Need basic hand tools for home auto work, what brand(s) should I look at?

[XXX-er]

No they don't give credit to weekend warriors but snap-on cost orders of magnitude more$ so who even bought snap-on that wasn't a pro?

and besides you get the great deal on snap-on at the pawn shop

[RShea]

Many companies have now 2 lines of tools- the stuff without any warranty at all and pumped out of China and if it breaks you just replace it, and then their higher end tool line with a lifetime warranty. Which you want depends on the job, how often you will be using them and your budget. Craftsmen are still available from Sears online if you do not have a local Sears or KMart any more. Or as stated Lowes or some other stores depending on the region you are in. Sears has Evolv CRAFTSMAN and a few other brands with some real deals out there (9 piece metric socket set - no handle though) for under $3 and a set of combo wrenches for now $6 in either standard or metric (last month they were cheaper)... Harbor Freight is fine for some things also for an occasional mechanic and around the home DIY. Pittsburgh is one of their brands. Some of their stuff is good, some is junk though.
ChannelLock is another.

Lowes had the Kobalt series. Husky as mentioned, Klein and Stanley has some stuff that is OK

Lifetime warranty complaints are all out there where a company or retailer either is pretty liberal and will replace anything, or will say it was abused and or they would not replace it (that happened w some Craftsmen when all the Sears closed down and people would try Lowes or some other retailer that they clearly did not purchase the item from.)

Your other option for some specialty stuff is rental or going to the Auto Parts stores that offer tool loaning for some of the specialty items that the average home garage is never going to need on even a regular basis.

[El Chupacabra]

Your other option for some specialty stuff is rental or going to the Auto Parts stores that offer tool loaning for some of the specialty items that the average home garage is never going to need on even a regular basis.

X2, for sure. The big/weirdly specific/ expensive stuff in particular.

FYI, around here (Reno NV), Autozone is lenient on their loaner tool policy: buy it at full price, then you have something like 60 days to return it for full refund. O'Reilly sucks: you only get 48 hours to return it.

[gravitylover]

Craftsman is Stanley and they're slowly moving production back to the US. Lowes is getting first run product now and if there's a made in the US option they're most likely to have it first. As mentioned, for hand tools Husky is pretty solid and for power tools don't be afraid of Kobalt but I'm of a mixed mind how to go about the cordless power tool game now. My thinking is go with an ecosystem that uses the same battery for the whole line like the Ryobi 18 volt one plus stuff. For the more powerful tools you just double or triple up on batteries. Milwaukee and Bosch are working in that direction too but they probably won't do really big things like lawnmowers and snowblowers so...

[mattig]

Pretty much the same wrench. Snap-on does this with a lot of its stuff from what I've been told (though I don't claim to be an authority on the matter). All I know is that I've torqued the shit out of a bunch of shit with that $147 thing and you couldn'ta paid me to pay $397.

[snowaddict91]

Old Craftsman (made in USA) was decent, and was my go-to for home use. Current Craftsman is made in China, and the quality may be slightly worse than Harbor Freight.

I suggest watching the Black Friday ads for a big DIY tool kit from Lowe's or Home Depot. They are always on sale every year. Get something with an assortment of sockets in both standard and metric, and ratchets in every size (1/4, 3/8, and 1/2"). Get an additional kit for screwdrivers (philips and slotted).

Get torque wrenches from Harbor Freight. Cheap and surprisingly pretty accurate. Don't store them tensioned.

If you use air tools, get impact sockets from Harbor Freight. Cheap and burly. HF hand tools are lifetime warranty too. HF is a good source for large crude tools, like a hand sledge hammer or jack stands. HF floor jacks are great.

All of this.

Also, for cordless tools, pick one system so all the batteries are compatible. I bought a whole bunch of ryobi stuff off a guy and have supplemented it with more batteries and tools. Pretty decent for homeowner/home mechanic use IMO and they have LOTS of different tools. Having flashlights that use the same batteries as your impact and drill are pretty handy, for example.

[EWG]

Craftsman is Stanley and they're slowly moving production back to the US. Lowes is getting first run product now and if there's a made in the US option they're most likely to have it first. As mentioned, for hand tools Husky is pretty solid and for power tools don't be afraid of Kobalt but I'm of a mixed mind how to go about the cordless power tool game now. My thinking is go with an ecosystem that uses the same battery for the whole line like the Ryobi 18 volt one plus stuff. For the more powerful tools you just double or triple up on batteries. Milwaukee and Bosch are working in that direction too but they probably won't do really big things like lawnmowers and snowblowers so...

