Tool Philosophy - Starting Out

[JohnDeere1]

There's nothing wrong with older USA made craftsman wrenches and sockets I live in the rust belt and worked at a junk yard and it was all I had other than cheapo Taiwan no name sockets. My tools had just got all stolen and this was my loner tools my job was pulling engines say 6 a day plus pulling parts and transmisissions off also had to pull many other parts for people and everything was as rusty and crusty as you can get I never broke 1 socket or wrench even had to remove the whole bodies off every blazer to get at the motor the only snap on tool I got to use was a cordless impact and I used chrome sockets with it as it was all I had even the other guys who also got an impact to use all did the same and all used craftsman they never bad mouthed them once. I now don't own any craftsman but not because it was bad but because my dad gave me all his snap on collection and I needed space so I sold a giant box full of all craftsman for next to nothing just to get rid of it.

If I were you I'd buy all the used craftsman USA you can find get triples of everything it's better than Tekton or HF chrome sockets and you can get them cheap less than $1 each at pawn shops and flea markets I had over 400 sockets all craftsman i just got rid of for $65 ratchets and wrenches you name it the box was so heavy it took 2 people to carry it.I don't even look at craftsman as having a warranty it can be bought so cheap why bother. Look at how many people bad mouth craftsman sockets or wrenches made today but how many actually have broken any next to nobody they only gripe about coo ,I had a set of the China made deep sockets and used the hell out of them and never broken one.

 

[Codejack]

If I were you I'd buy all the used craftsman USA you can find get triples of everything it's better than Tekton or HF chrome sockets and you can get them cheap less than $1 each at pawn shops and flea markets I had over 400 sockets all craftsman i just got rid of for $65 ratchets and wrenches you name it the box was so heavy it took 2 people to carry it.I don't even look at craftsman as having a warranty it can be bought so cheap why bother. Look at how many people bad mouth craftsman sockets or wrenches made today but how many actually have broken any next to nobody they only gripe about coo ,I had a set of the China made deep sockets and used the hell out of them and never broken one.

The local pawn shops want $3-5 per socket for Cman USA; my dad bought a couple to replace some broken Kobalt/Williams sockets (I gave him my old set), and I almost destroyed a 14mm bolt with one, yesterday. It didn't fit right, way too loose.

I came home, grabbed my HF sockets, went back and did the job with no drama.

I don't gripe about COO; I've had good China tools and **** USA tools, and even how much you pay for them doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

 

[bcradio]

Yea, the problem is that 90% of the stuff I ever bought from Craftsman broke, often without ever accomplishing a single job.

So in summary: 90% of the Craftsman items you bought were the wrong items to buy from them (10% were the right tools).

Do a little research on each tool you want to buy and you'll come out much better. You will never reach the 100% rate for all tools working perfect, but you can strive to get as close to that as possible.

 

[JohnDeere1]

Tekton isn't so much **** grade but you are saying you want to make your living with your tools I just don't think they are adequate for such work. I will highly recommend Carlyle for Napa at the least or GW. I suggested you look into used sockets and such it's what I did and I got my tools for what you consider your budget. They do sell Tekton 1 mile from my house but they don't carry the good USA pliers and alot of other stuff I would have to see. What they do sell is not impressive they do have the buy one get one either free or half off which isn't a bad deal but your missing the deals buying online. If I had to recommend a Tekton product and if I just had to it would be the USA made screwdriver set. I have owned the set bought on sale but I took it back. I have a couple of the picks which are sharp as needles and 1 3/8 18" ratchet I have never used and don't really want it. If I were you I'd at least start small with a small socket set I'd be willing to let you know when they are on sale which would be probably black Friday and I could pick you up a set to try they are about the same as HF sockets. I think craftsman is a better start or like I said Carlyle or GW for what your wanting out of your tools that's the way to go.
Right now on eBay there is some good deals on Carlyle sockets check it out.

 

[zendriver]

He had recently passed, in his 90s, but a friend of my parents, was a lifelong master builder, had his own pole building business at one time and did fine carpentry jobs large and small.

