#Tools

We’ve used a bearing puller for years, and always with a little dread. We never owned our own, and borrowing one from a friend or using it in another shop is always an adventure. Any time you pick one up, you know you’re going to be fumbling with it when you try to get the little jaws in place while screwing it down. You usually need a rubber band, a third hand, and reserves of calm we don’t have. It’s a problem so difficult that NASA designs their own.

The angle grinder is the perfect tool when you need a quick cut that doesn’t need to be perfectly precise or square. It’s the first thing you should grab when it’s time to get serious about removing a broken, stuck, or stripped nut, and it’s also the best way to make two surfaces smooth or get rid of rust in a hurry.

It isn’t every day that a new tool company comes along to challenge the likes of Snap-on and Matco. Taking a slice of the pie from well established brands is tough, no matter the segment. When you’re talking about something as important as hand tools, that job becomes a whole lot more difficult. After all, a mechanic’s wrench set is as important and personal to them as a knife is to a chef or a tube of hair gel was to James Dean.

When it comes to measuring lumber or hanging a photo, a measuring tape or ruler is just fine, but when you need precision, you need one of the best digital calipers. Just try measuring a bolt thread pitch, or the gap in a piston ring, with your trusty tape measure and see how it plays out.

We believe every car owner should have access to a set of sockets, even if you don’t often work on your own car. Our vehicles are full of nuts and bolts and even if you’re trying to do something trivial, chances are you’ll need a ratchet and socket. Like all tools, there are plenty of options for socket sets and you should pick one based on your needs. The main factor to consider is whether you need standard or metric sockets, although most of our recommendations cover both bases. We also include tool sets that come with ratchets and other wrenches to make your life easier when it comes to loosening those nuts and bolts.

Giving your engine fresh spark plugs should be part of your car’s regularly scheduled maintenance. But you don’t necessarily have to go to the dealership or pay a mechanic to swap in a new set of plugs. Instead, get yourself an affordable spark plug socket and do it yourself in your garage or driveway.

As you dig deeper and deeper into automotive DIY you quickly realize why a professional mechanic’s tool set is as extensive as it is. You can get by with the basics, but if you want to be efficient (and not cursing every automotive engineer on the planet) there are a lot of handy tools out there that make life easier without breaking the bank.

Removing automotive trim panels is a frustrating task at the best of times, but having trim tools handy will quickly save you from extra minutes (or hours) of cursing. Most newer cars use plastic clips to hold many interior panels in place, and a simple set of tools like this allows you to get the proper pull and leverage needed to make these clips cooperate. Sure, you can drop $30-$50 on the pricey Snap-On or Mac Tools equivalent, and there’s a chance that those tools will last a little bit longer overall, but for a bargain price, this little set is more than adequate for your occasional bit of at-home DIY.

Possibly the strangest promo we’ve seen in a while, valid only through October 6th, Sears.com is practically giving away this massive tool set, though it’s not quite as clean-cut as that.

A Milwaukee tool kit like this one doesn’t come up for sale all that often.

There’s no greater satisfaction than when you’ve just done something all by yourself, which is why so many car owners love getting their hands dirty by working on their car themselves.

Well if you have the new Craftsman garage door with AssureLink, you can close your door using your smart phone, laptop or tablet.