Let's Talk Tools!

[SalahHH83]

So since many on these forums are experienced DIYers, professional mechanics, racers and the such, I figured lets compare notes on various hand tools we use on our BMWs and get a good list of recommendations pro/con of various tools.

I am currently in the process of reorganizing and replacing some of my hand tools. No all of us are professionals and can afford shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for a complete set of Snap-On tools but at the same time we don't want to be using crappy Chinese and Indian tools that break/destroy fasteners. We all know there's nothing more satisfying than working with quality tools, but I believe for the non-professional, this can still be done without shelling out massive amounts of cash.

I have everything from crappy harbor freight stuff to craftsman to a few snap on and Mac items but would like to start upgrading some of these areas.

I have an old set of (back when they were made in the USA and not China) Thorsen combination wrenches for the 70s or so that were handed down from my father. I absolutely love them and they work better than anything I could replace them with. I also have some older Allen brand combination wrenches which are good, but not as great as the Thorsens. I have some older random craftsman, SK and Armstrong combination wrenches as well but I cannot say enough good things about that old set of Thorsens.

As for screwdrivers, I have tons but none of them are top quality to be honest. I'd like to toss some of the crappy ones and relegate some of the other so-so ones for times of abuse when using them for prying/makeshift chiseling. I have some craftsman ones that have stood the test of time but this is an area I'd like to upgrade. Any thoughts on quality screwdrivers that don't cost an arm and an leg? Or is this an area to spend the money on and get 1 quality premium set like a Snap On brand?

As for sockets, I have sets of Kobalt, craftsman and even Harbor Freight "professional" series ones and have been pretty impressed with them. I have Harbor Freight impact sockets and at least for my purposes, they're actually pretty decent. I've broken cheapy sockets before but I haven't had any kobalts or even the HF "pro" sockets break on me. I've had 1 craftsman split but that was an isolated incident. Another area HF has been pretty good one has been my E-sockets (inverted torx sockets). I bought a set of HF impact E sockets and have used them removing stubborn axle shaft bolts multiple times with an impact wrench and they have performed great for a low price. Personally, I have been happy with my combination of Kobalt/Craftsman and HF for sockets. I've never had the pleasure of using Snap On/Mac type sockets and I'm sure they are better, but for the increase in price, I think the above brands work well, especially if you're careful to use 6 point on any fastener requiring some level of torque.

Ratchets - This is an area I really want to upgrade. I have some Kobalt which I like but I feel like I could do better here and it's an item I'm willing to spend money on. Stanley actually makes a pretty good budget ratchet. I have a 3/4" Stanley that has withstood heavy wrenching and has a nice action. For 1/4" I actually have a HF "pro series" (with the green/black handle) which works very nicely but I haven't put it through a lot of abuse yet. It was dirt cheap and does come with a lifetime warranty, so I figured I'd take the chance on it. The distance between clicks isn't ideal though. I've heard good things about Proto ratchets. Are they worth it or is it worth making the jump to Snap On for a couple quality 3/8" and 1/2" ones?

Vise-Grips/locking pliers - This one I'm really stuck on. I've decided to pretty much toss the ones I have. I have a combination of old worn out quality ones and cheap crap. I cannot stand the cheap crap locking pliers and have thrown them away. Unfortunately it looks like Irwin is now making their grips in China and I've heard the quality as suffered. While I don't use these that often, I want to have 1 good set that I know will not fail me. Thoughts? Also included on this section could be pliers as a whole.

Torx/Allen sockets - This is an area where I haven't found 1 great brand. I've snapped Kobalt and Ace hardware (I was in a hurry) brand torx and allen ratchet drives. I actually have a set of only 3 3/8" torx drives that I think originally came from HF which have performed flawlessly over the years but they are a different design than what they currently sell. The current design doesn't look impressive. This is another area where I'm considering going to a premium brand but would like others' experience/input.

I've been able to find some good deals on quality stuff at flea markets but that is a very slow process of piecing together full sets very slowly.

Any other tips/advice? Any "brand name" stuff that proved to be garbage? I've also noticed that Stanley owns most of the big brands in hand tools (Mac, Bostich, Stanley, Proto/Blackhawk, USAG as well as power tool companies DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Black&Decker etc)

[325bob]

So since many on these forums are experienced DIYers, professional mechanics, racers and the such, I figured lets compare notes on various hand tools we use on our BMWs and get a good list of recommendations pro/con of various tools.

I am currently in the process of reorganizing and replacing some of my hand tools. No all of us are professionals and can afford shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for a complete set of Snap-On tools but at the same time we don't want to be using crappy Chinese and Indian tools that break/destroy fasteners. We all know there's nothing more satisfying than working with quality tools, but I believe for the non-professional, this can still be done without shelling out massive amounts of cash.

