Time to help out the new guy

[TK-421]

So, with the mentality of "buy once, cry once", and with the mentality of "If I buy the cheap tool now, and the good tool later, it'll end up being more expensive than if I just buy the good tool now", I'm looking at 1/2" chrome sockets.

I have used the search function, and even google, but haven't come across something that fits my exact scenario, plus I have some other questions too, so I thought I'd just go ahead and start a thread anyways.

In regards to my question that will annoy some people who think the answer can be found with the search function: What would you choose for your first chrome 1/2" socket set? SK or Snap-on. The curve ball here is that I'll soon (hopefully) be in the Snap-On Student program where I'll be able to get Snap-On stuff for 50% off. However, I'm not 100% on that 50% off. Can someone who has been in Snap-On's student program let me know if the prices really are about 50% of retail for their socket sets and individual sockets?

I'd be looking at roughly $550 for SK sockets if I act soon and use that $50 off a $250+ order coupon that Zoro will have on the 18th and 19th, but if I wait for Spring and Snap-On's SEP (Student Excellence Program), then I'd be looking at somewhere in the ballpark of $750.

Specifically I'm looking at 1/2" Drive chrome sockets, both shallow and deep, in 9-27mm and 3/8"-1-1/4". If someone is in the SEP and has the time, I'd really appreciate it if they could price check for me and see what I'd actually be spending, rather than just ball parking it. I was looking at their SEP site and picked out their most complete kits and then filling them in with single sockets to make up for the missing ones.

However, money isn't the only deciding factor here. If it was, then I'd pick the SK sockets and be done with it. What I'm also wanting to know about is the ease of Warranty. Anybody who has warrantied SK or Snap-On would be nice to hear your opinions.

In regards to SK, I'm presuming that no tool trucks stock them, and so you'd have to ship them to SK? Or does SK simply want a picture and they ship you a new one? Who pays for shipping?

In regards to Snap-On, am I correct in assuming that almost every shop has a Snap-On guy come by, so the chances of me winding up at a shop that won't have a Snap-On truck will be pretty slim? So warranty for Snap-On should be pretty easy, I'm hoping. To get something warrantied on the Snap-On truck you don't have to have actually bought the item from that guy, right? The truck guy will usually warranty stuff you've bought off eBay? So I should be safe buying from the SEP and then warrantying them with someone else in a different state in a few years?

I don't mind paying extra for Snap-On, I'm just wondering if they're going to be worth the $200-ish extra over the SK. Honestly, I think they will be, and I like the Snap-On logo (stupid, I know), however, I need to talk things out before I make major purchases like this, and I wanted to bounce some ideas off of people, so I'm making this thread so hopefully you more experienced guys would be willing to help out the new guy.

I should have pretty much everything else covered, I'm just down to the 1/2" chrome sockets right now.

But, if you guys have any ideas on tools that Snap-On does better than anybody else, and I should pick up while I'm in their student program, I'd appreciate it. I'm definitely going to be picking up some of their ratchets, but I don't know what else I should pick up. I have Genius for my 1/4 and 3/8 socket sets, but I'm also thinking about replacing those with Snap-On since I had an issue with the Genius 3/8 sockets rounding off a bolt the last time I worked on my car. Granted, that could've been 100% my fault, but I figured it made a nice excuse to upgrade.

P.S. Any advice on body panel tools, or whatever they're called, those plastic tools you use to pop clips and stuff, that would be appreciated too.

tl;dr New guy needs help and needs to bounce ideas off people, so please read it and help me out.

 

[B_Bimmer]

Many people are going to recommend 6 point half inch drive sockets just buy impact. They are probably right. Also, I suspect your price differential will be larger than you expect. Finally, depending on what you are doing stopping at 27mm isn't going to cut it. 30 and 32 are pretty common. More information on your goals and plans is necessary.

 

[1950mercury]

Skip the SK. I hardly ever use 1/2 Chrome almost always impact sockets in 1/2. I hate to say it and I'm sure I'll piss a lot of people off but sk really needs to step up there game in quality control.

Yes you have to mail SK tools in unless it's a ratchet rebuild kit.

The snap on will sell used for about what you pay for them with a 50% discount, SK will not

SK has super sliver krome and flake drive sockets

 

[jrobb316]

1/2" chrome sockets are a complete waste of money. Craftsman USA will do you just fine. I have snap-on 10-36mm deeps and 10-24 shallows in 1/2 impact. Needed large 12 point axle nut sockets and bought the Grey Pneumatic set. You just don't use chrome sockets that large.

