TR Forums

What tools do you have? What do you want? What do you use? What are you shopping for now?

I just got a floor jack.
I thoroughly enjoy the impact driver that came with my drill. Holy mackerel what a time saver when you have to drive lots of screws.
I desperately want a set of air tools (for the impact wrench and blower)

I'm currently in the market for a torque wrench, a vacuum pump (for vacuum bagging composites), and a dremel.

I've got a cordless electric impact gun and a set of thin-wall deep-well 6-point sockets that make rotating tires a whole lot easier than with a tire iron. If I had your floor jack, it'd be easier still.

My cordless Dremel is wimpy wimpy wimpy. I've used it for case and heatsink modifications, but the battery doesn't last long.

I've got a large toolbox filled with a fairly complete set of general-purpose construction and wood-working tools, a bag dedicated to paint and drywall work, another bag dedicated to small power tools (saber saw, cordless drill, orbital sander, circular saw, that sort of thing), a small box dedicated to electrical work, and then a selection of tools and instrumentation for electronics work. "Jack of all trades, master of none" is the expression, I believe.

I don't own much in automotive tools because anything I do buy (e.g. my strut spring compressors) is just going to end up stored in my dad's garage anyway, and he already has most of the tools I need. There's an unspoken "you break 'em, you replace 'em" policy and it works out well enough.

Nothing is really on the list right now although I do need to replace my corded drill sometime and may go to a larger chuck. A standard 3/8" takes care of business well enough, but now and then it would be nice to have a full 1/2".

JustAnEngineer wrote:

I've got a cordless electric impact gun and a set of thin-wall deep-well 6-point sockets that make rotating tires a whole lot easier than with a tire iron. If I had your floor jack, it'd be easier still.

My wife came home today "with a light on". It was her TPMS light, she got a screw in her sidewall and the tire was down to 25PSI. The jack worked great!

How well does the electric impact wrench work? Does it work as well as an air wrench? I was thinking I would get air tools when the time came, but electric is certainly a possibility.

[quote="JustAnEngineer"My cordless Dremel is wimpy wimpy wimpy. I've used it for case and heatsink modifications, but the battery doesn't last long.[/quote]
I will never buy a cordless dremel type tool, they're all wimpy. Corded FTW in that case.

SpotTheCat wrote:

How well does the electric impact wrench work? Does it work as well as an air wrench? I was thinking I would get air tools when the time came, but electric is certainly a possibility.

Get a hand-held torque wrench and tighten the lug nuts to the spec (usually around 75 lb/ft, but check the service manual). If you do so, a simple 12" breaker bar with the appropriate socket is all you'll ever need to loosen the lugs. As a bonus, your brake pedal won't pulse as much due to the tire shop gorilla honking down the lugs with the full force of a 3/4" drive air gun (700 lb/ft).

SpotTheCat wrote:

JustAnEngineer wrote:

I've got a cordless electric impact gun and a set of thin-wall deep-well 6-point sockets that make rotating tires a whole lot easier than with a tire iron. If I had your floor jack, it'd be easier still.

How well does the electric impact wrench work? Does it work as well as an air wrench? I was thinking I would get air tools when the time came, but electric is certainly a possibility.

It works well enough for changing tires. Mine's an older model rated at about 200 ft-lbs. I've also got a Torque Stick to avoid over-torquing when I run the lugs back on, but I usually finish up with the tire iron to be confident that the torque is correct. I'd like to have a torque wrench for this task, but I don't need it that badly.

The gorillas at the dealership just hammer the lugs down with their pneumatic impact guns tight enough to warp my brake rotors. They've got a lovely waiting room and they're very polite when I visit, but I'm convinced that they are mostly incompetent.

We use larger electric (cordless and corded) impact guns for maintenance at the plant and some quite strong (2500 ft-lbs) pneumatic guns, but the ones that the cell mechanics love are the tiny Makita cordless units I bought for them that fit into a pocket. They're using them on 3/8" and 1/4" bolts with 9/16" and 1/2" heads, so they're not looking for huge amounts of torque, but the little impacts are super-convenient for that particular repetitive task.