When they auctioned off all his "equipment" a few years ago, I thought great, it'll be an opportune to pick up some really great tools.

Every bit of it was just average often no name tools. None of it was Chinese, but none of it was something considered high quality "brand name", Plus a lot of it was worn down to nothing from decades of use. He used a transit level that looked like it was from the Civil War.

None of his family members took the "good stuff", because there was none.

Might come as a shock, but maybe it's not always about the tools.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Codejack]

Tekton isn't so much **** grade but you are saying you want to make your living with your tools I just don't think they are adequate for such work. I will highly recommend Carlyle for Napa at the least or GW. I suggested you look into used sockets and such it's what I did and I got my tools for what you consider your budget. They do sell Tekton 1 mile from my house but they don't carry the good USA pliers and alot of other stuff I would have to see. What they do sell is not impressive they do have the buy one get one either free or half off which isn't a bad deal but your missing the deals buying online. If I had to recommend a Tekton product and if I just had to it would be the USA made screwdriver set. I have owned the set bought on sale but I took it back. I have a couple of the picks which are sharp as needles and 1 3/8 18" ratchet I have never used and don't really want it. If I were you I'd at least start small with a small socket set I'd be willing to let you know when they are on sale which would be probably black Friday and I could pick you up a set to try they are about the same as HF sockets. I think craftsman is a better start or like I said Carlyle or GW for what your wanting out of your tools that's the way to go.
Right now on eBay there is some good deals on Carlyle sockets check it out.

Well, GW impacts sockets have been on my list for a while, now; I've already got the 3/8" set. The only reason I am looking at the Tekton chrome set is that it has no skips, including some really hard-to-find sizes (23mm, 29mm), in supposed quality for a good price.

I needed a 29mm the other day, and literally could not find it in town. It was for an oil pressure sending unit, so not a high torque application, but too tight to get by hand and in too confined a space for an adjustable wrench. I needed a socket or combination wrench. I had to cheat with 1-1/4", which wasn't great.

There are 2 used places in town: The big pawn shop, but I talked to a guy there and says that all the good stuff is picked through and gone because they don't watch it well enough (it comes in mixed boxes you are supposed to buy, but people just shuffle all the good stuff into one box and walk out with it; the power tools might be OK); and a liquidation place that wants $3-5/socket for Cman USA. I bought some for my old Kobalt set, but don't ask about the fit. That's also where I bought the Cman leaf blower, because it was on sale for $40 new; it wasn't worth it.

And again, if Tekton is as good as HF, that's good enough! I have the HF 1/4" sockets and ratchet, and 1/2" ratchet and impact sockets, and they are holding up well. The only problem with HF is all the skips.

The other problem is that I'm shopping "as I need it/can afford it," and things like sockets are actually fairly low on the priority list; I've got the common sizes covered up to 36mm, and other than oddities like the 29mm, I rarely have that problem, since I filled out my portable kit.

I had to go get angle-nose pliers, yesterday, though. I really need a compression test kit, and a bearing separator, and a ball joint kit, and a slide hammer...

Which leads in to filling out my shop set, which is why that thread started, and part of the shop set is a complete socket set. The big GW 1/2" impact set has shallow and deep up to 30mm, but still has several skips, notably 29mm. The Tekton 1/2" set has NO skips up to 32mm. Most of the time, I expect to use the GW impact socket, unless it is too thick or I don't have that size, and the Tekton set seems like a reasonable way of covering those eventualities.

The only possible issue would be a tight access/odd size bolt that is so tight that it would break a Tekton socket. That seems like it would be an extremely rare situation.

 

[Shark Pilot]

If I were is breaking into this business like the OP is I would get myself very informed about the tool market in terms of brands, prices, good deals, good values relative to performance, which companies make the best for any given category, etc. I would want to know what different brands cost for a given tool, for example a rail of 3/8" drive metric sockets: $10 HF, $20 GW, $35 Carlyle, $49 Proto, up to $193 SnapOn. You need to make fully informed purchasing decisions. When I'm standing in Harbor Freight enjoying the aroma of cheap Chinese rubber looking at a $10 rail of sockets I am usually thinking "Well, for an extra $10 I could buy GW at Advance Auto with their 20% coupon". Because I have that information as a basis for comparison I might decide for an extra $10 to go wild & crazy and get the GW set. Or not. But at least I have the info to make that decision.

