suggestions on a beginners tool set have 300

[montopolis90]

Hi guys first post in gj like this forum a lot,I am a beginning auto tech and I need to buy my tool set for school, I don't have snap on money and I don't want craftsman quality is not as good as before.any suggestions ? Was thinkin about this http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-301-piece-mechanics-tool-kit-45951.html

 

[vartz04]

see if you can find an old made in the USA craftsman set.

What will you be doing with these tools? Home maint of cars?
Building project vehicles?
Working as a mechanic in a shop?

If you are just doing stuff around your house and changing oil, swapping shocks ect craftsman stuff is fine. the HF 301 piece tool set would be fine as a foundation for your tool set. I have craftsman/HF tools and i haven't had anything break just doing maintenance stuff at home. The HF set comes with many more sockets than a similar priced craftsman set does.

If you are a pro mechanic id suggest getting your wrenches/sockets/ratchets from a quality USA made brand with a good warranty.


With the $120 you have left over I would get from HF

Ratcheting wrenches
Flex Head Ratchet
Torque wrench
Fill in missing socket/wrenches you need for the work you will be doing

Or skip all of that and get a tool box. the 4 drawer or 5 drawer cart from HF is a good base to put all of those tools in and more.

 

[lennoxlennox]

Hi guys first post in gj like this forum a lot,I am a beginning auto tech and I need to buy my tool set for school, I don't have snap on money and I don't want craftsman quality is not as good as before.any suggestions ? Was thinkin about this http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-301-piece-mechanics-tool-kit-45951.html

are you setup with a student discount with the tool companies? does your school have a recommended list they want you to have? sometimes the "kit" the school wants you to have is prebundled at student discount rates with the big tool companies... but $300, for tool kit ... and you don't want craftsman quality.... hmmm... fresh out of miracles today... but... if you want to lower your standards a bit... you can get a gearwrench kit on student discount for 450... see the pics on this link

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143377


actually i just reread your post... go for the hf... you said you didn't want craftsman quality!?... with HF you are bottom feeding


if you do go with HF... use a 20% coupon

 

[montopolis90]

I will be wrenching at home on cars and I like that set because it is mostly complete socket wise. wrenches I will probably buy some stanleys or cman and screwdrivers klien, any suggestions on. A portable metal box I can throw it all in and how to organize it?for the trunk of a car.

 

[montopolis90]

The school I am going to be a student at isn't a big school and the auto tech instructor said they do not offer student dicounts.

 

[vartz04]

Does it have to stay in your trunk? or can you leave it at the school?

I would never want to work on autos for a profession on anything that could easily be taken in and out of the trunk of a car. The tools in that kit alone weight 50 Lbs. add in a box (20lbs or so) plus any add'l tools and your gonna be throwing you back out bending over to get that out of your trunk.

plus id much rather have this craftsman set than that HF set. http://www.sears.com/craftsman-260-pc-mechanics-tool-set-with-3/p-00936260000P

 

[montopolis90]

They can be left at school but a friend of mine who graduated there said that people have broken in and taken students tools in the past maybe in the backseat.

 

[vartz04]

Get a quality tool box, with a quality lock then. Lock all of your tools.

There is no way you will be efficient moving back and forth and working out of a tiny box.

Also buy the HF stuff no one will steal it.

 

[montopolis90]

Any idea when that 260 pc. Craftsman will go on sale looks good doesn't have the allen sockets though

 

[betcd]

The kit comes in it's on black plastic case that has a spot for each tool. if you go on the link below and watch the you tube video you can see the case that these tools come in. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67850

 

[powertrip]

Craftsman. If I was in your place that would be my choice. Better quality than HF, and I own some HF tools. Just be patient and wait for a good sale. Learn the tricks on how to use the coupon codes and rewards program. Also dont rule out ebay, you will still get the same warranty. In my opinion, sears is the best and easiest warranty.

 

[rockchucker]

I would find an old C-Man set. I have one that came in a Plastic Main Box with 4 Plastic Sliding Drawers. All of the ~300 piece set fits into the molded Plastic Trays. I use the trays in my large Tool Chest because they are great organizers. If I need to take the kit with me I just load the Drawers into the Plastic Box and jam. There is room in the bottom box for quite a few other Tools also.


