data-csrf="1711632384,ee08d3435e16f34be043cb297986b6dc" Tools? | As Real As It Gets

Tools?

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
Being a millwright by trade ive used a good many hand tools. As far as brand no one gets the win in my books. Certain things from certain outfits. Creacent wrenches gotta be Macs phospated black ones, beefy and open very wide for the hamdle length. Ratchets i stay away from snapon as i tend to explode them easier than any other brand, I really like the craftsman pro series ratchets i picked up a few years ago, SK makes a good ratchet, proto isnt terrible either. Torque wrenches gotta be snap on or CDI. Pry bars snap on for the screw driver type handles. One of the all time best tools I have ever found are the knipex Cobra pliers, if you dont own a set just go and buy yourself a couple pairs you wont regret it. Knipex also makes really nice side cutters. Ive had good luck with snap on and craftsman sockets. Asfar aswrenches go i like snapon, dont care for the flank drive ones though. Really like the craftsman pro series wrenches as well. Ive had really gokt luck with Mac and IR air tools.
 

dznnf7

Well-known member
Apr 30, 2016
600
27
I have good tools and a fair selection of shit tools that are sacrificial for bikes and cars. Lots of HF wrenches that have been cut off, ground thin, heated and bent for tight spots. Knipex makes great stuff - high price, high quality, and innovative. Pliers are the best - although I have a pile of cheap pliers and fake vise-grips around with modified ends for tight jobs.
Not too many people will use tools harder than a Millwright, so there's good advice above. Especially about avoiding brand loyalty. You don't want to be one of those guys with a mortgage payment to the Snap-On guy for stuff you use twice a year.
 

Vek

Well-known member
Nov 3, 2009
377
11
Not a millwright or tradesman of any kind...but I've gotten an awful lot of use out of std and metric sets of tubing/flare nut wrenches, on fuel system and brake work.
 

Horse1

Well-known member
Dec 31, 2007
2,962
12
In the vicinity of dandihood
My dad was a shade-tree hot-rodder. He scoured pawn shops for guns on the cheap as well as tools. He was especially fond of double end wrenches like 1/2 and 9/16 or 7/16 and 3/8. Open end box end, flare nut, etc, etc, etc. If it had a configuration, bend, or angle that he didn't already own, he'd buy it just to have it. Didn't matter if it was a factory modification or a home-built jobby either.
 

TXNative

Well-known member
Jan 27, 2013
298
0
A little of everything, Milwaukee 18v, Craftsman ratchets and sockets, Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches, Knipex pliers, Wylde prybars and HF for throwaway crap, deadblow hammers as an example. Mathew punch’s and chisels.

Old American made vises.

I really need good drill bits, will probably get a set of Norseman.
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
I am not a professional mechanic or a millwright. I tend to run Craftsman, mainly for the warranty, which is in serious question these days. I don't find their rachets to be of great quality, but they are decent. I find the lever throw to be frequently annoying when you are in a hard to reach location, which seems to be always. Most of their sockets are excellent. Some of their boxed end wrenches are unusably bad, but that is a recent symptom of poor QC.

I like many/most of the basic older american manufacturers (proto, plumb, blackhawk, SK, KD) tools better than most of the current crop, and will pick them up used when I can. Although I am officially done with SK thin wall sockets as they are incredibly fragile or I am incredibly ham fisted. I don't tend to put much of a premium on the truck brand tools (Mac, Matco, SnapOn), becuase you pay a premium for their warranty and their warranty is a pain in the ass for me to use (and doubly so for you). I'm not chasing a fucking truck down to get a new screwdriver, I'm throwing the broken one in the corner and grabbing the next mostly worn out one and getting back to it. MAYBE I will gather up a handful and take it to Sears at some point, although that is no longer an option here. If I worked in a shop where the SnapOn guy showed up and I just handed off broken shit and he handed me new shit, I'd have a lot more SnapOn shit. I think Crescent pliers/dikes/wrenches are great (ok, good enough) for what they are but tend to shy away from their other stuff.

For a general garage hack, I'd say get yourself a decent set of Craftsman hand tools with 1/2, 3/8, and 1/4 drive sockets/rachets, metric and standard wrenches (like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Craftsman-270pc-Mechanics-3-Drawer-12133/dp/B0732NJSTV/ref=asc_df_B0732NJSTV/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309763890402&hvpos=1o6&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15268931103535226793&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9060447&hvtargid=pla-571578801518&psc=1 ). You can get a decent set for around $200. I think they are a little better than the Husky/Home Depot equivalent, but not much. If you have a "local" Home Depot and not a Sears, I'd just go husky and not tell anyone. Anyway, that size is small enough to be mobile and big enough to cover most needs. I have fixed an incredible amount of shit with mine and it has been abused to no end. Once you've got that, you can add or upgrade tools as you need. Nicer wrenches, or racheting wrenches, upgraded screwdrivers, etc. Toss an extra 1/4 and/or 3/8 drive in there, so you aren't always moving sockets around. After that, a smaller version of the same thing, that can live permanently in your truck is awfully handy.
 