 

[Bobioz1]

Not sure what your going to school for but I work on modern cars and light trucks and have for 35 plus years now and I own zero chrome 1/2 drive sockets. Never did and either does anyone else I know. If you work in this trade no one has a better warranty than Snap On tools no matter where you bought them.

 

[TK-421]

Goals and plans are go to Automotive school for two years, get some knowledge in me, and then start working at a repair shop. Probably going to start at a dealership since I hear they pay well, and I'd be more likely to work on just one make. So I can hopefully keep tool costs down moreso than if I had to buy everything to work on everything like I'm guessing you'd be more likely to do at an independent shop.

My dream, in my head, would be to work at a tuner shop, dynoing cars and making them perform at their absolute maximum, as opposed to fixing broken stuff all day long. However, what goes on in my head and what goes on in reality are generally two different things, so I don't know how well I'd like working at a tuner shop, and I don't know if that's my end game or not.

I currently have 1/2" impact sockets from Grey Pneumatic 3/8"-1-1/2" and 10-36mm. So those should be okay rather than buying Snap-On 1/2" chrome sockets?

If that's the consensus, then I'd probably look at instead buying Snap-On in 1/4" and then in 3/8" to replace my two Genius sets, if Snap-On is worth the cost over the Genius sets.

I intend on making automotive work my career, so I'm trying to buy the best tools I can right now, while I'm still living at home and have disposable income, instead of when I'm on my own and don't have any extra money to afford the good stuff.

My goal in regards to tools is to try my best to not be that guy who pays $50/week for the rest of his life. I want to keep my tool truck debt to the absolute bare minimum, and I figure that's easier to do if I buy the good stuff now.

 

[454ragtop]

If I knew 30 yrs ago what I know now, I wouldn't even buy 1/2" chrome. When you get into fasteners this large, the first thing you do is reach for the impact. Can probably count on one hand the number of times I've used a 1/2" drive chrome socket in the past year as a self employed tech working almost daily. Just starting out, I'll bet there are a lot of other tools you'd use a lot more that you don't have yet.

 

[jrobb316]

I was a dealership tech for 16 years. I started with craftsman and upgraded the 1/4" drive stuff to snap on chromes (kept breaking the CMans), still have my 3/8 craftsman chromes though. Most 3/8 you will use on impacts too. Best advice I can give is reconsider you career path.

 

[TK-421]

This is supposed to be a link to my spreadsheet of what tools I have, if anybody wanted to go through and offer suggestions of stuff I have that I should upgrade, or stuff I missed.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mnbawr3Yhbo-P-MhePPhzJ4HeRFQmTfXnESdCOuoX-c/edit?usp=sharing


This is the list of tools I'm required to bring for class, right now I'm only looking specifically at the starter tool set, and the tools for AUMT 1407 and AUMT 1419. The other stuff I won't need until fall of next year, so I'll hold off on buying that stuff until after I have the stuff I need for spring.

http://sites.austincc.edu/autotech/required-tools/

 

[TK-421]

I was a dealership tech for 16 years. I started with craftsman and upgraded the 1/4" drive stuff to snap on chromes, still have my 3/8 craftsman's. Most 3/8 you will use on impacts too. Best advice I can give is reconsider you career path.

I honestly have no idea what else I'd be good at. I'm Autistic (Asperger's), I need to work with my hands, I need puzzles. I like taking things and making them better, or taking broken things and fixing them, I don't like dealing with people constantly (so being able to be back in the shop rather than dealing with customers constantly will be nice), I refuse to have a job where I have to wear a suit or dress clothes all day every day, and I don't find desk jobs to be fun.

I need a job where at the end of the day I can point to something physical and say "I did that. I did something today, and I can show you this thing to prove that I did something and I didn't waste a day of my life without anything to show for it."

No, the pay won't be very good, but I'd rather have 50k/year and be greasy/happy, instead of 100k/year and be miserable behind a desk while wearing a suit.

I did computer classes for a bit and they just didn't hold my interest. I need to work with my hands doing physical things, code isn't physical enough to make me happy, and most trades don't really interest me.

I don't want to install HVAC, or Cable/Satellite TV, I don't want to work on an assembly line in a factory, I don't want to be an electrician or a plumber.

If you've got any ideas on what else I could do then I'm all ears, because I can't come up with anything other than automotive tech.