If my budget was $1,000 for a list of tools, I would at least try to get some portion, say $500-$600 of decent quality stuff (mostly tools that come in direct contact with fasteners) that wouldn't need to be "upgraded" ever and go cheap on stuff which is less critical. Plus, down the road, you're going to need to buy even more tools.

Right now one of your best tools is this forum and its search function. Don't start threads and try to be a know-it-all. You would be far more productive saying "I'm trying to reinvent myself with a career in mechanics and I need the following list of tools and have a budget of $1,000. Please help me figure where to allocate my money to get the best quality and performance for my budget and any specific tool recommendations you might have." I'm sure you will get plenty of great advice and nobody is really going to care how much you may or may not know about tools or anything else for that matter.

Additional Advice: Since there are a lot of VW's in your area maybe down the road you should consider specializing in them. Check out Ross Tech for dealer level OBDII diagnostics. You could make a decent biz fixing check engine light issues.

 

[Codejack]

If I were is breaking into this business like the OP is I would get myself very informed about the tool market in terms of brands, prices, good deals, good values relative to performance, which companies make the best for any given category, etc. I would want to know what different brands cost for a given tool, for example a rail of 3/8" drive metric sockets: $10 HF, $20 GW, $35 Carlyle, $49 Proto, up to $193 SnapOn. You need to make fully informed purchasing decisions. When I'm standing in Harbor Freight enjoying the aroma of cheap Chinese rubber looking at a $10 rail of sockets I am usually thinking "Well, for an extra $10 I could buy GW at Advance Auto with their 20% coupon". Because I have that information as a basis for comparison I might decide for an extra $10 to go wild & crazy and get the GW set. Or not. But at least I have the info to make that decision.

If my budget was $1,000 for a list of tools, I would at least try to get some portion, say $500-$600 of decent quality stuff (mostly tools that come in direct contact with fasteners) that wouldn't need to be "upgraded" ever and go cheap on stuff which is less critical. Plus, down the road, you're going to need to buy even more tools.

Right now one of your best tools is this forum and its search function. Don't start threads and try to be a know-it-all. You would be far more productive saying "I'm trying to reinvent myself with a career in mechanics and I need the following list of tools and have a budget of $1,000. Please help me figure where to allocate my money to get the best quality and performance for my budget and any specific tool recommendations you might have." I'm sure you will get plenty of great advice and nobody is really going to care how much you may or may not know about tools or anything else for that matter.

To be fair, if you go back and look at the 2 threads I started about it, the kits changed drastically with the advice that I got. I finished one, and couldn't be happier with the result.

You were there; I went looking for that Kobalt set you got! It was twice as much money, here, though, so I bought a mix of HF and GW, instead. I have about the same stuff that was in that big GW kit, but impact sockets in 3/8" and 1/2" drive, and the 1/4" set has a flex-head ratchet.

The irony of this entire discussion is that the sockets are the last things I plan on buying for the shop set; the kit I just put together covers enough, for now.

I need more, different, and in some cases, better pliers; I need better hammers, more punches, and some chisels and pry bars. Hooks and picks. Torx, TTorx, Storx, whatever-the-hell-Torx. Kits for bearings, ball joints, gears and pulleys... it just goes on and on

Additional Advice: Since there are a lot of VW's in your area maybe down the road you should consider specializing in them. Check out Ross Tech for dealer level OBDII diagnostics. You could make a decent biz fixing check engine light issues.

Yea, hopefully I will move before I have to do that

VW has done a lot for this town, and I am grateful, but oh $%@!ing WOW are they **** cars. They last if you do the maintenance and repairs, but it's expensive, and don't even get me started on Siemens electronics.

