The what if…. Thread (may help out younger members)

[Jersey Drew]

Let’s just say for whatever reason you had to start over from scratch buying tools, how would you purchase them knowing what you know today.

me personally I would probably start off with the following an add in as needed from there:

nice used tool cart or small Snappy box
the 3/8 master chrome socket set from tekton
tekton 3/8 long flex head ratchet
the 3/8 non fuel milwaukee ratchet
box store or harbor freight for set of combo wrenches, set of pliers, set of screw drivers, c clamp and a hammer
1/2 inch mid torque FUEL milwaukee impact
sunex 1/2 inch set of deep impact sockets
pittsburg breaker bar
vim socket bit set
daytona floor jack
titan non marring lug nut socket set
3/8 and 1/2 inch torque wrench (I have husky and craftsman now, they have never let me down so I would buy either of those or maybe even tekton)

that would probably get me through 90% of what I do. Remember there is no wrong answer this is just your opinion on how you would purchase things if you were to have to start over, this may be a fun experiment. And it very well could help someone out.

 

[jagwinn]

Industrial Mechanic: Start with basic mechanic SET, as large as possible. When doing work, if you have a peculiar or an unusual of rare job that requires a special tool, then buy that tool. Time and effort is lost trying work-around tools that, if in your own shop, would be admirable to ingenuity, but frowned upon working for someone else.
Now this may sound silly to some, but I have found that most machines used in FOOD and PHARMACEUTICAL plants have MANUALS online at the manufacturers web-site. A cheap Amazon Fire reader loaded with manuals for what you work on is a very great tool.
I would also say that while battery drills are nice, a corded drill in 1/2" capacity will stay with you all day on a job and give no trouble. The same for air tools.

 

[dr_clyde]

I’d do exactly what I did the first time, for the most part. Buy the best quality stuff I can afford, and take care of it. No sense in buying things 3 times.

I’d probably jump right to a bigger box too. I spent way more money than I should have over the years buying a different box every 3 years when I outgrew the last one. I’d probably just throw down for a triple bay right out of the gate and be done with it.

 

[Marc Voorhees]

Biggest thing for me would have been more storage, i have had to buy 3 boxes over the years and I finally, 10 years after buying my first house, have a tool box big enough.

As a Diy'er tinkerer/prosumer, biggest things would be this

Large Mechanics tool set
Largest (Most power) midrange Cordless drill set (For me was 20V porter cable. had it for 10 years at this point, LOVE the drills and drivers)
Tekton Screwdriver set (I just bought one and I wish I had found it before, I really like them)
Pick a favorite screw (for me it is coated deck screws with a T20 head) for certain types of projects, and buy a dozen bits that are the appropriate size
You cannot have too many tape measures. Truly. Pick a number between 5 and 20. Then buy 2 more. Then buy 3 more. That should tide you over for a bit
a GOOD level. Splurge on a level, they will last forever if they are good
A GOOD stud finder. Again, splurge on this. Cheap ones work, but are a pain in the *** to deal with

 

[Two Door]

Grey Pneumatic Duo-Sockets instead of chromes. And I would consider a cordless 3/8 impact (which didn't exist when I was starting) a necessity.

 

[plinker]

I'm not sure that I'd change an awful lot, though what brands are and arent available anymore (IE Armstrong, ete..) would be a factor in what I'd have to buy to substitute them with.

Putting a bit more thought into tool storage maybe could have saved me some money, though what was available was just that at the time.

The bigger issue are the changes in technology, like battery vs air for certain tools, That would play a large part as I'd skip a 3/8 air impact and go right to cordless. Same for air ratchets.

 

[Kscardsfan]

More storage space/bigger boxes instead of nickel and dime my way through a series of progressively larger boxes.

 

[Walkers]

It is hard to go wrong these days. When I was starting there was a lot of **** tools out there, then Craftsman, and then the pro brands. Now even the tools considered lower end are decent tools. Even HF has tools that look decent in their Icon line up. Find a tool line up you like, that is readily available to you. Get a good warranty if that is important to you. Buy something you can get replacements for when needed.
I have had very few repairs and replacements needed over the last 30 years. A few lost tools, a few stripped ratchets, a couple of broken sockets, etc. nothing that would have broke the bank if I didn’t have the Snappy warranty. Plenty of tool lineups that would be as good as, but are much cheaper initially.

 

[Nutria]

I used to wonder about this . . . and then I got the chance to try it, due to a wildfire. I luckily found two bottom and one top box (1970s) that I liked right afterwards. Bought core tools in sets, new, mid-grade, so I could get back in the saddle fast. I'm still filling in the rest with quality used tools from garage sales, etc. Just picked up some more that way this weekend.