I have everything from crappy harbor freight stuff to craftsman to a few snap on and Mac items but would like to start upgrading some of these areas.

I have an old set of (back when they were made in the USA and not China) Thorsen combination wrenches for the 70s or so that were handed down from my father. I absolutely love them and they work better than anything I could replace them with. I also have some older Allen brand combination wrenches which are good, but not as great as the Thorsens. I have some older random craftsman, SK and Armstrong combination wrenches as well but I cannot say enough good things about that old set of Thorsens.

As for screwdrivers, I have tons but none of them are top quality to be honest. I'd like to toss some of the crappy ones and relegate some of the other so-so ones for times of abuse when using them for prying/makeshift chiseling. I have some craftsman ones that have stood the test of time but this is an area I'd like to upgrade. Any thoughts on quality screwdrivers that don't cost an arm and an leg? Or is this an area to spend the money on and get 1 quality premium set like a Snap On brand?

As for sockets, I have sets of Kobalt, craftsman and even Harbor Freight "professional" series ones and have been pretty impressed with them. I have Harbor Freight impact sockets and at least for my purposes, they're actually pretty decent. I've broken cheapy sockets before but I haven't had any kobalts or even the HF "pro" sockets break on me. I've had 1 craftsman split but that was an isolated incident. Another area HF has been pretty good one has been my E-sockets (inverted torx sockets). I bought a set of HF impact E sockets and have used them removing stubborn axle shaft bolts multiple times with an impact wrench and they have performed great for a low price. Personally, I have been happy with my combination of Kobalt/Craftsman and HF for sockets. I've never had the pleasure of using Snap On/Mac type sockets and I'm sure they are better, but for the increase in price, I think the above brands work well, especially if you're careful to use 6 point on any fastener requiring some level of torque.

Ratchets - This is an area I really want to upgrade. I have some Kobalt which I like but I feel like I could do better here and it's an item I'm willing to spend money on. Stanley actually makes a pretty good budget ratchet. I have a 3/4" Stanley that has withstood heavy wrenching and has a nice action. For 1/4" I actually have a HF "pro series" (with the green/black handle) which works very nicely but I haven't put it through a lot of abuse yet. It was dirt cheap and does come with a lifetime warranty, so I figured I'd take the chance on it. The distance between clicks isn't ideal though. I've heard good things about Proto ratchets. Are they worth it or is it worth making the jump to Snap On for a couple quality 3/8" and 1/2" ones?

Vise-Grips/locking pliers - This one I'm really stuck on. I've decided to pretty much toss the ones I have. I have a combination of old worn out quality ones and cheap crap. I cannot stand the cheap crap locking pliers and have thrown them away. Unfortunately it looks like Irwin is now making their grips in China and I've heard the quality as suffered. While I don't use these that often, I want to have 1 good set that I know will not fail me. Thoughts? Also included on this section could be pliers as a whole.

Torx/Allen sockets - This is an area where I haven't found 1 great brand. I've snapped Kobalt and Ace hardware (I was in a hurry) brand torx and allen ratchet drives. I actually have a set of only 3 3/8" torx drives that I think originally came from HF which have performed flawlessly over the years but they are a different design than what they currently sell. The current design doesn't look impressive. This is another area where I'm considering going to a premium brand but would like others' experience/input.

I've been able to find some good deals on quality stuff at flea markets but that is a very slow process of piecing together full sets very slowly.

Any other tips/advice? Any "brand name" stuff that proved to be garbage? I've also noticed that Stanley owns most of the big brands in hand tools (Mac, Bostich, Stanley, Proto/Blackhawk, USAG as well as power tool companies DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Black&Decker etc)

I'm in the same boat, I thought it would be neat to have all matching screwdrivers on the workbench, and for $10 harbor freight did it, but wait, after 40 years of mixed brands and handle colors, the instant recognition of size and tip was gone!,I'm talking about 30 different drivers.I did the same with pliers,although only 6 pair.I'm still amazed at how good my HF 110v impact is holding up, for $39 it gets a lot of use, mostly lug nuts, must be 6/8 years old.

[SalahHH83]

I know what you mean. I picked up a set of those HF "professional" screwdrivers. With a 20% coupon they were $7.20 and for the money you really can't beat them. I'm planning on using those in my travel toolbox to take to the track. If somebody walks away with one, it won't be the end of the world. I'm thinking about getting a set of the Eastwood 70232 drivers for garage use though. Based on reviews I've read, they seem to be an excellent set and I have found them for less than $20.

