Specialty Mechanics Tools | What I've collected

[@shr00m7]

1. An engine compression test kit and 2. A coolant pressure test kit are kits I use all the time, but it's difficult to find quality kits that wont break or leak after the first use. But those two kits go along way in diagnosing issues.

[@dramirez7981]

A power steering pulley kit is a must!! Definitely something you should add to your collection when working on cars.

[@ceesklumper]

I've used that type of balljoint tool for many other purposes. LIke pressing in new bushings.

[@zachspicer3475]

Honestly the harbor freight slide hammer isn't bad, obviously snap on is fantastic but at home I use the harbor freight with no complaints. 17 years professional diesel tech.

[@OldSoulMillennial]

By chance, have you used the gear wrench brand? I’d definitely be willing to give the harbor freight brand a chance if it brings reasonable quality to the table.

[@zachspicer3475]

@OldSoulMillennial I have not. Just throwing out a cheap option that I have had good results with.

[@boosted2.4_sky]

I've got the OMT (Orion Motor Tech) slide hammer kit..pretty sure all the less expensive SH sets are from the same manufacturer..They're all the same really

[@keltecshooter]

I decided to watch this video because of the hat , I liked it because you did a good job

[@dennyblazer1167]

Looks like throwing a hotdog down a hallway with your hand gesture with that air hammer.

[@joeyouruncle9850]

I got the harbor frieght icon long arm gear puller set this summer cause my old puller was trashed, and figures havint needed one since but it seems to be good quality and has a coller that controls the jaws so you can clamp some, has different arms and 2/3 jaw, think i paint around $200 for it

[@joeyouruncle9850]

I believe its based off the snapon set

[@daveh4106]

Any chance the mystery O2 sensor tool is for removing broken off sensors? I looks vaguely like an ez-out but I'm watching this on my phone so couldn't see it well.

[@maikolim37]

I need all of those but there's no excuse to buy them, I will only use them once every 5 years. The sockets and the 1/2" impact gun yes I bought, I change my own wheels in winter and my own brakes more often.

[@johnspartan3405]

I agree with you there. My parts store is less than a half mile away and will let me borrow whatever I need with a deposit. But I have been trying to buy what I can. The cost of repairs isn't getting any cheaper, the world isn't getting any better and I'm what some would call a "prepper" I want to keep my low miles, low tech, highly reliable vehicle running. From a hut in the woods if I need to.

[@maikolim37]

@@johnspartan3405 I started learning light mechanic work since 2016 when the lightbulb of my Yamaha XT350 burn out in the speedometer and I could not see my speed at night. Took it to a Yamaha dealership and they quoted me around $200 to change it. $50 for diagnostics (it was mandatory to find out why it burnt out) and 1.5 hrs of labor at $105/hr for electrical work which was more expensive than mechanic work. I said "No thanks", went to see a KZbin video, went to hardware store and paid $20 for screwdriver and a plyer, and bought the replacement bulb for $1.30 taxes included. Went to my house and disassembled the speedometer cowling in about 10 mins, replaced the miniature lightbulb and put everything back together. I did it all in 20 mins and with $20 worth of tools/materials. I said; "Never Again".

[@paulhunt598]

Your description of mid tier tools and their drawbacks warrants the question, do they have real value? I have decided that their value is too limited to be practical, and I invest in top-tier tools but purchase on the used market to economize. Your Gearwrench puller kit is an OTC clone. Your description indicates that it is made from inferior materials and to inferior tolerances of the original OTC. Your description indicates that the tool isn't capable of doing its designed duty, which I think proves that it is a poor investment. You may have saved $ on the purchase to use infrequently, but you can't use the tool for its intended purpose. OTC has the reputation for rugged materials, but they tend to be not very ergonomic. My puller collection is very large, collected over decades, and focuses on 3 major brands; OTC, Snap-on, Proto. I have some Matco (rebranded Taiwan OTC?), Cornwell, and some others. I am an enormous fan of Proto pullers. MAC has rebranded Proto pullers, so I also own some MAC accessories. Proto pullers are the most ergonomic design that I know of. The fit and finish are superb. Snap-on uses their own designs. They are superb for ruggedness, and they are arguably top-tier. I regard them as an arsenal option. Other mechanics embrace their approach exclusively. I bet that your Gearwrench 2 and 3 jaw attachments are the same thread as slide hammer. Using the jaws on the slide hammer is one of my favorite setups. Proto design is my favorite for this application. When I was employed, I built up our shop puller set by combining about 2.5 OTC master sets. I constructed a master puller cart to easily transport to any location in the large plant. Accessories are easily lost. To combat this, I preconfigured 2 and 3 jaw setups. I think that pullers don't get used because setup time or missing parts is irksome. I set up my home shop using a similar system. Large reconfigured pullers are staged on a wall rack, smaller pullers and puller kits store in toolchest or cabinets. My most recent purchase was an almost new Matco kit (the one that I suspect is import rebranded OTC). I got the kit only because I wanted to fill in my bearing splitter gaps. I purchased the entire kit for the price of a premium bearing splitter. I strongly urge not compromising on your ball joint press brand. The C clamp frame and adapter sleeves suffer tremendous force damage threat. A premium tool is reliable. The knock-off brands aren't. If you are lucky, the tool will break. If you are not, anticipate serious injury. I broke a thumb doing my very first ball joint replacement with inferior tools. I quickly purchased a used, and like new, OTC kit for very little cost. Bluepoint is a Snap-On brand, often inferior to the Snap-On tools and often top-tier. Some of their rebranded tools bear the Bluepoint badge. Vaughn makes a lot of the Bluepoint hammers. I have been building my tools and shops since I was 14. I recently ran some estimates that I think I have $4.5k invested. The vast majority of my tools, machinery, and chests were purchased on the secondary market. Unabused used tools are my way of economizing. I could not have my collection if I relied only on my single maintenance technician income. Others will disagree with me, and are content to struggle with inferior tools. The performance advantages of premium tools justify the investment for me. There're many options today, with some impressive offshore brand's. Purchase cautiously. I yielded to 3 HF tools recently where HF did well, pallet jack, Daytona floor jack and a significantly modified oil drain cart.