Entry level auto tech tool list

For trucks, average lug nut torque values will be around ft-lbs depending on how heavy-duty the truck is and how many lug nuts it has. Extensions are so that you can reach in tighter spots with sockets. Having a ton of extensions means you will quite simply be able to reach more bolts easier. Every beginner mechanics toolbox needs to have plenty of extensions in every different size drive available.

Because extensions are so important, many companies also make wobble extensions, universal extensions, and impact extensions. Extensions are cheap, and a perfect tool to invest in. If you do not own a pry bar, then you will get stuck the first time you try to do any suspension work even on a small car. Pry bars for automotive repair are used to loosen items that are stuck, pry down on control arms to release ball-joints, and for hundreds of other uses. Having a high-quality pry bar and knowing when to use it is the difference between spending 30 minutes doing a job and four hours battling it.

Every beginner mechanic needs a pry bar set, and here is my favorite set available plus an extra long pry bar for good measure.

Feeler gauges allow you to measure the distance between very small spaces. If you will be changing spark plugs, adjusting valves, or rebuilding engines you NEED feeler gauges. No professional mechanic can see the gap on a spark plug, and you should never be guessing either.

Feeler gauges are cheap, and you need to own them as a beginner mechanic. Gasket scrapers are pretty self-explanatory but something that beginner mechanics always fail to buy. When replacing a water pump for example, if you do not remove the old gasket RTV typically from both mating surfaces you are bound to have a leaky water-pump shortly after replacement.

I wrote a great article where I spent a ton of time explaining how to use RTV properly here. The tools listed below are absolutely essential for every mechanic, and I highly recommend throwing both in your toolbox.

Every beginner mechanic needs to make sure when they drop a bolt in a hard to reach area that they can a. Having telescoping magnets and a grabber tool will mean fewer freakouts and hours spent trying to reach a dropped bolt.

I highly recommend grabbing a kit that comes with a mirror, magnet, and grabber tool as well as a handy storage container here on Amazon.

Look there are tons of options for toolboxes. You need to get the size that works for you. However, from what I have found the best portable toolboxes are the ones that are built sturdy and lightweight. Your toolbox will take a beating, and it will quickly fall apart if it is the cheapest one available.

Looking for a toolbox to put in your garage and fill with all your goodies? This is where you probably want to do your own research and figure out what size works best for you. However, I do hear great things about the very reasonably priced Milwaukee toolboxes.

They can be found at Home Depot for a great price. I did some research and found this awesome Milwaukee toolbox for sale on Amazon at a really awesome price here.

With a toolbox of that size it may be worth buying it online so they will deliver for you free of charge. The hammer is an essential part of every mechanics toolbox. Many professionals mechanics will have upwards of 20 different hammers, each with their own intended purpose.

For the beginner or DIY mechanic you really just need a couple of hammers to do most repairs, the more important thing is knowing when to use what hammer. You always want to be hitting with a hammer that is softer than the component you are striking. For example, if a hammer is a steelhead and you are hitting an aluminum part you can do a lot of damage.

Steel is much much harder than aluminum and if you break components on cars they are much more expensive than replacing hammerheads. However, when working on heavy duty suspension parts, say removing a lower ball joint from the steering knuckle, a good solid whack with a steel sludge is all that is needed.

No damage will be done, and it is the right hammer for the job. Therefore here is my list of hammers that every entry-level mechanic should have in their toolbox. Having high-quality flashlights and work lights is usually the first sign of someone that knows what they are doing when working on cars.

Having good light, and the available light at all different angles is essential to doing car repair. The brand of choice among professional mechanics is Streamlight typically for flashlights and penlights. For underhood worklights, I recommend anything that is rechargeable and sturdy.

It is essential to buy a set that will hold up, feels comfortable in your hand, and comes with a lifetime warranty. Many professional technicians have around different screwdrivers in their toolbox at any one time.

That is why I highly recommend buying a complete set that comes with both Phillips heads in different sizes as well as flat blades. Some people swear by oil filter pliers, however, I have found that with some oil filters you would never be able to fit the oil filter pliers to grab it. I also highly recommend buying an oil filter removal strap tool and universal oil filter removal tools that adjust to fit any oil filter.

You need a good hook and pick set for working on cars. The picks and hooks will help you remove o-rings from hard to reach places, push down on finicky connectors, and remove spark plug boots stuck down in the hole.

