Tools for a weekend warrior

[Davin Yap]

Hey there! It’s been a while since I last posted on this forum. I have a question for all of you weekend warriors out there. What tools do you have in your toolbox? What are the essentials and what are the extras.

This question might be a little broad, but I’m just curious about what tools any of you have.

Thanks!
Dav

Topic

[Dave Tidman]

According to my wife, I have too many tools! As a weekend warrior, here is what is in my box.

bare necessities (for me):

1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 sockets and ratchets
3/8, 1/2 breaker bars
screwdrivers
Torx bits or sockets
Combination wrenches
Allen sockets or wrenches
Triple squares (wifemobile is a VW, you are fixing nothing without triple squares)
Flashlight
test light
BFH (Big F*&^#ng Hammer)

Good to have:

OBDII scan tool w/live data (getting to be more of a necessity)
multimeter
pry bars
gasket scraper
feeler gauges
1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 torque wrenches
line wrenches
long combination wrenches

Dipping into luxury:

Cordless Impact, impact sockets and lug sockets (1/2″)
Ratcheting combination wrenches
Long handle ratchets
Oscilloscope
Boroscope
Infrared Thermometer

A lot of my basic tools I picked up at garage sales and craigslist, a lot of tool truck brands in there. Others range from craftsman to parts store brands.
I do have a stash of Harbor Freight stuff I keep in my garage for quickies, I figure if someone breaks in and takes them, no big deal. I keep the good stuff in the basement and haul it out when needed.

I’m also finding this:
In my teens, I got the bolt out with a 1/4 socket
In my 20s, it took a 3/8
In my 30s, it took a 1/2
In my 40s, I took a 1/2 with a breaker bar
In my 50s, I said screw it and got an impact

[skim3544]

pretty much what dtidman has, but add
2 – 3 ton floor jack and jack stands of many sizes. I use two to make tire rotation easier.
Vehicle ramp (sometimes easier to use ramp than jack stands)
Chain vise grip
strap vise grip
adjustable wrench set
3-4 different styles of engine oil filter wrenches
engine compression gauge
tap and die set
fuel line clamps
number of magnet pick-ups
Plumbers Blow torch

I use Milwaukee M18 cordless system – pricey but gets the job done. I have tons of air tools but they sit inside of the tool box. Only air tool I use is Air Hammer – because they don’t make battery powered air hammer (yet). Then I have two large rolling tool boxes to store all the tools.

Under luxury,
I have various special tools for Honda, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes, and diesel. These are the tools that you use only once or twice because they are vehicle specific.
cylinder dial bore gauge
inside micrometer
outside micrometer
piston ring compressor
3lb brass hammer (for hitting on metals without damaging)
Reciprocating saw with metal cutting blade (saved my butt few times working on Honda suspension)
Cherry picker engine hoist (usually to support engine from top)
engine stand

[Davin Yap]

I was thinking of getting some tools to do some basic maintenance job on the car since the car’s warranty period is over. Eric provides videos for most of the fluid change in the car. Just need to know what other tools i might want to get besides the tools Eric specified in his videos.

Thanks for the reply everyone! A floor jack and jackstands will be the first! B)

[Gareth Randall]

As well as the usual range of sockets and ratchets, I’d highly recommend a decent 1/2″ cordless impact. I have the IR W7150, which is a few years old now but is still a powerful professional-level tool that’s significantly cheaper than when I bought mine! It’s never been beaten by anything, including the biggest axle nuts and suspension fasteners on old rusty Jeeps.

[Davin Yap]

Yup, almost forget the cordless impact. Makes things easier to unbolt stuffs. Thanks for the reply! 🙂

[ryley]

depends on what you’re working on, and how much your willing to do. Somehow I am stuck fixing friends trucks, I have everything listed. However I would add a good Ball joint press, good set of snap ring pliers, and a set of striking pry bars. (Don’t cheap out, OTC is good, as for snap ring pliers otc/snap on/bluepoint/Mac/Matco, any striking type pry bars.)

A nice add-on is a air compressor and a air hammer or a rivet gun.