P.S.: Ned's apparently got gorillas working at his dealership, too!

I have a decent set of mechanic's tools and wood working tools that I use for stuff 'round the house and on my car. The ratchets, wrenches, and the like are mostly Craftsman. My wood chisels are probably my favorite. I have some Robert Sorby gouges, a 1/2" Ashley Iles gouge, and a few Flex Cut chisel tools. I also have a Craftsman drill press (piece of junk that causes more problems than it solves) and a Jet mini lathe that I absolutely love. I'm in the process of (slowly) building a glove box for my workbench so I can turn in relative tidyness.

I am desperate for something like a table saw or band saw. I can't tell you how many times I've needed to cut pieces of wood in a straight line, but failed miserably. My hand sawing technique isn't up to it. A router would also be suh-weet.

I have a Craftsman torque wrench that works well so far. It's the 20-150 ft/lb one. As for cordless drills, I've used Makita's, and they work well, too.

My latest acquisition was the Craftsman 5 php shop vac that I picked up today. I'm going to need the HEPA-style filter for my uses, but the thing is plenty powerful and makes it a cinch to clean up my workshop and my house.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

P.S.: Ned's apparently got gorillas working at his dealership, too!

Stealership, tire shop, local service station ...

None of them care. They bill by the flat rate and if they can cycle more cars through than the flat rate hours say, they're happy.

The first thing I do after coming home from anyone touching my lug nuts is to properly retorque them. Snicker all you want, but you'll be amazed at how many "problems" you'll never have with properly-torqued lug nuts.

hmmm... I probably over-torqued the dork-wheel's lug nuts. I figure I can't over-do it too much with the tire iron from the kit and no breaker bar. If it really is 75ft pounds spec then I was probably closing in on double that... at least not 10 times that.

I do need a torque wrench though. I don't really know my own strength at all.

I need to shop for tires now, too. The screw is in the sidewall.

SpotTheCat wrote:

I need to shop for tires now, too. The screw is in the sidewall.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=70962&p=1006038&hilit=#p1006038

I figure I can guess close enough to 70-80 ft-lbs with a hand wrench. When I borrowed a torque wrench to check them the last time the car came back from the dealership, every single lug was over the 200 ft-lb maximum of the wrench.

Hmm. Honestly I don't have much in the way of tools or need for tools. I would love a nice set of screw drivers and other handy computer/electronics tools but I honestly have no clue where to start and any searches I've done haven't given me sources that seemed credible or were not obviously paid for.

Skrying wrote:

Hmm. Honestly I don't have much in the way of tools or need for tools. I would love a nice set of screw drivers and other handy computer/electronics tools but I honestly have no clue where to start and any searches I've done haven't given me sources that seemed credible or were not obviously paid for.

http://www.wihatools.com/

Spendy, but products you'll buy once in a lifetime.

Captain Ned wrote:

JustAnEngineer wrote:

P.S.: Ned's apparently got gorillas working at his dealership, too!

Stealership, tire shop, local service station ...

None of them care. They bill by the flat rate and if they can cycle more cars through than the flat rate hours say, they're happy.

The first thing I do after coming home from anyone touching my lug nuts is to properly retorque them. Snicker all you want, but you'll be amazed at how many "problems" you'll never have with properly-torqued lug nuts.

The guys at the local tire shop thought it'd be cool to strip out about half the studs on my dad's truck and even break a few. They also thought it'd be a good idea not to tell him. Luckily nothing bad happened besides the Toyota shop refusing to touch his truck til he got them fixed.

The tire shop was kind enough to fix everything free of charge.

Any recommendations for a multimeter? I need one for building circuit boards and similar duty. I could just buy the cheapest one there is, but what else is out there?

