exhaust).

Other things you might want to consider:
- extensions in 3/8 and 1/2. I'm talking more than just the standard 3" and 6", but at least a 12" and 18". On the Evo you had to use a wobble (wrap them in electrical tape to make them stay in one place) with a 6" then an 18" extension through the passenger wheel well to get to one exhaust shield and bolt without sitting on the engine.
- offset wrench for pulling exhaust manifolds
- o2 sensor socket
- hex/allen wrench set (HF sells a cheap one that I use quite a bit)
- good pliers set (with wire cutters, wide jaw, needle nose). The orange handled ones from HF have served me well.
- hammer (HF)
- sledge hammer (HF)
- small ball peen hammer (HF http://www.harborfreight.com/8-oz-st...mer-95930.html -- incredibly useful for brake pads!)
- pipe wrench
- lock pliers (the ones from HF SUCK get good ones)
- adjustable wrench (the one with the spinning gear to open and close, you're going to need this for plumbing fixtures in your house and it works for messing with tie rod ends)

Oh yea my folks added something simmilar to this to the house because they would forget to close the garage door also.

Be sure to get on the HF mailing list if that's the route you are going to take. I get coupons from them every single day.

And I agree with the others - you really want good quality tools for what you'll use the most. If you will be using wrenches and screwdrivers every day, it is worth the price to get better ones (all mine are Snap-On from when I worked in different shops, but that's a bit overkill for the home user - I would get a Craftsman set like linked above if I never was a professional tech). If you're only going to use them once or twice a month, you might be OK with HF wrenches, but eh. I would recommend you stay away from crappy ratchets - I can't tell you how many bloody knuckles I've seen from them giving up under load. The cheaper ratchet wrenches I've known people to use will skip a few teeth, so you have to "reset" them, but work fine for light duty. Keep any eye on car forums - Sears has ridiculous sales on the Gear Wrench ratchet wrenches fairly often.

I had a cheap wrench that I had no problems grinding down to make it my manifold wrench, so disposable tools do have their place. Same with the stuff you'll only use once or twice ever: If you can't borrow it, buy the HF version.

I've gotten by on some pretty basic stuff and filled in as needed.

Task Force socket set: 1/4" & 3/8" ratchets, metric and SAE sockets. This set covers 95% of my needs and it's proven to be plenty sturdy - I regularly use the extensions and sockets with my air tools. And it includes a real spark-plug socket.

Metric GearWrenches: Combination open-end/ratcheting box-end. Can't find the link to the set I bought, but they look like this.

Assorted HF pliers. These are OK, but they're kind of cranky and don't work as smoothly as name-brand stuff.

Hand-me-down channel locks from my dad's tool box. The giant pair is perfect for squeezing pistons back into brake calipers.

Pep Boys 1/2" metric deep impact sockets.

Assorted screwdrivers. I've scavenged from my dad's toolbox and picked up a few at auto parts stores.

Trim popper. I bought one at HF but I don't think I've ever used it.

Good utility knife. I've got a sturdy all-metal one that holds extra blades and is easy to adjust and swap blades.

HF kitchen/utility scissors. Picked 'em up for $0.88/pair. I keep one in the tool box and one in the kitchen. Perfect for trimming hang-down bits off your belly pan...

Cobalt(?) 1/2" torque wrench from Lowes. At one point I heard these were made by Matco or Snap-On or something. That's probably BS, but I won't ever buy another Craftsman after mine literally exploded... and they wouldn't replace it.

Random Vise Grips.

HF jack stands. I toyed with the idea of the aluminum units, but the old-fashioned ones were too cheap to pass up.

HF aluminum racing jack. Can't beat it for any price, but at $60 it's a steal.

Assorted air tools and a cheapo Sears compressor.

+1 on the craftsman starter sets. i would go metric. i watched an electrician holding a main power feed with HF pliers as they came apart in his hands... he was sweating hard for a few minutes and swore he'd never get another tool from there. having said that i do have a HF engine stand, safety wire pliers, and special tools... but for a starter set, i'd look at craftsman or lowes

and if you need anything, i am in that part of town and you are welcome to use what i have.

