8 Tools We’re Thankful For
About the time I hit middle school, I had a very particular reason to look forward to Christmas. My Grandpa John had taken it upon himself to use the occasion to build my collection of tools. I never knew what it would be, but after a couple of years, I eagerly anticipated some new and helpful addition to the toolbox he’d gotten me on the first go-round.
Most of us, myself included, aren’t fully decked out with a shop full of the greatest and most capable accoutrements. But as time goes by, projects give us excuses to buy new tools that build up the resources to get our jobs done. Over that time we build affection for certain implements, and every once in a while we discover something that we can’t believe we lived without. Here are just a few bits and bobs from our collections that we’re thankful for.
A Good Electric Impact
For me, it’s gotta be the battery-powered impact gun. That thing has cut literal hours off of jobs that I’ve done. When we rebuilt my Mitsubishi Montero’s front end, my DeWalt impact gun was probably the most-used tool when it came to knocking off all sorts of nuts and bolts. Are there instances where it’s a bit overkill? Sure. Is there something satisfying about using hand tools for certain jobs? Also yes.
But is there value in saving a little time when you’re doing more rudimentary projects on your vehicles? Always.—Nate Petroelje
A Power Ratchet
I am here for the battery-powered things, too. I love my M12 Milwaukee ratchet—it makes junkyard runs in 100-plus-degree heat far more bearable.—Sajeev Mehta
Wrenches That Go Way Back
These Craftsman ratcheting wrenches aren’t anything special, and 20-plus years of use means the action isn’t so great on some of them. I ought to buy a more precise set that gets more rotation out of every pull. But they were with me when I started wrenching on things in earnest and still get pulled out of the drawer for almost every project, and it’s out of gratitude for every nut and bolt they’ve turned that I can’t let them go. That 17-mm on the side gets to be in the group photo because just about every nut and bolt on the first two generations of Miata is either a 10, 12, 14, or 17 mm, so it’s gotten good use, too.—Eddy Eckart
Welders
The ability to join metal, especially at the price point that makes welders usable by home DIY folks, is a superpower. I don’t use mine often, but I brought it out last week to fabricate an exhaust for one of my motorcycles, and I continue to be amazed at how easy welding is considering what can be done with the process.—Kyle Smith
Modern Tech
The smartphone. Between the ability to FaceTime a knowledgeable friend or parent mid-project, look up a tutorial on YouTube before even starting, document a project for yourself, or find answers on a car forum mid-project, it’s the ultimate cheat code. Also, Bluetooth OBDII scanners, amirite?—Grace Houghton
Stubby Screwdrivers
Stubby screwdriver! Hard-to-reach places are sometimes only accessible with the trusty stubby. I like the thick handle that makes it unlikely to slip, even when you’re well into depths underhood. Plus, it’s adorable.—Eric Weiner
Sockets That Go Way Back
This Craftsman socket set was gifted to me by my parents when I was still in high school. It was a big stretch at the time to afford something like this, even though it’s just a basic set. But I’m thankful for what it started.
I don’t come from a family of car people. Occasionally, I still believe that falling in love with these machines was a total accident. But when my parents saw that I was serious about enjoying cars, they decided to do what they could to help further that. So this socket set showed up.
I remember using it to change the oil for the first time on my 1987 Porsche 924 S, which I’d bought from an older gentleman who couldn’t get into the car anymore. I think the whole ordeal took me six hours, because I kept getting stumped on little problems such as “Well, how to do you get the car in the air?” or “OK, so that filter won’t come off by hand, what now?”
I’ve since built out a decent tool box, and this Christmas, I’ve asked for help making the leap to a larger, more capable socket system. I’ll be grateful to have more capacity, but I’m always going to have a soft spot for this scraped-up black box with the clanky ratchet that occasionally binds. It kicked the ball over the hill, and now we’re well and truly rolling.—Nate Petroelje
Mobile Compressed Air
On-board air compressors. Whether it’s a unit integrated into a vehicle or, even more conveniently, a portable unit you can easily hook up to the battery of any rig, these little machines make going off-road—and getting back on it—a much more pleasant experience. Being able to air down your tires for comfortable crawling with the knowledge that you can fill them back up when the trail ends—or fill the tires of a stranded motorist—is great peace of mind. Even better, there are compressors for every budget and build.—Stefan Lombard
One of my best tools isn’t in my tool box it’s my wife she has helped me numerous times with brakes, hoods, doors and helping me under the car holding things.It always makes it easier when you have another person helping you. John
The only thing on here not mentioned, whether it be because it’s common sense or what, is a cheap flashlight. Cheap flashlights are great in the sense that you can drop them, crush them, hurl them at a wall when you snap a head stud, or whatever! The best part is: you can find them in the checkout line at Harbor Freight for a mere 1-2 dollars. I have never had a job where a light saves you from accidentally showing your dad your vocabulary or expanding your tool monkey’s.
