Your Favorite Tools

[DuramaxPowered]

Everybody is mentioning some of the bigger things, but sometimes the simplest thing like an impact swivel make the job easier.

Here are some basic things that every toolbox should have,

impact swivels
extra long needle nose pliers
pick tools
short ratcheting wrench set

 

[JD4440]

I bought a flex head 3/8 drive ratchet from northern tool that's probably no more than 3 1/2" long total. Worked really well on the downpipe install and most other things under the hood. I've never looked back after buying my flex gearwrenches either.

 

[whitetrash21]

magnet with an extension.... for every bolt you've dropped into the valley of the block and couldn't reach.

 

[coldLBZ]

magnet with an extension.... For every bolt you've dropped into the valley of the block and couldn't reach.

x2

 

[SmokeShow]

went drooling at Sears tonight... I'm not impressed with most of the Craftsman boxes. Metal of the drawers leave a lot to be desired and the only slides that felt worth having were the ball bearing units... They had one of their commercial grade (comparable to the likes of snap-on, mac, matco, etc.) and they are obviously nice boxes but those types of boxes are ridiculously priced for a hobbiest box at home. Obviously they are the cream of the crop so I might try to look for one used.

I'm not digging the craftsman ratchets over what I already have... I found the snap-on ratchets on eBay that are like my old man's that I mentioned in the beginning. The set of three (1/4" 3/8" and 1/2" drive) was somewhere around $100 at the time. I didn't see what the auction ended at. They are definitely superior to the craftsman ratchets I looked at tonight.

I really like the laser etched markings on the craftsman sockets though. Probably get craftsman sockets.


C-ya

 

[01Duramax6spd]

Pretty much everything I buy from the Snap-On truck,some Craftsman stuff and my Dewalt 18v cordless impact . Hypertherm plasma and Miller wirefeed are also at the top of the list.

 

[JD4440]

Snap on man broke me friday. Took a 1/2" ratchet and some KD push pin pliers off his hands for 154 bucks= ouch

 

[gassux]

Craftsmen, Snap On, SK or Pittsburgh; whatever makes me money! I love the gearwrench flex set as well...

 

[Krazykid]

New favorite tool:

Topside creeper.


I now kind of look forward to do the head gaskets on the truck, just to use my new tools. :rofl:

 

[madmatt]

I couldn't live without my,
Snap On Solus Pro
EFI Live
Kent Moore digital vacuum/pressure gauge
Snap On Bore Scope
Snap On cordless impact
KD interchangeable end pliers
and of course my Snap On long, angled needle nose pliers!!

 

[tractor]

EFI
Snapon cordless inpact driver

 

[rick67]

My current favorite is a 1/4" Matco ratchet that a friend of 20 years gave me shortly before he lost his battle with cancer. He felt bad because he couldn't afford to pay me for fixing his van. I think of him every time I use it.

 

[Operator1]

My Snap-on 24" long 1/2 x 3/8 impact adapter was an easy favorite back in '03 & '04 when I was working in a Ford shop ( that thing + a universal socket is awesome on bellhousing bolts!). My dad has an old 1/2" drive Williams superratchet that is my favorite one of those. I really like SK tools, much cheaper than Snap-on, and nicer than craftsman, especially the ratchets. I did have a Snap-on 3/8" drive air ratchet that was great, but I sold it to one of the guys at the Ford dealer when I quit. My Channellock wire terminal crimpers, Mayhew prybars, chisels, and punches, and Victor Torch round out the short list.

 

[MadMaxx61]

Snap-on's precision tools are made by General or Central last I remember. Which is puzzling. Snap-on hand tools are arguably the world's best, but General or Central is the Harbor Freight of machinist tools. Nobody uses them who's livihood is dependent on their tools.

But sadly good machinists tools are slowly growing more scarce due to the Chinese price pressure. Hard to sell a $200 dial indicator that wholesales at $150 when there are $20 ones floating around that wholesale at $10. It's a margin thingy.

Well I am with you on good machine tools are not cheap but the cheap Chinese ones sux and are not worth anything to a real machinist.

My #1 tool in my box is my Interapid .0001 0-4-0 test indicator with out it I would never get anything done at work.

 

[RolltheCoal]

my good old pair of Knipex pliers. I have every size. Everyone should have them.. Ohh a stone and some duct tape..

 

[Leadfoot]

magnet with an extension.... for every bolt you've dropped into the valley of the block and couldn't reach.

My favorite is the magnet on a string. There has been times where it was impossible to reach a dropped nut/bolt/washer with a traditional extending rod magnet (due to corners or hard to reach spots). I put a portion of a harddrive magnet (super strong) on a string and fish it down. Often times have to use a wooden ruler or other non-magnetic tool to push or guide the magnet as it loves to stick to everything it shouldn't.....the nice thing about the harddrive magnet was most times all I had to do was get close to the nut/bolt and it would "grab" it.

It's saved my butt a couple of times and was cheap!

 

[Benito]

Sk long handled ratchet wrenches. Their 70 or 80-something tooth and oh-so-nice to use. Got them real cheap on eBay:thumb:

 

[CurtisEmery]

Snap-on stubby easy out set. The old man had a broken off spark plug on his 88 chev. Drivers side back cylinder, that set saved pulling a head.

 

[juddski88]

cordless impact
craftsman metric socket set
IR 231 air impact
IR 3/8 air rachet
12" flex handle 3/8 rachet and cheater pipe
mini torch
8" adjustable wrench
EFI Live
Miller 250 MIG
old 14" chop saw
Snap-on electric mini-driver
Wire strippers/crimpers

 

[bonescarolfi]

Some of my favorite tools in my box are my Makita impact driver and my Matco flex head ratchets. They have saved more time than i can count.