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
Recently swapped out my ‘swollen’ F-150 lug nuts (what the f____ Ford!) for a aftermarket one-piece set. Easy-peasy with a cordless impact (removal) and nut driver (install). First time I used a torque wrench to tighten lugs to spec; damn thats a lot of twist.
1. The set of SAE combination wrenches my folks gave me at age 10 to work on an outboard motor.
2. The 1/4″ Craftsman socket my girlfriend gave me for Christmas shortly after I bought my first car. They’re SAE because Sears didn’t sell metric tools and I had a Renault, but I could use em for everything but 10mm. That Christmas present was a convincer: she was a keeper!
3. Several years after we were married, her Dad passed away. He was the one who taught me how to use those wrenches his daughter gave me; her Mom gave me his tools that dated back to Model T days.
Still have the tools…and the wife! She is a keeper…
don’t forget the fire wrench and an assortment of bashometers, I retired in 09 after 50 years as a mechanic,I’m in my seventies and still use my flintstone tools on a regular basis.
Whitworth spanners (sorry “wrenches”). If you are working on pre-war UK manufactured cars these are vital. Don’t even think an imperial AF or metric spanner will do the job. Most of mine are 30-50 years old although, I recently bought 3 new Whitworth combination spanners as they were on offer and a good price.
Hammers. Got to have a few different weights and types! Pickup tools. Magnetic on a shaft works, but sometimes you need those push claw type. I also have a magnetic pickup tool that is about 2.5″ in diameter with a handle you can pull up to release whatever is stuck to it. Dump a can of bolts/nuts out (especially small ones!) to find that one you need to finish then use it to pick them all up (or a lot of them!) in one swoop and easily put back in the can.
Our family business (1902-1994) was a hardware store and the tools sold there were all the old names in the hand tool world: S-K Wayne, Lectrolite (pre-S-K) Rigid, Crescent, Vise-Grip, Klein, Stanley (the original), Irwin, Bluegrass, etc.
Most of the tools in my cabinet are from the ’50s-’60s period, with a lot of Craftsman (pre-divestment) added later in life when I moved away. I have K-D specialty tools for automotive work and an ancient Lincoln buzz-box that , combined with the right size 6013 rod, compares very favorably with non-TIG wire welders.
My battery stuff is all DeWalt and my air tools are a mixture of Craftsman (early ’70s) and Horrible Freight.
I’ve got two Bluegrass claw hammers and one of their plumb bobs. Belknap (the maker) was a great company.
I’ve only needed a power impact wrench once (I guess that means I’m not dedicated enough) to remove the rear axle nuts on my VW Beetle, and I rented a plug-in electric that did the job in a minute.
The old joke about the torque spec on that nut was “tighten it until your voice changes, then take another quarter-turn.”
Good article and a lot of good comments from everyone. One little tool in my tool chest of goodies is a magnetic pick-up telescoping stick tool. Super for picking up small dropped screws, nuts, washers, etc… It extends when fully out to about 36 inches. We all drop these small items when working on our car, especially when working under the hood. Saves a lot of back bending hand picking these small hardware items off the floor, and or ripping the skin off your knuckles when retrieving in hard to get tight spaces.
since I’ve gotten older the tool I wouldn’t want to be without is my lift
I have a large assortment of Craftsman tools, most 40 plus years old but not having a lift i’m very thankful
for my 3 ton floor jack! C’mon you all have one!!!
Any tools in a blow molded case aren’t “way back” by definition .
I like those older craftsman ratcheting spanners, they’re much smaller than the Chiniseium ones I have and occasionally use .
Cranked spanners are a god send and prevent damaging fasteners ~ I only work on older things and so often encounter buggered fasteners .
I often buy one or twp specific tools I need for the job and never regret it .
I also buy a lot of used tools .
-Nate
Tools have a snowball effect. If you do nothing and have a single light bulb on your garage wall, then you don’t need tools. In my shop one tool compliments the other and one it goes. I do metal work, wood work, art work etc. If you have a lathe, you also need a milling machine. If you have a MIG welder, you also need a TIG welder. Have a grinder on the bench? Can”t grind aluminum with that, now you have to buy a belt sander. How are you going to cut your metal and wood, now you need a band saw. Bandsaw’s don’t work for everything so now you need a sliding chop saw with a metal cutting blade. Your going to do some sheet metal work, now you need a metal brake. Don’t forget a good vise, a big one and a little one, and if you need to beat on more stuff, an anvil. Of course you need compressed air and lots of air tools. Compressors make water and if you don’t have a good water separator your hoses get full of water and ruins your air tools. You need a refrigerated air dryer. tired of your air hose laying all over the floor, you need a hose reel fasted to the ceiling. If you have all these things, you either have a loving wife, or no wife.
My wife saw an infomercial for Metwrench 20+ years ago. The pitch was one set of wrenches worked for both standard and metric fasteners. I had a Pontiac GTO and a Porsche 911 and was always complaining about the different sets of wrenches I needed Knowing that I was always buying tools she ordered a set for me. They not only do both types of fasteners, they also grip rounded nuts and bolt heads. They are still my go to set of wrenches. The case they came in is coming apart but I’m making do.
Old motorcycles are my main hobby and a good quality lift (I have a 1500# rated Black Widow) has really made my life better. At 73 years old my days of kneeling to work on things are done. But be careful with the cheaper manual lifts. I have two friends that have tipped them over, along with their bikes…
Open ended sockets. It’s great to have a socket that can slide over a long fastner to reach the nut and be able to break that nut loose with the faster sticking up through the socket. Wife got these for me and I love them. Not my go to set but work nicely when needed.