[Guest]

ok so i got to thinking im a youngster without a car, but when i get a car i will need some tools. So here I am pondering to the automotive gods.PLEASE send me on the path of enlightenment. I need to figure out how much ill need to pay, so a price would be handy as well(oh and mid how much was your lift?) TIA

 

[Mudcat]

Not mandatory, but one of the best tools I have ever had is an electric screwdriver with torque adjust.

 

[Shaun @ Street or Track]

Socket set - $80 upwards
Wrench set - $50 upwards
Screwdrivers - $40 set
Torque Wrench - $60 upwards
Jack - $100
Jack Stands - $20 each

Oh and a tool box to put them all in. This is all I own. I've been able to do all kinds of jobs. Now I'm just collecting odd tools as and when I need them.

 

[GypsyR]

Buy what you can afford. The stuff Shaun mentioned is a good start. I asked the Snap-On man about a flex-head ratchet , he said $75. I found one at Walmart for $12 and it's worked out surprisingly well AND they warranty it too. For $75 I can likely buy a full box of used tools at a flea market AND get the box. If a tool says "Craftsman" on it, it's guaranteed by Sears no matter where you actually got it from. Buying a big Taiwan socket (wrench/hammer/screwdriver) set is a good way to get started. Once you start buying tools and using them, you'll never stop. You can never have ALL the tools you'll need and something's always getting broken, lost, borrowed, etc, etc. I'd rather have a whole bunch of cheap tools than very few expensive ones.
If you can spend the money, buy Craftsman. Not because they're the best, but because Sears will swap them out when they break/wear out and they are pretty good. Just about everybody's got a Sears around somewhere. The Snap-On, Mac, Cornwell, etc tool trucks carry the some of the best tools there are. They are also the highest priced. I have a couple of busted Mac tools I've been holding onto for 3 years. The Mac guy just doesn't come around here anymore, so his tools aren't doing me any good. The local Sears isn't going anywhere.
Snap-On will actually sell you a set of gold-plated screwdrivers. Don't ask the price or why anybody would want these. I bought a BIG set of imitation Craftsman screwdrivers in 1987 for about $20. They came with a nice big display holder. I still have the holder and maybe 3 of the original screwdrivers. The rest have been replaced by real Craftsman tools over the years as they failed and so on. I'll bet I've swapped/ rebought the basic Phillips #2 screwdriver 30 times over. A lifetime warranty is worth nothing if you just flat out lost the thing.
Remember some cheap tools ARE cheap. Don't be surprised when they fail, just upgrade to a better one. Then again, I've got cheapo tools that show every sign of lasting forever. Once you start using various tools, you'll soon learn which ones to spend more money on.
Start with a good 3/8" ratchet. No matter who made it, it WILL fail. So buy one that seems to be good quality that you can exchange easily. Everyone has their own taste in ratchets. I don't really like Sears ratchets that much but a couple of times a year I take a whole sack of them to the store and get fresh ones (free). Kinda hard to beat that.
One GOOD philips #2 screwdriver is absolutely necessary. Nothing is worse than stripping an inaccessible screw because you were using a crappy screwdriver.
Avoid anything made in India or China. Some stuff is just TOO cheap.
Avoid the "fit all" gizmo tools on TV. They never are as useful as they look and are usually crap.
Just be prepared to buy tools as you go along. It's a very rare weekend I don't run somewhere and buy some kind of tool.
All this is of course just the way I do things, not a set of rules you have to follow. Everyone has their own way with tools, just like cars. I could go on and on, just shop around, see what you can find. Start with quantity then worry about quality.

 

[RichLong]

Tools, you cannot get enough of them. GypsyR gave some great advice. I'd add that you should let those who may shower you with gifts know of your desire to own good tools,
Also watch the papers for auctions and yard /garage sales. Good tools are for a lifetime.

 

[SprintCC]

A few that weren't mentioned that I've found useful:

Hammer (lite ball-peen and rubber) for minor persuasion (lite tap works really well on a wrench or socket that doesn't want to come off the fastener due to rust/grease)
Plyers esp. needle nose and regular (lineman I think their called)
Flare-Nut wrenches, specifically designed to work with tubing (aka brake lines and fuel lines) without crushing.
Picks, like dentist picks straight and bent. Don't pay more than $2.00 each, that's even high. So many uses ( removing grime you can't reach, feeling, etc) it's incredible, but be careful (of the part your working on and you, drop one on your thigh and it will hurt)
Diagnostic tools: timing light, dwell meter, compression guage, vacuum guage all useful, possibly borrow from a friend, or loaner from a auto-shop.
Volt meter - buy your own, you'll use it.
If you can afford it an Air Compressor, but your getting pricy.

You sound like me a few years ago, trying to learn how to do what with what. Something that I did was get catalogs, Sears, Snap-on, Eastwood Co, Harbor Freight, A&I, whatever. I'd look at the tools and try and figure out what they're for. And Why. Got me asking questions. These lead me to new questions and new answers. In short gained a better understanding of how things work, and (hopefully) avioded a few nasty "character building" experiences along the way. In short, every tool is build to fix a problem (exept for a few true rip-offs). Find out what the problem is, why it occurs and how to deal with it and you work that much smarter.

SprintCC

 

[Guest]

I started my collection when I was 9 yrs old, and my g-grand father died. I got an entire copy paper size box full of stuff that none of the adults wanted. Since then I have graduated to about 8 portable tool boxes, and two rolling towers. My grand father introduced me to the art of pawn shopping and other 'used' item sales(auctions/estate/garage sales/ and flea markets). I've even bought some on-line (ehay, etc.). I am now a certified tool addict, and will take on any task if there is the opportunity to but more tools.
For a started set up, I'd say a good socket set, a couple of cresent wrenches, vise grips, BFH, cheap set of screw drivers, and then pick up a couple of good screw drivers( #2 phillips, etc), and a 'beater screwdriver. For the beater, I went to Sears and bought the biggest flat tip I could find. I've swapped hundreds of tools there, and never had a problem.
Dan

 

[Guest]

I must respectfully disagree with Gypsy here. Start with QUALITY and then go with QUALITY. Good tools last a lifetime (or at least are guaranteed for life) so you will never be ultimately wrong buying them. My first kit was a $199 Craftsman set (which I would still have except for a shop fire) that has now expanded to @$6000+. Stick with name brands and US made, pay the difference on the front end and you will be happier over the long run.

 

[GypsyR]

No disagreement about quality. I like quality tools too, but sometimes income is a factor. Ask Beebz how old he is. He doesn't have much to spend and isn't likely to be getting a Sears charge account any time soon. ; ) I figure he'd get more use out a box jammed full of cheap tools than a handful of Snap-On wrenches.