Tools you wouldn't be caught dead without.

[Joe_the_ice_man]

Just started a job as a powersports mechanic, it's a nice change of pace from being a roughneck, and a lot less stressful than being a game warden. However, I'm noticing my tool chest was lacking, and I finally can justify spending money on tools.

So, let's start a list of tools you wouldn't be caught dead without, and maybe share some ideas around. Add the nice to haves too, and why if it isn't obvious.
And consumables too.

I'll start off with:
Tools
- A good 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 ratchet set
- A good selection of wrenches
- Ratchet wrenches
- 1/2 drive air impact
- a good selection of hammers, at least up to 8lbs
- a good selection of vice grips
- silly little magnet trays
- writing utensils. Wax, chalk, sharpie, and ink pen.
- should probably have impact sockets...Canadian Tire probably won't replace my half drives if I break them with the impact...
- screwdrivers/pry bars
- punches
- a bench grinder AND angle grinder
- knives
- dental picks and mirrors
- 1/2 breaker bar
- a vice, for holding stuff and use as a press for those of us who only have a press at work
- air compressor
- oxy-acetylene torch, with cutting and welding tips
- propane torch
- at least a stick welder, preferably more
- Sawzall
- measuring tapes, calipers, speed squares, feeler gauges
-good lighting, mobile and fixed
- work has a 3/8 electric impact that's growing on me
- drill AND drill press

Consumables
- penetrating oil
- varsol
- brake cleaner
- fluids for anything you work on
- stock nuts, bolts, washers, c clips, and o rings
- ether
- grinder disks
- welding electrodes/filler metal/gas/other consumables
-drill bits

[Joe_the_ice_man]

A few additions

Tools
- Welding helmet, one for arc, one for acetylene
- Ear protection of some sort, at 23 years old, I'm moderately concerned with how deaf I am...I fit right in with the old timers at my shop...
- Coveralls
- a variety of drain pans

Consumables
- paper towels/blue shop towels/rags
- gloves, welding and Mechanix
- Safety glasses, clear and tinted. Safety squints aren't cool anymore

[Johnny5]

Allen keys of many sorts.
Duct tape
Mechanic wire
I always carry a 90 degree oring pick
For sure theres more just hard to say at the koment haha usually build box depending on what ya work on.
Ya will find some places (example deere) ya need mostly metric stuff and others ya need note standard stuff.
But either way im sure someone will tell you your gonna need a collection of ten mil stuff cause theres shop monsters that eat the ten mil

[pointsnorth]

im not seeing any electrical testing equipment in your list so add that
a good multimeter
amp clamp
back probe kits
terminal tool kit
weatherpack crimp pliers
soldering pen
soldering torch

[Helidump]

case of beer, a buddy with all the stuff mentioned above.


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[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

It depends what you're doing. My shop is setup for fab more than anything.

But even for general mechanical work I'd add several die grinders (90 and straight, a 30 is nice too) and carbide burrs, rolocs with scotchbrite and sanding disks, and wire cups to the list. Super fast way to clean up gasket surfaces, clearance castings or holes, clean off paint/rust in small areas, etc.

Oil spill pads (diapers or tampons as they tend to be known) are super handy if you're actually trying to keep your floor or bench clean.

Gasket remover or oven cleaner is also great for taking off old gasket material if you can't get it with a die grinder.

I keep dielectric (silicone) grease around for electrical connections, but it's also good for lubing orings or seals. Another good thing to have is some red and tacky grease, or Ultrachem assembly fluid, so you can stick needle bearings, seals, gaskets, washers, etc in place while assembling.

If you're soldering lots of stuff a roll of solder wick is invaluable for cleaning old solder off. A tube or tub of rosin flux is also super helpful.

Heat shrink is also the best friend of electrical work. Dual shield (self adhesive) is best, but pricey, instead I often coat critical connections with sealant (RTV works if you let it expose to air enough first) and then heat shrink over them for the same effect.

[Joe_the_ice_man]

My shop is setup for fab more than anything.

Share your fab stuff, this is more of a sharing of ideas than anything.

[pointsnorth]

its also worth it to buy quality air tools definitely the ones you will use almost everyday.

x2 on the die grinder and its one you should invest some cash on, i have the snap pt410 its rated at 1hp with a secondary screw in handle and is actually rated for zipcuts.

