The OFFICIAL tools and equipment Thread.

[TK-421]

Just like it states list the top 3 favorite tools you've got in your toolbox, whether your a professional or a at home DIYer. What are 3 tools you always find yourself using when you go to work on a car?

I'll start mine off with

1 - Snap On FHX-80 3/8 drive locking flex head ratchet

2 - Snap On MG 725 1/2 Air Impact Gun

3 - Snap On Verus Pro Lab Scope/Scan Tool

What are yours? I'm imterested to hear!


EDIT: now making this the official tools and equipment thread. For sharing with others good products to use and good tools to buy. Some must haves and some specialty stuff. Don't be shy, doesn't matter if you have a ton of tools like I do, or your basic set that a weekend warrior has. I do this for a living so I'm going to have way more than the average guy.

Also if you have used some good products like a penetrating oil or lubricant, or you have made a homemade boost leak tester post them up! We would all like to see what you have and maybe what you have designed.

Also this can be a place to come and get advice on what tools you should buy if your thinking about investing money into them or your even thinking about getting into the trade!

 

[HolyCrapItsFast]

1 - Tactrix OpenPort 2
2 - Cobb AccessPort
3 - Dell XPS 18

:lol:

 

[TK-421]

Top 3 Favorite tools in your toolbox

1 - Tactrix OpenPort 2
2 - Cobb AccessPort
3 - Dell XPS 18

:lol:

What do you use for hard parts? And general maintenance?

And idk about you but I don't keep my laptop, AccessPORT and tactrix cable in my toolbox

 

[HolyCrapItsFast]

What do you use for hard parts? And general maintenance?

And idk about you but I don't keep my laptop, AccessPORT and tactrix cable in my toolbox

My Micrometer, my compression tester and my $400 wire crimpers that I stole from work 15 years ago. :tup:

 

[TK-421]

My Micrometer, my compression tester and my $400 wire crimpers that I stole from work 15 years ago. :tup:

Haha nice, that's kind of how I got my lab scope/scan tool

 

[Grinder34]

I dont have many tools:

1) Harbor Freight Breaker Bar
2) Loctite
3) Magnet Cup thingie

Everything else is pretty standard (heck even #1 is standard). I think the only other non-standard thing I own is some crows foot wrenches for when I had to remove an oil galley under the IC.

 

[TK-421]

One of these days I'll grab some pictures of my war wagon to share what my arsenal looks like

 

[Grinder34]

Everything I have fits in this:

 

[TK-421]

Okay well here it goes, this is what I call my war wagon. This is the box I have in my personal garage. Not the stuff I use at work.

Here's the long long long list

Pictures included



This is my main box with all my tools


Parts boxes and engine hoist and stand

This one is my junk box stuff I keep spare parts in. This box was handed down to me through my grandfather to my father and eventually to me when he passed away

Below is my parts box this box contains most of the new parts like oil filters and gaskets and fluids.

It also contains solvents, cleaners, lubricants, sealants and funnels






Now on to my main box.

Starting with the top box
It's an older craftsman box that I keep things like electrical tools and equipment in, cookie discs, cut off wheels, battery tender, tap and die set and some chisels and punches. There's also the odd tool or two like a cam pulley holder and A/C disconnect stuff.







Now the big red box, just a box from Harbor Freight nothing too special. It contains all of my tools I most commonly used. I'm going to go through drawer by drawer and explain everything that's in each of them.








Alright top drawer. Here I have all of my sockets, extensions, ratchets, breaker bar, 1/2 drive torque wrench, axle sockets, two large pry bars and some specialty sockets.


Moving over to the left side, is my extras drawer. It's where things like extra extensions, universal swivel joints, O2 sensor sockets and other misc square drive adapters and tools reside.


Moving on down is my drill bits, extractors, screw gun bits and step drill bits


This drawer is for my tape measures, bone tools (aka trim removal tools) and other interior odds and ends tools


This drawer is for my utility knives, wire wheel attachments amongst other bits and attachments for my die grinders.


My diagnostics drawer. Contains a scan tool, Temperature Gun, vacuum gauge, DVOM (Multimeter) some inspection mirrors, spark testers. Feeler gauges and spark plug tools.


