The Magnet-On-A-Stick - because gravity continues to work against me.
The Magnet-On-A-Stick - because gravity continues to work against me.
For body sheet metal in tight places... and to avoid a face full of media from the cutoff wheel... behold. The Reciprocating body saw. I got mine for $14.99 at HF with a coupon.
I got a 32oz ball been hammer from HF for $3.00 after coupon. Hit E36 M3 all the time with that thing ;)
Blue tip eraser......... cuz thats how I roll.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: For body sheet metal in tight places... and to avoid a face full of media from the cutoff wheel... behold. The Reciprocating body saw. I got mine for $14.99 at HF with a coupon.
Quite possibly the most frustrating tool in my toolbox. Such a good idea, a mini Sawzall. But so rarely does it reciprocate consistently.
Keith wrote: I bought an H-F impact screwdriver. The bit broke in half the first time I used it. I am not impressed.
Ditto. Some tools are worth spending real money on. Something that's designed to (a) apply a lot of force and (b) free something that by use of the tool is implied to be pretty stuck is a tool that must work. My Snap-On impact screwdriver has never failed to unstick a stuck fastener, and has never even hinted it would fail. Money well spent.
(And I don't care who laughs at me or thinks I'm a fool, Snap-On's Phillips head drivers are all head and shoulders above anything else available.)
This is a great thread.
Best cheap tool people aren't using:
Safety glasses. (I've unwittingly amassed a collection of vintage safety glasses. No idea how.)
Seriously, protect your peepers. You only get two of them.
I love picks. http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=17961+TL That's 10 dental picks for $2.50. I bought 4 sets and stash them all over the place. MPJA also has loads of cheap small tools (hemostats and such) and decent soldering gear. McMaster has some 11" long picks that are awesome for ~$3/ea. They sell both push and pull ones.
Real prybars are not super cheap, but I went years and years using big screwdrivers for prying on stuff. I don't know how I could live without my set of pry bars now, though. Seems like I use that 3' bar every time I work on the car.
Jelly roll pans from the local restaurant supply place are good for keeping stuff organized while you're working. They're cheap and the lip on them makes them good for keeping little stuff from rolling off. Also good for acting as a small drain pan when you're bleeding brakes or whatever.
Neodymium magnets are good, too. I keep a 1" disk in my pocket and just stick fasteners to it as I take them off the car. They just cling to the outside of my pocket and I've never lost one. Gotta be careful to remember not to lean on the car, though.
Harbor Freight pickup tool. Many obvious uses. I used mine a lot to start BMW M52 intake bolts when I couldn't get my hand in there. Also to remove them without dropping them.
ppddppdd wrote: Neodymium magnets are good, too. I keep a 1" disk in my pocket and just stick fasteners to it as I take them off the car. They just cling to the outside of my pocket and I've never lost one. Gotta be careful to remember not to lean on the car, though.
My dad had a big magnet that he superglued to a clip, and he kept it on his shirt pocket/collar - this kept it off his waistline where damage to fenders etc was a possibility
In reply to 4cylndrfury:
Clever!
I forgot why I got the monster magnet in the first place, which was to retrieve a bunch of valve cover nuts that fell down along the timing chain on my 535i while I was adjusting the valves. Didn't want to start the car with nuts wedged between gears and chain and REALLY didn't want to remove all the accessories so I could get the chain covers off. I put the magnet on the outside of the chain housing, fished around until I heard it grabbed the bolts, then I dragged them down the front of the motor to the oil pan, removed the oil level sender and pulled them along the oil pan until they emerged from that hole. I felt like a goddamn genius.
alex wrote: Best cheap tool people aren't using:
Good call!
I keep half a dozen sets of those around and just as importantly I try and keep these within reach at all times
This little guy was cheap at the local home center and does a pretty cool trick. Every cheap digital caliper can switch from metric to SAE but this guy also does fractions! Super handy when you are working with motors and sheaves, or just looking for the right sized piece of stock at the steel yard.
Under $20 to boot.
^Where?
Also, PSI to run the sand blaster?
Perhaps not technically a tool, but perhaps the single most useful thing in my garage is a spool of electric fence wire. Cut to length and use for temporary hanger (such as brake caliper), picture frame wire, fish tape, twist to secure anything to anything, super strength twisty-tie, temporary safety wire, emergency exhaust hanger and the list goes on. Pretty much anything you could use a coat hanger for, but easier to bend and cut to length. A full spool might last a lifetime.
In reply to bludroptop:
I've been buying the wrong wire. 
bludroptop wrote: Perhaps not technically a tool, but perhaps the single most useful thing in my garage is a spool of electric fence wire. Cut to length and use for temporary hanger (such as brake caliper), picture frame wire, fish tape, twist to secure anything to anything, super strength twisty-tie, temporary safety wire, emergency exhaust hanger and the list goes on. Pretty much anything you could use a coat hanger for, but easier to bend and cut to length. A full spool might last a lifetime.
+1 on this one. So many uses.
SpeedTheory wrote: ^Where? Also, PSI to run the sand blaster?
80 psi worked well for me. Not sure on CFM rating but my 110v 5.5 horse 20 gal craftsman handled it like a champ.
Why not just get a spool of real safety wire? Too thin and strong?
semi automatic, mechanical screwdriver, no need for batteries:
ransom wrote: Harbor Freight pickup tool. Many obvious uses. I used mine a lot to start BMW M52 intake bolts when I couldn't get my hand in there. Also to remove them without dropping them.
I was going to post exactly this. It's amazing how handy this tool is once you get used to it. These have saved me from something as minor as fumbling in a tight space to having to pull an oil pan. I dropped the woodruff key off the crank of the chevonda and it fell right into the oil pan. A bit of super careful fishing with the grabber tool and it more than paid for its $2 (or so) and storage. But I've used it dozens and dozens of times before and since.
Some great suggestions in this thread, keep 'em coming. I'll post one once I can come up with something unique!
In reply to dculberson:
Yup, I was going to post what you posted as well 
alex wrote:Keith wrote: I bought an H-F impact screwdriver. The bit broke in half the first time I used it. I am not impressed.Ditto. Some tools are worth spending real money on. Something that's designed to (a) apply a lot of force and (b) free something that by use of the tool is implied to be pretty stuck is a tool that *must* work. My Snap-On impact screwdriver has never failed to unstick a stuck fastener, and has never even hinted it would fail. Money well spent. (And I don't care who laughs at me or thinks I'm a fool, Snap-On's Phillips head drivers are all head and shoulders above anything else available.) This is a great thread. Best cheap tool people aren't using:
+1 I wear safety glasses pretty much whenever I go outside.
My buddy only has one eye, and he never wheres safety glasses. I tell him he should, as he has no spare!
Joey
I suffer from "but I'm wearing glasses"-itus
Is there a cure?
Yes. Perscription safety glasses.
I need a pair too. 
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