[TheFella]

I probably have too many tools. Lol.

A jack and 4 jack stands

I have standard sets of 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″ drive ratchets and sockets, both deep well and shallow. This also includes a few adapters and extensions

Phillips and flat head screwdrivers of various lengths and bit sizes.

7-16, and 19 mm combination wrenches. I also have a set of ratcheting combination wrenches. I love them, but my main complaint is that the ratcheting head is a bit too thick to fit into some applications.

A couple of AC service tools. Specifically a manifold gauge set and an oil injector tool.

3/8″ and 1/2″ drive 18″ breaker bars

A set of assorted impact sockets, both 1/2″ and 3/8″ drive

An air impact

A window crank removal tool

Various Torx head bits, including the “security” bits

A tri-wing screwdriver that I use only for opening my Gameboy Color

An air angle die grinder

A heat gun

Snap ring pliers with changeable heads

A rubber mallet (when all else fails, hit it with a rubber mallet)

Zip ties

A UV light

A magnetic work light

A battery powered 18 V drill. I also use it to quickly remove nuts/bolts after I break them loose with a ratchet.

[Sam Roodman]

It all depends on what you wish to accomplish.

my recycle yard bag (usually remaining in my car) and mostly hf, or kobalt or just plain crappy stuff found lost in the yard

Dead blow mallet

Screwdrivers both Phillips and flats of several different sizes

100 piece screw driver tip kit including security bits.

Metric line wrenches

3/8 sockets in both sae and metric

1/4 deep wells in both sae and metric

Double ended metric box wrenches

15″ 1/2 breaker bar that has a 15″ conduit sheath. (Good for extra leverage)

Needle nose pliars

Lineman pliars

Vise grips of different types

Crc freeze off

Set of picks

Flash light

Diagonal cutters

Tweezers

Spoon (good for scraping quarters out of yucky cars)

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[Mike]

An 18″, 24″ or larger pry bar can be a life saver. When you need one, nothing else will do. What I’m thinking of is one of those pry bars that resembles an oversized flathead screwdriver, but really isn’t a screwdriver.

Similarly, a set of tapered alignment punches really have no substitute.

Don’t ignore tools that come from the realm of woodworking. A selection of “C clamps” can be very useful third hands, and also come in handy for temporary emergency repairs. For instance, if a siezed steel bolt breaks off in an aluminum casting, like an alternator body, you can often re-install the alternator in its mounting brackets by clamping it down tight with a C clamp. These clamps also work well for tightening flakey exhaust system joints where the fasteners have rotted away, like where a downpipe attaches to the exhaust manifold. You can always come back to deal with the fubar fasteners on another day when you have the time.

Also, a cheap circular saw is handy when you need to cut 4″X4″ lumber to build some “log cabin” style cribbing to support a raised vehicle, and you don’t have enough jack stands, or the jack stands are way too tall to fit under the vehicle.

[Sam Roodman]

[quote=”Evil-i” post=190183]An 18″, 24″ or larger pry bar can be a life saver. When you need one, nothing else will do. What I’m thinking of is one of those pry bars that resembles an oversized flathead screwdriver, but really isn’t a screwdriver.

Similarly, a set of tapered alignment punches really have no substitute.

Don’t ignore tools that come from the realm of woodworking. A selection of “C clamps” can be very useful third hands, and also come in handy for temporary emergency repairs. For instance, if a siezed steel bolt breaks off in an aluminum casting, like an alternator body, you can often re-install the alternator in its mounting brackets by clamping it down tight with a C clamp. These clamps also work well for tightening flakey exhaust system joints where the fasteners have rotted away, like where a downpipe attaches to the exhaust manifold. You can always come back to deal with the fubar fasteners on another day when you have the time.

Also, a cheap circular saw is handy when you need to cut 4″X4″ lumber to build some “log cabin” style cribbing to support a raised vehicle, and you don’t have enough jack stands, or the jack stands are way too tall to fit under the vehicle.[/quote]Both Tekton and hf have pry bars like that. Comes in a set of 4

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[TheFella]

What are lineman pliers?

[Author]

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