7 Tools You Basically Can’t DIY Without
I often think about the bare minimum number of tools required to do a job. Not the ideal tools. Maybe it comes from watching Saturday morning TV shows, where everything took 10 minutes and fit together flawlessly. Watching those projects take shape encouraged me to pick up tools and try my own. But what do you need to just get started?
If we waited until we had a full toolbox to dive in, none of us would ever get anything done. We’d just be sitting around staring at tools. Instead, let’s take a look at the tools that compose the minimum kit required to safely and successfully tackle a project on a daily driver—or at least allow you to do most of a job and then rent or borrow any specialty tools needed for to complete specific tasks. These don’t need to be fancy tools; in fact, this might be a list of items that are best purchased at garage sales, flea markets, or secondhand stores.
Jack and Stands
Sure, there are a lot of projects that do not require lifting a vehicle, but sooner or later you’ll need to do it. I’ve done oil changes by putting the front wheels on a curb to get enough clearance to roll under and access the drain plug and oil filter, but that practice doesn’t work in all situations. A jack and stands do. These are the right tools for every job that requires lifting a vehicle. That’s why they are something to get early in your wrenching journey.
Screwdrivers
Applied properly, screwdrivers have thousands of uses. We would never tell you to use them improperly, of course, but in a pinch a screwdriver can be used for all sorts of stuff that might very well render them one-time-only tools that, for better or for worse, will get the job done. Screwdrivers also can last a very long time if well taken care of, so adding these to your toolkit early will make for a solid base that rarely needs replacing, which leaves you with funds to buy more specialty tools to grow your kit—or you might just get through a handful of jobs without buying anymore tools at all. That’s a great feeling.
Socket Set
There is a reason every “mechanics toolset” sold in parts stores or home centers has sockets and ratchets as its main component. Ratchets and sockets are a highly efficient method of removing hardware without damaging it. A basic kit is enough to get started, and you can easily add bigger or longer pieces as needed.
Hammer
You thought I wouldn’t include the hammer? It’s an inarguable necessity. Judicious use will make for a better wrenching experience, but when force is required, a mass at the end of a stick is just the right tool for the job.
Multimeter
“If you can’t fix it with a hammer it’s an electrical problem” is a good joke, because occasionally it’s based in fact. Electrical issues are more common than ever as cars feature more and more sensors and connections. To be a mechanic and not a parts replacer requires diagnostic tools, and diagnosing electrical issues is difficult to do consistently with only your eyes and hands. A good multimeter—and understanding how to read it—is vital.
Drain Pan
Want to do an oil change? You’ll need to catch the used oil somehow. Even a makeshift catch pan is good idea, but many of the drain pans designed for automotive projects are affordable and have features that seem trivial, until you are without them: A pour spout makes emptying the pan easier, and the ability to seal the fluids inside for transport is helpful, too. An open container of used oil is just waiting to be knocked over. Or it’s a magnet for tools or parts or worse, a spark. A good drain pan makes jobs cleaner and safer.
Penetrating Oil
Cars are built from a couple dozen different materials and the vast majority of them are susceptible to corrosion. Penetrating oil helps limit the need for big tools like impact drivers. Is an aerosol can technically a tool? Maybe not, but a good can of penetrating oil should be something you reach for before grabbing tools, so we are going to say it’s a critical part of the toolkit. Besides, if you’re limited on tools, you want to be able to stack the deck in your favor, and that means trying to break fasteners loose using science rather than force.
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I think the guy that worked on my current project had beer, and little else…
These are all excellent choices! I would like to add a slim, magnetic cylinder on a extension shaft for those parts lost in inaccessible places..think Citroen..& a good pair of motorcycle tire removal tools – so much more successful. Oh yes, a motorcycle jack. What else? Wire brushes. And I do endorse, in spite of the bad reviews, BB Blaster.
Great piece; keep them coming.
I would recommend a surplus of 10mm sockets, both deep and shallow, 10mm open and box end wrenches! Having extras of these will reduce search times and reduce stress! Extra 12,13,14mm could also help. But there is a spot in most garages that the 10mm size seems to gravitate to.
