how to start off my collection of tools/hardware

[WNY964x4]

i don't even know where to begin , the best set of sockets and such that i had ( before my $6000 i have in tools right now , and that is only because i bought a box full of tools used ) was a Stanley mechanic's set from Wal-Mart , cost around 100 bucks , i still have it at home , and use it to this day , it has all the 1/4 and 3/8 sockets you will need , plus an adapter to use the torx bits and such that come with it , comes in a good carrying case that i have put through hell , and it also has wrenches

like i said , i still use it , even though i have an almost 6 foot tall box filled with tools , all Mac , Snap-On , and some other brands , i have like $6000 invested in tools right now


and if you can find a Snap-On dealer , it costs a pretty penny , but it is a life saver , they sell a Ford Driveshaft Bolt specific socket , it is a 1/2" impact , 12mm 12-point , that is necked down in the center to fit in the yoke , it costs ~$45 , but i have used it so many times

 

[kcm1582]

A good complete set of hand tools is a good place to start. A set like this will do 95% of jobs on a vehicle.
http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10...&+Equipment&cName=Hand+Tools&sName=Tools+Sets
Other things I use a lot are a good pair of channel locks, vice grips, screwdrivers, a bfh 3-5 pounds, adjustable wrenches, needle nose pliers, cutting pliers, slip joint pliers.

 

[Nhaz]

Important tools.

Good socket set both metric and standard. Don't get a small set get something with lots of sockets and extensions. But you are going to have to pay for it. 30 dollar sets will get you busted sockets buggered up nuts and bolts and busted knuckles. and alot of swearing. ....

You don't need top of the line expensive stuff. just not those "get dad a Christmas gift for 30 bucks set" those are horrible.


Breaker bar! This is a bar with just a 1/2 socket connector on the end with some flex. Usually about 2 foot long. Its Not a ratchet. Lots of times this can be bought with a complete socket set to go with it. I recommend the set since they tend to have larger sockets in them as well. And there are some large nuts on the truck and the regular sets tend to not have 1 1/8th or larger sockets.

Cheater bar! Also important. Good news. They can be found just about anywhere they tend to look Just Like a length of Steel Pipe. Oh waaait. thats exactly what they are 3 foot length is good. It goes right over the end of the breaker bar. Adds lots of leverage. Avoid Aluminum pipe!

A Torch! I can't tell you how much you need a torch working on a older vehicle. A propane one usually works fine. On the rare occasion you need more heat chances are you need lots more heat and a oxy/acetylene is the next step but those do not start cheap.

Hammers

Get a few sizes starting at 20 ounces go up to a 5 pound hand sledge. Ball peen not claw hammers.

You can probably get all the screw drivers you'll ever need for that 30 bucks. decent ones too.

Lever bars. Not exactly like crow bars they tend to have a screw driver handle on one end. a set of 3 should cover you. small med large.

Hack saws. Hand grinders Do Not Fit everywhere you need them. Ever tried to go through a grade 8 bolt with a hand hack saw? Takes Long time. powered hacksaw Much better. AKA sawsall or Reciprocating saw. These are great tools useful for construction demolition as well as hacking off parts of cars if you have the right blade in it. They tend to run about 60-100 bucks around here.

I pretty much have all of that behind my seat. It takes up less space then you might think.

 

[WNY964x4]

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=13093204

ain't the same one i got , but i got mine 5 years ago , blackhawk is a decent tool , we have a set of blackhawk tools at home , and i love them too

 

[kcm1582]

Don't forget a torque wrench.

 

[daniel3507]

a buddy of mine just got one of those craftsman 200 some odd piece sets which you can do a lot with. might be the easier way to go and then just pick up some random tools that may not be included. personally, i have way too much fun piecing together my tool collection.

 

[kcm1582]

Piecing a set together is fun but you can save a lot of money by buying the core tools in a set.

 

[Captain Ledd]

*Edit: Definitely can save on buying from a set. You in highschool/college? Makes a hell of an argument for a graduation present , can't think of something more useful than that.

What can I add that hasn't been mentioned?

I mist say, the most useful ones I've had to use are (aside from the appropriate sockets and wrenches)

750lb ft impact gun
acetelyne torch
an assortment of loctite and a can of anti-seze (or refereed to as "never-seize") - NOTHING goes back together dry. Either strong Loctite, weaker Loctite, or anti-seize. EVERYTHING.
And an air compressor.

Some of which are more expensive than others, but WAY worth it if you're serious about wrenching on stuff.

Benches:
http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/workshop/bench/below20.html

I'm using those plans to build 8 benches out in my shed from some old fire doors I saved from a dumpster. Once I get a little more done on them I'll probably make a little build thread.

 

[baxtej44]

thanks a lot for all the help guys...

i'm in no way ready to start like engine swapping and stuff like that right now, but eventually some day i'd love to...

i am a high school senior right now, and a laptop is a more realistic graduation present, as i'll use it everyday when i'm in college... not quite so sure about using my truck everyday as i'm going away for college and i'm going to a small college, so i won't need to drive across campus.


however, i'd just like to start building my tool collection over the years..


thanks for all the help, i'll keep my eyes peeled for christmas deals at stores.

 

[Mudhound]

Try and get the GOOD books for your truck: Factory Service Manual, Mitchells', things like that. The little Haynes/Chiltons are okay, but they DO NOT have alot of the info that covers the little stuff that can/will drive you nuts to figure out.

 

[Hopman]

what should i look for in a quality cordless drill?

brand? drive? battery voltage? anything else?

I work with a community theater group and we have a bunch of the Craftsman 19.2 volt drills and impact drivers. Heven't been able to kill 'em, even with all the use and abuse they see. Make sure you get an extra battery too.