Fluke.
http://us.fluke.com/fluke/usen/Digital- ... ?PID=56135

Here's a new model that I'll try the next time we need to replace one:
http://us.fluke.com/fluke/usen/Digital- ... ?PID=56056

Too many of our tools have trouble with the 3-meter drop test.

What does a Fluke multimeter do for $200 that a standard multimeter doesn't do for $10-$20?

This is a genuine question, given the dramatic difference in cost between Fluke and everything else.

+5 luck

blitzy wrote:

+5 luck

Amazing

Ohhh, a multimeter has been on my must-have list for about 7 years. I have no idea why I don't have one.

FireGryphon wrote:

What does a Fluke multimeter do for $200 that a standard multimeter doesn't do for $10-$20?

This is a genuine question, given the dramatic difference in cost between Fluke and everything else.

It's a very hard point to argue that its worth the money. Certainly they are better in some ways.
I haven't used a "cheaper" meter for a few years now because I've had my Fluke 111 for 5-6 years so far. Never had any trouble with it. Don't know if that's unusual or not.
It has cool features that i don't seem to remember the cheaper variety having - things like Minimum and Maximum on the display and Holding.

I can't recommend either way - I got a Fluke because apparently they are the best and work was paying!! easy call hey!

Captain Ned wrote:

http://www.wihatools.com/

Spendy, but products you'll buy once in a lifetime.

Compare to the likes of Stanley, Kobalt, Komelon, etc. how does Wiha stack up?

FireGryphon wrote:

What does a Fluke multimeter do for $200 that a standard multimeter doesn't do for $10-$20?

Off the top of my head, these are things over the years I've seen Fluke's at work do better than the cheap multimeter I have at home
1) May take being dropped
2) Potentially faster response on transients
3) May do true RMS on non-sinusoidal AC

If you don't know that you need the stuff that a Fluke has and are not a klutz, you are probably OK with a cheap digital multimeter. Cheap analogue multimeters seem to have vanished these days, but they had poor impedance characteristics.

notfred wrote:

FireGryphon wrote:

What does a Fluke multimeter do for $200 that a standard multimeter doesn't do for $10-$20?

Off the top of my head, these are things over the years I've seen Fluke's at work do better than the cheap multimeter I have at home
1) May take being dropped
2) Potentially faster response on transients
3) May do true RMS on non-sinusoidal AC

If you don't know that you need the stuff that a Fluke has and are not a klutz, you are probably OK with a cheap digital multimeter. Cheap analogue multimeters seem to have vanished these days, but they had poor impedance characteristics.

Exactly. If you're checking DC voltage on batteries, checking for conductivity, or other basic things, don't bother. If you're doing work where the payoff is there, go for it.

FireGryphon wrote:

What does a Fluke multimeter do for $200 that a standard multimeter doesn't do for $10-$20?

This is a genuine question, given the dramatic difference in cost between Fluke and everything else.

I have a Fluke 87-3 that I use for work, I have to be able to read dc voltages to three decimal places. I also have a cheapo volt meter from wally world that cost like ten bucks. I have compared the two and the results really shocked me. The readings from both meters were with in a couple of mv of each other when reading AC and DC voltages. I haven't compared the other stuff they do but in my case there isn't that much difference in them. The fluke is better built but at 20X the cost it should be. I guess if you need a fluke you will now why you need it. If you have to ask if you need one you're probably better off with the cheap meter.

Hance wrote:

FireGryphon wrote:

What does a Fluke multimeter do for $200 that a standard multimeter doesn't do for $10-$20?

This is a genuine question, given the dramatic difference in cost between Fluke and everything else.

I have a Fluke 87-3 that I use for work, I have to be able to read dc voltages to three decimal places. I also have a cheapo volt meter from wally world that cost like ten bucks. I have compared the two and the results really shocked me. The readings from both meters were with in a couple of mv of each other when reading AC and DC voltages. I haven't compared the other stuff they do but in my case there isn't that much difference in them. The fluke is better built but at 20X the cost it should be. I guess if you need a fluke you will now why you need it. If you have to ask if you need one you're probably better off with the cheap meter.