Ain’t that the truth. It’s almost mystical how many 10s just seem to disappear??!!
I do realize we all have our favorites and preferences for many things… that said, I’m genuinely puzzled and quite frankly a little peeved that “PB” is used as the pictorial example. With all due respect to those that tolerate it, it’s horrible as a penetrating oil!!
The ONLY reason we think it’s so good is long term misleading heavy advertising.
There are many better ways to loosen and lubricate a joint in an attempt to remove fasteners. If you’re a PB fan… honestly, do your world a favor and try a few other things. You’ll be happy you did.
The best penetrating oil I have ever used is MoPar Rust Penetrant. Used as directed it works, and smells pleasant to boot.
The tool that you “must have” is the one you need to do the job you are working on.
That is were friends and neighbors come in handy….. someone must have the tool you need.
Back on disposing of oil…… where I grew up we had alleys all over town. We had a coal fired
power generating plant that had a by product of “clinkers” ..the city spread them on the alleys
then would oil them to keep down the dust. We were only helping the city by spreading the
used oil on the alley.
Only thing you did was contaminate the groundwater.
Thank God those days are gone. You know all those funny diseases that come up and no one is sure what caused them ? Dumping contaminants on the ground that ended up in the water table might just be the answer to that question. I’m just glad we finally have seen the error of our ways.
this list “Could” go on & on–I think it all depends on your Skill level & Ambition–
Plier assortment ( needle nose, water pump, regular type, vise grip, etc.), air compressor ( even if it’s just a small one), battery charger, pry bar, zip ties, electrical tape, wire connectors and electrical wire, nut & bolt assortment – the list goes on & on.
I’ve always found PB Blaster a waste of money. Best penerating lube I’ve found is Kroil (or AeroKroil in a spray can) from Kano Laboratories. It hasn’t failed me in 38 years. If it won’t loosen it, might as well break out the torch or cutoff tool.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the DIY motto;
No project is worth doing of it doesn’t justify the purchase of a new tool!
B^)
Posting too fast & your comment is awaiting moderation?
Ratcheting wrenches, how did I survive those prior years without them. Such a convenient and time saving tool. Just don’t overload them with too much force and break the small ratchet parts inside. Regular box end to break it loose, ratcheting to remove.
That’s why I use to love Craftsman. You could put a cheater bar on their ratchets and if it broke go back to Sears and get a new one for no cost 🙂
Don’t forget angle grinder and chair! I’m old and used to sit on a bucket all the time. I have a Viper chair now and can’t work without it
Penetrating oil I would consider a “supply” not a tool. I think ya gotta include a set of wrenches since sockets don’t fit in a lot of places and you often need something on the other end to keep from spinning.
Here’s one you won’t see coming, Micro Scale brand Micro Mask. It was invented for model hobbyists. If you have any delicate paint jobs on trim, instruments, whatever, this material goes where no masking tape has gone before. Even the best masking tape can not conform to delicate, tight areas, but combining a steady hand and this stuff will provide amazing results. Mask as close to the edge of where you want the paint to stop, brush this blue tinted, gelatinous fluid up to the edge, paint and then wait to dry. After the paint is completely dry, go back to your masking tape, press it against the dried Micro Mask, using a blunt object to press is helpful, pull the tape off and the unwanted paint comes off with it. I’ve had amazing results on my full size cars and my little 1 ounce bottle is still 3/4 full, is over thirty years old and remains fluid and useful. Crazy stuff.
I also have a small, flexible pallet knife that my late, multi talented, artist Brother gave me that I constantly use to seat material edges and use as a scraper on many materials as it is far more safe and forgiving that a razor blade. I think of him often but when I use that tool, he is looking over my shoulder.
2 x 12s a foot long on the garage floor raise my cars enough to do oil changes easily.
PB works better than most. Sometimes it takes multiple applications over days to free up that unobtainium piece. Plus tightening that nut/bolt first to break it loose works better than trying to loosen it against the rusty threads.