What tools to own before you discover you need them?

[Mille]

Generally, I go buy a tool when I hit a snag in the middle of a project. However, I've heard it said that you should "Own a plunger before you need a plunger."

What other tools or items would you folk consider essential to own before discover you need them? Off the top of my head, I think a magnetic pick-up tool falls into this category, as do spare shop rags and trash bags.

 

[wornoutoldman]

Medical quality tweezers. Magnifying glass (light up style). Ear plugs and eye protection.

 

[rednotch]

A blue tip wrench. heat all ways comes in handy when something is stuck.

 

[619DioFan]

In the spirit of GJ you should own 4 of every tool known to mankind

All kidding aside and since I don't know what level of repairs you do I will list some tools that have saved my backside more than once ( automotive related )

Good tap and die set ( met and sae ) plus a thread restore set

Set of sockets to remove stripped lug nuts and locking lug nuts when the key is missing.

Big pry bar ( min 36 inch , 48 is better ) I also have a 6 foot digging bar on hand for really big prying jobs. also some good bfh's

Mig welder ( if welding is in your skill set )

Big breaker bar ( I have several 40 inch ones that are problem solvers )

16 inch channel locks

Bearing press

This is just a short list and I am sure others will chime in but these items are things I have on hand that have been used many times to get me out of a jam when the car needs to be back on the road in the morning so I can get to work , earn the money to buy even more tools. Thanks GJ

 

[engineer2]

^^^Agree.
If you do any electrical/electronic work:
A nice crimper/stripper for wire terminals.
A decent soldering iron.
A multi-meter
An outlet tester

Automotive:
OBDII tester (cheap bluetooth one is fine)

Plumbing:
tubing cutter
propane torch

General: Dremel tool kit

 

[ZRX61]

bench grinder... with a wirewheel on one side.

 

[Ricky112]

snap ring pliers




safety glasses!!!

 

[rrich1]

Dremel, chisels, good socket tool set, set of pry bars, and clamps.

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[GirchyGirchy]

Band-aids.

 

[MattVette89]

I guess it depends on what field you are referring to...automotive, household, etc.

 

[Tenex]

A thread restorer kit like THIS.

 

[JZiggy]

A big ol' can of KROIL!

 

[liam.fenemore]

Big piece of pipe that'll fit over your ratchets or wrenches.

 

[Youngguns]

Band-aids.

My axe taught me this one yesterday..
Anyways, fire extinguisher.

 

[toolaholic]

Hook and pick set. Punches.0 degree offset wrench, deep offset wtenches, slide hammer

 

[Tiny Jackson]

Duck tape, tie wire, leatherman wave.

 

[PelicanPines]

Parts organizer four times the size you think you need.

Multi tool like a fein multi master.

 

[bczygan]

Two ways to look at this.

One is to always be buying tools and equipment that allow you to delve deeper into the work than you do at the present.

If your present method for vehicle repair is to kick the offending part with your foot, then the next step would be to buy a BFH. Then you can up your game next time by beating the hell out of it with that.

The other method is to always keep your work well within the bounds of your available kit. If you lack electrical tools, then don't mess with electrical things until you do.

The final answer is that you need everything to be able to do everything.

The further you are in time and distance, from available tools, the more acute the lack of the right tools becomes. You always find you need something you don't have, in the way of tools or parts, is late on a Sunday evening, with bad weather coming, and you need the vehicle for work in the morning.

Bill

 

[SweetD]

Bench vise. "The third hand with the mighty grip..."

 

[BDT/NWMN]

crow bar

 

[disston]

Don't know if this is mentioned here very often or not. I'm still kinda new.

Shop Manual

I work on my own motorcycle and my own car. For the 2009 Ford Crown Victoria i also have the Wiring Manual.

 

[Jeremy77]

If your home is plumbed with PEX and you plan on being in it, I'd suggest a PEX crimping tool. Preferably one with interchangeable jaw inserts.

 

[four.cycle]

vise grips.

good credit so you can always buy more tools.

edit:
yeah.. and a big *** pry bar. I have an 18" Herbrand I got at a garage sale for a buck, a 5-foot pinch-point bar, and a big 6-footer too. no such thing as "too big" a pry bar.

 

[SweetD]

Don't know if this is mentioned here very often or not. I'm still kinda new.

Shop Manual

I work on my own motorcycle and my own car. For the 2009 Ford Crown Victoria i also have the Wiring Manual.

disston - welcome to the GJ forum!

And I agree with you on the shop / service manual for any given vehicle.

It's funny though, isn't it...most of us here on the GJ site are willing and able to read and interpret a service manual...but many, many people just can't do it...!

Different strokes I guess...

Dave

 

[Larryjones]

Two and three jaw pullers. Nut splitter, obstruction wrenches

 

[four.cycle]

Two and three jaw pullers.

yeah.. but before you blow money on 2-jaw or 3-jaw conventional (OTC-type) pullers, check out "Posi-Lock" pullers.
spendy, but one of the better tool investments I've made.

http://www.posilock.com/

 

[Sprintman]

3/8 and 1/2 breaker bars

 

[Jason280]

bench grinder... with a wirewheel on one side.

No doubt about it, its one of the most used tools in the shop...comes in handy for just about everything.

 

[KraftwerkMk1Jetta]

A seal and bearing driver kit. Using sockets to press or drive in seals or bearings/races might get you by, but to have a nice kit with various sizes makes a big difference. I have a Blue Point one and a Lisle one. They're just machined pieces of aluminum so they're very similar.

 

[McFarmer]

Basic gear puller. I like my posilock.

 

[Seppala]

After having the luxury of paying mechanics to work on my cars for the last 25 years I'm back to wrenching. My auto mechanic tools were reading to rock on any 60's or 70's Chevy. Today's cars offer such limited space to work in that flex head ratcheting wrenches and a 1/4 inch air drive socket wrench have been absolute nessesities.

 

[djjsr]

An oscillating multi-tool. Got a good deal, so I bought it not knowing what I would ever use it for. I've since used it MANY times and it made many jobs quicker and easier.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Taps and dies

Left hand drill bits

O/A torch set

Flex head ratchets

 

[engineer2]

Beer fridge.

 

[pi_guy]

The problem with this question is the answers start to approach infinity. There is always some tool you gonna need. It is like asking a group of AA members what is the best drink....

 

[thegroundpounder99]

Crowfoot wrenches


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[four.cycle]

The problem with this question is the answers start to approach infinity.

true, but it is kind of interesting to see what guys are tossing out there.

of course, the bottom line is that if you really want to be prepared for any job, you have to own every tool that was ever invented, or be able to do some creative improvisation.

 

[cliftonbros89]

I second the pullers, crow foot wrenches, big pry bar and vise grips. I'd recommend a good extractor set as well. I'd say ratchet wrenches too.

 

[kctyphoon]

i also vote a tap and die set.. i bought one of the HF ones that has both metric and sae, (had great reviews) and also came with a thread identification key.. finally used it a few week ago when the threads from 2 of the bolts i removed from my car's taillights got messed up.. first time they were removed as i upgraded all the lighting in my car to LED. what could have been a PITA turned into a 10 minute fix..

 

[dodge610]

i also vote a tap and die set.. i bought one of the HF ones that has both metric and sae, (had great reviews) and also came with a thread identification key.. finally used it a few week ago when the threads from 2 of the bolts i removed from my car's taillights got messed up.. first time they were removed as i upgraded all the lighting in my car to LED. what could have been a PITA turned into a 10 minute fix..

Say what they want about those HF tap and die sets they still get the job done. I have a set that has saved me numerous times.