If you can afford the cost, go with Snap-On. If you can't, Craftsman is an excelent choice. I have a 104 piece ratchet kit (has both metric and SAE, 1/4" and 3/8" drives too) my dad gave me for Christmas a few years back, and it fits perfectly behind the seat of my Ranger. Saved my butt a few times too. Once I get some more cash, I'm going to invest in a set of wrenches.

A good QUALITY set of tools is safer than a cheapo set. The money you invest in your tools now will pay off in the long run.

When you buy, make sure the tools you get feel comfortable in your hands. You'll be happier if the tools "fit" your hand.

Another thing to get is a good set of gloves. I've had good luck with the HD Utility gloves I got at my local Red Wing store. They're tough, yet feels like a second skin.

 

[AllanD]

AS important as sockets are a selection of ratchet handles is "nice"

The first things other than a basic straight ratchet handle to get are:
1)a long 3/8" drive swivel handle
2)a "stubby" (for close quarters) 3/8" drive
3)The longest 1/2" drive (non ratcheting) "breaker bar" you can find

a swivel head 3/8" ratchet and a 6" extension on a socket can be used like a speeder handle for bolts that are already loosened, IF you don't make the mistake of buying one
with a square handle profile (Craftsman "basic" rather than "Professional")

certain sockets that you will need that aren't included in some kits

a 1/2" drive 12mm 12-point IMPACT socket for use on the driveshaft bolts
a 1/2" drive 1-1/8" Deep impact socket for the larger suspension bolts
(Radus arm bolts and nuts)
18mm 1/2" drive deep socket just in case you ever need to remove
the stock U-bolts from the rear axle (if you replace them with after
market u-bolts you'll need a 3/4" deep socket)
And a T-55 Torx for the bed bolts.

In most cases you are better off with six point sockets because they won't slip and round off corners, but that doesn't help you on the various 12-point fasteners
that ford uses on the driveshafts.

But you'll find on the ranger that both english and metric fasteners are used...

AD

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I usually just ask for gift cards when it comes to holidays. Sears and Home Depot. Then I go out and use 'em to buy the tools I don't have that I need.

I got a 180 piece mechanics tool set (Craftsman) a number of years ago. It was a decent start. I've hit up estate sales, flea markets and the like grabbing other assorted tools I needed. And I've bought new Snap-on and other big name tools when required. Most of my tools are Craftsman, more than once I've taken something mangled back for a no-questions-asked replacement. Sure the Harbor Freight tools carry a lifetime warranty, but the nearest store to me is about an hour and a half drive (41 miles and on the other side of a city). Sears is about 20 minutes and Kmart (also sells Craftsman, but a limited selection) is about 10 minutes. A Sears Hardware is 25 minutes away....

For corded drills, get a Milwalkee. I borrowed one once to drill some holes and the thing made some terrible sounding noises as it drilled. I held it upside-down an shaked it a bit and had a ton of metal shards fall out, couldn't believe it still ran like a champ with all that in it.

For cordless tools, I say Craftsman or Rigid. (Rigid has a lifetime warranty). Dewalt is good, but pricey.

I wouldn't play around with a propane torch, get a MAPP gas hand torch or an oxy-propane/acet rig.

Air tools are quite useful, but you really need a good compressor to run 'em. I tried getting a 10 gallon compressor that was supposed to put out 5.6 cfm at 90 psi and daisy-chain an extra 10 gallon tank on to run an impact. Much to my dismay, I had better success with a cheater pipe and breaker bar than with the impact. At first I worried that I might have got a bad impact gun or something until I got to run my impact off of a big compressor in a shop (where it worked better than brute force). Since I'm in the construction industry, I just decided to use the 10 gallon compressor I got for running nailguns and such, so it wasn't really a bad investment, it just didn't do what I had intended it for. I suspect that anything smaller than a 30 gallon compressor may be about useless for running an impact, and you'd want to get an oiled compressor, not an oil-less.

I took to the approach where every time I used a particular socket or wrench on my truck, I'd throw it into a separate container instead of putting it back in the set or whatnot. That way I boiled down an essential toolkit that contains practically everything needed to rebuild my truck. Then I picked up an ammo can (actually a waterproof grenade box) and a couple socket rails. The box stays in whatever truck I'm using at the time, so I'm never without tools.

Hydro bottle jack- if you've ever used the stock jack, you'll know this is a handy tool.

4-way lug wrench, a good way to get a lot of leverage on a stubborn lug nut. If that fails, use breaker bar and cheater pipe.

I have duplicates of the most-used tools. Just so that if I'm wrenching on something and break the tool, I have a spare to use (I have cracked Craftsman sockets by hand before, I have three of them in the truck that need returned right now... stubborn exhaust bolt and a three foot cheater pipe did them in...)

 

[Captain Ledd]

... i am a high school senior right now, and a laptop is a more realistic graduation present, as i'll use it everyday when i'm in college...

Maybe it's because I'm more of a gear head than a computer guy, but...

Having gone through 6 years of college I'd say to get a cheaper computer. Weather a low-ish end desktop or a used laptop that'll run word. After a few years that thing is going to be obsolete anyways. Your tools? never. Much better investment.

I learned the hard way not to mess around with too much games and stuff. I never saw the use for a laptop in class except for internet anyways... Nothing wrong with good 'ol fashioned note taking. $5 for a stack of notebooks and a pack of pencils is a pretty tough price to beat.

 

[92ranger2wd]

I don't think I saw it mentioned yet, so I'll add a pipe wrench. Not one of those big ones, just something around 8-10 inches long. It's a good wrench that can bite, and hold anything that is round. That includes rounded nuts, snapped bolts/studs...etc.