Sounds like you were measuring some relatively stable voltages. Does your $10 meter specify "TrueRMS"? If not, then it's estimating the RMS value of the AC waveform rather than measuring it, and would freak out if it ever saw a noisy or high-frequency waveform.

But admittedly, for general measurement around the house and car, most people don't need that.

ludi wrote:

Sounds like you were measuring some relatively stable voltages. Does your $10 meter specify "TrueRMS"? If not, then it's estimating the RMS value of the AC waveform rather than measuring it, and would freak out if it ever saw a noisy or high-frequency waveform.

But admittedly, for general measurement around the house and car, most people don't need that.

It says nothing about True RMS on the meter so I am guessing no. I bought it to check battery voltages on my rc airplanes. I was worried about leaving my Fluke in my RC box and getting to a job site with no volt meter. That would be really bad. I figured if the cheapy was with in .1 volts I was good to go. It matches the Fluke down to the mv why I was so shocked. I have compared the two on 110 volts, computer power supplies, and batteries so yeah the voltages should be very stable.

Here are my tools:

1/2" Sockets: 10 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 32mm. Plus 12-24mm in impact sockets.


3/8" Sockets: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22mm.

1/4" Sockets: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13mm

1/2" X 45 Teeth Ratchet
1/2" x 75mm Extension Bar
1/2" x 125mm Extension Bar
1/2" Universal Joint
1/2" F x 3/8" M Socket Adaptor
1/2" X 250mm Extension Bar
1/2" 375mm Flex Handle
3/8" x 45 Teeth Ratchet
3/8" 200mm Flex Handle
3/8" x 75mm Extension Bar
3/8" x 150mm Extension Bar
3/8" X 250mm Extension Bar
3/8" Universal Joint
5/8" x 3/8 " SAE Spark Plug Socket
13/16" x 3/8" SAE Spark Plug Socket
3/8" F x 1/4" M Socket Adaptor
3/8" F x 1/2" M Socket Adaptor
1/4" x 45 Teeth Ratchet
1/4" 145mm Flex Handle
1/4" x 50mm Extension Bar
1/4" X 100mm Extension Bar
1/4" x 150mm Extension Bar
1/4" Universal Joint
10pc 3/8" Metric Deep Socket Set
10pc 1/4" Metric Deep Socket Set

SPANNERS:
6mm 7mm 8mm 9mm 10mm 11mm 12mm 13mm 14mm 15mm 16mm 17mm 18mm 19mm 20mm 21mm 22mm 23mm 24mm 25mm 26mm.

HAND TOOLS:
ADJUSTABLE WRENCH 150mm
ADJUSTABLE WRENCH 250mm
HAMMER BALL PEIN 16OZ
PLIERS COMBINATION 200mm
PLIERS LONG NOSE 200mm
CUTTERS DIAGONAL 190mm
PLIERS CIRCLIP INT STRAIGHT 175mm
PLIERS CIRCLIP EXT STRAIGHT 175mm
PLIERS CIRCLIP INT BENT 175mm
PLIERS CIRCLIP EXT BENT 175mm
PLIERS MULTIGRIP 250mm
PLIERS LOCKING 250mm
SCREWDRIVER SET 12pc
SCREWDRIVER SET 6pc MINI
HEXKEY SET 9PCE Mm BALL DVE
HEXKEY SET 9PCE TORX BALL DVE
PRY BAR SET 3PCE
4PCE HOOK & PICK SET
PUNCH & CHISEL SET 16 pc
3PCE MINI BRUSH KIT
4PCE TWEEZERS SET

I've also got a 1/2" 600mm torque wrench and 1/2" rattle gun.



There they are For scale comparison, I'm 6 foot tall, the tool box comes up to my shoulder.