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Top 10 tools for your home garage
By David Johns
I've been working on cars since I bought my first 1968 Mustang at age 16 and played hookey from high school to start fixing it up. As I've aged and progressed in my hobby I've upgraded working environments; from outside on a gravel driveway in the snow, to a single car garage shared between 5 classic cars, to finally a 3 car garage plus shop. As my garage space grew so did my collection of tools. Some were expensive and some were cheap. Some I thought I needed, but was mistaken, and some I didn't realize I needed so bad until after I got them. That's what this quick article is about; my list of top 10 automotive tools I didn't know were indispensable until I bought them. Top 10 Tools I should have bought years ago 1. Welder - This was a big hit to my pocket book when I first bought it, but it quickly rose to the top of my favorites list. I never realized how much I'd use a welder until I had one at my disposal. I now use it in some capacity on almost every automotive project I do. Sometimes it's obvious stuff like welding sheet metal or making custom brackets. But often it's something more mundane, like fixing a broken railing or gate hinge. I also have a pile of scrap metal pieces from past projects handy, and I often use the welder to make temporary guides or stands for projects that wouldn't normally require welding. 2. Self Darkening Welding Helmet - This goes right along with the welder, although I bought it years and years later. The first time I used it I kicked myself for not getting it sooner. Welding now is faster, more enjoyable and my welds are nicer because my hand doesn't shift position trying to flip my hood down. 3. Flap discs - These are really basic, but for years and years I used a grinding wheel. The discs are so much nicer. You can get them in several different grits to tackle different jobs; light rust, soft metal, heavy corrosion, etc. 4. Angle Grinder - OK, the grinder isn't so much the revelation for me. I'd had one for years and used it occasionally for grinding down things too large to hold up to my bench mounted grinder. The revelation was that you can buy cut-off wheels for them. These are thin cutting discs that make extremely quick work of trimming, shaping and even cutting straight lines in sheet metal. If you're disassembling an older car these are really a time saver. 5. Drill Press - I restored 3 cars using my trusty hand held 1/2" drill before I finally had the cash (and space) for a stand up drill press. I didn't get the largest one. The table top version has served me just fine. But it's amazing how much straighter and cleaner your holes are when you've got the control of a drill press. If you have a project with lots and lots of holes it will pay for itself in just the time savings alone. You can drill faster and through thicker metal, and as I said your work is much cleaner. 6. Stepped Drill Bits - These are an odd looking drill bit that's shaped like a cone. It's got several "steps" or levels on it so the further you push the bit into the material the larger the hole gets. Each step is a standard size hole, so it's a very quick way to get the hole you want without switching drill bits. 7. Mechanic Gloves - Yeah, you can call me a wimp. I don't mind. These gloves are great. They are thin enough for detail work, keep welding spatter from sizzling into my skin, keep my knuckles from bleeding (usually) when the wrench slips, and best of all...they keep my hands clean so my wife doesn't go off on a tirade when I wash my greasy hands in the kitchen sink. (What, those dishes are clean honey!?) 8. Quality Bench Vise - I stress the "quality" part here because while I've owned a bench vice for almost as long as I've owned cars, it wasn't until a few years ago that I coughed up and bought a really nice one. You might just think it's a hunk of metal, but the difference between a cheap vice and a good one are night and day. 9. Cordless Impact Wrench - I always thought these were only for guys who worked in tire shops. Now, with half a dozen classic Mustangs I have more tires to change then your average shade tree mechanic, but I still didn't think a cordless impact was worth the money. Again, was I wrong. I use it for much for then breaking lug nuts free. When you're working on cars out of the rust belt, this tool is a life saver. You could say the same thing for a pneumatic impact wrench (which is the more popular choice by far) but for me there's such convenience in not having to crank up the old air compressor and wait for it to fill up. 10. Air Compressor - OK, if you just read the paragraph right above you'll think I'm contradicting myself touting the benefits of an air compressor. I do admit it's not the most convenient tool, but when you're out in the garage for the whole day working on a serious project there's nothing like a good compressor. You use it on all sorts of pneumatic tools from drills to wrenches to spraying your own paint. Again, the opportunities this tool opens for you are great and you'll wonder how you got by without it. 10 1/2 - Beer Fridge - Not really a tool, but if you can't relax in your garage there's no point working on your own car!
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Contributor's Note
This article relates to my most enjoyable hobby of wrenching on muscle cars and 4x4's. I've owned over a dozen classic Mustangs, Cougars, GTO's and Mopars. I've even restored a few of them! (although many are still on the to-do list) Speaking of which, I'd better get off the computer and into the garage. Cheers!
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This intel was contributed by Machinist
Machinist
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May, 2012
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