Where to start my tool collection

[20001 mustang]

Like the title says I need to start to get some tools. this is my first car and I dont have any tools to work on it with, I already have a jack and some stands, but now I want a good quality socket set and a good torque wrench to get me started at the least. so what brands would you recommend I get? any brands to stay away from, I figure I should just start buying the best stuff from the start and slowly build my collection. what should I buy after the sockets and torque wrench?
thanks for the help

 

[Maxpowers]

Depends on what money you have, and what kinda work you plan on doing?

Nothing wrong with getting a set of craftsman sockets and wrenches to start out.

 

[BannonJr]

Ya, anything with a lifetime warranty like craftsman is good.
If you're in Canada, mastercraft at canadian tire is hard to beat.
I'm hard on my tools and when I snap something, just return it, no bill, get a new one. This stopped me from buying snap-on.

I did recently get a misc set of tools from Mac, I absolutely love them, in fact they have saved me from many things. Example, screws I couldn't get out, Mac worked.

There will be a lot of debate about tool types, but just stay away from the cheap cheap stuff and you'll learn quickly what works for you.

 

[20001 mustang]

Ill probly pick up a mastercraft set. at the moment all I want to do is my brakes, so i wont need much for now. but down the line as my knowledge on cars increases i will be trying to tackle much larger jobs and I intend to do suspension next so i will need a variety of tools. what kind of torque wrench should i get?

 

[BannonJr]

Get a torque wrench that goes at least up to 105ft lbs+

That way you can cover pretty much everything including your lug nuts.

If you get a 1/2 torque wrench, grab a 1/2->3/8 adapter, so you can use 3/8 sockets on your tq wrench. Hard to reach places and smaller sockets come in handy.

 

[Kornnut]

These are what I consider needed tools.

Good set of sockets (long and short)
Extensions and breaker bars for sockets
Pry Bars
PB blaster
Gloves if you choose
Pliers(needle nose are the most important.)
Shop towels and other supplies for messes
Water source(wash your eyes quick)
Various wrenches
Lighting(more then one source)
Ramps and scotches
GOOD jack
Heavy duty jack stands
Tq wrench(good one)
Hammer
Sealant(various kinds)
Electrical tape and connections
Clamps

Here is optional stuff
Grinder
Bench and Bench vise
Tourch(small hand held is fine)
Welder
Drill press
Spare jack and bottle jack
Ratchet straps
Spare jack stands
Impact gun(pneumatic is best)
Air compressor and tools aside from the impact gun
Panel pullers
Soldier iron
Computer


There is a lot more out there. Don't be scared to buy used stuff, and Northern tool/Harbor freight. For stuff I use a lot I do like the little better stuff, but on stuff I use every blue moon I do the HF/NT route.

 

[SaleenGT2001]

craftsman stuff is great. i use 90% craftsman stuff everyday and i wouldnt trade it for anything. it is about 1/3 the cost of what the same tools would cost from a tool truck. i just dont see why people spend $300 for a set of 12 sockets when i can buy 5 sets of craftsman sockets for the same price. i have 2 craftsman boxes also. one 40" with a cabinet up top and another 26" triple box that is about 6" high. the boxes arent as pretty as a snap on, but they hold tools just fine!

you can also get some "disposable tools" from harbor freight or northern tool if you want to take a cheaper route

 

[johnnyt03gt]

These are what I consider needed tools.

Good set of sockets (long and short)
Extensions and breaker bars for sockets
Pry Bars
PB blaster
Gloves if you choose
Pliers(needle nose are the most important.)
Shop towels and other supplies for messes
Water source(wash your eyes quick)
Various wrenches
Lighting(more then one source)
Ramps and scotches
GOOD jack
Heavy duty jack stands
Tq wrench(good one)
Hammer
Sealant(various kinds)
Electrical tape and connections
Clamps

Here is optional stuff
Grinder
Bench and Bench vise
Tourch(small hand held is fine)
Welder
Drill press
Spare jack and bottle jack
Ratchet straps
Spare jack stands
Impact gun(pneumatic is best)
Air compressor and tools aside from the impact gun
Panel pullers
Soldier iron
Computer


There is a lot more out there. Don't be scared to buy used stuff, and Northern tool/Harbor freight. For stuff I use a lot I do like the little better stuff, but on stuff I use every blue moon I do the HF/NT route.

just don't keep ur tool box in ur car, like i did last christmas took me years to build
my collection, and only minutes for it to be stolen. good aluminum low pro floor jack
is grate to have, after working hard on ur car last thing you need. is toting an 80.LB jack

 

[20001 mustang]

@ Kornut great list thats just what i needed. I think im going to return the lift I already bought and get myself a good long low profile one. thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[Maxpowers]

Duct tape, wire and a screw driver. If you can't fix it with that then you shouldn't be working on a car.