Within a few hours drive from here, though, are Nissan, GM, Daimler, and Toyota plants, so we see a lot of those, too.

I like Nissans; they are just **** enough that you can find them needing serious repairs, but otherwise in good condition, cheap

 

[Schurkey]

An Apprentice/Trainee should buy Apprentice/Trainee level tools.

Historically, that was Craftsman (and Craftsman competitors, often the "discount" line from "real" tool companies.) Craftsman was advertised as "professional"-level, but Apprentices/Trainees are professionals. Both Craftsman and Apprentices are on the bottom-end of the Professional ladder.

When a budget-friendly tool broke, I took it in for warranty replacement. When a budget-friendly tool broke, and I saw blood...I warrantied the tool so I could sell or give it away, but I bought a "truck tool" to actually use.

When I got sick of warranty replacements of my Craftsman ratchet, I bought a "truck" ratchet--and had decades of problem-free service before I needed a replacement "repair kit" for it.

And there it is: Apprentice-level tools for an apprentice. As the apprentice grows in skill, the quality and variety of the tools also needs to increase.

Start with "ADEQUATE" tools--not cheap junk, not overly-expensive--and upgrade AS NEEDED; which may be whenever you NEED a specialty item, but absolutely whenever your "adequate" tools prove that they're not adequate. I needed long-pattern wrenches, and long-handle ratchets because I'm not a beefy guy. I need extra leverage whenever I have tool clearance to use it. Conversely, I needed extra-stubby wrenches long before Sears sold them, because my small hands landed me tight-clearance jobs (dashboards) that other guys couldn't do.

 

[Mr_B]

If wanting prybars take a look at the Wilde striking cap set.
Don't laugh but your favourite Craftman do them or can get exact same from tekton with only difference being price (warranty) and handle color . Very nice bars for the price .

 

[speed bump]

I voted buy mid-range and used (or better new) over time. One of the things I have found is the longer I work with tools the less I break and the more I know what the right tool to buy is. Starting out I cared a lot about quality and gave up some abilities to have shiny tools. Now I care about accomplishing jobs better and faster which means I spend money on things that improve productivity. Once you have the basics (even if they are cheap) focus on what you need to expand your abilities

 

[DadsTools]

When it comes to pliers, the best ones I have ever owned were the old ones. Even today, now that I pick old tools from garage/estate sales, the old USA classic pliers from well-made brands I come across are almost always better than the later ones I have and wind up swapping them out or keeping them to build up more variety in my selection. Just picked up a vintage Klein pair of fine needlenose pliers with almost pointy jaw tips that are the absolute bomb and beat anything else I have remotely resembling that design no matter what the make or age, including newer Kleins.

Oh, did I mention you can by those old tarnished things for next to nothing? Unless they have "Craftsman" on them, then everyone thinks they're worth a fortune.

 

[Mr_B]

^ top tip and easy clean up old pliers , I got several from my dads tools and others from local bric a brac store .

 

[rattle_snake]

Other:
Buy what has the best price/performance ratio.
A lot of less expensive tools are adequate quality.
HF is a good example.
Tool truck is a last resort.
Never use credit.
Bill

Other, and this is pretty much my view as well. In 25 years of abusing tools I have broken very few. Myself or someone else have lost many more than that have failed.

I find it sad and comical the arguments that ensue over tools with no moving parts. Did cave men argue over rocks or clubs? Probably, we love our tools.

 

[HanShotFirst]

An Apprentice/Trainee should buy Apprentice/Trainee level tools.

Historically, that was Craftsman (and Craftsman competitors, often the "discount" line from "real" tool companies.) Craftsman was advertised as "professional"-level, but Apprentices/Trainees are professionals. Both Craftsman and Apprentices are on the bottom-end of the Professional ladder.

When a budget-friendly tool broke, I took it in for warranty replacement. When a budget-friendly tool broke, and I saw blood...I warrantied the tool so I could sell or give it away, but I bought a "truck tool" to actually use.