This seems to have been a reasonable strategy. I would have preferred to have purchased almost everything used, but there just wasn't time for garage sales, Craigslist, etc. right after the fire, given insurance battles and a rebuild to fit in around the day job. And tools were needed right away, including immediate work on the demo.

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

Don’t step Into a tool truck..

 

[dar24601]

As a diy homeowner
— avoid the big tool sets since they will come with tools you will likely never use. I’ve used 1/2 ratchet once in 20 yrs

— buy tools you’ll use for type projects you do. Example if not doing automotive work then 1/4 socket set is what you’ll primarily use

 

[lardy1]

I wouldn't do anything different. I'd buy quality domestic tools when I could find/afford them and higher quality Asian when I couldn't.

Maybe I'm stuck in a time warp but I simply can not and will not normalize buying Chinese when there are other options.

 

[Davefr]

Don’t step Into a tool truck..

I pretty much agree. For the best ROI, I'd buy top shelf Asian tools (Taiwan) and only upgrade to tool truck tools when a tool breaks or fails to perform. Over time I bet the ratio of Asian to Tool Truck never falls below 90%. (that would save one lots of "Moolah")

The only other need for tool trucks is for the very specialized tools.

 

[theoldwizard1]

It is hard to go wrong these days. When I was starting there was a lot of **** tools out there, then Craftsman, and then the pro brands. Now even the tools considered lower end are decent tools. Even HF has tools that look decent in their Icon line up. Find a tool line up you like, that is readily available to you. Get a good warranty ...

Brand name really should NOT be part of the decision making process !

I started with Craftsman over 50 years ago because that was what Dad had and he worked at Sears. I always thought the warranty was a big positive, but I have only replaced a few tools in all that time. I like the broad selection that Craftsman has but if I find a better tool I will not hesitate to buy it (most of my impacts are Sunex).

 

[toolin' around]

I’ve lived in three different countries over the years, and tools are really tough to relocate, particularly electric tools due to voltage difference… so I’ve started from scratch a couple of times…
As a general rule, I buy the best quality I can justify, based on: (a) the amount of use I expect to need a tool for, and (b) the degree of precision I expect the tool to deliver… I’ll only buy HF if I only expect to use something once in a while, or precision is not a big deal… I have replaced too many cheap tools with better quality over the years.
Sometimes, you buy a cheap tool to get a quick job done or due to budget at the time, then realize you didn’t know how you got by without it, and wish you’d gone with better quality… OfferUp is your friend!

 

[Neggy]

buy the best quality tool you can afford and do not abuse them

There is no need to pay for the tool truck guys vacation to Maui

Many tool truck offerings are just re-packaged or re-branded tools from other manufacturers. That $159 tool truck light can be had for $40 online without the fancy name.....

Do not go into debt buying tools

 

[wood02]

The first thing I did when I graduated school and entered the tool & die trade was buy my Gerstner tool box. This was in the early sixties. I still have the box and the tools I stored in it. I look at the box and can see all the memories and the friends I met along the way. Whatever you decide get the "best" you can. It took my first paycheck to buy the Gerstner. I think it was about $83.00. I wish I still had the receipt.

 

[FuzzyTiger]

Buy complete sets of sockets, wrenches, whatever. Actually complete sets. Don't get tricked into buying a set of sockets that are missing sizes because I guarantee you will need the missing sizes.

Forget anything imperial unless you need them for a specific thing.

For a toolbox - go for a toolbox with as many drawers as possible and with nice slide and latch mechanisms. Unless you're a professional and need a toolbox that can handle being moved around, most toolboxes will probably never move and don't really need to be built super tough.

For power tools - just go Milwaukee or Dewalt. The battery ecosystems are way too expensive to buy into multiple or to switch from one brand to the other. Both of those brands produce just about every tool you could need and their tools always competitive. If you want to go air - go Astro.

 

[dr_clyde]

I do not regret buying Snap-on, Mac and Matco. To all these guys saying "avoid the tool trucks", I feel like there needs to be the qualifier of "avoid buying beyond your means on the tool trucks".

It is pretty much common knowledge that the professional brands of tools like Snap-on, Mac, Wright, Proto, SK, Hazet, Koken, and many others are the best available. If you can afford them, they will be lifetime tools.

If you are reckless and purchase thousands of dollars of tools off the Snappy guy to work as a lube tech, than that's foolish. But to say to just "avoid the tool trucks" is also a pretty blanket statement. I have my Great Grandfather's Snap-on tools he purchased in the 40's. They are still useful, good quality tools that I will pass on to a fourth generation at some point.