Cordless power tools, my IR 3/8 cordless impact, IR cordless Screw Gun and IR flashlight


My Snap On MG725 1/2 Air Gun, Snap On MG325 3/8 Air Gun, Snap On 1/2 MG 3255 1/2 extended anvil mini air gun. I just picked that one up for work recently. I'll use it with a flip socket for when I pull wheels from a car instead of a big 1/2 gun

Back to the center of the main box working from the bottom up to the big top drawer


My specialty drawer, has things like my power probe, harmonic balancer puller, coil pack puller, set of Snap On Hex bit sockets and torx bit sockets, and a impact driver





Next is my brake tool drawer. This has my piston caliper tool set, micrometers, digital caliper, c-clamp, hose pinch off tools, and drum brake tools. Also contains a few specialty stuff for certain import cars.



Now next we have the "beating drawer" this is where all of my hammers, mallets, air hammers and air hammer bits live


This next one is where I keep my 3/8 drive torque wrench, 1/4 torque wrench, triple square bits, oil filter wrenches, and line wrenches


Next drawer up is my ratcheting wrenches and two smaller pry bars


Last drawer in the center part of the box contains all of my regular wrenches. Now these are long pattern wrenches because I prefer the long patter for better leverage. Sizes 7mm thru 32mm. The green pouch contains SAE wrenches which I hardly ever use anymore.


Over to the right side of the box working down

This is one of two pliers drawers. This drawer has my side cutters, needle nose pliers, channel locks, CV boot locking band pliers, vise grips and snap ring pliers.


The second plier drawer is right below, this contains all of my long needle nose pliers, heavy duty side cutters, hose grip pliers, and plastic pop river pliers.


Next drawer contains my Matco Tools compression tester


This drawer has my hose picks, mini picks, scrapers, crank pulley tools, A/C disconnect tools for Toyota's


Ahh the screwdriver drawer, I think everyone can agree that the screwdriver is the most abused tool in the garage. It's a screwdriver, a scraper, a chisel, a punch, and most of all a pry bar haha


And to round it all off my other air tools drawer. This one contains everything from my air drill to die grinders, air ratchets, cut off tools, extra impact guns, you name it its in there!


Some extra things I have are a set of oxygen and acetylene torches, I call these "The Hot Wrench"


And my Lincoln Electric MiG Welder that's currently out of shielding gas so it's tucked behind my box


And this! If your looking for a great air hose, get a Flexzilla air hose. Best 25 bucks I spent in awhile! Definitely worth the hype.


So that's the tour of my "War Wagon" pretty much the only thing I didn't show was my 80 gallon IR compressor in the back room.

 

[Alin]

*jaw hit the floor*

 

[TK-421]

Sorry the pictures are so crummy, they are the only ones I had on my phone at the time.

And [MENTION=1172]Alin[/MENTION] that's why I said come to my place to do all the install stuff. Those are the tools you'll be using to do all the work.

 

[Grinder34]

I really think you should consider moving to the DC area and becoming my best friend.

Just sayin.

 

[TK-421]

I really think you should consider moving to the DC area and becoming my best friend.

Just sayin.

Yikes the DC area, gonna have to pass on that one haha! My uncle lives in Silver Spring and tells me traffic is hell. Plus I hate the snow and anything that has to deal with winter.

 

[TK-421]

This is my hands down favorite penetrating oil. Works like no other, completely different from PB Blaster. Makes things like PB and Liquid Wrench seem like water. This stuff will actually stick to the surface and foam it won't drip and make a mess like the others will.



And muscle grease. Oh I can't say enough about this stuff. I don't know how I got by without it before! It's a amazing lubricant that has anti corrosive properties in it and I've seen it still in place after hard rain and hard winters. When I worked at a Toyota Dealer in PA we used this stuff like it was going out of style. On everything from door hinges to hub faces that contact the rotor hat. Just really really good stuff, the only downfall is most of the time you have to order it online. Most part stores do not carry this in stock. They would have to be a Castle Products dealer.

 

[TK-421]

Press and Parts Washer back from storage