 

[Askme42]

I honestly have no idea what else I'd be good at. I'm Autistic (Asperger's), I need to work with my hands, I need puzzles. I like taking things and making them better, or taking broken things and fixing them, I don't like dealing with people constantly (so being able to be back in the shop rather than dealing with customers constantly will be nice), I refuse to have a job where I have to wear a suit or dress clothes all day every day, and I don't find desk jobs to be fun.

I need a job where at the end of the day I can point to something physical and say "I did that. I did something today, and I can show you this thing to prove that I did something and I didn't waste a day of my life without anything to show for it."

No, the pay won't be very good, but I'd rather have 50k/year and be greasy/happy, instead of 100k/year and be miserable behind a desk while wearing a suit.

I did computer classes for a bit and they just didn't hold my interest. I need to work with my hands doing physical things, code isn't physical enough to make me happy, and most trades don't really interest me.

I don't want to install HVAC, or Cable/Satellite TV, I don't want to work on an assembly line in a factory, I don't want to be an electrician or a plumber.

If you've got any ideas on what else I could do then I'm all ears, because I can't come up with anything other than automotive tech.

Lineman?

 

[Bobcat753]

Honestly I don't think being an auto tech would suit you. I have aspergers myself and don't enjoy physically fixing cars and other light duty vehicles. I took up welding in votech and loved that. I am now a certified welder with all my own equipment but I find myself being bored at times with it. One thing I do love and have fun doing it is vehicle aftermarket upfitting, especially warning lights and snow plows. I think you should take a look in that direction once you finish your automotive courses. I have fully upfitted my truck with LED strobes in my spare time and find myself getting into doing installs for other people's vehicles.

 

[jrobb316]

I got into industrial automation. Much the same as auto mechanic, still need the same skills. Pays way better, benefits are way better, and it provides all you're looking for. Variety (mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic), honest work, never stop learning, and satisfaction of fixing/building something. Industrial maintenance is very similar.

I don't mean to hijack your thread either, but whatever you do quality tools are a must. When I jumped ship into this I had to buy a bunch of new tools, hex stuff mainly, and I went proto and snapon, and bondhus too.

 

[TK-421]

Honestly I don't think being an auto tech would suit you. I have aspergers myself and don't enjoy physically fixing cars and other light duty vehicles.

See, I'm not sure either about that. I mean, honestly, when I think about it, taking someone's broken stuff and fixing it doesn't really entice me as much as taking someone's car, putting a turbo setup on it, and then sticking it on the dyno and making it absolutely scream, without blowing up.

I took up welding in votech and loved that. I am now a certified welder with all my own equipment but I find myself being bored at times with it.

I did welding in high school, but I don't have the patience to learn how to be as good as I expect myself to be. Plus all the popping I got with oxy/fuel just really stressed me out, so I stopped halfway through and just sat and bullshitted with the teacher for the rest of the semester.

One thing I do love and have fun doing it is vehicle aftermarket upfitting, especially warning lights and snow plows. I think you should take a look in that direction once you finish your automotive courses. I have fully upfitted my truck with LED strobes in my spare time and find myself getting into doing installs for other people's vehicles.

That's one thing I think I'd really enjoy, I want to take a car and make it put out stupid amounts of power. Unfortunately, I don't have any ideas on how to go about that, and I'm pretty sure they'll want you to have at least some experience in a repair shop, so I think I'm stuck learning how to fix cars for the time being.

 

[Olafur]

I work quite a bit for a shop that does farm and construction, earthmoving equipment. They are currently only using Taiwan chrome sockets and they hammer them with impact wrenches day in and day out and they hold up very well. No, I am not kidding!!

Point is, current Taiwan chrome sockets are very good and will probably last a DIY a lifetime or two.

Snap On? I have them, use them every day and I love them. But I have no evidence they are stronger or last longer than Toptul, Sonic, or whatever Taiwan makes today.

Ps
Koken (Japan) makes awesome chrome sockets for less than half the price of Snap On.

Pps We all love Snap On!!

 

[Skin]

Don't waste your money on 1/2 chrome. Literally almost worthless. Even in heavy equipment impacts are used 9 times out of 10.

 

[TK-421]

I got into industrial automation. Much the same as auto mechanic, still need the same skills. Pays way better, benefits are way better, and it provides all you're looking for. Variety (mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic), honest work, never stop learning, and satisfaction of fixing/building something. Industrial maintenance is very similar.

I don't mean to hijack your thread either, but whatever you do quality tools are a must. When I jumped ship into this I had to buy a bunch of new tools, hex stuff mainly, and I went proto and snapon, and bondhus too.

