Spectre

Since the search option is disabled for now..I will ask this question.

I need tools..I have a baby set of crescent tools..but I want more reliable and better stuff.. I keep having to go to friends houses to use there stuff..

What do you all use/have? how many pieces?

I am looking at craftsman tools right now
241 pieces for $199. plus you can add a nice 3 drawer chest ( reg 54.99) for $44.99..

but I was also at SamsClub today and saw the Jesse James West Coast Choppers tools 207 piece set with a 5 drawer box ( these tools are made by MAC) for $398.52

just wondering what you use at home...

wimpywade94

i use craftsman tools in my garage and on my truck, i dont trust other no name brands that there are especially when im in the middle of nowhere...

i do go to shucks occasionally and buy one of those 4.99 tool sets that come in plastic boxes, that way if other people need tools i can let them use those not my good stuff!

later
wade

tom4416

Hand tools - Craftsman.

Speciality tools that I need for one application every couple years - Harbor Freight (cheap China tools but they work if you don't use them constantly).

Diagnostic tools - Compression gauge - SnapOn, Fluke Meter - SnapOn/Mac, Timing ight - Craftsman, borescope - Mac.

Air Tools - Wal-Mart Campbell Hausfeld brand (they have lasted me for years and years and are dirt cheap).

Power Tools - Home Depot/Lowes-Dewalt.

Even more importantly, try to spring for a good tool box - those cheap ones will fall apart in a year. Nice ball bearing drawers make a huge difference.

RTdawgs

craftsman mechanics set, i always got it with me.

northern tool (www.northerntool.com) is also good for the cheap stuff.

Cebby

Craftsman hand tools and an assortment of brands for power/airtools. Mostly Makita, Porter Cable, and Dewalt.

DH6twinotter

Hey,
I would go for the Craftsman hand tools. I bought the 121 (or is it 122?) piece tool set and it has everything I have needed. It was $80 on sale. I even took off the intake manifold and all that stuff to change my knock sensor with a cheapo 25 piece made in Taiwan ratchet set. As far as specialty tools go, I find that Auto Zone's loan a tool program has most of what I need. I do think those ratcheting wrenches are cool though. Also, a torque wrench would be real nice to have.

As far as air tools and power tools go, I haven't had any experience with these, so I can't really comment. I have heard good things about the Craftsman air impact tools though.

Anyhow, that's my thoughts on that.
Have fun.
DH6twinotter

MTL_4runner

I am not a good one to ask.
I have almost every tool in the book and can give you a reason for each one.
I agree with the guys, go with craftsman (snap-on if you have some $$$ to blow).
One thing I will say is to make sure to get the craftsman professional cresent wrenches.
The cast ones that usually come in the tool sets suck bigtime.

If you do any major work air tools make the job WAY easier.
Get a decent size compressor (enough to power your largest airtool +20%)
I prefer ingersol rand (IR) airtools (or again snap-on $$$, I think Campbell Hausfield sucks,
the ratchets break easy and the guns are wimpy as hell)

Also get a decent floorjack (2 ton+), jackstands and a creeper)
Then have fun!

PS You would do best to get them as you need them (ie a set at a time), even if it is more expensive to do so. That way you get what you really use rather than a box full of useless items (like all the english unit stuff!!!.....yotas only have metric on them yet the sets always have both). Then get the quality you think you need (crappy quality tools really suck to work with!!!......they break when you need em most). You can buy sets of high end tools (MAC, Snap-on, Matco) on eBay where someone else has done the collecting for you and you might pay half or less for them (the latter would be how I would go about it).

toy283

If you're just looking to work on your Yota with them, I wouldn't necessarily buy a set. Just get 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm, & 24mm sockets and combination wrenches, a ratchet, a few screwdrivers, etc. and then fill in what you need later. The above listed sockets will get you through 99% of a Toyota (any Toyota). I know this because they're the ones I always seem to lose

Mohamed

How about first time users of HB tools, used a three jaw puller and one of the teeth broke immediately as I tightened the puller. Garabadge I say.

I use Craftsman also and every so often I buy Mac tools (for speciality) but they are so freakin expensive (even with a 20% student discount) my bill is never less than $100 when I do make an order.

