Yep, even cheap tools are better than not having that particular tool, size, etc.. After you get better stuff, you can always relegate the cheaper set to the shed, basement, trunk, junkyard box.
Starting over again
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Yep, even cheap tools are better than not having that particular tool, size, etc.. After you get better stuff, you can always relegate the cheaper set to the shed, basement, trunk, junkyard box.
HF has good and bad tools. Do some research while shopping. What I can definitely recommend are
Impact sockets, esp. the 1/2 deep wall. Very useful
Breaker bars
Torque wrench (for its price)
most ratchets
Doyle pliers
Most of the stuff branded Icon are pretty decent. But they ain't cheap.
Impact sockets, esp. the 1/2 deep wall. Very useful
Breaker bars
Torque wrench (for its price)
most ratchets
Doyle pliers
Most of the stuff branded Icon are pretty decent. But they ain't cheap.
Got my Tekton 3/8 drive set in, didn’t pick much up at HF, just some extensions, adapters, and socket rails. Don’t know what was going on there, but they were pretty much cleaned out of anything that was actually on my list.
Last big thing on the list (for now) is trying to find an economical storage arrangement that works better than my current collection of plastic cases and portable workbench.
Last big thing on the list (for now) is trying to find an economical storage arrangement that works better than my current collection of plastic cases and portable workbench.
Storage on the cheap:
Thick copper wire bent around a 1" rod forms a self-standing thing that holds wrenches. I think it was someone on GJ that showed it.
For sockets, sheet rock screws installed in 1X2 then cut the screw heads off with a dremel and cover the raw edge with rubber plugs.
Thick copper wire bent around a 1" rod forms a self-standing thing that holds wrenches. I think it was someone on GJ that showed it.
For sockets, sheet rock screws installed in 1X2 then cut the screw heads off with a dremel and cover the raw edge with rubber plugs.
Those carts are great and will swallow up a ton of tools -- definitely better than nothing. And if you get regular tool boxes in the future, you can relegate the cart for secondary/portable use. HF just came out with a beautiful "slate gray" one. Though the other colors (especially orange and blue) are cool too.
Too bad you aren't close to me. I have a spare Mac Tools 2 drawer cart in blue that's in decent shape you could have. It is a NHRA special edition model so it has a cool logo on the top.
four.cycle
Well-known member
Sparky 1971 said:
Tekton 55-pc 1/4" drive Metric & SAE socket set in plastic blow-mold case
5/32" - 9/16" and 4mm - 19mm (NO skips, includes 4.4 and 5.5 mm sockets)
brand new
$77.95 incl. shipping "buy now
Tekton 1/4 Inch Drive 12-Point Socket Set, 55-Piece (5/32-9/16 in., 4-14 mm) | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Tekton 1/4 Inch Drive 12-Point Socket Set, 55-Piece (5/32-9/16 in., 4-14 mm) at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
55-pc. 1/4 in. Drive Socket Set (Inch/Metric) TEKTON SKT05301-S 20209007495 | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 55-pc. 1/4 in. Drive Socket Set (Inch/Metric) TEKTON SKT05301-S at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
really nice set.
Tekton also packages similar sets in 3/8" drive.
Keep your eye on the Ebay Hot Deal thread -
more wrench sets. also check the two or three posts which follow this one for wrench deals
*** EDIT 03/18/22 22:05 PDT to correct prices
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four.cycle
Well-known member
post the other things you're lookin' for and I'll keep an eye out. 
welcome to the site!
welcome to the site!
That is amazing, I am truly humbled at the generosity of this group.
I’m at the point now that I’m hunting for things like crows feet, tappet wrenches, stubby wrenches and the specialty stuff like dwell meter, timing light, and the other oddities of the antique.post the other things you're lookin' for and I'll keep an eye out.
welcome to the site!
Thankfully, they didn’t have the nerve to venture far enough into the driveway to get into the fab tools and my bodywork stuff, so I’ll be welding in rockers for the next couple of days.
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ the best deal going right now on METRIC stubby 45° offset double-end box wrench is this little Duro/Indestro 8-piece set for $45.99 incl. shipping
(* The seller - "whatchamacallittools" - is the new owner of a tool liquidation retail outlet in Oklahoma City, and is sitting on TONS of inventory of NOS (new old stock) tools made by companies which no longer exist: Indestro, Thorsen, etc. Tell him you're from GarageJournal and BK sent you. Work him. *)
For reasons that defy explanation, ebay sellers think that old Taiwan and Hong-Kong made tune-up instruments from the 1970's are worth gold, so it takes considerable patience to find a seller who's better connected to reality.
I've got a Niehoff T70 dwell-tach and a T64 timing light. Top shelf stuff. Both need cleaning badly. $70 bucks shipped to you.
I'll watch the radar screen for the other stuff. BK
(* The seller - "whatchamacallittools" - is the new owner of a tool liquidation retail outlet in Oklahoma City, and is sitting on TONS of inventory of NOS (new old stock) tools made by companies which no longer exist: Indestro, Thorsen, etc. Tell him you're from GarageJournal and BK sent you. Work him. *)
For reasons that defy explanation, ebay sellers think that old Taiwan and Hong-Kong made tune-up instruments from the 1970's are worth gold, so it takes considerable patience to find a seller who's better connected to reality.
I've got a Niehoff T70 dwell-tach and a T64 timing light. Top shelf stuff. Both need cleaning badly. $70 bucks shipped to you.
I'll watch the radar screen for the other stuff. BK
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four.cycle
Well-known member
No problemo...
not seeing ANY used tappet wrench sets on ebay right now. crows foot sets are all over the place (on price.)