[Joe_the_ice_man]

- c clip pliers, inside and outside, straight, 45, and 90 degrees. I have a combination one that I'm not too fond of
- pliers, a variety of shapes and sizes
- a small pipe wrench, for removing studs that are stuck and have buggered threads.
-oil filter wrench, preferably the type that fits on a ratchet

I'd add to the Allen keys and say Torx.

[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

My shop is setup for fab more than anything.

Share your fab stuff, this is more of a sharing of ideas than anything.

Wellll... I don't have everything I need even.

Angle grinders. You need 4 or 5 basically. One each for cutting, grinding, flap wheels, and a smaller one for a wire brush (and/or a bigger one for that if you're doing bulk area and not small features). A big fuckoff one for deep cuts is also a good idea, I have a 7" Makita for that, it hardly comes out but there's times.

See previous comments about die grinders. Also the burrs for plastic are great if you ever need to trim interior pieces or you make anything out of plastic.

Air body saw... also great for trimming stuff and plastic, fine detail work in sheetmetal, etc. They're great when you need them. Along with air shears for bucking out rough patch panels or whatever.

I only finally bought a bead roller for doing panels more properly. I should have bought one years ago. I got a strinker/stretcher too for flanges. Plus I have a crappy table top brake that I'd love to upgrade to a decent finger brake (have my eye on one but not sure if I can buy it). Body hammers and dollies are a must too. I need a lead shot bag, still gotta track one down. I had some doming and dishing tools too. A crate of scrap wood is also invaluable for making bucks/forms if you're trying to fix something with bad access or whatever.

For just a basic MIG welder I recommend dropping a few hundred bucks on clamps. C clamps, vise grips, bar clamps, corner clamps (woodworking ones are fine for tacking stuff up). I have never said "jeez, I have way too many clamps." A magnetic ground is also a must, I used to just hook my normal ground clamp to mine but finally made a proper separate lead. A flat steel table to use for basic fixturing/jigging is also a must. Also antisplatter spray makes a big difference if you're running C25 shielding gas.

[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

I'd also really like to get a belt sander for shaping aluminum. I use the one at work a ton. Along with a decent vertical bandsaw, but they take up more space than I'd like. I've debated buying a better horizontal bandsaw and building a decent table for using it as a vertical, but it's a compromise. The Swag table for the portaband setup might make more sense for how much I need it. If you're not doing aluminum work I think you can work around it a lot easier.

For just steel fab, I think a horizontal bandsaw really is a great tool. I also have a Fein Slugger dry cut, which does the same thing sorta. The dry cut is faster for smaller stuff and makes a nice cut, but the bandsaw is better for larger or thicker pieces. The dry cut is also better for aluminum, my bandsaw does not run the speed or the feed to do aluminum in a reasonable time frame.

I have a lathe and a mill, but they really are only needed for certain things that most people probably don't care to or need to do. I built 99% of everything with an angle grinder and welder for years.

[Provience]

i'm a machinerists'ser

Calipers of some sort, for the very cheapes possible and occasional use, buy vernier scale. for daily use, buy dial scale.

here is the only style of 'digital' micrometer that is worth a shit, otherwise, standard scale micrometer

Seal puller is very handy, never bothered with one until i actually had to make money servicing seals

Soft hammer for pounding gently on things

quality flashlights, the only tool with batteries that is actually worth a shit. $25-100 is an acceptable range to spend on a flashlight, anything less in a consumable and should be purchased in bulk

[Joe_the_ice_man]

Seal puller is very handy, never bothered with one until i actually had to make money servicing seals

See, that seal puller is something I'd never seen before, I always just used a prybar or screwdriver, and a chisel for the stubborn ones. Apparently I'm the bearing and seal guy at work already, so I may have to make myself on of them.

[Joe_the_ice_man]

A few more for the list
- 1/2 drive foot-lb torque wrench
- 3/8 drive inch-lb torque wrench
- an assortment of wire brushes, all materials and sizes
- old tooth brushes. I rebuild a lot of carbs and do a lot of wheel bearings. Good for cleaning sand out of axle splines and assorted crud out of hard to reach places in carbs
- metric and imperial tap and die set. I rarely cut new threads, more chasing old.
- a rod oven, I don't use stick electrodes fast enough to keep them from getting old and damp, so I'm watching online buy sell sites for a good used one

[3nuts*]

Something very basic and cheap that I love to use is a couple of those folding camping/picnic tables.

Set one or two up, right where the work is, under a hoist, outside next to the engine bay.

So quick to set up and everything is at a handy height, right next to you, not at your damn feet. Flat and clean surface.

I've got roller shelves to, but the cheapie tables get used more.