You might consider driving to the flea market in Canton this weekend to pick up tools. I have bought some great old tools for next to nothing.

Check some local pawn shops as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by motorollow

You might consider driving to the flea market in Canton this weekend to pick up tools. I have bought some great old tools for next to nothing.

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Heck, you might even get to buy your old tools back!

lol. thanks for the suggestions so far... the wrenches were the big ??? as i had no experience with HF ones, but i am leery of their quality.

Thankfully my sockets were on another shelf, and they missed those, so at least i have them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by altiain

I would also add a nice set of GearWrenches to the above.

I buy the occasional Harbor Freight tool for something I might not use that often (angle grinder, etc.), and I love their lightweight aluminum jack, but I wouldn't want my day-to-day wrenches and ratchets to be Harbor Freight.

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Thats exactly what i need as far as the wrenches go... the price floors me though. They were a gift, so i never had to buy them.

as for the jack, i have the same one. They only seemed to grab stuff with name brands, i likely lost the toobox because it said "Craftsman"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by goofygrin

Other things you might want to consider:
- extensions in 3/8 and 1/2. I'm talking more than just the standard 3" and 6", but at least a 12" and 18". On the Evo you had to use a wobble (wrap them in electrical tape to make them stay in one place) with a 6" then an 18" extension through the passenger wheel well to get to one exhaust shield and bolt without sitting on the engine.
- offset wrench for pulling exhaust manifolds
- o2 sensor socket
- hex/allen wrench set (HF sells a cheap one that I use quite a bit)
- good pliers set (with wire cutters, wide jaw, needle nose). The orange handled ones from HF have served me well.
- hammer (HF)
- sledge hammer (HF)
- small ball peen hammer (HF http://www.harborfreight.com/8-oz-st...mer-95930.html -- incredibly useful for brake pads!)
- pipe wrench
- lock pliers (the ones from HF SUCK get good ones)
- adjustable wrench (the one with the spinning gear to open and close, you're going to need this for plumbing fixtures in your house and it works for messing with tie rod ends)

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The extensions were usefull, i had the HF set, and they earned their keep, never had one break on me. which adjustable wrenches did you buy? Forgot about a dead blow/ sledge.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trickyrix

I've gotten by on some pretty basic stuff and filled in as needed.

Metric GearWrenches: Combination open-end/ratcheting box-end. Can't find the link to the set I bought, but they look like this.

Assorted HF pliers. These are OK, but they're kind of cranky and don't work as smoothly as name-brand stuff.

Hand-me-down channel locks from my dad's tool box. The giant pair is perfect for squeezing pistons back into brake calipers.

Pep Boys 1/2" metric deep impact sockets.

Assorted screwdrivers. I've scavenged from my dad's toolbox and picked up a few at auto parts stores.

Trim popper. I bought one at HF but I don't think I've ever used it.

Good utility knife. I've got a sturdy all-metal one that holds extra blades and is easy to adjust and swap blades.

HF kitchen/utility scissors. Picked 'em up for $0.88/pair. I keep one in the tool box and one in the kitchen. Perfect for trimming hang-down bits off your belly pan...

Cobalt(?) 1/2" torque wrench from Lowes. At one point I heard these were made by Matco or Snap-On or something. That's probably BS, but I won't ever buy another Craftsman after mine literally exploded... and they wouldn't replace it.

Random Vise Grips.

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I guess i'm the only one to use trim poppers and window crank removers, lol. Forgot about utility knife and shears. Also had a scraper in there. I'll have to look and see if my deep well sockets are there still, as they had their own case.


I guess the gear wrenches are gonna set me back the most.... the one ting i didn't buy myself, dammit, lol

I have a set of gear wrenches in metric and SAE. Mine are closed end on both sides (one ratchets, one doesn't). We got them on sale because they are crazy expensive. Join the craftsman club and they send you discounts and sale alerts. I have a set of SAE and metric box/closed craftsman wrenches (gift years ago).

