So…
I lost all my possessions in my divorce and one of the things that stings the most is that I lost my tools that I had meticulously built up over the past 25 years.
This is a cop-out post I know… but for some reason I'm having a lot of trouble pulling the trigger on a new kit and would like some help from you.
What I'm looking for is as many tools as possible and a decent toolbox to store them in.
While working on cars, I do pretty much everything myself so I'm trying to find a toolkit that will give me a good start to do the majority of maintenance, eg. service type things but also shocks, brakes, etc.
I don't care about brands anymore - I'm going to go for quantity over quality this time round as if something breaks, it will give me a reason to upgrade.
Requirements:
* Ratchet set with extension
* As many spanners, screwdrivers, pliers, shifters as possible
* A decent storage box to keep them all in.
* Can be many kits bought separately.
* Up to $500, taking into account shipping costs
I don't care where I have to source it from.
My last resort would be something like this:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/WORKPRO-408PCS-Mechanic-Tool…
Any ideas would be appreciated.
I grabbed an SCA socket set for $60 when it was on sale - 1/2" drive, up to 30mm. This was the most cost-effective way of getting the 24mm socket I needed to change my oil filter. SCA and Bunnings are my go-to stores, but I also trawl Total Tools, Gasweld and the like to get a feel for price and quality variables as well.
You could trawl the cheap chinese bargain basement shops for the basics - screwdrivers, shifters etc. Our local field day expo brings in a handful of travelling tool salesmen - cheap as well as premium brands - which can offer quite good deals. Otherwise find clearance items as they appear - I grabbed a premium electrician's pliers set for 1/4 price at Total Tools, and whilst still comparatively expensive, the quality is tangible compared to my old set.
Mechanic's toolboxes are overrated - a set of plastic nested toolboxes will keep everything clean and neat, whilst saving cash for the actual tools.
Whilst painfully slow, my advice is to be patient, have a wishlist of things you want and their regular price & store, then pick them up as they go on special as I did. For some items that don't go on sale (e.g. Ozito 18v tools, commonly recommended on here) then just buy when you have available cash and add tools as you require them.