It's not a thread jack at all, it's why I started it. I need people to bounce ideas off of, and being autistic I don't have very many friends, so I came to you guys instead.

Industrial automation could be something to look into. Got any links of stuff to check out so I can learn more? Ideas on how to get schooling for it?

Right now, automotive isn't set in stone for me, but it seemed as good a place as any to start, seeing as how I don't know what else to do. But if we can come up with something better then I'm open for it.

 

[TK-421]

Don't waste your money on 1/2 chrome. Literally almost worthless. Even in heavy equipment impacts are used 9 times out of 10.

Got any advice on Genius vs Snap-On then? Is Genius good enough? Or is Snap-On so much better that it's silly to not upgrade?

 

[TK-421]

I work quite a bit for a shop that does farm and construction, earthmoving equipment. They are currently only using Taiwan chrome sockets and they hammer them with impact wrenches day in and day out and they hold up very well. No, I am not kidding!!

Point is, current Taiwan chrome sockets are very good and will probably last a DIY a lifetime or two.

Snap On? I have them, use them every day and I love them. But I have no evidence they are stronger or last longer than Toptul, Sonic, or whatever Taiwan makes today.

Ps
Koken (Japan) makes awesome chrome sockets for less than half the price of Snap On.

Pps We all love Snap On!!

I'm only really considering Snap-On at this moment because I'll be able to get them through their student program come spring, which I'm pretty sure means I'd be able to buy them for half the normal price. If it wasn't for that then I'd be looking at SK and Sonic and whoever else.

 

[T45]

For 1/2 chrome sockets get one of the european brands.

the sockets are undercut and much better designs than the usa versions.

Facom, stahlwille or Hazet.

You can get a full 1/2 drive Facom set for $150, from 10mm to 32mm with ratchet and drive accessories, just look around online or ebay. For a similar price you can get a starter Kit of Stahlwille in 10-19mm.

Some people will say get the 1/2 drive in 12 point for use in confined spaces with breaker bar. That's not bad advice, but I would be OK with 6pt or 12 pt.

1/2 drive is needed for stiffness as much as anything. Some undersized flange bolts with 10mm - 14mm hex heads can be a pain and the stiffer ratchet and socket mechanism is worth it.

Also, 1/2 drive tools are 35-40mm deep, which is the same as semi-deep snap on in 3/8 drive. There is a utility to the size of the socket, again deep enough for exposed threads but not as tall and flexy as a 3/8 socket setup.

Lastly in a $5000 toolbox, $150on 1/2 metric chrome is money well spent.

You don't need a **** ton of chromes, but not having any I think is over rated. It is good advice not to over spend, tho. Invest in more better ratchets, for example, and stronger better breaker bars.

And better bit sockets, etc. all that stuff is also important and takes $$ in the budget.

 

[TK-421]

Lineman?

Right now, that much electricity gives me the willies.

So I'm not sure whether or not that'd be a good job for me.

 

[Skin]

Got any advice on Genius vs Snap-On then? Is Genius good enough? Or is Snap-On so much better that it's silly to not upgrade?

I like my Snap-On for what little I have however its been said on here, and I can agree, that they are definitely not heat treated to the hardness levels of some other brands so they do mushroom a bit more before they settle. Most of my impacts are a mishmash. Cornwell, Matco (Taiwan), Craftsman, Proto, some generic Taiwan (Sunex, GP, M7) etc... They all do fine.

By the way Snap-On impacts and Williams impacts are the same so no reason to waste SEP on it in my opinion. Its not a tool you're going to value a warranty on. I believe you can pick up the complete deep 10-36 set for something like $250-$300 any day of the week, Snap-On price is something nuts like north of $800.

Personal preference but I like roll stamped with etching like Matco and Craftsman use. Bigger the numbers the better.

I also prefer polished finishes as opposed to the satin style for rust prevention but that's a small thing. They make money working, not looking pretty.

 

[Thumper68]

Honestly if I was to start over knowing what I do now I would looking into building maintenance for a hospital or other institution. I now know a few guys who have spent their entire career in that field and are happy as clams. Lots of hands on repair work and all inside doing something different every day.

 

[TK-421]

I like my Snap-On for what little I have however its been said on here, and I can agree, that they are definitely not heat treated to the hardness levels of some other brands so they do mushroom a bit more before they settle. Most of my impacts are a mishmash. Cornwell, Matco (Taiwan), Craftsman, Proto, some generic Taiwan etc... They all do fine.