There's a recent thread about power tools on here somewhere. I'm Makita only. I trust them and they haven't let me down. Just managed to break something that was a bit out of warranty and they fixed it anyway.

[TAFKALVS]

Pretty much the same wrench. Snap-on does this with a lot of its stuff from what I've been told (though I don't claim to be an authority on the matter). All I know is that I've torqued the shit out of a bunch of shit with that $147 thing and you couldn'ta paid me to pay $397.

But can you finance the one on the bottom for $3 a week for the rest of your adult life?


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[Gman]

I want to start with a set of shallow and deep 3/8 sockets metric and probably go from there. I know proto/stanley has a blackhawk series which is made in the US now. I think waiting until black friday is a great idea, i just need to narrow down which brand. If I could get a big kit that was like 50+ pieces that would be ideal because then I could snag sockets for the other ratchets I have.

[XXX-er]

It sounded like these dealers get stiffed more than a bit as well by yer paycheck-to-paycheck kinda guys, when I moved in next to the neighbor guy he didnt quite cut it as a dealer and had gone back to pulling wrenches

[dunfree]

Ah, the rabbit hole of tool ownership. Before you end up like me with a 6' high tool chest and a wall of tools, many of which have been used once or twice for a specific car I no longer own, evaluate if it makes sense to do the job yourself or pay someone to do it. I think 50% of the tools I bought would have been money better spent on just paying a pro to do the job.

if you are the kind of guy who needs a scraper sharpener to hold the burnisher, yup, you are going to buy alot of tools.

[GetAmped]

FWIW, I asked at my local Lowes about Craftsman warranty replacement and they said, definitely, any failed hand tool with Craftsman on it will get replaced, just like Sears did for years. For me, that has largely been sockets that gave out and, most recently, a 3/8" ratchet that was slipping from a set I bought in the 80s.

[wicked_sick]

I buy most of my tools from Princess Auto. It's like the harbor freight of Canada. Everything is pure Chinesium, but if it breaks you can bring it back for a new one. Since the store is just around the corner it's a no brainer.

[MontuckyFried]

FWIW, I asked at my local Lowes about Craftsman warranty replacement and they said, definitely, any failed hand tool with Craftsman on it will get replaced, just like Sears did for years. For me, that has largely been sockets that gave out and, most recently, a 3/8" ratchet that was slipping from a set I bought in the 80s.

Wow. That's good to know! Not that I've ever broken any of my Craftsman gear, but now at least I know it should be ok to buy more from them. FWIW, seems that my old Craftsman screwdrivers and crescent wrenches that I've had FOREVER are so bomber (some may be from the 70s, I dunno). I've twisted the tips of many a screwdriver and snapped a wrench or two, but not my old Craftsman pieces. Only problem is I've amassed quite a mismatched set and that upsets my OCD. But at least they're damn reliable!

[unitofstuff]

Last year, Home Depot had either this set or something very similar as a Black Friday deal for something like $90. That's the way I'd go.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Me...0MTS/309161789

[Obstruction]

Last year, Home Depot had either this set or something very similar as a Black Friday deal for something like $90. That's the way I'd go.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Me...0MTS/309161789

This if you’re just getting started. Trying to build a selection like this piece earl will cost a fortune and be a pain in the ass. In reality you’ll be reaching for the same dozen or so hand tools on a regular basis plus a whole lot of oddball ones that are job/make /model specific.

After a while you’ll learn what you need on a regular basis i.e. torque wrenches, huge channel locks, drift punches and big fucking ball peen hammers.

[ill-advised strategy]

I just wanted to throw this out there...
Pawn shops = higher quality at lower prices.

[XXX-er]

I buy most of my tools from Princess Auto. It's like the harbor freight of Canada. Everything is pure Chinesium, but if it breaks you can bring it back for a new one. Since the store is just around the corner it's a no brainer.

I have always found a bit of a disconect with the name " princess auto " cuz around here the place is always full of big overweight old guys with a serious case of plumbers crack

[highangle]

FWIW, I asked at my local Lowes about Craftsman warranty replacement and they said, definitely, any failed hand tool with Craftsman on it will get replaced, just like Sears did for years. For me, that has largely been sockets that gave out and, most recently, a 3/8" ratchet that was slipping from a set I bought in the 80s.

