Dave, let me give you a bit of friendly advice, garnered from years and years and years of buying tools:
Go buy one of the Sears Craftsman mechanic's tool combinations. Don't argue about it, just do it.
When it comes down to it, these things are not all that expensive! Yep, you get a lot of stuff you'll never use, but you also get a lot of stuff you will. Some judicious research will narrow it down to the set that fits you best, and throw in a good carry-around tool box and you'll be set for life. Join the Craftsman Club and keep an eye on their circulars; they offer these sets at significant discounts.
There's two big reasons why you don't want to go cheap:
- First, the combo sets are not that expensive. We're talking a couple of hundred dollars here for a set of tools that can and will last you a LIFETIME.
- Second, the right tool for the job. Even try to do a job using the wrong tool? It takes twice the amount of time and the job gets done half-assed while probably damaging someone/thing else.
- Third, if you buy a set that's very specific (say, metric sockets only), and you have to buy those one or two other tools you need (say, a screwdriver, allen key, or SAE wrench), you'll end up spending about the same (or more) money and get less (price out just one screwdriver set versus the cost of the combo set that comes with them)
- Third, when you break one of the tools - and you will - it gets replaced for free at any Sears store.
Finally, NEVER EVER buy Craftsman tools as single items, ALWAYS buy them in sets. You spend very little more money to buy a lot more product, and even though you'll have doubles or triples of things you already own, you've now got spares for when you lose items (and you will.)
Dave, metric only? Sure, you've got a Honda car and you're pulling it with a Toyota truck, but you WILL need SAE tools, I guaran-damn-tee you. For example, what's the hardware on that tow dolly that you're trusting to bring your Honda home on? SAE, I'll bet. Good luck using some little crappy metric tool set you bought for $20 (or, God forbid, a pair of pliers and a screwdriver) trying to repair that tow dolly at midnight in the middle of Podunk Nowhere on the side of the highway while Melissa fumes in the front seat.
If I were making a living working on cars, I'd spend the money on MAC or Snap-On, but Craftsman tools are quality stuff that gets the job done at a bargain price. Creak open the wallet and spend the money, Dave; it's money well invested, which is something you can't really say about any other aspect of motorsports. - Greg
Want to see if he reads anything on this site other than his own stuff.
