So I started ordering some starter tools, howd I do?

[NUTTSGT]

I'm buying truck stuff and IR stuff because I have a student discount, and why not buy the best at a great price while you can. Hence why I don't want any HF carts or combo wrenches.

What you may not understand, from experience, guys are trying to get you by without going hogwild and over your head with tool dealer. While you may be getting a decent deal on the price, you can easily get in over your head.

Just because something is on sale doesn't mean you have to buy it. A $100 tool cart from HF would have been decent for you to use when you first started. You could have taken the $700 in savings and found a decent used box or atleast a start towards one.
When you got a decent box, take the tool cart home and use it in your own garage. The HF wrenches, same thing, use them at first till you save up for the good stuff and take them home or in a tool bag from your daily driver.

 

[TLCDino]

^^ Sorry, but I never take anyone who uses or advocates the use of a Crescent wrench seriously. I view them as hack tools that are great at ruining fasteners.

I don't take anyone from Norman seriously either.... Is still OK in Oklahoma?

 

[TLCDino]

The metric system is the last surviving relic of an attempt by the french to "fix" problems caused by the ancien régime. Though the other two things (the ten-hour day composed of 100 minutes in an hour and the French Republican Calendar) were stunning failures, the metric system, despite the fact that it was completely ready to be a failure, survived.

Whereas our (hereby referred to as "real") measurements came about through evolution by human usage (a foot's roughly the length of a foot, hand a hand, inch a thumb, etc.) the metric system was totally pulled out of someone's *** (one ten-millionth of the earth's meridian? What the ****?)

The metric system makes sense on paper. On paper, communism makes sense. A new unit isn't needed every ten, hundred, or thousand times that unit is repeated. It maybe needed more often, or not as often. That is the beauty of the real system. Humans were able to pick base units that made sense, and new units came about when necessary, capitalism at work! The metric system has always been bureaucratic ("It works because the nouveau régime will guillotine you if you say it doesn't!"), and the fact that the rest of the world uses it is not an argument in its favor. In fact, that argument is a logical fallacy called "argumentum ad populum". Look it up.

The metric system has only easily been put in place in places where the people are ignorant and illiterate (India, Iraq, 19-century Europe, etc.). In places with high literacy, the change has been nearly impossible (Canada, Japan, UK). Japan's system of measurement, though different from ours, came about the same way. It took Japan 42 years to convert before the system was outlawed, and even now, 40 years after the old system was outlawed (in 1966), the old measurements are still used commonly in agriculture, architecture, and cooking.


Bottom line. I hate it. I will not use it. I will not conform.

What he said!

 

[TLCDino]

I always see a cool guy post here with a fun signature line. Something to the effect of " the rusty bolt doesn't know the name of or care about the brand of wrench that just turned it.

An $800 cart will not help you make money. More tools will. Spend money on making money - not brand names.

Boo to the tool snobs!

 

[John Timmins]

One day you will get some snap ring pliars. There is some truth to the saying, "buy the best and you'll only buy once." These are the one thing that you absolutely CANNOT buy cheap until you can afford GOOD ones. The crappy ones will break.

Talk to the other mechanics and get their opinions on what they think are the best, and then buy some used ones of the best brands. Buy 2-3 of the pliars you are most likely to need for the jobs you're assigned.

Eventally if you remain a mechanic you'll get a full set of the good ones. You might want to spend your tool allowance on "beginner tools" which you might replace as needed, but don't scrimp on the snap ring pliars. You'll be replacing the cheap ones anyway.

I'm just trying to save you some money. Good luck to you !

 

[Aklass]

I go by the motto, you buy cheap you buy twice, I'd rather save money and buy the best the first time then waste it upgrading tools, and dont worry I wont be getting myself into debt with anything, My parents will loan me intrest free money for the cart, and I dont like to buy anything unless I have the money for it. Hence I wont let the tool trucks take advantage of me.

 

[reesez]

The set i bought from cripe, in the picture, you can see it has the same knurling on the base of the socket as gearwrench, and the ratchet looks like a 60 tooth gearwrench ratchet

this might be true, but the john deere wrenches also look like snap ons with the same script, but they are not. just cuz it looks the same does not mean it is. like i said, they are both made and owned by the same company. gearwrench is different from napa. napa is different from matco. mac is owned by stanley, does that mean stanley is made by mac? no. gearwrench and napa are about the same quality and you can even get gearwrench from alot of snapon trucks. anyways napa is good. i can sell u some more if interested, i got two sets from school.