That's good to know. But supposedly there's a part number difference on most Craftsman tools, and Lowes may not have the part number you got from Sears, so they'll kick you to Craftsman customer service, who'll replace it but you'll have to pay shipping and wait for the tool. Still pretty decent, but not like Dad had it with a Sears in every town making a point of backing up Craftsman Tools because Craftsman [and Diehard and Sears Auto Service] brought husbands in the door without the wives.

[Obstruction]

Now that I think about it the most important tool I have in my auto repair arsenal is a spare beater truck for parts runs or for general use when the job goes on for multiple days.

You might want to put decent jacks and jack stands on the list. I’ve found 75% of the work I do on cars is under the car not under the hood.

[Timberridge]

Know that I think about it the most important tool I have in my auto repair arsenal is a spare beater truck for parts runs or for general use when the job goes on for multiple days.

That's probably a prerequisite now. The most important tool used to be the factory repair manual, so you could see what you were up against. Those went the way of the dodo unfortunately.

[MontuckyFried]

That's probably a prerequisite now. The most important tool used to be the factory repair manual, so you could see what you were up against. Those went the way of the dodo unfortunately.

Seriously!!! Extremely annoying. Neighbor's son got his first car last summer. Like a 20 year old beater Mercedes ML320 his grandpa gave him. I thought that was a great vehicle to help teach him how to wrench a bit, so I searched high and low for a Haynes or Chilton manual to buy him, but nope. Couldn't find one for not just his car, but evidently those manuals are mostly gone now.

There ARE great resources online and all, but I really do not want to work on my car with my laptop out there with me. Nothing like a good old fashioned paper book to have with you under the hood. No battery life to worry about. Way easier to see. And it doesn't matter if you get some grease on it. I was so bummed to learn about the state of the automotive repair manual industry.

[MarcusBrody]

In my experience as a home hobbiest, the Harbor Freight hand tools have held up well for the most part. The only thing that has failed on me was one of the torque wrenches. I wouldn't put a lot of money into their power tools (though their new lines are nicer and seem reviewed well), but for the pretty simple hand stuff, they've done the job with minimal fuss for me. My only complaints are small things like the cases not being high quality.

You can buy a decent set of tools for the price of a few high end pieces. Then you use them until you wear them out. You'll find what you use a lot, and those are the tools you get high end versions of.

[Timberridge]

Seriously!!! Extremely annoying. Neighbor's son got his first car last summer. Like a 20 year old beater Mercedes ML320 his grandpa gave him. I thought that was a great vehicle to help teach him how to wrench a bit, so I searched high and low for a Haynes or Chilton manual to buy him, but nope. Couldn't find one for not just his car, but evidently those manuals are mostly gone now.

There ARE great resources online and all, but I really do not want to work on my car with my laptop out there with me. Nothing like a good old fashioned paper book to have with you under the hood. No battery life to worry about. Way easier to see. And it doesn't matter if you get some grease on it. I was so bummed to learn about the state of the automotive repair manual industry.

The dealership service department is such a cash cow that dealers and their mfgrs don't want people to know how to fix stuff. It's become a black box of secrecy now. Used to be able to call up a service department and confirm a setting. Now it's just dumb ticket takers who work there...plug in code reader and replace parts.

[highangle]

Seriously!!! Extremely annoying. Neighbor's son got his first car last summer. Like a 20 year old beater Mercedes ML320 his grandpa gave him. I thought that was a great vehicle to help teach him how to wrench a bit, so I searched high and low for a Haynes or Chilton manual to buy him, but nope. Couldn't find one for not just his car, but evidently those manuals are mostly gone now.

There ARE great resources online and all, but I really do not want to work on my car with my laptop out there with me. Nothing like a good old fashioned paper book to have with you under the hood. No battery life to worry about. Way easier to see. And it doesn't matter if you get some grease on it. I was so bummed to learn about the state of the automotive repair manual industry.

Maybe buy it on CD and print it out on a ream of paper for that ol skool vibe?

Everything built in the last 25 years has an OBDII diagnostic port, so you just can't get away from the digitals, even in the garage. It's a bigger part of mechanikin nowadays than listening to a screwdriver handle...
Trying to avoid it is akin to trying to teach the poor kid how to hand braid carbon fiber on a carpet loom. He'll prob lose interest anyway unless you can show him how to pull codes with his phone and a bluetooth dongle.