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Getting your garage set up for regular work on your vehicles can be as simple as buying a few essentials, but as you decide to do more complex upgrades, you’ll need to anticipate a wider range of tools that you consider basic essentials. Here are a few automotive tools you might have overlooked if you are just getting set up for the first time.
Basic Hand Tools for Mechanics
Most people already know they will need a robust set of wrenches and cable cutters. Socket sets with a complete enough range of sizes for mechanics are not any different from most high-quality socket sets. What many beginners miss, though, is the importance of having the right extension tools. Several sizes of ratchets with a variety of handle lengths and a few extender bars are just as important as a backup 10mm socket.
Automotive Tools
When it comes to specialty tools that you only use when working on your car, the hydraulic jack can not be underestimated. The basic roadside jack that comes with your vehicle will do in a pinch, but it is not as easy to use or as sturdy as a hydraulic jack, so it’s a lot harder to perform operations that require you to keep the car off the ground.
That is where the third important mechanic’s tool you might have forgotten comes in, and that’s a good pair of jack stands. It’s never a good idea to get underneath a vehicle that’s only being held up by a jack, even if it’s the best jack out there. If you do not have the room in your garage or your budget for a full vehicle lift, that leaves jack stands when you need to install something like Hooker headers safely.
Equipment For the Heavy Jobs
The last two items are not necessarily must-have investments for the DIY auto maintenance novice, but they are must-have garage essentials for anyone serious enough to be working on a performance loadout at home. The first one is a hoist that can handle your engine, so you have the space you need to do any job, no matter how complex.
You probably won’t need a hoist for a basic Holley Sniper EFI installation, but if you are adding a lot of modules and approved upgrades along with it, then you might. If you get deep enough into high-end performance enhancements to be considering a crate kit, then you will definitely need an at-home hoist.
Last but not least, you can never underestimate the usefulness of a good tool chest. As you accumulate more small pieces like hex wrench kits, you will be glad you gave yourself easy ways to stay organized.
Find the Tools You Need for the Next Job
There are dozens of automotive tools in most mechanics’ lineups, but no one tries to anticipate all of them. You build a collection as you need new tools to do a job, so once you have these basics, your next investment should be whatever lets you do the work you want to make your car your own.
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