Favorite tools?

I have been working on my car at my friend's house, and he has an amazing collection of tools: Snap-on, Hazet, Stahlwille and a bunch from a place known as "W. Germany." So, when it comes to wrenching, what's your favorite wrench?

And ironically I'm posting this while listening to Tool.

W. Germany eh. Loved living there when I was a kid.

Tools... Well my GT6 was restored using the tool kit my parents bought me for xmas one year. MasterCraft (Canadian Tire), but the Craftsmen set my wife gave me a recently from Sears is very nice.

PrincessAuto has some nice stuff. Specially that long ratcheting wrench I picked up after blowing out my shoulder :)

Still wrenches... My vote is for the army of Mastercraft. The pro long sets, the stub ones and the ratcheting gear sets. I own them in SAE and metric.

I like Snap-On stuff (which I only buy used, pleading poverty and all that), but being German I'd really like to augment it with some Hazet tools.

Klein.

Family history with the company. Very interesting history that took a big turn when the "Big Bell" phone company was dissolved. Quality was a huge deal to this firm up until the mid 80's.

I've gota 3/8" drive SnapOn socket driver that was my grandfathers, probably used by him in the '40s. It's ergonomically perfect. Been repaired once by SO and I've yet to find another that fits my hand as well as this one.

Favorite wrench, or favorite tool in general? For me it's whichever one achieves the deaired results. I'm definitely not a tool snob, and contrary to a lot of recommendations I hear and read, I usually buy the least expensive tool rather the highest quality i.e. most expensive I can afford (even though I could). I've never experienced a tool or socket breakage, even when using a breaker bar. I bought an S-K 3/8" ratchet set in 1970 and still have it, so they're probably the most "quality" tools I own. But I have a lot of cheap imported tools that I've picked up over the years and use regularly and they serve me well.

Hard to say I have a "favorite" tool. It depends on the job and how important a certain tool may be to making that job easier.

For example, I have a set of well used 3/8" dr Snap-On deep flex sockets. They PERFECT for getting at the LCA bracket nut on the inside frame rail of a Spitfire. A deep socket is too long as the ratchet hits the oil pan and a shallow socket isn't deep enough. Having that socket turned a 1/2 hr of manually turning a wrench in the frame rail into a 30 second job. That said, the set is otherwise rarely used. But for those 30 seconds, that socket is my favorite tool in the world.

If I had to choose one "favorite" tool, it would probably be a Japanese knock-off of a Snap-On 3/8 dr ratchet I got from Pep Boys 20+ years ago. I keep talking about replacing it (I'd like a ratchet with finer teeth), but it still works.

I like my stethoscope for diagnosing odd sounds and from where they come.

Cheers Ron

I'm torn...welder or BFH

The one I am think of buying!

Well, my favorite would have to be Dr Whos Sonic Screwdriver...But since I dont have one of those, it would be my US Army issue safety wire pliers. It seems that no matter what, Im using those for something.

I have a pair of Snap-On fancy safety wire pliers, but for some reason the plain old Army ones always seem to get used.

Leo

BFH, Definately. Although I really like my 12,000# bottel jack too.

favorite wrench would have to be a gearwrench, followed closely by the oldstyle craftsman double boxends that had a real deep offset. sometimes, when pushed to the limit, a smokewrench provides the satisfaction I crave. nothing is more gratifying than turning an obstinate fastener into a smoking pile of slag on the shop floor.

I had a full set of SK tools (knew a distributor, got some great deals)that lasted for 30+ years. Then a bunch of my tools were stolen so I've been replacing the heavily used stuff with Craftsman, the occasional use / in the trunk stuff from Harbor Freight.

Both have a lifetime warranty but I sure use the HF warranty more often. I still think the SK set was the best.

Favorite new tool is the gear wrench, really comes in handy. Fav old tools are hammer (if it won't move)and duct tape (if it's not supposed to move).

mike

Good point OldTin.

Both the welder and BFH have saved my projects in their own special way.

Leo Basile wrote: Well, my favorite would have to be Dr Whos Sonic Screwdriver...But since I dont have one of those, it would be my US Army issue safety wire pliers. It seems that no matter what, Im using those for something. I have a pair of Snap-On fancy safety wire pliers, but for some reason the plain old Army ones always seem to get used. Leo

Leo,

I have to agree. My Marine Corps issue safety wire pliers have been a staple for use on my cars, boats & motorcycles ever since they were issued. I also kept a pair in my flight bag to re-do safety wire jobs on some of the choppers I flew.

It's scary when a pre-flight check finds a right hand thread fastener on a gearbox cover is safety wired as if were a left hand fastener. Even flightline Q.C. and maintenance test pilots can't always find everything. Always made me wonder if they missed anything inside!

IR-231. If you have to ask...

Rupert,

Im sure its hard to teach Marines to safety when they working from right to left! LOL... Pitch Change Links are always fun to preflight as well.

Im sure our pliers are the same. Milbar is the MFG. For what its worth Aircraft Spruce and Speclity sells the exact model.

Leo

Hey Dude!

You trying to tell me Army E36 M3 is the same as Marine Corps E36 M3??

You're probably right. Just don't tell my C.O.! They tend to get unglued about this kind of thing.

And I do agree, since we are actually fighting wars every place in the world at any given time, some might confuse left with right.

Hope to meet you someday, somewhere!!!

Michael Cowan (Rupert)

For sure!

Leo

The big rotor-head pain in the butt on 46's & I assume 47's is the fluid tanks. Each pivot has a little fluid tank which takes oil, leaks, and often looks empty in the sight glass. Then when you raise hell because it looks empty an ounce or two added makes it look full again. Boy can you alienate crew-chiefs that way!

Rupert,

I never had to mess around with 47s when I was wrenching...but in Iraq, we would have to chase them around and man were they fast. We we would be light, pulling the guts out of the Hawk only to have that heavy ass 47 just walk away from us.

Leo

My favorite tool is the Maxjax, though my love for it is not necessarily specific to that design, but generally for anything that gets the car up off the floor high enough to work on it without strain. It is amazing how much more fun it is to work on a car without all that bending, crawling, and getting up and down off a creeper to get tools.

Ok that is an interesting lift.

A lift that can be taken down and stored would be amazing.

Big issues I have is a 8' ceiling in my garage.

Being a mechanic in the past, still holding my ASE's I have lots of tools, about $40K worth. I have some of everything and I have to admit I like the "big three", Snap-On, Mac, and Matco and I've grown to hate Craftsman. I break a craftsman ratchet about every few months or so, NEVER broken a Snap-On ratchet.
Had I not relied on my tools to feed my family, I wouldn't have Snap-On stuff. S K makes good stuff and they are priced reasonably.