It is easy to overspend when you don't have to pay in one lump sum. But, that said, debt is a tool. It should be avoided when you can, but if you can't afford to have 5k wrapped up in a toolbox at age 20, but can afford $50/week off your check for an interest free truck account on a used box, then I would say it is a good spend. That box will last for as long as you want to own it. You'll have it paid off in a year or two, and then it is yours forever. High interest loans, payday loans, high interest credit cards, these are all bad. But an interest free truck account on a few grand? No big deal. Keeps the liquid cash in your bank account for bills, and you establish a relationship with your dealer that they have a stake in. Buy USED for a toolbox. NEVER buy a new one, unless you can stroke a check for one and take the hit. They depreciate like CRAZY.

There are for certain some tools that are not a good value off the trucks, and can be bought at any common hardware store for much, much less. But the hardline tools, boxes and specialty tools? You would be hard pressed to find better. Will cheaper tools work? Probably. But there is a point of diminishing returns you get with high tier luxury goods that is hard to justify for some guys. Some are willing to pay double for an extra 5% increase in quality and performance. Some aren't.

I started buying Snap-on, Mac and Matco in high school. I still have every one, and buy more often. I do not regret spending my entire check on a socket set when I was living at home, because I have that socket set still, and it works hard for me every day. My check was also a lot smaller then, so it was a bigger deal to buy a set of sockets for $300 or whatever I paid. I was living at home, had no bills, and would rather invest in my tools than go out and party. Now that I can afford to pay for it, I just buy what I need.

If you can't afford something, then you can't afford it. Buy what you can. Don't over leverage yourself for tools. But if you CAN afford it, then I highly advocate buying the highest quality available.

This equation changes a LOT when you're not making your living with tools. I have mostly SO stuff at home that I've bought used and scrounged for over the years, but if your tools aren't making money, then that last few percent of quality the trucks provide is more or less vanity at home. If you can't see the difference and know why it is important, or if you can't handle debt or money properly, then go to HF and be done with it.

I would also add that cordless power tools are more or less disposable. They WILL wear out, the batteries WILL fail or go obsolete, and they aren't good for more than about 10 years. Buy whatever you like, but plan on replacing them about every 10 years.

 

[dr_clyde]

The first thing I did when I graduated school and entered the tool & die trade was buy my Gerstner tool box. This was in the early sixties. I still have the box and the tools I stored in it. I look at the box and can see all the memories and the friends I met along the way. Whatever you decide get the "best" you can. It took my first paycheck to buy the Gerstner. I think it was about $83.00. I wish I still had the receipt.

Nice. $83.00 in 1960 adjusted for inflation is worth $762.57 in today's money, according to the Bureau of Labor's CPI calculator.

A lot of guys forget about inflation when they reminisce about prices of ye olde days. Clearly it made an impression on you, as you remember it took your whole check of $83.00 to buy a tool box, a small wooden one at that. And that's a pretty good wage right out of school, especially by today's standards.

Money well spent, as you had it your whole career.

 

[CoogarXR]

I'd do the same things I already did. Buy a quality foundation of basics, then add on when you need to. And buy up all the used, high-quality stuff you think you might need when you visit yard sales, flea markets and pawn shops, lol.

And STAY ORGANIZED. Jobs go so much faster when you know right where every tool is, and you know what you have (I hate running out to buy some tool and finding out I already owned one!). So invest in some storage; a nice box, socket rails, etc. That is one thing I didn't do until late in life.

 

[Sneezer]

I think it depends on your situation. Finances, space, projects, etc. I am strictly a DIY gut - car repairs, fixing stuff around the house, etc. When I was young I was ecstatic when my folks got me a basic mechanics set from Sears. It wasn't complete, but still got me through several years of parking lot brake jobs, oil changes and assorted engine repairs. As I got older and more things broke, I needed more stuff - breaker bars, U-joints, flex ratchets, etc. Tool storage was always an issue - it had to be portable, live in a closet and get hauled down a couple flights of stairs. A good portable tool box with drawers would have made my life easier back then. The typical Craftsman 3-drawer hand box would have been great - I just didn't have the cash as a broke college student to get one. I made do with a Rubbermaid plastic traditional tool box, which meant lots of time wasted digging through the mishmash of tools dumped into it.

Socket rails and wrench holders would have helped me out too back then.