Driftin'

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2009
2,225
13
Offshore
What 'savage said.

Have CDI torques (3/8" drive for inch-pounds and 1/2" drive for twisting shit down) and the only difference between those and SnapOn is the latter have stamped designations and the former are laser engraved.

Have long had a 5-ish gallon, portable Makita air compressor to drive lots of things. Last year I picked up a 3/8" drive IR 2115QTiMAX impact gun and boot to keep it happy when it gets dropped. Couldn't go bigger due to compressor volume but that little shit has amazed me what it will easily crack loose. Makes me smile every time I use it and should have done it decades ago. 6-point impact sockets. Deeps do most everything.

That impact gun needs to be lubed: Air tool oil. Chainsaw bar nose mini grease gun with needle tip. Pro-Tip #1: drill & tap the thickest part of the gun's pump cap for a zerk fitting. Makes refills a breeze! Also added a male QD to the upstream side of a industrial quality filter/water trap and a female QD to its downstream side that connects directly to the compressor. I always disconnect it when moving the compressor.

Knipex pliers are gold.

Handled, 8" long pry bar (OTC #8208). Use that little shit for everything from opening paint cans to gingerly prying off valve covers.

Swivel head 3/8" and 1/4" ratchets since you aren't a midget contortionist.

Get a chrome vanadium 24" long 3/4" drive breaker bar with an impact coupling to take it down to 1/2" drive and 1/2" extensions to get you out to at least 20". A 1/2" breaker will do most things but I damn near broke my wrist when I had a pipe extension over a 1/2" 2-foot breaker pretzeled pretty hard and the crank bolt popped loose. Hurt for a couple weeks.

Still run the Craftsman tool sets my folks gave me for Christmas in the early '80's. As the octogenarian retired diesel mechanic down the street tells me, "If you break it, they'll replace it." Try Craiglist or ebay to find them used as I've heard the new ones have slipped in QC some.

Lisle creeper. Low profile, 3-ton floor jack. Jack stands.
 

Witt

Well-known member
Dec 30, 2009
344
3
NE
I'm far from brand loyalty. Price, quality and service add up differently for everything. Here's some stuff I've come to like
CDI torque wrenches
Aircat air impacts
Chicago Pneumatic air hammer
IR compressors & hammerhead ratchets
Quincy compressors
Knipex pliers
Dewalt & Milwaukee power tools
Victor & Smith red wrenches
OTC & Astro Pneumatic specialty tools
Wilton vises
Wiha screwdrivers & pliers
Sunex jacks
USA craftsman end wrenches
Cheap wrenches to modify and abuse
Spinner wrenches.. breakers & cheaters.. pry & heel bars.. I can't remember my brands on those. I think they're all auto parts store brands.

Lots of good used wrenches out there. Moving-parts stuff like ratchets I'd rather buy new if I couldn't see it first. Air tools I'd be even more careful with as the warranties on those are more limited.
IMO...set up your home air tools with 3/8 hose & high flow fittings. I use Milton V fittings at home. 1/4" hose and/or standard fittings can starve/weaken some tools. Not usually a problem but it's easy enough to just start out that way and not be left wanting a little extra power.

The home shop can kinda equate to reloading. It saves money........riiiiight
 

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
Oh another amazing tool is a pair of cummins injector prybars, i cant remember if they are made by snapon or mac but they are a little heel bar and have an angle that i havent found on anything else and they are handier than pockets in your underwear. Another one is snap on chisels and punches, ive had the best luck with snap on they seem to take a beating better than the others but be wary as at minus 35 c they will shatter and those little pieces of chisel punture deep. On the mac truck you need to purchase a monster magnet, that fucker has saved my ass more than once. A mitutoyo or starett dial vernier caliper is money well spent, i dont like digitals anywhere except a shop as the battery always seems to die at the most unopputune times. A snapon pick set is nice to have as well.
 

TXNative

Well-known member
Jan 27, 2013
298
0
I don't know WTF is up with typing and posting no text but I will try again.