 

[Aklass]

this might be true, but the john deere wrenches also look like snap ons with the same script, but they are not. just cuz it looks the same does not mean it is. like i said, they are both made and owned by the same company. gearwrench is different from napa. napa is different from matco. mac is owned by stanley, does that mean stanley is made by mac? no. gearwrench and napa are about the same quality and you can even get gearwrench from alot of snapon trucks. anyways napa is good. i can sell u some more if interested, i got two sets from school.

yeah, its just my rational guess, since they're both danaher, same quality, and same looks I just believe its a rebrand just like how everyone rebrands IR. but I'm short on cash right now, when I need a 1/2 or 1/4 set we'll be in touch

 

[reesez]

u know actually i think i have a whole set lol. if youre interested in the future, its a whole starter set hammers and chisels wrenches screwdrivers and all that

 

[Aklass]

u know actually i think i have a whole set lol. if youre interested in the future, its a whole starter set hammers and chisels wrenches screwdrivers and all that

lol its alright then, I just realized my blackhawk set that my dad gave me has all the 1/4 sockets I need, and even a round head ratchet

 

[Zeke]

The Sawzall guy was teasing. I think you've made up your mind about a lot of this. My contribution is a small one, but I'm in my punch and drift drawer as much as any except basic wrenches and sockets. I'm not sure why. But a punch and a cold chisel seem to be important. Cheap for good ones too.

 

[graybeard62]

and dont worry I wont be getting myself into debt with anything, My parents will loan me intrest free money for the cart, and I dont like to buy anything unless I have the money for it. Hence I wont let the tool trucks take advantage of me.

Debt is debt, whether a bank, tool truck or your parents hold the note.

The best advice I've heard so far on this thread is to buy tools for the jobs you'll be assigned. As your responsibilty increases, so will the tools you will need, and so will the money you are making.. When I started at a dealership in 1980 I changed oil and rotated tires. Not many tools needed for that. Before I stopped wrenching for dealerships I was overhauling engines and transmissions. I needed my snap ring pliers at that point. I have all kinds of tools, everything from Harbor Freight through SK and Craftsman as well as Matco, Mac and Snap-On. They all serve a purpose, but I have never regretted my Matco, Mac and Snap-On purchases.

 

[Gpgtp]

I don't take anyone from Norman seriously either.... Is still OK in Oklahoma?

Norman does ****.

 

[SMKS]

IMHO, avoid Harbor Freight at all costs.

IMHO, avoid overspending on tools that you may find out you never use, or use very little.

If you get something decent from HF and find out your using it a lot, then you can justify upgrading to something more expensive.

Some HF items are well regarded on the forum, if you do a search you should find some.


A couple examples:
The tool boxes and carts
Taiwan-made impact sockets and impacts
Taiwan-made roto ratchets

I have a HF box, HF roto head ratchet, HF ultrasonic cleaner and a few other odds and ends.

I highly recommend the roto head ratchets from HF. Roto heads are far more useful than flex heads, in my experience. Plus, the 3/8" is only $12.99 right now.

 

[csmitty]

The metric system is the last surviving relic of an attempt by the french to "fix" problems caused by the ancien régime. Though the other two things (the ten-hour day composed of 100 minutes in an hour and the French Republican Calendar) were stunning failures, the metric system, despite the fact that it was completely ready to be a failure, survived.

Whereas our (hereby referred to as "real") measurements came about through evolution by human usage (a foot's roughly the length of a foot, hand a hand, inch a thumb, etc.) the metric system was totally pulled out of someone's *** (one ten-millionth of the earth's meridian? What the ****?)

The metric system makes sense on paper. On paper, communism makes sense. A new unit isn't needed every ten, hundred, or thousand times that unit is repeated. It maybe needed more often, or not as often. That is the beauty of the real system. Humans were able to pick base units that made sense, and new units came about when necessary, capitalism at work! The metric system has always been bureaucratic ("It works because the nouveau régime will guillotine you if you say it doesn't!"), and the fact that the rest of the world uses it is not an argument in its favor. In fact, that argument is a logical fallacy called "argumentum ad populum". Look it up.

The metric system has only easily been put in place in places where the people are ignorant and illiterate (India, Iraq, 19-century Europe, etc.). In places with high literacy, the change has been nearly impossible (Canada, Japan, UK). Japan's system of measurement, though different from ours, came about the same way. It took Japan 42 years to convert before the system was outlawed, and even now, 40 years after the old system was outlawed (in 1966), the old measurements are still used commonly in agriculture, architecture, and cooking.


Bottom line. I hate it. I will not use it. I will not conform.