By the way Snap-On impacts and Williams impacts are the same so no reason to waste SEP on it in my opinion. Its not a tool you're going to value a warranty on. I believe you can pick up the complete deep 10-36 set for something like $250-$300 any day of the week, Snap-On price is something nuts like north of $800.

Personal preference but I like roll stamped with etching like Matco and Craftsman use. Bigger the numbers the better.

I meant for chrome sockets, specifically 1/4 and 3/8. I've already got Grey Pneumatic's master 3/8" set and their stupidly big 1/2" sets for my impacts.

 

[jrobb316]

It's not a thread jack at all, it's why I started it. I need people to bounce ideas off of, and being autistic I don't have very many friends, so I came to you guys instead.

Industrial automation could be something to look into. Got any links of stuff to check out so I can learn more? Ideas on how to get schooling for it?

Right now, automotive isn't set in stone for me, but it seemed as good a place as any to start, seeing as how I don't know what else to do. But if we can come up with something better then I'm open for it.

Any school you're looking at for automotive has the course you would want. May pay to just take a tour or something and see. My company took a chance on me and my supervisor came from a dealership as well, so he knew based on my credentials that I had the skill set to get started. I knew nothing about pneumatics really, robots, or PLC programming. Still don't know about PLC programming and don't really care at this point, at my job they contract that stuff out and its so few and far between I concentrate in areas that matter more.

 

[TK-421]

In regards to pay, my dream is $25/hour after taxes, no idea what I'd have to make before taxes to get that though, if you know then please let me know. However, dream and reality are so often two different things, but more is always better.

And my main fear/goal is retirement. So trying to plan for that will be one of my main goals, so I need to make enough money that I can put money away for that, have enough money to live on, have enough money for tools, and hopefully have enough money to have some fun with. I don't want to work for my entire life, but I'm also worried that retirement packages like what my Grandpa lives on will be gone by the time I'm old enough to retire, so I need to make whatever I can while I can.

 

[Skin]

I meant for chrome sockets, specifically 1/4 and 3/8. I've already got Grey Pneumatic's master 3/8" set and their stupidly big 1/2" sets for my impacts.

Most of mine are Craftsman, Snap-On, and MAC. Nice thing about the MACs is they turn down the drive ends on the larger sizes making them very easy to pull off a detent. On the downside their numbering system for metric markings is sort of bizarre (for example instead of simply stamping a big 12mm someplace its a PN like 12MMD6) and their stampings arent huge. I believe Proto are the same with much better size stampings. Again all work fine.

 

[Furious Filipino]

I second and third reconsidering your career path. If you are going to school and want to work on things with wheels, consider being a fleet / heavy equipment technician. I've worked with CAT and Volvo techs making well into the mid to high $70k yearly with 5 yrs experience.

No offense to anyone working as an automobile mechanic, but I know for a fact that anyone fresh out of school will be lucky to break $25k yearly, and you have to repay loans if you borrowed, most end up at a SMOG station, or lube shop.

The tuning/performance market is really small, and lots of people want in. Even if you worked at a "tuner" shop, they typically keep the lights on by doing, yep, oil changes, tire rotations, regular interval services.

Don't limit yourself to cars, either. Industrial equipment, generators, compressors, boring rigs, and numerous other machinery are out there. All make easily in the low to mid $40k to start.

Source: I work as an Engineering Project Manager for the high pressure gas industry. I also have a deep passion for cars, have raced as an amateur in the SCCA where auto techs basically begged to worked for my team for free so they can write it as experience, and have done a fair bit working for next to nothing working on cars before I wised up decided to open my horizons.

Sorry for the thread de-rail. To answer your question, all my 1/2" drive sockets are impact sockets for what it's worth.

 

[Plombob]

Lineman?

I know a couple. They fix things all the time and make good money.

When I went to trade school, I didn't have much money. The Snap-On deal was still expensive with the student discount. I searched out other tool sources and found a dealer that offered 50% off list on Proto, Williams, Armstrong, Bonney and many others. They were not as expensive as SO, so with the discount they were affordable. I also got other students buying from the dealer, and they gave me a bigger discount for the referrals.

With the exception of Bonney flare nut wrenches, all of those tools served me well.

 

[jakemac]

Don't go too far into debt for a career you're not sure of yet.
You have time to slowly collect what you need. You are being wise by starting now.

The toolbox may secure your tools, but it doesn't make you money. Invest your money in the tools.
There are good toolboxes on the used market if you're patient. It can be the same for many of the tools as well. You may find the tools you need for a fraction of the cost of new. Keep an eye on Craigslist in your area. Visit Flea Markets and Estate Sales. Look at alternate brands that don't cost as much, but still offer great quality, such as SK, Proto, Williams, and others that have been suggested. Save the student discount for more specialized tools that are on your need list. Wrenches and sockets are plentiful on the used market. Pullers and Diagnostic tools can be harder to find, and some should be purchased new to make sure they are up to date.