I was five I believe when my parents gave me a small selection of tools, a can of Liquid Wrench and an old sewing machine to take apart. In fifty years I have accumulated a bunch of tools, some junk, some nice.

I grew up with Craftsman not having professional mechanics in the family who buy out of the SnapOn truck but a Dad who was an electrician and motorcycle mechanic and Grandpa that was a pipeline welder so I continue to use Craftsman for sockets, ratchets and wrenches.

My standard ratcheting Gearwrench's get more use and the Craftsman are backup when I need a back up on a fastener or need to pry or beat on the wrench where there is no access for a Milwaukee impact. No way I would sell the Gearwrenchs before the Craftsman, ratcheting is the only way to fly for my use...automotive.

I have a Dewalt drill but after getting a 1/4" Milwaukee impact I never looked back, 3/8 impact, 1/2 beast impact, drill, rotary tool, blower and a 6 1/2" saw should be here today. I rarely use the 60gl compressor except to clean parts, air up a tire or maybe the die grinder...electric for me now.

Reading Garage Journal is as bad as here or the 'fire, bought a good many Knipex pliers, Wylde pry bars and Mayhew chisels and punches.

I buy a bunch of shit from HF, disposable tools mostly.

Hobart Stickmate, Lincoln 175 Mig and recently a china'loca 200DX AlphaTig.

Floor jack, probably 2t is made in Taiwan, parents gave it to me back in the early 90's. I remember cussing Taiwanese tools in the 80's but I sure as shit would pick them over the china'loca shit now.

Oh, and there are several vises, a small Columbian from my grandpa, a Littleton and a beat to piss American Scale that was not as described in the add so it gets abused, all made in American old iron, the only way to go.
 

TXNative

Well-known member
Jan 27, 2013
298
0
And there is the Drill Doctor, have mostly a good mix of made in the USA drills but I am looking to pick up a set of Norseman Cobalt.

Drill press is HF, horizontal band saw is from Northern Tool and that will be replaced by a Northern Tool metal cutting chop saw to save room.

Tool stands for grinders, the vice and similar are made from scrap picked at the recycling place, old drill pipe, manhole covers and big rig brake hubs for the base.
 

myname

Well-known member
Feb 21, 2009
185
15
WI
Don't know if Craftsman pulled their head out of their asses but the standard ratchets they were selling 3-5 years ago are complete shit, hopefully they're making them higher quality again.

Have a couple HF comfort handle ratchets that I use at work that are holding up well, have not seen how they do with a handle extension though.

I'd be looking at whatever lifetime guaranteed brand is easiest to exchange for sockets, wrenches, & standard hand tools
 

dznnf7

Well-known member
Apr 30, 2016
600
27
Now that you've resigned yourself to a second job, I'd like to add that you really need a metal lathe. A mill too but the lathe first. I have a South Bend Heavy 10 that I love, but today I'd be looking hard at a Grizzly.
 

BrianW

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
1,994
5
Alaska
www.geocities.com
I have lots of Snap On wrenches in my tool box. When it comes to angled wrenches, only Snap On has true 30º/60º versions. Everyone else has 15º/60º angles. Which is okay, except 15º is the normal angle on all open end wrenches.

Gear Wrench is pretty good. Do yourself a favor and always buy the reversible kind. The cheaper ones will eventually get you in trouble when you've loosened a nut or bolt in a tight spot, and now you can't get the wrench off and you can tighten it back down/in.

The Knipex smooth jawed pliers that remain parallel with each other are great. Get all 3 sizes. Their Dykes are nice too.

I refuse to buy a overpriced tool box, such as a Snap On. Tool boxes don't get the job done. Buy a General or a Harbor Freight box and fill it with good tools.
 

Dan In Alaska

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2007
3,366
64
Anchorage
cwh said:
I tend to run Craftsman, mainly for the warranty, which is in serious question these days.
The Craftsman line of hand tools has been picked up by Lowes. I haven't tried their warranty service, yet, but I do have some screwdrivers that need replacement. I'll have to take them in, and see if Lowe's handles the tool replacement as well as Sears did.

As to answering Bill's original question, I mostly run Craftsman tools. They aren't professional quality, but I am not a professional mechanic. For the money they seem to be a good bang-for-the-buck, and if they are now readily available at Lowe's for purchase and warranty service, I don't see me changing any time soon.

For power tools, I prefer Milwaukee. Their 18V Red Lithium battery packs seem to last longer (in terms of years of service) than the NiCad, NiMH or Li batteries I've owned from other manufacturers (Dewalt, Makita, Hitachi). I'm cheap, so I've got Milwaukee's entry-level versions of their cordless drills and what-not (not their more expensive Fuel/Brushless series). Even so, I've been very happy with all of my Milwaukee power tools.

