ZRX61
Well-known member
What he said, my one & only, very old, Kamasa 1/2 ratchet crapped out about 8 years ago. Still haven't needed to think about replacing it.
Home mechanic must haves
- Thread starter webbs2jzgte
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What he said, my one & only, very old, Kamasa 1/2 ratchet crapped out about 8 years ago. Still haven't needed to think about replacing it.
IlliniJeeper
Well-known member
Couldn't tell ya how many, but there is at least one.
OK, one out of almost a quarter million subs.trainer
Well-known member
The OP said he's looking for tools that would be useful around the house too.
A hammer, square and a level plus a drill and a handful of screwdrivers will be enough to knock off 99% of most honey-do lists.
Plus you can build a workbench, have your shelves level, make car ramps.
Use the level and level as a straightedges, the putty knife as a gasket scraper, the axe as a bfh
pipe wrench
vise grips
crescent wrench
hammer
screwdrivers
knife
start with those, if you can't get the job done then buy the best quality tool to get the job done,
example: can't get that nut off with the crescent wrench? time to buy a nice 9 MM wrench...
before you know it you'll have a mismash collection of tools that you can use to work on all the cars you used to own... lol
vise grips
crescent wrench
hammer
screwdrivers
knife
start with those, if you can't get the job done then buy the best quality tool to get the job done,
example: can't get that nut off with the crescent wrench? time to buy a nice 9 MM wrench...
before you know it you'll have a mismash collection of tools that you can use to work on all the cars you used to own... lol
Maybe you can educate me here but for me its been the other way around. You can always go down to 1/4 or 3/8, from 1/2" so why not start with the bigger. I try and by only 1/2" and then either go down with an adapter, or use a 10mm in 1/2". Plus all the air tools use 1/2".
I do have a cheapo 3/8" ratchet set with small sockets, in the event i need them but not invested in them.
While it's true you can go down from 1/2", it's overkill for most things. Most household and automotive can be done with 3/8" and 1/4". It's not true that most air tools are 1/2" unless you're thinking of the typical 1/2" impacts used to loosen lug nuts. Aside from lug nuts and bigger stuff like suspension (ball joints etc) I rarely used a 1/2" impact. My 1/4" air ratchet and 3/8" air ratchet and impact got lots of use. Especially once I got my 3/8" impact (IR timax).
A lot would depend on what you're doing. If you're working on semi's, by all means invest in 1/2", 3/4" etc. (keep in mind 3/4 and 1" impacts take a LOT of air volume. One of my coworkers had a 1" impact for really stubborn stuff and in under a minute or two completely drained our main compressor that otherwise supplied 3 bays including 2 air lifts). For around the house, unless you're doing major decking or something 3/8 and 1/4" drive are more practical.
The problem working on automotive with mostly 1/2" all the time, for one it can be too much in terms of torque (breaking things) for another it's too big to fit most places around an engine compartment and the like. This is often times where 1/4" drive wins out as well because it can fit places 3/8" can't. In trying to think of household uses for wrenches, I've used pipe wrenches and pliers for things like plumbing - combination wrenches for removing/installing toilets - screwdrivers - 3/8 sockets for putting together the random end table or kitchen table if the legs bolt on. Not sure how often people really need to do all that.
Most of this is assuming that people have air compressors, which many won't when first starting out. Even a small 3gal pancake compressor can run $100-200. While they're good for finish nailers and small staplers, you have to consider how they're used - an air gun like that uses a small rapid discharge of air intermittently. An air ratchet or worse yet, impact, relies on a steady volume of air a smaller compressor may not be able to keep up with. Then you have to consider the compressor needs to be near a plug and you're limited by the length of your air hose. Sometimes the air hose can be a pain, getting in the way which is why you see a lot of auto techs using cordless tools now.
All I know is, from years of working on cars I'd be beating my head against the wall if most of what I had to work with was 1/2". I invested in a wide range of 3/8 and 1/4 drive short and deep wells with adapters going both ways and those probably sufficed for 85% of the work I did 50hrs a week. Space constraints are typically the worst enemy, whether you're under a dash, under the hood or trying to snake a mish mash of extensions clear up to some obscure nut or bolt. (fyi, this is where locking extensions pay off - nothing ***** worse than several extensions/swivels and having them pop apart at the most inconvenient time). Kind of like trying to put together a picture frame with 16d nails and a 3lb sledge.
Mr. T
Well-known member
Who uses rubber mallets on cars and for what??? I've done a lot if DIY auto and do industrial maintenance for a living and have never used a rubber mallet on anything.
The rubber mallet is my tool of choice to get the Moon full wheel discs on my 57 chevy
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Sask dude
Well-known member
I use mine a lot. Good for alignments or not damaging surfaces. It only cost 4.99
Mr. T
Well-known member
That is a chore very few will encounter. But touché.
I'd use a dead blow or brass for this?
Essential hammers in order:
Ball-peen sm med and lg
Dead blow md
Brass sm and md
Soft/hard face
For what I do brass is number 2 but for DIY isn't essential. Rubber mallets seem like a wood working tool to me. That could very well just be me though?
Sask dude
Well-known member
Rubber mallet is cheap compared to brass. I only have brass in my travel tool box to use in flammable areas with it being non sparking and all. I also prefer rubber when rebuilding hydraulic cylinders as the don't scratch the ram.
I've found them to be handy when checking for rattles or squeaks. Lightly tapping exhaust to listen for rattle in a catalytic converter, tapping suspension parts to listen for rattle or squeaks. Also for tapping the rim of older hub caps if they're stubborn (saves the heel of the hand). Not an every day tool, but they're cheap and don't take up much space. A deadblow could also work for this, but sometimes you don't need the 'oomph' of a deadblow. Rubber heads make a faint thud and don't 'ping' like a metal faced hammer allowing other sounds to come through. The soft face doesn't mar surfaces.
Its also the best tool for installing the full wheel covers on the 1966 Chyrsler Convertible that we have been driving for 42 years. What would you use?
The mallet is ideal for popping out large caved in body panels