I believe this is the predecessor to the one that I bought years ago. The one I have has a Black Plastic Main Box with pretty much the same Red Drawers. Like I said though...The Drawers make for great organizers once you move up to a larger box but you can load them up in about 1 minute to go mobile if you need.


http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00933158000P?prdNo=11&blockNo=11&blockType=G11


Good luck!

 

[woody 73]

Hi,

I hear you big time money is tight and you are just starting out and on top of that the tools grow legs and walk away in the dead of night!
Buy the HF set that you are seeing for $189.99.

But as we old timers say when you can build up your cash reserves then hunt for old used craftsman tools or other names like proto,wright,mac, etc.

Hope that helps you out welcome to the GJ best of luck!

 

[Super Sport]

When I first started buying tools about 5 years ago I bought the following 283 Pc Craftsman set: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00935283000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1. It comes in a metal box with drawer organizers and a top compartment to store extra tools. It works pretty well for a semi-portable setup and has nearly every socket you will ever need. I scored mine for either $200 or $250 on sale.

Some other tools you would probably want to add:
-Flare nut wrenches
-Breaker bar
-Torx and Hex sockets
-Fine tooth ratchets

Craftsman quality isn't what it once was, but their sockets and wrenches are still excellent for the money. Their basic ratchets work but there is much better out there. I would still rank them higher than HF in quality, plus most of their stuff is still US-made.

 

[vartz04]

Get special stuff like Allen head and torx. Sockets from hf. My main tools are craftsman and any odd ball stuff is hf. You save a lot of money that way.

 

[plierwire]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MATCO-TOOL-..._Automotive_Tools&hash=item4d00764554&vxp=mtr

Buy this for $289. Go to the flea market and buy pliers and screwdrivers.

 

[vartz04]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MATCO-TOOL-..._Automotive_Tools&hash=item4d00764554&vxp=mtr

Buy this for $289. Go to the flea market and buy pliers and screwdrivers.

Good advice. You really only need quality in the Ratchet sockets and wrenches to start

 

[srmofo]

if you have some time to wait this set regularly goes on sale for under $300
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00941309000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

If you need it now this set will get you started and its got just about every socket you will need starting out. It also leaves you some room to buy the extras like a screwdriver set and some basic pliers/dykes
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00935255000P?prdNo=7&blockNo=7&blockType=G7


Just watch out for filler, They like to fluff up the size of the sets with **** like excessive amounts of ****** bits, and teeny tiny ignition wrenches.

EDIT that set that super sport posted looks nice too. Its got more sockets and a box to keep stuff in

 

[FriendOfYours]

The pittsburgh pro sockets at HF are excellent for the money

Get 3/8 and 1/4 in short/deep and metric/sae. A kid that works for us beats the heck out of them and hasn't broken any in the past year. Common to see him impacting them as well

Same goes for the impact sets, impact extensions and breaker bar. Every bit as good as CM for half the price

Grab 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 composite ratchets as well. Have to be above 60 tooth count and seem to be very strong.

I wouldn't get hex or torx bits from HF as they don't seem to be as tough as the previous.

Grab a gearwrench flex 3/8 ratchet off amazon.

Last, go get a JobMax from Home Depot, ebay, amazon with a ratchet head. I prefer it to the Milwaukee m12. It will save you so much time everyone will think you're a robot

 

[RECox286]

Everything is a compromise, except for the backbone of the mechanics

tools, which is the sockets. Skimp on everything except the 3/8 deep

sockets and combination wrenches. Go for the tool truck or Cman

quality for those items. You will not regret spending the money where it

counts. Dollars in your pocket will not make ****** knuckles feel any

better, honest ! Actually the best deal I have seen is the Cman starter

mechanic set. They put a set together that is pretty much all the stuff

you will be using every day. Not the tool truck quality, nor the bottom

of the barrel, and even if it is not USA made, they still honor the lifetime

guarantee. Trick is, you have to go them, the store doesn't come to you.

Uncle Bob

 

[dudutzu905]

watch for the craftsman 283 pc set, it comes it a box and has pretty much everything, all you need to get is screwdrivers and pliers, well and a hammer
the lowest I've seen it go on sale was for like $250 but you can get it for just under $300 discount codes and stuff pretty often