shoggoth80
Well-known member
Hello all.
Been lurking around on the boards for a few weeks off and on. I figured it was time that I signed up. More a tool junkie than a garage junkie (though a garage is in the long term plans). This has been fostered lately by school, and soon, work will play a part in the fiasco.
I am an auto tech student at a local community college. This is not my first time through college. Got laid off a while ago, and am taking advantage of worker retraining. It's harder when all the conventional methods of college finance are not available to you (prior education takes you out of the running for a number of grants, and other benefits... and my loans are used up... bit of a story)...but I am making it work, and that is what counts. It helps that I have some background in auto work. Been learning/doing the stuff since I was in my mid teens. I like it, so it seems a good fit.
Anyway, the fun part... tools. Lol. I only recently started to get what I would call decent quality tools. I have a lot of cheaper Chinese and Taiwanese stuff. Always got the job done in the past. Not like I knew better at 16-17 anyway, and I never really thought about it, because they worked when I needed them. Getting to do this day in and day out in a more serious capacity changes the mindset a little. If the cheap stuff I have lasts long enough to get me a better tool, then I suppose they've served a purpose?
It's easy to get pulled in. Recently acquired my first air tool: a Craftsman single hammer 1/2" impact wrench. Specs say 400ft lbs of torque. Should be sufficient for entry level work. The price was right. Also nabbed a set of 7mm-21mm 6pt. wrenches. Mostly Armstrong, with a little KD mixed in (Danaher made I believe. USA for sure). Some of them are still in transit, a a friend gave me a deal on a number of his extras. I get some SAE in there too. However, I foresee using mostly metric in my future. Along with that, I bought 6 Armstrong impact sockets: 19, 20, 21, 27, 30, and 32mm. I still want to grab a 24 and 36mm just in case. Also bought the 3 Kobalt ratchets from Cripe... the US made ones. I was told they'd be a little coarse, but solid... and that seems to be the case. I like the handle design on them too. I know that some others didn't like them, but I can't complain yet. If they ever become an issue, I'll upgrade and relegate them to some other duty.
Really digging the fit and finish on the Armstrong stuff. It's nice. Also been drooling at Matco and Hazet as well. Got a thing for German made stuff.
Other than all of that goodness, I am also getting a job as a part time technician. This plays into my overall strategy of coming out of school with a job, some experience, and the ability to start getting certified ASAP. The college certs are nice, and having yet another degree will not hurt me... but getting the ASE certs should pay off in the long run, and make me more marketable/valuable... and we all like dollar signs, no?
So, to wrap up the intro, and share the addiction...this is what I have in my arsenal at the moment:
3/8" Drive:
3x ratchets (one Taiwan, one HF, and Kobalt). Kobalt for work, cheapies for school. An assortment of extensions, U joint, the standard 5/8" and 13/16ths spark plug sockets, a smaller breaker bar, 9mm-19mm shallow chromies (Taiwanese), 9,10,12,15,17,19,, deep wells (also Taiwanese). 10-14, and 16, 17, and 19mm Shallow and Deep well impact sockets (Harbor Freight, these don't seem too bad). SAE 3/8-13/16 shallows, and 3/8, 7/16, 11/16, and 3/4 deep well.
1/4" Drive:
2x ratchets (Stanley and Kobalt.... Kobalt for work, Stanley for school).
6" extension, u-joint, 6-13mm deep well, 4-14mm shallow, 1/4-1/2 deep well, and 5/32-9/16 shallow.
Torx:
T10, 15,20,25,27,30,40,45,50. Sockets: E6,7,8,10,12,14,16. Assorted bits for screwdriver as well. These are all Pittsburgh brand (HF).
1/2" Drive:
2x ratchets (Companion, and Kobalt... you know the break down by now).
5" extension, u-joint, 14" Breaker, 12pt metrics in 10-28mm, SAE in 3/8-15/16.
Craftsman Impact Wrench, with 3/8 and 3/4 adapter. Armstrong impact sockets in 19, 20, 21,27,30, 32mm.
Combo wrenches: KD/Armstrong 6pt.in 7-21mm, 24 and 25mm.
Pittsburgh ratcheting open ends 10mm-19mm
Pittsburgh combos 12pt in 8-19mm. Got a no name 7mm, and 15mm in that mix.
Got Companion branded 3/8, 7/16, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, not sure what Armstrong standards I am getting. They're being tossed in as a bonus.
KD brand flare nut wrench 10mm and 12mm.
Other:
10" and 6" adjustable wrenches, 7" vise grip. Channel locks, needle noses, side cutters, standard pliers, a couple I don't have a name for (flat nosed). Snap rings, tire pressure gauge, spark tester (from O'Reilly), inspection mirror, shop magnet, flashlight, cheap multimeter, compression tester (old, got it from my dad), timing light, pin punch set, allen wrenches, feeler gauge, test light, stripper/crimper, test leads. Most of those pliers and wrenches are Harbor Freight too. I had to get a lot of stuff on the cheap.
Got a random assortment of Craftsman bolt extractors. Haven't had them on me at school when I needed them. They WILL be coming to the shop with me.
Probably should into a box with wheels to house it in. Lol. I am really lacking in that element. To top it off, the shop seems to have loaner gear for the entry level type tasks. So, if by some odd chance I DON'T have something I need to perform an assigned task, I can likely borrow it. This is gonna snowball really fast though...
Oh yeah, did I manage to say "Hi" in all that?