When I got sick of warranty replacements of my Craftsman ratchet, I bought a "truck" ratchet--and had decades of problem-free service before I needed a replacement "repair kit" for it.

And there it is: Apprentice-level tools for an apprentice. As the apprentice grows in skill, the quality and variety of the tools also needs to increase.

Start with "ADEQUATE" tools--not cheap junk, not overly-expensive--and upgrade AS NEEDED; which may be whenever you NEED a specialty item, but absolutely whenever your "adequate" tools prove that they're not adequate. I needed long-pattern wrenches, and long-handle ratchets because I'm not a beefy guy. I need extra leverage whenever I have tool clearance to use it. Conversely, I needed extra-stubby wrenches long before Sears sold them, because my small hands landed me tight-clearance jobs (dashboards) that other guys couldn't do.

Totally agree!
First and foremost the new mechanic needs tools...and that generally means he needs quantity over quality...within reason of course.

Lots of stuff from Taiwan can get you by for a while until you gather the money to start upgrading to the really good stuff.

 

[Codejack]

If wanting prybars take a look at the Wilde striking cap set.
Don't laugh but your favourite Craftman do them or can get exact same from tekton with only difference being price (warranty) and handle color . Very nice bars for the price .

Is it this set?

I wasn't going to bring it up, but it was on my list as an option

 

[cgaengineer]

Man your obsessed with the topic of buying sockets and other tools. I buy the best that way I never have to buy anything again I have complete Snap on sets for chrome but also have back up sets of williams,wright,sk,Facom just in case I need 2 of the same size socket. All my sockets where bought used for next to nothing. I have bought alot off the snap on truck new and used all my pliers are snap on,mac,Klein and knipex. My wrenches are all snap on and Mac I'm not a tool snob I just like having all top tier tools there really is a difference I learned real quick here I the rust belt. Buying used is the best way for a home gamer or someone starting off to get the good stuff. Brands like Tekton just won't last the ratchets are **** I know I have some they are the same as kobalt and many others and are weak sauce. Sockets are not just sockets cheap ones break you just don't see guys using brands like this everyday I a pro setting. They sell Tekton literally 1 mile from my house I go there grocery shopping and I've held everything they sell and not impressed for the price. You don't have to wait to buy used thats what ebay is for and where I've bought most of my tools aside from flea markets.

Agreed!



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[Mr_B]

Is it this set?

I wasn't going to bring it up, but it was on my list as an option

That the ones, tekton do them with black handles, craftsman best price though .

 

[Codejack]

That the ones, tekton do them with black handles, craftsman best price though .

And who is going to warranty the Craftsman set in 2 years?

I may just order them from Tekton.

 

[65k10]

And who is going to warranty the Craftsman set in 2 years?

I may just order them from Tekton.

If you do order them from Tekton, they have a 20% off code shown on the main page that runs until the end of the month. With free shipping on $30 purchases, it wouldn't be that much more if you are concerned about warranty.

 

[PJNJ]

And who is going to warranty the Craftsman set in 2 years?

I may just order them from Tekton.

Probably Stanley will warranty them since they are the new owner of the name.

If Sears goes belly-up, Cman will continue to exist.

 

[Mr_B]

With price difference on craftsmann I would self warranty if had to, could buy 2 sets for retail price of tekton so have your replacement right on hand for day it needed lol . .
With tools like chisels, screwdrivers and prypars I never interested in warranty, I interested with good usable product at sensible cost .
If got a 20% deal on Tekton then not so much in it unless scraping every buck, personally I don't have full faith in Tektons future or warranty staying as easy as is now so people buying into that brand heavily need keep eye on warranty situation .

 

[Mr_B]

If looking for pliers that above average for lower/midrange cost then tekton and napa worth a look .

 

[Codejack]

If looking for pliers that above average for lower/midrange cost then tekton and napa worth a look .

Heh, once again, those thin grips that I don't like.

I'm either going with Stanley FatMax/Maxsteel, or I'll try to find the NWS Irwins on sale.

