Newbie Tool Kit for a 16-year old?

[johnny1290]

Man you can't go wrong with a set of cman.

I got a set of 1/4" and 3/8" sockets from my dad when I was 17..one of those little zip up cases...then I bought a set of metric wrenches in the plastic flappy pouch with slots for each wrench...I'd throw those in a box with my hard handled screwdrivers and that 3pc set of side cutters, adj pliers, and needle nose and I was set!

I swapped engines with not much more than those tools hahaha

And of course I still have them.

I don't really use them because I'd hate to lose one, but they're in the house toolbox just in case.

My 2 cents get him a nice set of c-man when they're on sale for black friday if you can wait, something for $100 or less should be pretty good, and give him a few screwdrivers and pliers from your collection and he'll be set.

I only learned how to work on cars when I was 16-17 out of necessity, then somewhere around the way I picked up the bug.

I still don't know my *** from a hole in the ground but I"ve managed to make any car I touch slower and less reliable!

EDIT: I forgot to mention I've got one of those sets with the plastic handle, like a brief case, then you open it, I think there's a picture of it in another post. Anyway the sockets always get jumbled up, it's just hopeless to try and keep them in their spot.

 

[RedBox]

Here's another idea. SK has a 6-point 3/8" drive set, SAE/Metric standard and deep:

SKT94549

49 Piece set adds new pieces to SKT94547 adding a 1.5" Pro Thumbwheel Ratchet and a Universal Joint at no added cost. The set also includes
7.5 inch pro ratchet; 3 inch and 6 inch extensions;
1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", 3/4", 13/16", 7/8" standard sockets;
3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", 5/8", 11/16", 3/4", 13/16", 7/8" deep sockets;
6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 11mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 16mm, 17mm, 18mm, 19mm standard sockets;
10mm, 11mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 16mm, 17mm, 18mm, 19mm deep sockets
Packaged in a molded plastic storage case.

No 1/4" drive stuff or 1/2" drive stuff. It's got what he'd most likely use.

Tooltopia sells this with free shipping for $109.99 and they have it in stock.
link

Add to this a set of wrenches and screwdrivers and whatever else you think he'd use.

I don't think there's any need to try for completeness. Half the stuff in those super duper sets is either redundant or not useful very often for the average guy.

If, on the other hand, you'd like him to have every socket he could possibly need for the next 20 years, I think the Craftsman set on page 54 of their catalog: 009-34142 which is a 145 piece all 6 point set is the way to go. It lacks longer extensions and it's got the cheaper ratchets but it's all there. Even has the wrenches. $179.99 link

RB

edit: that Craftsman set has only standard sockets SAE/Metric in 1/2" drive, no deeps (as someone else already mentioned).

 

[fordcragar]

I used to work/help my dad during the summers when I was a kid. He would pay me once a week, and we would go down to the parts store and would buy a few tools. That was over 50 years ago and i still have many of them left; of course I've added to my collection over the years. All of the tools that I bought back then were SK.

Over the years I bought a few Craftsman tools. When I was working in body shops and I needed to buy or replace something that was broken, it seemed like Sears never had the tool or replacement that I needed; so it was always several trips for a replacement. That is one of the reasons that I don't like the Sears deal, I suppose ordering through the catalog would be okay, but when I need something, I don't like to wait a week.

 

[srmofo]

I didnt see what you were looking to spend? Or what he would be using them for (does he want to be a mechanic or do you want him to learn the reponsibilty of protecting his tools?).That makes a big difference and maybe we can point you in a better direction

 

[T56 Impala]

You are on the right track. Go with the Craftsman set. IIRC, you can upgrade the ratchets and wrenches to the Pro's for a little extra. Not sure how much though. Just an idea.

I used my dads tools growing up. I always bought him tools for Christmas, Father's day, Birthdays. He still has most of those tools. All Craftsman. Until recently, he never gave me "his" tools. The ones he did give me were the start of my vintage tool collection. I did get other tools from him as gifts. Most I picked up myself. I have a decent working set. Enough to fill up a 41" top and bottom. Most are still Craftsman. I do have some Wright, Toptul and various other USA made tools in there. Some old, some new.

These will be either my Daughter's tools or my Son's tools. Who ever shows the interest. They are still very young, 7 and 5, so I have a while to wait. They will see much more use before they are replaced. Hopefully......... I'll be starting my Nomad Project some time in the next year.

 

[Rnz520]

When I turned 16 I had a set of task force tools (garbage) that I broke ALL the time doing stuff that shouldnt break them. On my birthday dad, who is not the giving type, gave me like a hundred bucks, pointed at the broken tools, and said to go upgrade.
I dont think he expected me to blow about 1000 dollars at sears but upgrade I did.

 

[RedBox]

I already gave some ideas, but here's another. Instead of getting him what amounts to a core set containing everything he's likely to use in the next few years, how about just getting him one very high quality part of a core set? You know what that might be. What does he admire about the tools you've got? Use that as a hint about what he'd appreciate the most. It might not be sockets. Maybe it's wrenches, and so a set of Snap-On wrenches would be more exciting to get than a huge set of Craftsman sockets. This way he has high quality stuff and will treasure it and feel proud of it. If all your stuff is high end and you get him a brand he doesn't see that you care enough about to use, he may feel like you made a compromise for him that you wouldn't make for yourself.

Over the years he can then build on that sense of quality and he'll always remember and treasure the gift.

RB