So I was shopping around for equipment the other day, mainlly stuff I need to install parts on the new ride. I went to Wal-Mart and they had well-priced kits with most of the parts I need: 2-ton jack-lifts, a jack, floor-board, iron, etc. Two of the brands are Mack and something like "Team Mechanix". If you spell mechanics with an X, usually that means it's either totally awesome or totally crap. Has anyone used these before? The Team Mechanix were actually ANSI certified, so I'd imagine there is some degree one quality to them.

Anyone have any experiences with bad tools to share?

 

how much did you pay for the jack lift??? i need a couple and was considering ramps....sorry to jack the thread

 

why would you get a ramp when you can get a jack? how are you gonna rotate your tires with ramps?

if you need tools, try costco. they have awesome tool kits at really good prices.

 

Yes, there are bad tools. I was installing the DC Strut tower bar, using a 10MM open end wench. I gave my father the good craftsman wrench set and I had a cheaper set. While tightening a nut, the wrench slipped, sending my thimb into the side of the body. I thought it was broken, it swelled imediately but it was O.K. after a month. Investagation revealed that the nut did not strip, the wrench stripped and now is no good.
This fathers day, I will be buying myself a set of metric and standard Craftsman wrench sets. Cheap saves money, but costs in blood and pain.

 

Never have there been truer words on this board. Don't buy cheap tools. Buy less expensive kits that have the exact tools you need to get the job done. You don't need a 400 piece craftsman tool kit to work on your Scion, probably need a 45 piece metric kit, and a few small specialty tools to help get the job done. Craftsman is warrantied for life, so with the exception of you losing it, it will always be with you for the rest of your life. Same goes for Matco, and Snapon. Not everyone can afford the latter and I don't have the time or space here to describe why those are better brands than Craftsman, but if you can afford them, you'll be happier in the long run.

 

Oh yeah, as far as jacks and stands... You're the one under that car... how much is your life worth? I bought four industrial Craftsman stands and a less expensive Craftsman jack, for around $100. I am now kicking myself for not buying the professional jack, as the lower end Craftsman jack is bending when lifting... but it is replaceable under warranty... so maybe I'll trade up soon

 

What he said about the jack stands and jack.

How much is your life worth?

My problem is finding a hydraulic jack low enough to get
UNDER my box!

 

You get what you pay for. If you dont use them often buy the cheap ___ ones but if you plan on using them regularly and can afford it buy the good ones. We use Matcos at work and they are good and if it breaks they replace for free. We break a lot of Craftsman stuff but they are good for most work I think just nothing super heavy duty.

 

Snap-on, Snap-on, Snap-on, don't cheap out on tools, buy a good reputaple brand, even if your not going to use them that often, you still want to have a good experience when doing stuff, the frustration that results from using sub-par equipment is the worst thing I cant think of, every cheap tool I ever bought is broken, most after the very first use, and many ruined other things in the process. I get upset just thinking about cheap tools, and as far as jackstands and jacks go it pays to keep yourself safe.

 

Here is a jack thats low enough: http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/to...select=&page=3


I plan to get one now that i have a car thats so low. oh and for tools i get a little carried away and have a Matco tolbox loaded with matco, snapon, and some craftsman tools. I only like to buy stuff once

 

Ok, so what's a good brand name for jacks and stands, on top of Craftsman? I have a pepboys and an autozone near me, I don't remember what brands they carry, though. Definitely not Craftsman.

Most places have torque wrenches that go for about $20. Home Depot had a torque wrench (house brand) that went for $70, for a 3/8"!

 

Yes there are 'bad tools' - open end wrenches so weak they splay when you try to use them - or just bend in the middle, screwdrivers tht don't fit screws well and don't last long, clamps that bend, etc.

I learned not to buy cheap back in '68.

I was building custom mounts to hold some two-way radio gear in my car, and broke a hacksaw blade.

I ran off to the hardware store to buy another and noticed a ten-pack of "Omega" brand blades for about the same price as the Nicholson I was about to buy. I bought the ten-pack.

Back at my garage I proceeded to rake the teeth off all ten blades trying to cut one steel radio mount.

I went back to the hardware store, bought the Nicholson blade, and used it for many years...

I agree with the sentiments of most of those above. Get good tools. If you will use them a lot, or if it comes down to safety, get the best you can afford - Snap-On, Matco, Mac, Craftsman lead my list, in that order.

For specialized tools, there are different qualities, also. In electronic goodies I've always been fond of Fluke, Tektronics, and Hewlett-Packard. Kline is my favorite for electrical tools.

In any trade there are names one trusts for one's tools, and others that are just also rans. If you want to know what tools to buy, look at the tools a really good craftsman uses - they didn't come from Wal-Mart...

 

Stuff I use

Facom and SK for my ratchet and sockets (Facom owns SK...the quality over SK with Facom is far superior...Facom is french...they used to supply tools to the Ferrari F1 team

On my wrenchs I use the Craftsmen polished wrenches....they are good quality

With my Screwdrivers I have Wera and Wiha

Here is the Wera website....I have the rocko series ( I am a sales rep and I reped the line)...best in the business....laser etched heads using S2 steal with the most ergonomic handles

www.weratools.com
www.skhandtool.com
www.facom.com

 

I use only Craftsman hand tools

Great tools at a great value. I also love the fact that if I break any tool, I can just run to any local Sears store and get a replacement.

Snap On, Matco, etc. are great tools too, but I simply can't afford them. For the average shadetree mechanic and do-it-yourselfer, Craftsman tools are more than enough

 

never get craftsman jacks. they are all of poor quality , they regularly fail , as well as bend and degrade over time. theyre hideously overpriced too. i should Know I sold craftsman tools for a year. surprisingly the professional jacks had ALOT more problems than the regular jacks.

 

I have a few sets of Craftsman tools, including a tool box. Though, my uncle gave me a AmPro set of tools recently. I keep the AmPro set in the car and have been using it solely for a few months now. I'm impressed with the quality.

 

Ditto, 9 out of every 10 tools I own are Craftsman. I have one right down the street from me so if I ever break one (extremely rare, maybe only once), I just run down and replace it. I'd love to get the Snap-Ons or Matcos, but like others have stated, just are too pricey. Maybe if I was a professional mechanic I would buy the top brands, but I'm not. For electrical tools, I love Kline and for cabling/networking, I buy Ideal.

If it's a quality dial-up torque wrench(if Home Depot, I'm guessing it's Husky brand), $70 is actually a good price. I would not buy a $20 torque wrench since the amount of torque you put on the bolts of your car is SO important, you want it to be as accurate as possible.

 

Craftsman is great for most people. They are good tools, well priced and carry the lifetime warranty. Snapon and Matco are definitely my favorites.. but cost much more.

As far as having a jack low enough... there is a simple and cheap solution. Take four 2x6's about 2 feet long each and cut an angle on one end (bevel it). Slide them under each wheel, pull up onto them and whalla.. the jack should slide beneath. My father (a mechanic) uses this technique in his back bay where there is no lift. Works great.

 

..or they could just dig a service pit in the middle of their garage, engifineer.

The bit with the 2x6s is the easiest, safest, cheapest, and most practical way around low cars and high jacks. I used to use it on some of my cars where I just needed another inch or so of clearance to do something (like reaching the oil filter on the CRX...)..

 

I actually contemplated diging a pit in my driveway, its not paved.
would make life easier, but wouldnt help much when changing wheels, as far as 2x6's, I have used stacks of them instead of jacks