Garage essentials

A Black and decker work mate is really handy. As is a nice work bench with vise .
 
Matt Shade said:
Thats true but I was talking for your average home owner who doesn't drill metal very often. A basic contractors grade (I wouldn't buy one of the cheapies) 9.6 volt drill like you can get for around $100 will drive any sort of screw you need and be more than enough for drilling for drywall anchors and anything like that. When you get into the larger drills, your more into dedicated tools, and I'd always want a smaller drill for assembling small things or working in tight spaces. Some of the new drills are ridiculously big (talking dimensions, not power).
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good point. I screw around with aftermarket parts on my car and my Jeep. so it comes up for me, but take that away and I guess I would not need it at all. I have a Craftsman and yes, it is very close to too big. I keep thing about getting one of the smaller DeWalt drills.
 
I CAN'T BELIEVE NOBODY MENTIONED THE MOST IMPORTANT NEED YET....

A Beer and Bait refrigerator! :D
 
Jackstands and a decent (preferably hydraulic) floor jack are essential if you're planning on doing automotive work. Also, I second what everyone is saying about buying quality once. You can ruin more than just tools with cheap stuff. I've worked on friends' cars where they have screwed around with crappy tools and rounded off half the bolt heads. Not fun.
 
Mongo said:
I CAN'T BELIEVE NOBODY MENTIONED THE MOST IMPORTANT NEED YET....

A Beer and Bait refrigerator! :D
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I was about to suggest a fridge, too, but after scrolling down the 2nd page, I realized Mongo had already beat me to it. :D
 
A first aid kit so you don't have to drip blood on the carpet on the way to the bathroom.

Someplace else to park the cars since the garage is full of crap now.
 
25 foot measuring tape,square,a vise,spend some money here and get a good one,a set of combination wrenchs,at least 1/4" to 1",metric too if you need them.

Putting aside $25 a week is a great idea,in no time you will have the essentials and saving for a few weeks for one expensive tool would be easy.

A home owner doesn't need a garage full of Snap On tools,but don't buy junk either.Craftsman hand tools from Sears are decent quality with an unbeatable warranty.
 
good lighting and paint the walls white. LP tubing so you have shop all over the garage. 220v lines. 110v outlets with GFCI every few feet mounted higher up than usual.
 
Disclaimer: Home Depot should be classified as a drug dealer as far as I'm concerned.

If you're building or renovating a garage/workspace, consider getting the wiring done to commercial or even industrial spec, whatever the highest your local code will allow. Nothing is quite as infuriating as being elbow-deep into an engine compartment trying to undo something when the fuse blows. Now you're stuck in a car, in the dark. Residential wiring is as pansy as it can be and not burn your house down. CGFI is your friend.

I always manage to either spill something unpleasant on my hands or cut them up beyond repair whenever I work with anything sharp. Mechanic's gloves are great durability-wise, but at least a box of Nitrile or Vinyl gloves will protect your hands from strong corrosives for that second it takes to rip them off. They'll also do double duty as first-aid gloves.

Have a 55-gal drum and a few gallons of Sodium Hydroxide (lye, Drano) handy. A 2-1 solution will strop the paint off of a battleship, and lighter dilutions will work for more delicate parts. 55 gal drums are useful to have around anyway. NEVER USE THIS FOR DRINKING WATER, or even watering the lawn. Lye is incredibly caustic and your plants will regret it. Briefly.

I never have enough vices, clamps and locking pliars. So many problems are solved by just being able to keep things immobile. Having a heavy work bench is great too. Lengths of lumber in random lengths are great for fashioning jigs and frames too.

If you work on your car, consider an impact wrench, even a Yum-Cha corded one will make getting those wheels and big suspension components off a butt-ton easier.

If you have an older car, having common spare parts and fluids on hand is enormously useful for when the thing breaks.

Of course, you should only have tools that you're able to use and know how to use them safely. And be especially careful working on or near your car, never work on a jacked up car, always use jackstands. If possible, get your repairs or modifications checked by a mechanic.
 
6 or so jack stands... 3 ton, extra tall...

1 or 2 floor jacks that are capable of lifting as high as the jack stands.

Flouresent/halogen trouble lights... 2 or 3 of them. A nice creeper.

Get a rolling cart while your at it...

A work bench, a stool... a big honker of a vice.

A tool box, a bunch bigger than you think you need... get a bunch of sockets/wrenches/screw drivers and pliers.

A set of ratcheting box wrenches... gear wrench or craftsman...

I could go on forever!

OH A fire extinguisher... and safety glasses. That and a good pair of ear muffs...
 
I recently retired from the maintenance department in a large city hospital. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer and a caulk gun.

Well, almost.

Bill
 
WilliePete said:
I recently retired from the maintenance department in a large city hospital. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer and a caulk gun.

Well, almost.

Bill
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I think I've seen your work... ;) :cool:
 
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