I will say a decent cabinet is really nice to have, but I wasn't able to get one until I was almost 50. Having one now I really wish I had bought one as soon as I got a house with a garage, instead of making do with the various portable boxes I had accumulated over the years.

If I had to start over, a decent complete mechanics set would be a necessity for me - no skipped sizes, SAE and Metric, along with a set of wrenches. Good set of normal screwdrivers, and a good ratcheting driver. I use my bit driver far more for convenience, unless a regular screwdriver is a better fit. Set of good prybars, small sledge, simple hammer. Rolling toolbox if you have space for it. If not, 2 3-drawer hand boxes. I have one set up for metric only for my motorcycles, and another for SAE for my 77 truck, since both of those get worked on in the driveway. My rolling box is stationary, and holds a complete set of SAE/Metric sockets, along with air tools, specialized ratchets, wrenches and other stuff.

 

[speed bump]

Hand tools are consumables. Buy adequate and available tools instead of worrying about the best.

Power tools are your friend buy the best you can afford.

Specialty tools are important, these make you work faster, spend your time researching here.

Admit you are buying vintage tools because you want to collect them, not because they are better.

 

[m6z]

Twenty years ago you bought Craftsman, it was made in the USA and wasn't cheap for a guy making around $6 an hour. I think I bought the wrenches with one paycheck and got the 300ish pc mechanics kit a couple weeks later.

Today, Tekton would most likely be my choice for chrome sockets. I'd get one of their master 3/8 sets and one of the 1/4 sets.

Wright for wrenches. Carlyle, if Wright was out of the budget.

Wilde pliers and prybars from HJE.

Milwaukee for any power tools I'd need.

 

[CS454]

Student account/discount is your friend starting out, and learn to identify the difference between need and want. I've spent money and I've wasted money, fortunately far more of the former.

 

[Stooge]

I dont know if i would end up with tools much different than what i have currently at 33, but i would definitely buy differently than i did. I spent alot of time trying to get by with the bare minimum, not having the right tool for the job and trying to make due with what i did have. Even when i wasnt a broke teenager, i was still sort of in that broke teenager mindset and constantly talking myself out of buying something that would make life easier, or 'next time i do this, i'll buy the right widget' and then not buy it next time. Not even really a budgetary restriction, i like and have nice tools, just a hangup and frugal upbringing i suppose. i still do it sometimes now, but for the most part its ' i need this, it will make life easier or can help make for a better/ cleaner end product, and i can afford it, done!'

 

[Jersey Drew]

I dont know if i would end up with tools much different than what i have currently at 33, but i would definitely buy differently than i did. I spent alot of time trying to get by with the bare minimum, not having the right tool for the job and trying to make due with what i did have. Even when i wasnt a broke teenager, i was still sort of in that broke teenager mindset and constantly talking myself out of buying something that would make life easier, or 'next time i do this, i'll buy the right widget' and then not buy it next time. Not even really a budgetary restriction, i like and have nice tools, just a hangup and frugal upbringing i suppose. i still do it sometimes now, but for the most part its ' i need this, it will make life easier or can help make for a better/ cleaner end product, and i can afford it, done!'

I have the opposite problem. I buy stuffs i may never use but like having it in the event i may need it!

 

[Ton ton]

My advice is to buy good quality portable tool boxes for work in the field. I hate junk portable toolboxes. They don't get much attention on garage journal. Just my 2 cents.

 

[CS454]

My advice is to buy good quality portable tool boxes for work in the field. I hate junk portable toolboxes. They don't get much attention on garage journal. Just my 2 cents.

Milk crates and freebie DeWalt bags...hahaha

 

[Neggy]

I have the opposite problem. I buy stuffs i may never use but like having it in the event i may need it!

There have been times I have seen stuff on the tool truck that I didn't need, but looked at as something that might come on handy some day. My tool guy knew better than to try to sell me wrenches and sockets.... I have a 50 year collection of that stuff, he knew I wanted to see the " hey that looks like something I can use" stuff. Not always high dollar stuff, most of it under $125 dollars or less.


When I did find myself in need of them it was nice to have them close by, it was at that moment they paid for themselves

 

[Nthill93]

My advice is to buy good quality portable tool boxes for work in the field. I hate junk portable toolboxes. They don't get much attention on garage journal. Just my 2 cents.

i use the Milwaukee packout system for in field repairs. I used to have a bunch of those craftsman 3 drawer boxes but when you have to take a ton of tools in the field the packout system is a rockstar.

 

[p00p]

buy 1 larger-long tool chest that has options to buy "add-ons" for vertical growth. Made the mistake buying incrementally from small to larger. Could have saved a lot of headache & money.