I’m all for the modern tech. I was trying to calculate a drive line angle on a project I am working on. Had all the dimensions I needed but its been almost 40 years since I did a trigonometry problem and I didn’t have my copy of Engineer’s Handbook with me. Plugged a couple of numbers into an app and there is was. I did go home and watch a youtube video to brush up on my trig.
I found out, about 1970, that when you have three kids and multiple vehicles, you learn to do car maintenance and repair yourself. My wife understood and bought me a set of Craftsmen tools. Our last kid showed up in 1981 and by that time, self wrenching was the normal for me and I really enjoyed it. At one time I was paying tuition for the first three kids at three different schools at the same time so I sort of had to do things myself. That’s all behind me now and I still have the original Craftsman tool set. Had to replace a few SAE sockets, add a lot of metric stuff, the 1/4 ratchet a couple of times and of course the 10 mm socket constantly. One of the biggest shocks I experienced was walking into Lowe’s and seeing Craftsman tools for sale. It was an unnatural act, like an alien out of world experience. How dare they mess with mother nature like that. Montgomery Wards is long gone, The old Sears is about to become a Casino and Craftsman tools at other than Sears. Time I retired to the couch and get fat. Don’t think the kids even want the tools. Everything is fixed with credit cards now.
I just got a Monkey Wards catalog in the mail, so I guess they’re back in some fashion. Since Sears never actually made anything they sold, I don’t think it matters who sells Craftsman tools.
My Craftsman late 50’s 12 point sockets with 32nd inch increments working on 40 or 50 year old fasteners in the rust belt of Ontario salt roads with breaker bars that one can slide a long pipe over. Haven’t broken any of those Craftsman sockets. 3/4″ is 11/32″ in time.
I have and rely on an old Snap On wobble extension that’s just enough wiggle to for tight spots. T-handle spinners until I opt for a $99 M12 battery operated ratchet but most of the time I can just use a regular 20v driver (with a clutch rather than an impact driver) attaching a 3/8 socket adapter and extensions to speed up removals.
As a teenager, I worked at Sears in the mid to late 70s. Pretty much burned up most of my weekly pay check in the tool department. They had an employee discount at that time. Still have the “clicking” torque wrench, Penske timing light, Penske dwell tach and pretty much all the wrenches, ratchets, sockets, screwdrivers, etc. from then. I do agree about the Craftsman Vise grips being crappy. Best “find” was my neighbor who was a Snap-on regional manager. I got a banged up Hot August Nights 12 drawer roll away for a case of his favorite wine. He didn’t even want to take the case…
Rechargeable led headband and safety glasses
Tools are what separate us from the animals. I’ll never have enough. Working in a high output heavy machinery environment I’ve used all brands. As far as hand tools are concerned, nothing compared to the Proto brand. My favorite tool though is the one i figure out will get me out of the predicament or disaster i got myself into.
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While not necessarily tools, a few foul words strung together seem to make a bad situation much more bearable.
Oh, I have worked on jobs that made me invent some new ones of those.
I bought an old told box at a garage sale – in it was a stripped Craftsman rachet that obviously had decades of severe abuse – took it back to Sears & the lady says no problems we don’t carry individual rachets anymore so here is a set & have a nice day
Aside from the battery powered stuff I have added over the years, I am most thankful for the basis set of Craftsman metric sockets I bought because I was in a pinch and needed to do a battery swap, and my Kmart Benchtop wrenches that I bought when I was working as a ride mechanic at an amusement park. Both were spur of the moment “I need this tool right now to do this job” purchases that landed in my tool bag and somehow never left. That tool bag is what I am most thankful for, buy a good quality bag, you will never regret it.
A HAMMER! A BIG MOAB HAMMER!! THE BIGGER THE HAMMER; THE MORE FORCE! And maybe a broken part????
But.. What the heck? Right?
Unfortunately my Craftsman sockets and other nice tools I had were stolen out of my van many years ago have built my collection back up with a lot of Pittsburgh tools which work well but my used DeWalt electric impact does what my Earthquake pneumatic won’t do.
my favorite is the milwaukee m12 ratchet listed in this article. when i saw it on sale, i couldn’t buy it fast enough. it’s up against some tough competition, but i think it’s my favorite tool. it has yet to pinch a finger where my air ratchets would on occasion (yeah, it’s part operator issue).
and although these might not be 2nd runners-up, they are one of my favorites for sure: impact wobbly sockets. the socket pivots much less than that of chrome wobblies, but more than one on a wobbly extension. being spring loaded, the socket end doesn’t flop around like well used chrome ones. not sure if they are available anywhere other than the expensive tool trucks.