 

[BK13]

I won't comment on whether you NEED 1/2" chromes, but I would take a close look at Wright or Proto if I wanted them.

 

[Davefr]

I honestly have no idea what else I'd be good at. I'm Autistic (Asperger's), I need to work with my hands, I need puzzles. I like taking things and making them better, or taking broken things and fixing them, I don't like dealing with people constantly (so being able to be back in the shop rather than dealing with customers constantly will be nice), I refuse to have a job where I have to wear a suit or dress clothes all day every day, and I don't find desk jobs to be fun.

I need a job where at the end of the day I can point to something physical and say "I did that. I did something today, and I can show you this thing to prove that I did something and I didn't waste a day of my life without anything to show for it."

No, the pay won't be very good, but I'd rather have 50k/year and be greasy/happy, instead of 100k/year and be miserable behind a desk while wearing a suit.

I did computer classes for a bit and they just didn't hold my interest. I need to work with my hands doing physical things, code isn't physical enough to make me happy, and most trades don't really interest me.

I don't want to install HVAC, or Cable/Satellite TV, I don't want to work on an assembly line in a factory, I don't want to be an electrician or a plumber.

If you've got any ideas on what else I could do then I'm all ears, because I can't come up with anything other than automotive tech.

Maybe an equipment tech in a large production/testing environment. However there's not much you can do without some knowledge of computers/automation.

Having a passion and ability to apply systematic problem solving techniques will help you tremendously in anything you do. Solving unique technical problems is never boring, very rewarding and highly respected!!

 

[RogueFab]

Get the impacts. Buy a snap on ratchet to drive them with.

 

[Al Bundy]

The one thing most people don't consider, especially the haters, if you buy Snap On on the student program and take care of them you can always sell them for what you paid. You can't do that with any other brand.

 

[Askme42]

Right now, that much electricity gives me the willies.

So I'm not sure whether or not that'd be a good job for me.

I can understand that but it's not like you'd be thrown to the wolves. You'd be trained

 

[jrobb316]

Consider used proto as well. Deep discounts for very nice stuff. That's what I did on a bunch of SAE hex I had to buy.

 

[TK-421]

So what kind of degree should I go for? Should I still go for an automotive degree since I already have most of the tools and use it to show future employers I have the desire to fix things? Or is there a different degree I should go for instead?

This is what my local community college offers: http://www.austincc.edu/degrees-and...l-choices/all-credit-degrees-and-certificates

 

[md21722]

There are a lot of areas that you can work and not be behind a desk at an office. You may have a desk but may not need to use it often. Any many office jobs don't require suits. Computers is a good field if you land the right job. The only computer people I've ever known to wear suits are those that work around Wall Street. Others have suggestions about plant or factory environments. A have a good friend that handles electrical automation repair at a pulp mill. The tools are owned by the plant.

As for the sockets themselves, I doubt you have as much as you think. Unless you already have all sorts of torx, etorx, swivel sockets, pullers, fan clutch tools, 3/8" impacts and so forth. I'd keep the 1/2" chrome towards the bottom of the list to get.

 

[jrobb316]

Have you considered skipping school and finding an employer that will take you under their wing? That way you can try before you buy so to speak.

 

[Furious Filipino]

I don't know how things are in Austin, but the average Auto Tech with an associate's degree in California is currently making $30-$35k a year. You mentioned you wanted $25/hour AFTER taxes, well that roughly comes out to $60k a year. To work on cars and make that money, you're probably going to be an ASE Master Tech with a minimum of 10 years experience and a host of other ASE Certs.

For comparison, I can tell an 18 year old out of High School and tell him/her to get an Engineering Technology Associates Degree with a focus on CAD with AutoCAD and in five years after school, they will be making $65k a year. At least in California. At that point, they can leverage that experience and hopefully have learned some Project Management skills along the way, that they can laterally move from Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and even Architectural drafting and design.

That's the key thing here: you have to be willing to go where the jobs are. And it seems that you have already discounted a lot of other potential careers that also require mechanically inclined people--HVAC/Mechanical Techs, Electricians, and Plumbers do much much more than residential. Once you get into the commercial side, you get to work on some interesting machinery. For anyone mechanically inclined, that's what I would suggest they go into.