The adjustable wrenches are a mix of craftsman from 20 years ago and a cheap set of HF ones http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece...h-set-903.html

I just used an old towel to get the clip off the window crank. All you do is slide the towel behind the crank, move it back and forth, then watch the c-clip go flying across the garage! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by motorollow

... then watch the c-clip go flying across the garage! :)

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I swear there is a corner of my garage that has a half a dozen c clips and other important nuts and bolts in it.

I wonder if HF sells a huge magnetic thing I can put around the car to catch errant pieces...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by motorollow

I just used an old towel to get the clip off the window crank. All you do is slide the towel behind the crank, move it back and forth, then watch the c-clip go flying across the garage! :)

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+1!!!

As far as pliers go. I prefer the Knipex Cobra pliers for their grip and a set of the Klien screw drivers and pliers for durability. Home depot carries Klein, but they are not necesarily the cheapest for Klein tools.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by goofygrin

I swear there is a corner of my garage that has a half a dozen c clips and other important nuts and bolts in it.

I wonder if HF sells a huge magnetic thing I can put around the car to catch errant pieces...

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Yes they do!

Attachment 4707

Oh you said "put around the car" I thought it was "pull around with the car". My bad.

+1 million on teh crafstman starter set. Got one for Xmas when I turned 16, and I still use it, more than 20 years later. They have terrific sales on them regularly, like $150 for a massive set, adn they come in nice carrying cases these days.

Please buy THIS. ::Banana::

MAC Dale Earnhardt Gold Plated Impact Wrench

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/4...z25t5a9u2b.jpg

As someone who works with tools daily, I prefer quality tools on the common stuff but HF is good for the occasional, uncommon hand tool. I agree. Pony up for a Craftsman starter set and it will last you a lifetime.

It might be worth visiting a pawn shop or two. Especially in this economy, I bet there are plenty of nicely filled toolboxes out there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by motorollow

I just used an old towel to get the clip off the window crank. All you do is slide the towel behind the crank, move it back and forth, then watch the c-clip go flying across the garage! :)

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Thats why the tool is great for removing 'jesus clips'. One hand over top, other hand with tool under crank, push it up, and it pops into your hand....

(that sounds nasty)

I'm gonna keep my eye on sears. The starter sets look nice, maybe it will go on sale before i need tools.....

May try borrow some wrenches and tools from my dad's stack as i need to replace a toilet seat, a ceiling fan, and rewire some plugs in the 'new' den.... humbug.

sale on gear wrenches: http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthr...6359&t=2269161

Quote:

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Originally Posted by goofygrin

sale on gear wrenches: http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthr...6359&t=2269161

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I've had several gear wrench ratchet wrenches fail. It's also a PITA to get them warrantied.

Be that as it may, they're handy as hell... and you pretty much have to have one to R&R the alternator.

Are you putting a cheater bar on 'em and torquing head bolts or something? :rolleyes:

Well, picked up a couple of things when we were at Harbor Freight getting tools to modify Mike's kitchen cabinets so the fridge would fit. I looked at the wrenches, and they look and feel like crap, as do the vice grips. The vice grips they have now are inferior to the ones I bought there years ago. That said, I did pick up afew things I've had good luck with in the past.

Heavy dudty screwdrivers
Wobble extensions
Offset small ratchet wrenches
Wire snips/ crimpers
Big yellow hammer
Magnetic pick up
Nail set/ punch


I need some gear wrenches, pliers, grips, snips and some other things, but I have a start now.

http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-to...het-96369.html

get one! get it now. never regret it. i bought one two weeks ago to help with a cas o-rig swap and removing that damn third bolt on the coil pack, and it has replaced my nice craftsman ratchet. makes hard to reach nuts and bolts cake to remove.

also i had no clue how handy these were to have until i need them the other day.

http://www.mysears.com/Craftsman-Bol...er-Set-reviews

and +1 on the kline screw drivers and pliers. spend the money get the klines they are worth every penny. elliots electrical supply carries them. i used them every day when i was wiring houses.

last but not least gear wrenches kick total ass. i have the cross force set which allows you to put mega pressure on the wrench with out hurting your hands.