Maybe I posted this thread in the wrong area but I didn't know where else to post it. I'm kind of surprised more people aren't interested in this subject.

[montaillou]

Maybe I posted this thread in the wrong area but I didn't know where else to post it. I'm kind of surprised more people aren't interested in this subject.

Thread is less than a day old.

I mostly buy tools as I need them. Because of this I tend to spend more money per tool and buy high quality, can't remember the last time I broke a tool. Also, for my part, I spend about 10x more time working on my 99 year old house than my cars and most of my tools are for this.

[BimmerBreaker]

I have a lot of tools just not .... super passionate about them They are a means to an end for me, I keep them organized and I use them but I don't usually give them a second thought unless they give me a problem then I buy what I need for a given project

I buy what works. I have some made in the US Craftsman tools, anything cheap/disposable is Harbor Freight. I also have an assortment of Husky stuff. I've stopped buying new Crafstman tools as they aren't proving as reliable to me as the older stuff, but they do still come with the lifetime warranty

[modular93fox]

My signature.. A poor person buys it twice...
If you can only afford harbor freight buy it .. I you can afford something better , craftsman.. Buy it.. I'm a professional L1 Master Tech and I have snapon, matco, both ashats don't actually don't even come inside our dealership much less show up.. Also have Mac which doesn't have a truck driver for our area... Craftsman, harbor freight and of course my home made tools that get jobs done quicker anything else. If I need something i use logic... If I'm going to use it everyday... If it feels not ergonomic.. Or cheap.. Won't waste money on it.. I'm going to buy something of some quality.
90% of all my sockets are craftsman... Simply because the tool truck comes 1 time a week... Sears is open 7 days a week

[SalahHH83]

My signature.. A poor person buys it twice...
If you can only afford harbor freight buy it .. I you can afford something better , craftsman.. Buy it.. I'm a professional L1 Master Tech and I have snapon, matco, both ashats don't actually don't even come inside our dealership much less show up.. Also have Mac which doesn't have a truck driver for our area... Craftsman, harbor freight and of course my home made tools that get jobs done quicker anything else. If I need something i use logic... If I'm going to use it everyday... If it feels not ergonomic.. Or cheap.. Won't waste money on it.. I'm going to buy something of some quality.
90% of all my sockets are craftsman... Simply because the tool truck comes 1 time a week... Sears is open 7 days a week

I agree with that. I grew up using my dad's tools. He had... WAY too many. Literally. It was to the point where he almost hoarding them. While I was in college my mom made him get rid of them all. He actually had an auctioneer sell them off for him. He saved some, but the lion's share were gone

He handed me down the tools that remained but I've had to replenish much of it on my own. I purchased some HF stuff due to price and some of it has been a great bang for the buck but some of it has proven to be too low of quality Example: I once bought a set of drill bits from them bc they had it on a ridiculous sale. When I tried to use them, I realized I had wasted my money. They couldn't drill through anything other than soft wood. They also love to break.

I've decided I want to start to (re)build my tool collection the right way, one and for all, with quality stuff. I'm not going to run out and buy $25,000 worth of stuff from Snap On though. I'd really like this thread to be a good resource for everyone of "don't waste you money on ____ sockets, ____ brand are just as good for a fraction of the price" or "don't buy a crappy ratchet from _____, it's worth it to pony up the cash and buy it from _____

I've decided I want to go Snap On for a couple ratchets since I use those more than anything else. I've considered going with a set of Snap On locking pliers as well (vise grips) basically for their warranty and all other grips seem to be made in China now. Does anyone have good advice on what to look out for/be aware of when trying to buy tools at a flea market?

[pizzaman09]

I have a combination set of Channel Lock branded wrenches, sockets, Allen keys, and nut drivers that I have been very impressed with. I don't know if Channel Lock actually made them or if it was re branded but the quality and the feel of the tools is fantastic. I almost changed the clutch on my M5 entirely with just that set of tools. I did have to purchase a set of external torx (the ones from Harbor Freight which are actually quite nice) and I found the wonderful 2ft 3/8" drive extension that my grandpa had.

I haven't been too disappointed with a lot of tools other then the few cheap wrenches and screw drivers we have around here. The craftsman wrenches I have rounded over a few of the open ends with trying to change collets on my mill. I haven't had that issue with the old Snap On set we have. I think the jaws are much harder on the Snap Ons.

The other tool that I am impressed with is the 2ft long adjustable wrench of my grandpa's, it is the perfect thing for loosening the oil filter caps on BMWs. The wrench probably weighs 8 lbs.