I picked up a Dewalt 1/2" impact driver (corded) at a garage sale a few years back, and it has rendered my air-powered impact driver obsolete. I do enough tire swaps and screwing with trailer bearings that this impact driver is probably my favorite power tool, certainly the one that gets used the most.
 

mkoeh475

Well-known member
Dec 24, 2007
845
3
Wisconcsin
Im definitely not a pro either. So some of the other recommendations might be better. I run a lot of 10-15year old Craftsman when they were still made in the USA. That covers pretty much all hand tools. I also have a lot of 50-80 year olf stuff from my grandpa's workshop. If I were to start from scratch, I would still go with Craftsman.

For cordless power tools, I am a DeWalt slut. 20v line is what I have. Corded it depends a lot on the tool as to what brand I have.

For tools, router bits, etc I dont mind buying a big set and then figuring out which sizes I use the most and then upgrading tgose particular pieces with something better. Too damn expensive to buy all great stuff.

You guys convinced me to order a pair of knipex cobras to see what the fuss is all about.
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Cordless tools have come a long way. I went Milwaukee, but the "20 volt" DeWalt stuff is excellent too. Kind of depends on who has the most tools available in your line of interest, as the battery ties you to a brand. I've been eyeing that 1/2" impact since it came out, but there's always something I need more. Think I might get the cordless sawzall next - would make zipping a moose in half more fun. My 1/4" impact has seen a lot of use, and it thinks its a 1/2" impact about half the time. Cordless angle grinder (aka The Universal Padlock Key) is nice when you are away from a cord too.
 

Driftin'

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2009
2,225
13
Offshore
+1 on the short wrenches and in that same vein, a set of 3/8" drive flare nut/crowfoot wrenches. The standard crowfoot will work most of the time but the flare nut type won't ever round over a nut/bolt when cranking on them. Made me use bad words....

3/8" and 1/2" Chrome Moly (impact) ball-type wobblies for additional contortionist tricks.

Have the good fortune of having a retired diesel mechanic for a neighbor that trusts me to take good care of the occasional tool he loans to me. He has a separate, large roll-aways for metric and SAE tools that are full of SnapOn and locking SnapOn wall-mount cases full of pullers and 1" breakers for equally huge sockets. Both he and his bride are adopted family for who they are....

For longevity and the ability to take abuse, seems to me that pneumatic, then corded and then cordless tools of good quality is the order that has the most merit. Particularly for impacts. There is a reason shops use them. As mentioned, unless one has a compressor handy, it is easier to just grab a corded or cordless option. Although really convenient, the evolution and resultant obsolescence of cordless battery systems make me limit it to those that I can rebuild the battery packs. Have old Dewalt and Panasonic cordless drills that have been resurrected with new batteries in the old packs after many years of use and are still going.
 

Calvin

Well-known member
Nov 17, 2007
4,145
58
Visit site
This set gets used more on the Glory than all other tools combined..

https://www.amazon.com/Sunex-9930-Stubby-Combination-Wrench-x/dp/B000W1VIWQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1545075433&sr=8-4&keywords=short+wrenches
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Meant to add, if I were doing the ratcheting wrenches again, I'd pony up and do flex head non-reversing. Might have to do that actually. There's a lot of places I just can't sneak my flat gearwrenches, but they are awesome when they work.
 

fogswamp

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2007
583
1
Got a 14 drawer two box set of craftsman 30 years ago for a "get out" gift, my only issue is losing them over the years, I will say those I have replaced aren't the quality of the originals. ACE hardware carries them now too. I have a cabin a few hours from home, and I have inadvertently put together a set of harbor freight tools that I leave there, that so far I'm impressed with, that keep everything from weed eater to small dozer going. If you got air, a 3/8 ratchet is a must, although the new cordless is impressive, I'm not ready to re-tool yet.....
Do snow machines use torx? If so get two of each.....
 

Pat85

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2015
401
2
Pa.
I couldn't even begin to list the brands of tools I use. Running older heavy equipment and trucks, my shit tends to get used hard.
 

hangunnr

Administrator
Dec 12, 2007
1,912
77
Flatlandia
Didn't read through all the replies but my rule has been for home use to buy what you can afford, for field use or to be carried in your vehicle, buy what you can afford to lose.

I've had tools stolen on jobsites and lost while in the field. I replace those with flea market used tools when possible.