Home Tools vs Work Tools

[J.Lind]

How does your home toolbox compare to your work box?
How do you spread your budget between them?
How does their purpose compare (your job vs general wrenching around the house)
Do you look for anything different in a tool for one box versus the other?


Myself, I've been working on the load out of my home box, which I use for car maintenance and house maintenance, but it has pointed out some glaring shortcomings of my work box. My work box being for machining, I don't use sockets (though that is one shortcoming as I have needed some for quick machine maintenance stuff) but almost exclusively use torx bits, yet all I have is a set of Wiha flag wrenches. I also use hex wrenches a lot, and I've done OK with my Eklinds, though I have a large number of replacements (4mm is a common one).

Budget has been 95% towards my work box due to the precision measuring equipment I buy, though it's mostly 'nice to have' stuff these days. This is changing as I try to replace the poor screwdrivers and pliers I have, and fill out my Craftsman stuff before it all goes to China and I can't find any USA stock. (I have a set of Evolv's in my trunk tool bag, not so impressed)

 

[rocco]

i only have a home box but knowing how i am with my work equipment i'd have the best product that i can afford if i was a tech of sorts. At home it's more of a hobby setup and even though i love the higher end tools, i'm not opposed to a cheap tool if it will get the job done.

 

[outcast]

i don't use my home stuff much anymore. so i don't put much into them.

 

[Steevo]

All of my tool boxes are at home. My work tools are computers, pens, pencils, whiteboards, etc.

 

[greybeard]

Given my work tools are repairing band instruments, there isn't much similarity lol. Knowing myself, if I made my living working on cars, I'd probably be a Snap-on kinda guy and I'd have the same thing at home.

 

[Benji]

Snap On at work and whatever gets it done at home.

 

[OccupantRJ]

My work tools in volume don't stand a chance against my home shop setup. I buy whatever works for me at a decent price. Rarely buy new hand tools, mostly from garage sales and flea markets. It took a 40 foot semi trailer to get it all in when I moved. At work, I use a 27" roll around with 6 drawers full, and a small vise on top. It's name is "Mobile One". I also keep a machinist chest on my workbench.

 

[bacpacker]

Work is mostly on computer now. But before I went with the best I could at work. At home I still go with a high quality tool. I can't stand to get some cheap POS and have it break and have to replace it. I'd rather just get quality from the start and keep it forever.

 

[Javadave]

Work is pushing a mouse and MS office so my tools are for the weekend....which is why I buy mostly Asia imports.

If tools impacted my paycheck I would buy snap on or something of that caliber.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I have mostly CMan at work and at home. I have professional series Cman for screwdrivers, one wrench set, and a little of everything else. At home I have standard Cman.

So I budget a bit more for tools at work. It is nicer to have nicer tools when you are working with them much more at work than at home. Plus the tax deduction darn near makes it a wash between Cman and Cman Pro.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

I'm a tool and die apprentice so I don't have much use for traditional hand tools at work, and I do a lot more "wrenching" at home. I currently have Mastercraft wrenches from Canadian Tire at home, but I'm thinking of buying a set of good used "pro" quality wrenches, like Snap On, Proto, Gray Industrial etc. for home, and toss my Mastercraft ones in my box at work.

 

[NJHandyGuy]

99.5 percent of my tools are at work or in my truck my home box really ***** but i rent so none of it is my problem

 

[ourkid2000]

My work box is full of expensive truck brand tools......mostly Snap On, Mac, Proto, Knipex, Gray, Fluke. A bit of cheaper stuff mixed in like Channelock, Gearwrench, Toptul. Of course some real cheap stuff like Mastercraft to round it all out.

My home stuff on the other hand is probably 90% Mastercraft & Craftsman.......even some Princess Auto Powerfist junk. A lot of it is decent to be honest and I get by just fine with it working on the cars.

 

[american lockpicker]

For work tools I get what ever has a good COO and a low price(need the funds for whats really important) with high value.

At home only the best will do.

 

[Greatbear]

My "home" tools are quite a bit better than the work stuff. This also has the unfortunate effect of bringing work home occasionally to get things done properly.

 

[ElasDray]

I have heard of guys that when the truck comes around they buy one for home and one for work. That's crazy, I have a tool bag to take Snap-on home.

 

[bradleykd]

I've got a big snap-on box and a couple smaller waterloo boxes at work, filled with all the best ****... but my company buys it for me.. lol.

at home I also have a snap-on box and use snap-on wrenches and ratchets and stuff... pretty much everything but their screwdrivers and pliers....

 

[crewchief888]

work tools are mostly truck brands, IR & bluepoint air tools, channellock, knipex, with SO getting the major share.

home tools are a mix of SK, CM, truck brands, duralast, kobalt, and HF.

i have (mainly) SO boxes, the 2 boxes in my service truck are a CM top, & an old mac side cab, and i keep a set of SO boxes at the shop.

home boxes are mostly SO
vintage cm top, and a lyons mid box.

the majority of my tools are in my service truck, i have enough at home i rarely have to get anything out my my truck to work on anything in the garage.

impacts, grinders, sanders ect, are air powered for work, mainly electric for home use.

 

[bad_idea]

i work in ship repair and tools tend to wander off. i buy c-man tools for work and my co-workers think i'm crazy to buy such expensive tools for on the ship! the same c-man tools at home. i keep the basics at home for car maintenance and welding. for specialty tools i keep them at work if i use them commonly at work, at home if i use them mostly at home. haul them back and forth for special projects.

 

[canuckian]

My work tools are mostly for network maintenance and are paid for by my employer. Have a mix of ideal, channel lock, mastercraft and fluke. My home box has some similar stuff but all of those type tools fit in one drawer. The rest are hand and power tools. Most of it is SO but there's a few Cornwell and Matco ratchets in there as well. I also have a small assortment of Hazet, Wera and NWS tools. That selection will grow quite a bit by the end of this week thanks to GJ member Jensputier

 

[tjmonsen5]

i work in ship repair and tools tend to wander off. i buy c-man tools for work and my co-workers think i'm crazy to buy such expensive tools for on the ship! the same c-man tools at home. i keep the basics at home for car maintenance and welding. for specialty tools i keep them at work if i use them commonly at work, at home if i use them mostly at home. haul them back and forth for special projects.

i would hate to see what kind of tools your co-workers are using then.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

Work tools are mainly industrial stuff - SK, Proto, Blackhawk, Klein, etc with some of the Craftsman Industrial stuff starting to filter in.

Home tools are a mix of Mac, Snapon, SK, Craftsman, Husky and who knows what else.

 

[aaron_l]

I bought mostly Craftsmen tools to complete the required set as I entered trade school. Once I started working as a tech, I quickly began to replace my hand tools with Snap-On, Fluke, Knipex, etc., as well as purchasing some air tools and specialty tools/sockets for working on specific makes of vehicles.

My Craftsmen tools and box now live at home, along with a few motorcycle-specific tools (JIS screwdrivers for old Hondas, etc.).

 

[PowerGenGuy]

At home it is CT Mastercraft sockets, at work CT Maximum sockets. Channellock, Klien, Gray, Wright and Snappy at home and work for screwdrivers, ratchets and pliers. I like quatlity screwdrivers and pliers wherever I am.

 

[Hammer1963]

Both sets are similar. I have a couple of young guys ( son & klingon) that work out of my garage with me at home I have started to purchase more better quality tools for the home shop than before.

It used to be that I would take home tools most every day. That got really old, so I started investing more & more. My wife figures it's cheaper than other activities the three of us could be doing.