The uses are endless, and they are cheap. Make sure to grab a solid pair that comes with its own case like I chose below for you. Do not buy cheap hook and picks as when they break they can really mess up your day! They tend to snap and go flying, and when they do break they can easily mess up an expensive connector or rip a radiator hose.

A grinder is quite useful, especially when working on metal cutting works or exhaust lines. If possible, buy a straight and degree angle grinder. You can use the straight grinder for exhaust works, brake system maintenance as well as cutting disks for different purposes. The degree grinder, on the other hand, is ideal to use on wheel hubs, valve covers, wheels, and rims. Grinders are very versatile tools. They perform multiple tasks from sharpening, polishing, sanding, routing out mortars, cutting pavers, stucco and tiles, and grinding metals.

A multimeter is a crucial tool for electrical troubleshooting and diagnosis. It enables you to measure amperage, resistance, and voltage.

Ensure that the multimeter can read amps. This is useful in checking fuses and batteries, just to mention a few. It also helps mechanics to check if they have a hot wire and the amount of juice flowing through it. A fleer gauge is a gauge that consists of several thin blades that measure clearances or small gaps. This tool gives measurements in inches and millimeters. It gives the mechanic an idea of the wideness of a gap by filling the gap with blades of known thickness value. They are ideal for use in places where other measuring tools such as calipers and measuring tapes cannot fit.

A torque wrench looks similar to a simple ratchet, but it is not the same. It enables one to tighten bolts at the exact torque specified by the vehicle manufacturer. This is very important when dealing with operations inside the transmission gear or car engine. A toque wrench is an ideal tool to use when tightening spark plugs. Consider a toque wrench that reads in both Nm.

A mechanic needs a combination of both automotive tools and equipment for efficient and excellent work. The equipment below makes work easier for the mechanic during their daily working routine. Having an air-compressed system enables you to perform heavy-duty jobs with minimal effort. An air compressor enables mechanics to run pneumatic tools and some auto lifts.

Get an air compressor that is easy to use and portable for convenience purposes. The best air compressors range between 60 and gallons. Other things to look at when buying an air compressor are horsepower, requires pistons, PSI, and cubic feet per minute.

You will mostly be needed to raise a vehicle, especially when repairing the wheels. There are also other car maintenance tasks that need the vehicle to be lifted. A jack stand or a floor jack assists you in the lifting of the car. Never opt for a cheap jack or jack stand at the expense of quality since poor quality jacks can cause injuries.

Pole jacks are useful in supporting axles and other parts of raised vehicles. Transmission of fluid and changing oil is a common task for auto mechanics. An oil drain enables mechanics to catch and store fluids and oil from lifted vehicles. This keeps the floor free from oil.

They also help in the storage of old oil, which can later be recycled to be used for asphalt, heating oil, and many other ways. Most tasks in an auto repair shop will involve charging or dead batteries. You can only handle these tasks if you have a good jumper and battery charger. The battery charger will come with an operation manual that you should go through and understand before use. An engine crane is a must-have piece of equipment if you want to do any works on the car engine.

It enables one to remove the car engine without using too much effort. Consider buying an engine hoist that can support the maximum weight of the vehicles you will be servicing. A hydraulic lift is a machine that uses hydraulic apparatus to move or lift objects using a farce created after exerting pressure in a liquid piston. You can either buy a two-post or a four-post hydraulic lift. A two-post hydraulic lift will raise a car vehicle higher in a low ceiling garage while a four-post lift takes more room than the former.

Four post hydraulic lifts make it easier to position and load the vehicle. A grease gun is a common piece of equipment in a garage or an auto repair shop used for lubrication. Its purpose is to apply lubricant via an aperture to a given point mainly on a nipple or grease fitting.

There are different types of grease guns. There are electric grease guns, air-powered grease guns, and hand-powered grease guns. The air-powered and electric grease guns are easier to use compared to the hand-powered ones. One of the complex components of a vehicle is the automatic transmission. It has several moving parts under hydraulic and electronic control, and thus fluid is vital to its operation.

Most automobiles depend on the Automatic Transmission Fluid for lubrication of the transmission and activating different clutches which assist in the changing of gears. This fluid needs to be changed from one time to another, and an ATF changer will help you in this. A strut compressor is useful when dealing with suspension systems or replacing the strut. This equipment will make your auto repair shop more profitable by adding your service capabilities. Strut compressors are however dangerous to operate.

