Some of my favorite tools
Posted: Nov 30, 2023 12:06 AM
OK, not including Oldskool as he's not here anymore, and not everyone got his brilliant, but warped sense of humor. So I won't include him in my favorite tools.
But on a hardware level, everybody doesn't use the same things for the same jobs. Yeah, everybody has basic ratchets and sockets, pliers, wire cutters, screwdrivers etc. Some make due with less, a neighbor who works at a shop, but probably does more work at home than at work, has half the tools I do. If that, but he gets a ton of stuff done. The guy is mad, he'll do a head gasket on a Honda and a brake job on something else in the morning, then do an engine swap in the afternoon.
But anyway, some of the stuff I use that some/many/most do not, in no specific order.
A 16" set of Channelocks, Diamond brand specifically, given to me by my grandfather when I was ~12. This is not because he gave them to me, it's because so often they do the job other tools won't. Not just cars, a lot of stuff. 16 inches gives you a lot of leverage. I've even used them as a sheet metal shears as you can get in there and just tear thru it. Yeah, not pretty, but sometimes in the yards...
Side cutters. Linemans. A variety of different names depending on location. A tool from my electricians profession. Not always the best, but a swiss army knife of sorts. A hammer, I've driven 16 penny nails with it. OK, not many, but in a pinch... I've cut #2 wire. 1/4-20 bolts. (OK, not recommended) Crimped fittings, used on end as a nutdriver. My one tool which is gimme it and I'll find a way.
An elegant bottle opener. I man you can't work on cars without beer, right?
The baby 5" VISE-GRIPS. I use it more than the 7", 10" or baby long nose ones.
Screwdriver with 1/4" hex drive and rubber handle. I use this thing so much. Mostly phillips, but torx, slotted, hex etc. A little bigger than perfect, the handle shape is good, but again, not perfect, but damn, with it and it's rubber handle, I can turn a lot. That's really tight.
A beefy, rubber handled putty knife with metal at the end you can hammer on. And believe me, I have. Not quite a chisel, not quite a razor blade, no matter how much I've sharpened it, but I've used it for both in a pinch. It kicks ass.
Metric nutdrivers. Well, nutdrivers in general, but for BMWs metric of course. For small to smallish stuff they just work so well. I've heard rumors some guys tighten BMW hose clamps with screwdrivers, but damn not after they've done it once with a nutdriver. At a Wrenchfest a few years back. They guy had a couple of Snap On boxes. Tons of stuff, sockets, all three drive sizes, including swivel. But no nutdrivers. I was helping. I went and got my own tools which did include nutdrivers. You had to be there, but it was just the right tool for the job.
Offset box end wrenches. Maybe not quite up there with the rest, but many times it makes things much easier, and sometimes nothing else will work.
Unpictured, 18" or longer extension and a 3 pound hand sledge. I made a ~36" extension at work, but unfortunately left it behind at work. You can't have too many extensions pulling an M30 tranny.
But on a hardware level, everybody doesn't use the same things for the same jobs. Yeah, everybody has basic ratchets and sockets, pliers, wire cutters, screwdrivers etc. Some make due with less, a neighbor who works at a shop, but probably does more work at home than at work, has half the tools I do. If that, but he gets a ton of stuff done. The guy is mad, he'll do a head gasket on a Honda and a brake job on something else in the morning, then do an engine swap in the afternoon.
But anyway, some of the stuff I use that some/many/most do not, in no specific order.
A 16" set of Channelocks, Diamond brand specifically, given to me by my grandfather when I was ~12. This is not because he gave them to me, it's because so often they do the job other tools won't. Not just cars, a lot of stuff. 16 inches gives you a lot of leverage. I've even used them as a sheet metal shears as you can get in there and just tear thru it. Yeah, not pretty, but sometimes in the yards...
Side cutters. Linemans. A variety of different names depending on location. A tool from my electricians profession. Not always the best, but a swiss army knife of sorts. A hammer, I've driven 16 penny nails with it. OK, not many, but in a pinch... I've cut #2 wire. 1/4-20 bolts. (OK, not recommended) Crimped fittings, used on end as a nutdriver. My one tool which is gimme it and I'll find a way.
An elegant bottle opener. I man you can't work on cars without beer, right?
The baby 5" VISE-GRIPS. I use it more than the 7", 10" or baby long nose ones.
Screwdriver with 1/4" hex drive and rubber handle. I use this thing so much. Mostly phillips, but torx, slotted, hex etc. A little bigger than perfect, the handle shape is good, but again, not perfect, but damn, with it and it's rubber handle, I can turn a lot. That's really tight.
A beefy, rubber handled putty knife with metal at the end you can hammer on. And believe me, I have. Not quite a chisel, not quite a razor blade, no matter how much I've sharpened it, but I've used it for both in a pinch. It kicks ass.
Metric nutdrivers. Well, nutdrivers in general, but for BMWs metric of course. For small to smallish stuff they just work so well. I've heard rumors some guys tighten BMW hose clamps with screwdrivers, but damn not after they've done it once with a nutdriver. At a Wrenchfest a few years back. They guy had a couple of Snap On boxes. Tons of stuff, sockets, all three drive sizes, including swivel. But no nutdrivers. I was helping. I went and got my own tools which did include nutdrivers. You had to be there, but it was just the right tool for the job.
Offset box end wrenches. Maybe not quite up there with the rest, but many times it makes things much easier, and sometimes nothing else will work.
Unpictured, 18" or longer extension and a 3 pound hand sledge. I made a ~36" extension at work, but unfortunately left it behind at work. You can't have too many extensions pulling an M30 tranny.