 

[Josh Hex]

I was in a very similar position to you when I started out. I feel like i've been pretty smart with the way i've purchased my tools.
A couple questions; what tools do you have right now? Are you trying to build up a collection both at work, and at home?

In my situation, I spent a couple months at a tire and lube shop, never brought the small amount of tools I owned to work, except what I could fit into a small carry-along box. I was stubborn about buying multiple tools for work and for at home because I wrenched at home so much. When I started into diesel, I finally brought my small 26" craftsman box into work and built out from there. Now, I have around 10g paid for into my 72"x30" tool box after only 1.5 years. No tool truck credit here.

Based on what you stated, I'm gonna assume you already know what you need, and you just want advice on quality. I personally fleshed out what I already had(which was a craftsman wrench set, socket set, and screwdriver set) with quality tools I found used at flea markets, and HF tools. My philosophy was that I would rather have a cheap tool, than not have that tool and say "sorry I don't have the tools to do that job". Mind you I was working off a strict budget because starting out comission based, you don't make a whole lot of money until you get a decent set of tools and know what you're doing and how to do it efficiently.
With a basic set, I slowly found good deals on slightly used high-end tools (picked up a barely used SO snap ring plier set for $50 last month!) And picked them up as I went. Working also gives you a good idea on what you'll need so you buy the proper tools the first time. As I replaced my HF tools, I took them home so I have tools to work on my own stuff, and some of it finds it's way into my road call box, or one of my 2 vehicles' tool kits(trust me, i always have places to put duplicates).

But if you're focusing your tools solely at work, I would start mid-range and work your way up as you break stuff.
Gear wrench is a great name in ratchets, sockets, and wrenches and isn't too pricey. Some late-90s early-2000s craftsman stuff is good if you can find it lightly used.
Channellock is a great name in pliers and they're fairly priced.
A lot of people will disagree with me I'm sure, but I love HF impact sockets. Beat on them, hammer them, lose them, whatever. They're cheap to buy and I haven't actually broken one yet.
Air tools I was extremely happy starting out with husky. Enough power for what I was doing, and they still run strong today. I'm slowly replacing them with IR tools, though.
Tool boxes are subjective to heavy shop stigma. Buy what you want, however I'll just say that all of the techs in my shop have mid-teir SO boxes, and I prefer my tool vault box to all of them. It's more sturdy, holds more, and I didn't have to pay on it for 5 years.

Speaking of paying; let me talk about tool truck credit. I understand that giving a tool guy business will make him more likely to replace tools for you, give you deals and bonuses. However I've never touched tool trucks due to the fact that the tools often cost x2 of what I can get them for somewhere else.
And what happens when he decides to stop serving your location, or you change shops? Then the new tool guy could be an *** and not warranty tools because you "didn't buy it from him". I've seen it happen and it can potentially eliminate one of the biggest benefits of buying off a tool truck.
I utilized interest-free rates on credit cards to get the best possible deals I could on tools and still have months to pay them off. This can be a dangerous game though if you don't know how to utilize credit cards properly to avoid interest or might not be an option at all with poor credit.

Best of luck, and most of all just enjoy wrenching!

 

[Lassen Forge]

My whole philosophy is based on having bruised backs of hands and broken skin from cheap tools breaking doing average work - if my hand hurts too much to grasp a wrench, then I'm incapacitated, and that won't do. As such, I usually at a minimum buy mid range, and if I can afford it, go as good a quality as I can afford at the time.

If I go out, reef on a rusty fastener, the wrench or socket breaks, and I give myself a balck eye, then what have I saved? Nothing as far as I can tell. Or if the socket rounds out, and ruins a fastener, I then have to not just spend the extra time removing, but the extra money replacing, again, what have I saved?

That's why I stopped gambling on cheap tools years ago. Because it's not a purchase - it's a bet that you will get the job done before it fails on you, and costs you time, money, pain, incapacitation, or any combination of the 4. What's breaking a hand or losing an eye worth? How much should I pay to replace parts that I damaged with my substandard tools? When do I have time to have that cutoff wheel fragment removed from my leg, and the stitches to close the wound?