My teacher said this, Snap-on, Mac, Matco, Craftsman...they are all pretty much great tools, and the fact that they guarantee their tools makes them great. Any company that guarantees their tools for life are usually quality tools. I totally agree with his statement.

From what i have seen, I saw a $10K (that's right 10,000 dollar) tool chest in the Snap-on tool catalog and yet someone purchased it who works at a simple tire shop (from what I heard). By the way, that's not even including tools!

Mikey

I use mostly Craftsman. Where else can you use a screwdriver for a punch.......break it.......and get a new one out of the deal. In all seriousness though I use all craftsman sockets and wrenches. Ratchets I use snap-on or Proto. I just found that they last longer. I pick them up at swap-meets. You can usually get a good deal on used ones.

platform389

Snap-On for the hand tools.

https://buy.snapon.com/_mem_bin/formslogin.asp

Ingersoll Rand for the air tools

http://www.irtools.com/auto/prod/0prod.htm

Jboy

Craftsman and Snap-On. I started small and it just grows and grows. For the value you can`t beat Craftsman.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

I can't tell you how many screwdrivers I've snapped, sockets I've stripped and even my grandad's 20 year old hammer...all replaced with brand new tools when I took them the mangled pieces at SEARS. You can't beat them for the buck and I would suggest getting a Craftsman Club Card to get bonus % off at the first of the month and on special buys. I really want an air compressor to get some air tools, but the boss said no until we get some furniture, so I'll just have to keep using the old elbow grease

joez

If you have the money, buy SK. You will never find a nicer set of tools. But be prepared to pay $$$$$. Much better quality than Craftsman, but a lot more cost. I have yet to break anything SK, and i break Craftsman stuff all the time. Newer Craftsman stuff only, their older hand tools seem to be of much higher quality.

MTL_4runner

Glad someone agrees with me.

AgRunner06

I've got a 200+ piece tool set from Craftsman. I've needed other tools along the way (flare nut wrenches) and just bought cheesy ones from Autozone because 1. they were the only place open at the time and 2. I rarely use them. The Craftsman set has done me well so far. Another reason to get Craftsman is that when a tool does break all you have to do is go to the store instead of wait for the Snap-on guy or send your tools off.

My tool set came in one of their molded plastic cases. I'm not really fond of the case. There is one main reason that I still keep my tools in it. When you are working with your tools you will find that it is VERY easy to misplace them. With the molded case, you can see exactly what tools you are missing. This has been handy for me many times. Just a thought.

For my torque wrench, I bought a cheap Pittsburg wrench that is within 4% of the desired torque and goes to 150 ft/lbs if I remember correctly. That's good enough for me because I don't use it much anyways. That and it has a lifetime warranty and costs about $20. If you compare torque wrenches, you will find that they can easily get into multiple hundreds of dollars.

I haven't had any problems with the cast Craftsman wrenches yet. But I don't use them all the time or on very hard stuff. I also know when to use a breaker bar. That might have something to do with it. I know there is times when one won't fit or whatever. I will use a breaker bar and a socket before I put a cheater bar on a wrench.

If I were you, I would buy the Craftsman set. It's a good start.

jalaber

Craftsman here also. A really good set they had but discontinued was the 90pc set, all metric, all 6 point. That is what you need for wrenching the Yota. It was around $100. Beware of the larger piece counts with alot of 12pt stuff. I am sure there are good uses for them but personally I never used one.

AgRunner06

My set has both. The 12pt sockets make things go a little faster. For anyone who doesn't know, if you use a 12pt socket on anything really hard you will discover that it will round the nut/bolt off. This is the time when you should've used a 6pt socket. Otherwise you will end up trying to pound a one-size-smaller socket on there because the 6pt won't grip it either. I've learned the hard way...

cruizin01

We've got a bunch of Napa stuff which is made by craftsman. A 10% over cost discount deff. helps. The evercraft line sold through napa is really good stuff for the money. Its lifetime gauranteed but ive rarely had any of it break. I wouldn't buy the ratchets but everything else is pretty good. We've got a couple sets of gear wrenches too, you cant beat those. Air tools are a must have. The nice big napa tool box I baught is deff. nice for storing all your stuff.
Nothing beats having having the right tool for the job

paxam

craftsman,snap on and matco. makita for power tools.
you do not want junk tools when your on the side of the road or 4 wheeling. spend the money get good tools they will not let you down.