Been lurking around on the boards for a few weeks off and on. I figured it was time that I signed up. More a tool junkie than a garage junkie (though a garage is in the long term plans). This has been fostered lately by school, and soon, work will play a part in the fiasco.
I am an auto tech student at a local community college. This is not my first time through college. Got laid off a while ago, and am taking advantage of worker retraining. It's harder when all the conventional methods of college finance are not available to you (prior education takes you out of the running for a number of grants, and other benefits... and my loans are used up... bit of a story)...but I am making it work, and that is what counts. It helps that I have some background in auto work. Been learning/doing the stuff since I was in my mid teens. I like it, so it seems a good fit.
Anyway, the fun part... tools. Lol. I only recently started to get what I would call decent quality tools. I have a lot of cheaper Chinese and Taiwanese stuff. Always got the job done in the past. Not like I knew better at 16-17 anyway, and I never really thought about it, because they worked when I needed them. Getting to do this day in and day out in a more serious capacity changes the mindset a little. If the cheap stuff I have lasts long enough to get me a better tool, then I suppose they've served a purpose?
It's easy to get pulled in. Recently acquired my first air tool: a Craftsman single hammer 1/2" impact wrench. Specs say 400ft lbs of torque. Should be sufficient for entry level work. The price was right. Also nabbed a set of 7mm-21mm 6pt. wrenches. Mostly Armstrong, with a little KD mixed in (Danaher made I believe. USA for sure). Some of them are still in transit, a a friend gave me a deal on a number of his extras. I get some SAE in there too. However, I foresee using mostly metric in my future. Along with that, I bought 6 Armstrong impact sockets: 19, 20, 21, 27, 30, and 32mm. I still want to grab a 24 and 36mm just in case. Also bought the 3 Kobalt ratchets from Cripe... the US made ones. I was told they'd be a little coarse, but solid... and that seems to be the case. I like the handle design on them too. I know that some others didn't like them, but I can't complain yet. If they ever become an issue, I'll upgrade and relegate them to some other duty.
Really digging the fit and finish on the Armstrong stuff. It's nice. Also been drooling at Matco and Hazet as well. Got a thing for German made stuff.
Other than all of that goodness, I am also getting a job as a part time technician. This plays into my overall strategy of coming out of school with a job, some experience, and the ability to start getting certified ASAP. The college certs are nice, and having yet another degree will not hurt me... but getting the ASE certs should pay off in the long run, and make me more marketable/valuable... and we all like dollar signs, no?
So, to wrap up the intro, and share the addiction...this is what I have in my arsenal at the moment:
3/8" Drive:
3x ratchets (one Taiwan, one HF, and Kobalt). Kobalt for work, cheapies for school. An assortment of extensions, U joint, the standard 5/8" and 13/16ths spark plug sockets, a smaller breaker bar, 9mm-19mm shallow chromies (Taiwanese), 9,10,12,15,17,19,, deep wells (also Taiwanese). 10-14, and 16, 17, and 19mm Shallow and Deep well impact sockets (Harbor Freight, these don't seem too bad). SAE 3/8-13/16 shallows, and 3/8, 7/16, 11/16, and 3/4 deep well.
1/4" Drive:
2x ratchets (Stanley and Kobalt.... Kobalt for work, Stanley for school).
6" extension, u-joint, 6-13mm deep well, 4-14mm shallow, 1/4-1/2 deep well, and 5/32-9/16 shallow.
Torx:
T10, 15,20,25,27,30,40,45,50. Sockets: E6,7,8,10,12,14,16. Assorted bits for screwdriver as well. These are all Pittsburgh brand (HF).
1/2" Drive:
2x ratchets (Companion, and Kobalt... you know the break down by now).
5" extension, u-joint, 14" Breaker, 12pt metrics in 10-28mm, SAE in 3/8-15/16.
Craftsman Impact Wrench, with 3/8 and 3/4 adapter. Armstrong impact sockets in 19, 20, 21,27,30, 32mm.
Combo wrenches: KD/Armstrong 6pt.in 7-21mm, 24 and 25mm.
Pittsburgh ratcheting open ends 10mm-19mm
Pittsburgh combos 12pt in 8-19mm. Got a no name 7mm, and 15mm in that mix.
Got Companion branded 3/8, 7/16, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, not sure what Armstrong standards I am getting. They're being tossed in as a bonus.
KD brand flare nut wrench 10mm and 12mm.
Other:
10" and 6" adjustable wrenches, 7" vise grip. Channel locks, needle noses, side cutters, standard pliers, a couple I don't have a name for (flat nosed). Snap rings, tire pressure gauge, spark tester (from O'Reilly), inspection mirror, shop magnet, flashlight, cheap multimeter, compression tester (old, got it from my dad), timing light, pin punch set, allen wrenches, feeler gauge, test light, stripper/crimper, test leads. Most of those pliers and wrenches are Harbor Freight too. I had to get a lot of stuff on the cheap.
Got a random assortment of Craftsman bolt extractors. Haven't had them on me at school when I needed them. They WILL be coming to the shop with me.
Probably should into a box with wheels to house it in. Lol. I am really lacking in that element. To top it off, the shop seems to have loaner gear for the entry level type tasks. So, if by some odd chance I DON'T have something I need to perform an assigned task, I can likely borrow it. This is gonna snowball really fast though...
Oh yeah, did I manage to say "Hi" in all that?