 

[Codejack]

I was in a very similar position to you when I started out. I feel like i've been pretty smart with the way i've purchased my tools.
A couple questions; what tools do you have right now? Are you trying to build up a collection both at work, and at home?

Heh, there's a whole background to this:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=365989

Basically, I have what I would consider a "minimalist" set of two boxes that can fit in my trunk. Along with jack, stands and impact wrench, I can load up and be gone in 5 minutes with 90% of anything I might need. This is either going to be my work set, if I start working tire & lube, or my home set, if/when I get a more involved job and get a more complete box, which I have outlined here:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=369875

Based on what you stated, I'm gonna assume you already know what you need, and you just want advice on quality. I personally fleshed out what I already had(which was a craftsman wrench set, socket set, and screwdriver set) with quality tools I found used at flea markets, and HF tools. My philosophy was that I would rather have a cheap tool, than not have that tool and say "sorry I don't have the tools to do that job". Mind you I was working off a strict budget because starting out comission based, you don't make a whole lot of money until you get a decent set of tools and know what you're doing and how to do it efficiently.

This.

I am flipping cars and doing light work out of my garage/on the side of the road, VERY budget conscious, and was getting some serious flack about all the tools I had picked out being "cheap."

With a basic set, I slowly found good deals on slightly used high-end tools (picked up a barely used SO snap ring plier set for $50 last month!) And picked them up as I went. Working also gives you a good idea on what you'll need so you buy the proper tools the first time. As I replaced my HF tools, I took them home so I have tools to work on my own stuff, and some of it finds it's way into my road call box, or one of my 2 vehicles' tool kits(trust me, i always have places to put duplicates).

That seems to be the other aspect to all of this:

Many cheap tools are just fine; you always need backups; everyone likes different things and has to try different brands out. So... I'm going to be buying multiples of a lot of stuff anyway, why not start off with the "best bang for the buck" and see what needs upgrading and with what priority?

But if you're focusing your tools solely at work, I would start mid-range and work your way up as you break stuff.
Gear wrench is a great name in ratchets, sockets, and wrenches and isn't too pricey. Some late-90s early-2000s craftsman stuff is good if you can find it lightly used.
Channellock is a great name in pliers and they're fairly priced.
A lot of people will disagree with me I'm sure, but I love HF impact sockets. Beat on them, hammer them, lose them, whatever. They're cheap to buy and I haven't actually broken one yet.
Air tools I was extremely happy starting out with husky. Enough power for what I was doing, and they still run strong today. I'm slowly replacing them with IR tools, though.
Tool boxes are subjective to heavy shop stigma. Buy what you want, however I'll just say that all of the techs in my shop have mid-teir SO boxes, and I prefer my tool vault box to all of them. It's more sturdy, holds more, and I didn't have to pay on it for 5 years.

Yep, a lot of that stuff is what I was getting flack for listing. I'm not wild about either Craftsman or Channelock, but

Speaking of paying; let me talk about tool truck credit. I understand that giving a tool guy business will make him more likely to replace tools for you, give you deals and bonuses. However I've never touched tool trucks due to the fact that the tools often cost x2 of what I can get them for somewhere else.
And what happens when he decides to stop serving your location, or you change shops? Then the new tool guy could be an *** and not warranty tools because you "didn't buy it from him". I've seen it happen and it can potentially eliminate one of the biggest benefits of buying off a tool truck.
I utilized interest-free rates on credit cards to get the best possible deals I could on tools and still have months to pay them off. This can be a dangerous game though if you don't know how to utilize credit cards properly to avoid interest or might not be an option at all with poor credit.

Best of luck, and most of all just enjoy wrenching!

Fair enough. There is an MSC not much farther away than HF, so I could get Proto warrantied locally.

I'm still going to be using what HF tools I can find that work, first, though.

I always enjoy wrenching, even if I have to put the dreaded "Miata Devil Hose" back on this afternoon

 

[Gmonkee]

I routinely pull heads and full suspensions off of old junk with less than 1/3 the tools you have.