 

[20001 mustang]

"Duct tape, wire and a screw driver. If you can't fix it with that then you shouldn't be working on a car."

and if it doesnt fit, go get a bigger hammer

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I think it is better to accumulate tools over time, buying them as you need them.

I am liking the Lowe's Cobalt brand a lot these days. I also get a lot of stuff at Harbor Freight and sometimes I spend the big money at Sears if I need the quality. Generally though I am not about buying expensive tools that my grandkids would be able to use... Since I am a hobbyist I generally buy cheap tools.

 

[patman0911]

Kornut has a great list there

Sockets, wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, and a toolbox to keep them in are the most important things you need. That'll cover about 95% of the work you'll do on a car and the other specialized stuff you can rent or borrow. I like having a moderate sized 3 or 4 drawer box that can still be picked up and thrown in the trunk if you need to take your tools on the road. I keep all my basic, core tools in that and then I have a bigger box that other, bulkier and/or less frequently needed stuff goes in.

Craftsman tools are as good as you need for a home mechanic, or even a pro getting started - there is no need to spend the money for Snap-On or the like, save that money for more tools and more parts for you car. I've got a set of Craftsman tools I bought 15 years ago when I worked at U-Haul repairing trailers and I've lost a few over the years but I haven't broken any, unlike some of the cheaper stuff that's found its way into the toolbox in the years since. My 15 year old Craftsman ratchets and adjustable wrenches are still tighter and work smoother than cheap stuff that's only a few years old. The stuff they sell at Lowes & Home Depot looks like it's pretty decent too though, but it's hard to go wrong with Craftsman.

Do avoid cheap, cast wrenches like the plague though - they will break and they are dangerous when they do - quality, forged wrenches only! Cheap ratchets will fall apart after a while, and sockets will split and pliers will get loose and fall apart but you can get away with them if you don't mind replacing them every so often.

Just about everything on the Mustang is metric so get those first before you worry about SAE sockets & wrenches. You need to cover from 7mm-19mm for engine work and you may need a couple of bigger sizes for suspension work. so decent set of 3/8" drive metric sockets should cover most of what you need, but you may need to supplement it with a few 1/4" drive sockets on the small end and you'll probably want some beefier 1/2" drive sockets on the big end to fill out your set. You'll want an assortment of extensions and elbow joints too for those awkward to reach bolts.

It's been a while since I've done brakes - are the caliper bolts star or allen cap bolts, or are they just regular bolts? You may want to pick up a set of star or allen socket bits for that.

 

[GDawg]

Go with Craftsman (Sears). The are guaranteed and easy to get replacements. Get sockets, a couple drivers (one with a longer handle for more torque), wrenches, screwdrivers, hex drivers and other stuff as you need them. I have a pretty good tool set built up over the years. Nothing like needing to buy a new tool to add to my collection.

 

[BannonJr]

Kornut has a great list there


It's been a while since I've done brakes - are the caliper bolts star or allen cap bolts, or are they just regular bolts? You may want to pick up a set of star or allen socket bits for that.

12mm caliper bolts, 15mm rotor bolts

 

[Owe89us]

Sears sells a good Craftsman tool collection, I think its a 270pc collection, comes with all sockets and wrenches, spark plug sockets, hex keys, etc. and its only like 200 dollars, best investment ive made to date, but definitley get a good jack please, i just bought a cheap Torin jack at Walmart, it has a 1 foot handle and is a bitch to jack my car up with no leverage, next paycheck im running to Harbor Freight and getting the lightweight aluminum jack for 60 dollars...

 

[Mike97gt]

Just stay away from strap-on too expensive and not needed.

Craftsman tools are fine, I have some craftsman stuff and they have done fine for me with everyday use in a shop.. Funny thing is I have broken more of my strap-on sockets then the craftsman or cheaper brands I have bought online

 

[BaXTeR3221]

http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10...&+Equipment&cName=Hand+Tools&sName=Tools+Sets

I bought something similar to that when i got my first mustang. From there, I bought things as needed and accumulated a nice collection. Think of tools as an investment; sure you might need it for only one step of the job you're doing today, but most likely you'll need it again in the future.

 

[LI98GTStang]

I'm a huge fan of Husky tools from Home Depot and have a nice `150 piece set that hasn't let me down. I've broken my fair share of Craftsman tools and sockets plus my Sears ratchets that I started out with have a larger space between the grab points and in tight spaces can mean the difference between success and failure. I swear by the Sears screwdrivers, adapters ect..,but not the ratchet set itself.

Definately get youself a 1/2" prybar and make sure you get a mix of metric and standard as well!