A fairly common question: “What tools should I buy?”
The best answer I can come up with: “The ones that you need for the job at hand.”
But here’s the real secret: Many of the things that make your time in the shop better, more productive and more fun aren’t tools, per se. Sure, they may fit the technical definition, …
My short list: lights, lights and lights. They have gotten so easy to purchase and hang. And like JG says, they don’t have to be confined to the ceiling.
Yah, I always have my LED head lamp on during all hours of wrenching. I don't think I could give up my lift though....
Lights, lift, air compressor, ceiling fan(helps both summer and winter) and parts washer. For my small one-man fab shop, I couldn't do without my set-up table.
In reply to lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) :
That is a neat little setup table, what are the dimensions?
The zeroth requirement would be a solid concrete floor. Jackstands on gravel? Bad idea.
Fire extinguisher. Came in handy when the previous owner of a Triumph wired it under the hood with lamp cord and wire nuts.
Protection from the elements. I have done an oil and filter change in snow before, but would prefer not to repeat that.
Heat that isn't some portable device with an open flame. I resisted heating my garage for waaaay too long. Being able to push a button and come back in 30 minutes in the dead of winter is a joy I didn't think I'd ever experience. Sure, it cost money, but I work out there a whole lot more now. Next will be a/c, but so far the industrial fan on wheels I bought at an auction works pretty well.
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