Nothing air or cordless in the lot. Believe me CJ, you can go on what you already have.

But, chase the dream if you want. Just spend carefully from here on and the better than HF can be added.
I have been at the same game you are for 11 years and actually selling unused stuff far more than buying, still haven't put more than 20 bucks in any storage at all.

 

[Codejack]

I routinely pull heads and full suspensions off of old junk with less than 1/3 the tools you have.

Not a VW head, you don't!

But I take your point; even my "minimalist" set is a little overkill. On the other hand, it's also missing some key pieces.

Nothing air or cordless in the lot. Believe me CJ, you can go on what you already have.

But, chase the dream if you want. Just spend carefully from here on and the better than HF can be added.
I have been at the same game you are for 11 years and actually selling unused stuff far more than buying, still haven't put more than 20 bucks in any storage at all.

That's interesting, but it means that I have to ask some questions:

-What do you do about bearings, esp. pressed-in or throwout? I can take hubs to a shop, but not an engine block while it's still in the car. I can rent a bearing tool for some things, but it's limited, and the parts store is 20 min away. They don't rent slide hammers, though.

-What do you do about sensors & sending units? I almost bought the HF set for this the other day, but it was missing the size I actually needed! And it wasn't even the sending unit that was the problem, it was in the way of a busted coolant hose! A 29mm socket would have done, if you can find one, or a 1-3/16", which I didn't have. I had to use a big pair of vise-grips (unknown brand, just say "China," about 3 times the quality of my Craftsman USA pair).

-Torx: Ugh, the f'ing torx bolts that I see. Even Ford has become infected with the disease. I have a grand total of 8 torx sockets; I can't even open up my ratchets. This really is a case of, "I can't do some things without it."

----------------------------------------

Part of the "dream" is to have the right tools for the job, and waste less time improvising with the wrong ones. I picked up long reach bent-nose pliers from HF the other day, and I don't know how I would have gotten that hose off without them; there literally wasn't room to open up a normal pair close to the clamp. (Needless to say, I replaced that clamp with a worm-gear type ).

Another part is having my own shop, either doing service or restoration.

 

[Mr_B]

torx set is a must these days, if getting a shop then 20ton press a must really.
slide hammers pretty cheap these days, as is bearing/harmonic puller and hub tools. I got 2 sets of hub tools, 1 otc and one ebay special, both work great so got a ebay special bush puller set and that thing earned it's keep easy as so versatile and saves time and hassle.
Get yourself some torx bits and driver set then you be able QC and grease your pitt pro ratchets for a smoother feel .
lot of stuff you can get by without but if want be reasonably efficient and cover more jobs and reduce tool abuse and self abuse building up speciality basics is a must .
List looks endless, I just built up as jobs came in or when good deal on .

 

[Codejack]

List looks endless

Tell me about it!

I got my old toolchest back, though, pics incoming

 

[Codejack]

Have you ever actually pulled a VW head before?

3 times; granted, 2 of them were old air-cooled bugs...

 

[JazzBlueRT]

And who is going to warranty the Craftsman set in 2 years?

Walmart will buy the remnants of Sears when the final nail hits the coffin. Walmart needs Sears in-store pickup infrastructure and technology to compete with Amazon.

 

[Codejack]

Walmart will buy the remnants of Sears when the final nail hits the coffin. Walmart needs Sears in-store pickup infrastructure and technology to compete with Amazon.

Sure, but they don't have the space to keep individual replacements on site, and what will the quality be like? "Hyper Tough?"

 

[Infinia]

"Hyper Tough"

Excellent name! once you go blue you'll never want to go black

 

[Gmonkee]

VW head bolts you can buy a generic bit that fits anywhere now. Bearings and sensors don't challenge my kit much.

Mexico is big on VW products and obviously the tools became common also because of need.

For me bossman says pull that bit or assemble the suspension my kit is well tuned to our work at the shop. Nothing missing and few things extra.

Time has made me numb to many challenges we see regularly. You will achieve the same.