finally starting my own tool box, what to get?

[Ian]

good tools go a long way. i have cheap tools for now, and just slowly upgrade each time i break something. ive broken torx bits, ratchets, sockets, everything.


hell, this past week i broke two of my 1/2 sockets trying to get that stupid 2 piece driveshaft joint bolts off of the torque arm. just snapped the crap out of them


craftsmen is great. and very reasonably priced. ill be honest, snap-on tools are def. far superior to craftsmen, in craftsmenship and design both, but they are soooooooo expensive.

and with a 100 limit, you could buy a snap-on screwdriver and ratchet. thats it.

[White95]

First of Habor Freight is a kick a$$ store atleast the one by my house. Just last week I spend over $200 on a air compressor and air tools. I bought a set of 1/2 sockets for like $25 when Home Depot sold them for like $60 as well. I also plan to go back and get a floor jack for like $50 (not the little floor jack).In my opinion tools like sockets and wrenchs are all the same. I go with the good brand names when dealing with power/air tools.

[MustangEater8251]

wrenches I woudl get craftsman... Though I do have a set of wrenches "task-force" brand from lowes and they are pretty nice... been hrough some abuse and wasn't that bad... bery small set 1/4 in and 1/2 wrench only $20... I have considered upgrading my $2.99 set of wrenches in my car to this...

BUt all your tools do not have to be craftsman... just get stuff that doesn't feel cheap. Check out big lots, they sometimes have decent stuff but usually alot of crap. They for some reason at least by me have lots of automotive tools like pulley pullers and such. I found a nice set of vice grips at big lots various sizes and shapes.

Harbour freight is another good place to look.

screwdrivers... get whatever doesn't feel cheap, also check out walmart, and pick up a $2 set of stanely scredrivers... cheap...

[Dan Vincent]

I would go with a Craftsman wrench and socket set, and a torque wrench too, if you can afford it.

Get a ratchetable screwdriver with interchangeable bits, in fact, get two - I have a little screwdriver with some bits stored in the handle that I keep in the map pocket of the 'Bird in case I need to change out a tamper-proof torx part when I'm away from the toolbox.

A multimeter would be worthwhile, as well as a GOOD Stanley tape measure.

Just remember with tools - don't lend them to ANYONE, not even your own father or brother - you will never get them back. Lock up your toolbox and make sure no one can get to them but you.

[MustangEater8251]

Originally posted by Dan Vincent:
Just remember with tools - don't lend them to ANYONE, not even your own father or brother - you will never get them back. Lock up your toolbox and make sure no one can get to them but you.

Best advice ever!

which reminds me... gotta go hound a friend of my girlfriend, my girlfriend volunteered one of my wrenches... to this girl still haven't gotten it back like 2 weeks later... :mad:

as for the screw drivers, one screw drive with interchangable bits is good, but get at least a $2 set fo stanley(like 6 piece) set form walmart. You the ones with interchangeable bits are usually magnetic, you do not want to use those around computers, plus seems like you cannot get the torque you can with a 1 solid piece screwdriver.

but the multihead one is good for torx bits and such, stuff you don't use very often.

A multimeter is good but hold off a bit till you come to a point of needing one.

[Mogobs30th]

Originally posted by speedracer95v6:
snap on

I will tell you now, if you want Snap On, $100 doesn't get you anything. I have a Snap On 2004 pricing guide right in front of me, and unless you have about $5k to throw around, you ain't getting much from Snap On.

They are great tools, but far, FAR, too expensive.

I have craftsman right now, and they work great. I started with a 129 piece socket set, with 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 in. drive sockets, and now I have quite few more upgrades since that set.

I suggest...

sockets, 5mm to 22mm (including a 5.5mm socket)
5/32 in. to 1 1/14 in.

wrenches, 7mm to 20 mm
1/4 in. to at least 1 in.

rathcets, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2

extentions, Extentions, EXTENTIONS!!! You can't get enough extentions. Get two 3" extentions, two 6" extentions, one 9" extention, and a 1 1/2' extention. But trust me, you definitely can't have enough extentions.

screwdrivers, I know Craftsman has a good set of screwdrivers for $30, and it is more than enough for most applications.

pliers, one needle nose, one locking (visegrip), and one standart set of pliers are good to start with.

You might also want to get something to organize your sockets with, like those racks or whatever they are. I have only lost 1 socket in 5 years by just being able to organize my tools. All the stuff I just said may cost more than $100, but I am pretty sure that with maybe $250, you can definitely own all this. And when it comes to sockets, I definitely suggest only 6-point sockets, 12-point seems to only round off bolts easier, making it more difficult to remove the bolt you are trying to get off.

BTW:

98v6 & Skapimp are a couple good tools to keep handy if you want to hear unrealistic views of the world.

[img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img]

[ellik]

Stanley USED to be good tools, I wouldnt even buy a tape measure from them now.... they feel so cheap. even my tape measaure is craftsman because its the only one that actually felot like I could drop it and it might survive.
Sears always has a shelf where packages have been opened or beat up and you can buy some tools clearanced there really cheap. I bought a set of crftsmen professional screwdrivers that way for $4.00 for 7 of them.

Also, Home Depot will do the same thing if your looking at bigger items, like saws sanders or whatnot. they have something out on display then loose the box or the case that it comes in and you can get it for like 30-50% of retail.

[AlienInv8r]

Originally posted by Dan Vincent:
Just remember with tools - don't lend them to ANYONE, not even your own father or brother - you will never get them back. Lock up your toolbox and make sure no one can get to them but you.

That's actually one reason for getting my own. My dad always says I misplace half his tools; I'll admit when I was younger I probably did, but as I got older and used them more than he did and took care of them like my own. I got spare cash for my birthday and decided the tools would be a worthy investment.

Craftsman has a 173-pc kit for $99, then I'll just find a cheaper set of screwdrivers and pliers for now. I think that'll start me off well, then as I go down the road I'll add stuff. I may as well start off with the right brand, rather than trying something cheap. It'll be a good investment for me. I know last year in my dorm I used my roommates no-name tools once, I snapped two of his screwdrivers and a set of pliers within 5 minutes with the brand new tools. I just remembered about that, I think that sells me on craftsman. Woohoo, now I'm excited! [img]graemlins/banana.gif[/img]

[new2thegame]

i go to flea markets and get older craftsman tools that are beat up and get them for next to nothing and then go return them and get new ones

[ellik]

Originally posted by new2thegame:
i go to flea markets and get older craftsman tools that are beat up and get them for next to nothing and then go return them and get new ones

you got to watch both flea markets and ebay, you have to know your prices. Some times you can get them dirt cheap, others you will end up paying more than new.