I just looked at ebay again - there are several of the old CRAFTSMAN steel-body inductive timing lights listed too. As I recall, that was a damn good unit (the top-of-the-line model for them.)(like this one)
That Niehoff T64 has a plastic body, which some guys don't like.
It's my second one.
I loaned the first one out to an idiot who let the inductive pick-up dangle down onto a hot exhaust manifold and melted it.
CAVEAT on "whatchamacallit" tools - be careful on the THORSEN stuff. He has boatloads of Taiwan-made (later production) Thorsen. Steer clear of it. The US made stuff is fairly decent quality, as long as the chrome stays on. (Chrome peel was an issue on some US Thorsen stuff.)
not seeing ANY used tappet wrench sets on ebay right now. crows foot sets are all over the place (on price.)
I just looked at ebay again - there are several of the old CRAFTSMAN steel-body inductive timing lights listed too. As I recall, that was a damn good unit (the top-of-the-line model for them.)(like this one)
That Niehoff T64 has a plastic body, which some guys don't like.
It's my second one.
I loaned the first one out to an idiot who let the inductive pick-up dangle down onto a hot exhaust manifold and melted it.
CAVEAT on "whatchamacallit" tools - be careful on the THORSEN stuff. He has boatloads of Taiwan-made (later production) Thorsen. Steer clear of it. The US made stuff is fairly decent quality, as long as the chrome stays on. (Chrome peel was an issue on some US Thorsen stuff.)
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four.cycle
Well-known member
A few of my favorite ebay sellers well worth checking out - all new stock (no used stuff):
Cripe Distributing - Boise Idaho - great people to deal with. Two-day delivery to me from Boise.
YourPartsPlace - Lincoln, Nebraska - SUPER people to deal with - two-day delivery to me.
Bowers Tool - near Dallas, Texas - Nelson Bowers - great guy - deals in top-shelf stuff. No junk. No close-outs. Not always the cheapest.
used:
BruceB440 - Ohio - hell of a nice guy to deal with - cherry-picks garage sales - knows tools and doesn't bring home junk - all "auction" stuff so prices can go sky high on some stuff
* bear in mind that almost ALL of my purchases are made through ebay, so I'm not aware of better deals that might be available on Amazon or from Zoro.com or other online tool retailers. You might want to keep your eye on the "Hot Deals" forum
BK
Cripe Distributing - Boise Idaho - great people to deal with. Two-day delivery to me from Boise.
YourPartsPlace - Lincoln, Nebraska - SUPER people to deal with - two-day delivery to me.
Bowers Tool - near Dallas, Texas - Nelson Bowers - great guy - deals in top-shelf stuff. No junk. No close-outs. Not always the cheapest.
used:
BruceB440 - Ohio - hell of a nice guy to deal with - cherry-picks garage sales - knows tools and doesn't bring home junk - all "auction" stuff so prices can go sky high on some stuff
* bear in mind that almost ALL of my purchases are made through ebay, so I'm not aware of better deals that might be available on Amazon or from Zoro.com or other online tool retailers. You might want to keep your eye on the "Hot Deals" forum
BK
four.cycle
Well-known member
(deleted)
Got a stroke of luck today - my wife found this Craftsman “Engine Analyzer” (oversized dwell meter) at Goodwill for a whole $5.99
Has all the cables and actually works with decent accuracy.
I’m guessing late 70’s - early 80’s by the logos, and the fact that it still says Sears, Roebuck and Co. Anyone know anything about it?
Has all the cables and actually works with decent accuracy.
I’m guessing late 70’s - early 80’s by the logos, and the fact that it still says Sears, Roebuck and Co. Anyone know anything about it?
I bought a set of those! Very nice, exactly as advertized.
driftpin
Well-known member
The Sears engine analyzer is one before the Penske Sears units. I have one older than that one you have, since new. Don't use it much.
I’ve left the 64 original, so I get to keep up the points tuning/troubleshooting skills. This thing will definitely earn its keep, especially since it seems like you can’t get a decent set of points/condenser anymore.
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ excellent find on her part.
sold for about $50-$60 bucks in the 70s for something like that... fancy-schmantzy stuff.
sold for about $50-$60 bucks in the 70s for something like that... fancy-schmantzy stuff.
Yeah, carb stuff can be really hard to find, as most all new cars are FI. I made a carb screw adjuster out of aluminum tubing and speedo cable with a 1/4" bit socket on the end. Figured it'd be useful on my 86 Toyota. But now that that was lost in a crash I don't use it much, and I take the other cars to the shop for electronic work.
I've got enough spare screwdrivers I could put together a nice set of 12 for you no prob, and it would cover a nice range of styles and sizes. It'd be a "mutt" set, but all old name brands. Also could do some VACO nutdrivers SAE if you use those.
Let me know and I'll post a pic so you know what I'm thinking.
65ranchero
Well-known member
Nice find!Got a stroke of luck today - my wife found this Craftsman “Engine Analyzer” (oversized dwell meter) at Goodwill for a whole $5.99
Has all the cables and actually works with decent accuracy.
I’m guessing late 70’s - early 80’s by the logos, and the fact that it still says Sears, Roebuck and Co. Anyone know anything about it?
stroked93
Well-known member
Hard to beat the Dewalt hand tool prices at your local Farm store. I have a bunch of it, works just fine.
Thanks for the thought! I can’t ask though, keep your spares for some kid starting out.
Oddly enough, I’ve got nutdrivers coming out of my ears….when I was doing pumps nobody ever had singles to replace the @*%# 5/16” that I always lost (and then found a day later), so those little Craftsman and Klein sets just multiplied.
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
If you're looking to get rid of it let me know, I am helping out a friend's kid new to the auto industry and this might work great for him. PM me.