Ensure that you are well conversant with it and handle it with care during the operation. Workbench vice, also known as bench vices attach directly to the workbench to hold a workpiece firmly during operations such as drilling, planning, and sawing. It has two jaws where one jaw is fixed while the other is movable using a cam, lever, or screw. For general household tasks consider a bench vice of 4 to 5 inches.

This equipment will help you to offer services such as measuring wheel orientation by inspecting caster, camber, and toe and checking tire trends for signs of poor alignment. Most car manufacturers recommend checking the wheel alignment after every 10, miles. A wheel balancer is used to balance the weight of a wheel and tire assembly so that a vehicle travels evenly at high speeds.

Every time you mount a wheel for the first time in a vehicle, you have to balance it. As an auto mechanic, you need to ensure the weight of a vehicle is evenly distributed on each tire and wheel, and this is why you need a wheel balancer.

Wheel balancing also ensures that the vehicle has a vibration-free and smooth ride. At times as an auto mechanic, you will deal with metals and a portable welding machine will make your work easier. This machine helps you to maintain high quality and safe weld. A portable welding machine is easy to control and has high performance.

It is portable, so it has to be lightweight and easy to move around with. It reduces gas and wire wastage since only the determined amounts are used to the weld bead. Some of the problems you will face as an auto mechanic are issues with fuel injectors. Most of the time, the issues are brought about by dirt, and they need to be cleaned with injector cleaners.

Injector cleaners work very well to address initial problems with fuel injectors at their early stages. Some issues, such as clogging can be solves by using injector cleaners regularly.

Using these cleaners leads to a more powerful engine, better throttle response, shorter cranking time, and a smoother feel on how the car runs. An engine analyzer is a multi-function and complex instrument which assists auto mechanics to diagnose any engine or engine-related problems. It also assists you in tuning in case of an overhaul. An engine analyzer is either used with diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles.

A vacuum cleaner is a necessary piece of equipment when dealing with vehicles. This equipment is used for vacuuming car seats and carpets to remove dust, debris, dirt, and other particles. There are corded and cordless vacuum cleaners to choose from. Corded vacuum cleaners have power cords that you can connect to either an AC or DC. You can draw much power with these cleaners for better cleaning efficiency.

Cordless vacuum cleaners, however, do not have any cords or wires. They offer you greater versatility, flexibility, and coverage. A paint sprayer is a tool used to paint vehicles to give them a new look or restoring them to their old look after an accident. The best paint sprayers will make your car painting job as a mechanic, comfortable, quick, and efficient. All of them have their own pros and cons, but most professionals prefer to use the airless or the HVLP paint sprayers.

A polisher is also known as a buffing machine. When it comes to air tools I would buy off the truck. They seem to have better quality in air tools then Sears. Lots of high quality hand tools on Amazon. Overall Amazon is much cheaper than Sears. Good luck and happy wrenching, buddy! That stuff is normally grossly overpriced and the financing will cause you to buy more than you need or can afford. Next thing you know most of your paycheck is going to buying the tool man a boat or motorcycle.

Like Fixit said, go online, hit pawn shops and garage sales. Heck take out a tools wanted ad in the paper. Uh When I first started I bought a Air gun first for the fact that as a lube tech youre going to be doing alot of Tire rotation, Installing new tires and what not..

Ingersoll Rand makes GREAT Air tools and they are cheaper then Matco and Snap-on and do Just as good if not better then they do Like others were saying invest in a little crafstman wrench set and socket set…. It adds up!! If you are on a budget, check out flea markets for great deals on tools… Here are a few tips..

I highly recommend Craftsman tools for anyone starting out… Inexpensive and easy to find, especially at flea markets…. Concur with the IR models for impact… plentiful and strong… One warning, if you buy any used air tool….

As a starting tech, I would want at least one good Snap on ratchet dual 80 , there is a night and day difference between a professional ratchet and a craftsman raised panel one. Ebay has great deals on these…. Socket extensions, if you can, get the ones with the knurled grip on them… Help out a lot when oil is prevalent… I believe the new Kobalts made in Taiwan have these… Snappys are expensive….

Wrenches- Craftsman Pro are actually pretty good…. What you see in my Signature pic is a general idea of mostly what I use on a day to day basis…. From what I can tell so far anyway.

Here in the Memphis area we have a Harbor Freight which a lot of techs buy from. Good place though, the guy smoked like a chimney and I doubt he showered ever, but was a good teacher! Go to Canadian Tire. Mastercraft has life time on its tools.