Wow.

 

[sneakyfast]

I'm more of a woodworker than wrench turner so this may not apply. I found that cheap tools make the job frustrating and sometimes dangerous. If a woodworking tool is not sharp and straight then you will be applying way too much pressure and the final result is off. Ever try cutting a board straight on a table saw that the top or fence is warped (trust me you will leave mumbling and drooling)? Trying to get a cheap tool to perform correctly has turned many off from woodworking....example...anyone else given a cheap hand saw and gave up building the bird house because it took 20 minutes to cut through a board? The first time I used a good quailty saw and hand plane dramatically changed my enjoyment level as saws now cut through boards like butter.

Not sure if this helps or can be applied to your situation but if a wrench strips fasteners every time you use it or is so heavy that your forearm hurts I would say go with the best you can afford and enjoy your work.

 

[clutch93]

My only advise right now, would be to spend a little money and buy a good rechargeable flashlight. I tried to buy the cheaper one's, but found that there was a serious lack of light output and I was always changing batteries.

I ended up with a Stinger, can't remember the exact model number right now, but it comes with a back up battery that stays in the charger so your always ready to go. In fact there was a thread about flashlights a few weeks ago and I posted the model number in there. If you're interested, just do a quick search. I noticed they were pretty reasonable on amazon. I think I paid double from a truck, but it was worth every penny. Good luck with your new job, hope you enjoy it and like others have said, try to only buy what you need for your current assignments. You can always add on later, instead of spending money on things you might not need now.

 

[rwhite692]

IMHO, you have a good start BUT before buying much more stuff, you should start the new job FIRST, and then determine what tools you really need based on the type of work you are doing.

You will learn a lot about what you actually need within the first few days. And there is nothing wrong with buying some cheap tools when you first start out.

You have a lifetime ahead of you to build up a Snap-on/Matco/Cornwell collection.

Tools don't make the mechanic. Watch, absorb, learn.

 

[Motofixxer]

I go by the motto, you buy cheap you buy twice, I'd rather save money and buy the best the first time then waste it upgrading tools,

There is a difference between cheap price and cheap quality. "Cheap" can mean different things. Many of the more well known brands cost more because of the name. You can get the same finish and quality etc in a lesser name. The most popular name and most expensive, does not mean the best. Too many get caught up in a particular brand name. I know people like that, I personally think it's funny. Do your research and save some money where and when you can. I have heard great things from garage sales and flea markets. No point in going out and paying full price for name brand stuff when you can have the same or similar for less money. If you just want the name brand status...then buy all your name brand tools new, buy whatever the hell you want. It's your money.

 

[tinbender 66]

The metric system is the last surviving relic of an attempt by the french to "fix" problems caused by the ancien régime. Though the other two things (the ten-hour day composed of 100 minutes in an hour and the French Republican Calendar) were stunning failures, the metric system, despite the fact that it was completely ready to be a failure, survived.

Whereas our (hereby referred to as "real") measurements came about through evolution by human usage (a foot's roughly the length of a foot, hand a hand, inch a thumb, etc.) the metric system was totally pulled out of someone's *** (one ten-millionth of the earth's meridian? What the ****?)

The metric system makes sense on paper. On paper, communism makes sense. A new unit isn't needed every ten, hundred, or thousand times that unit is repeated. It maybe needed more often, or not as often. That is the beauty of the real system. Humans were able to pick base units that made sense, and new units came about when necessary, capitalism at work! The metric system has always been bureaucratic ("It works because the nouveau régime will guillotine you if you say it doesn't!"), and the fact that the rest of the world uses it is not an argument in its favor. In fact, that argument is a logical fallacy called "argumentum ad populum". Look it up.

The metric system has only easily been put in place in places where the people are ignorant and illiterate (India, Iraq, 19-century Europe, etc.). In places with high literacy, the change has been nearly impossible (Canada, Japan, UK). Japan's system of measurement, though different from ours, came about the same way. It took Japan 42 years to convert before the system was outlawed, and even now, 40 years after the old system was outlawed (in 1966), the old measurements are still used commonly in agriculture, architecture, and cooking.


Bottom line. I hate it. I will not use it. I will not conform.

Did you forget to take your meds?

 

[Plombob]

I've got safety glasses, as for work shoes I've always been using tennis shoes like everyone else in the shop.

You'll wish you had better shoes when you spill a pan full of used oil on your shoes, or you happen to stub your toe on something heavy. You'll be on your feet all day, so get some comfortable shoes that protect your feet. Next to safety glasses, a wise investment.

Good luck to you!