Everyone needs a good set of essential tools in their garage. Such tools could potentially save you hundreds of dollars as tools in fixing a car can be used in fixing many home appliances, too, including a faulty garage door.
Car Repair Mechanics suggests keeping essential repair tools can save you a boatload of money and a lot of time. Most multi-tools come under $100 and can last a lifetime.
There shouldn’t be any more justification you need to buy more tools.
Top 10 Toolkits to Have in Your Garage
Table of Contents
Here is the list of ten most-worthy tool kits for every garage.
1. Wrench Set
Combination Wrenches are the most vital power tools for any garage. You’d never know what type of wrench you’d end up using for each repair; hence it’s a good idea to buy adjustable wrenches that include an Impact wrench, a Battery-powered Impact wrench, a High-torque pneumatic wrench (Pneumatic Tools), and a torque wrench.
A torque wrench is an indispensable tool. Check options for both beam torque wrench and click torque wrench for your garage. Beam-torque wrench displays the current torque strength enacted on the nut, while click-torque wrench allows you to set the desired value.
A high-torque pneumatic wrench helps unscrew or tighten rusted bolt head or tight bolts that won’t come off quickly. You can get a unit for less than $100.
An impact wrench is a high-torque wrench that can help loosen lug nuts from cars and trucks. Consider buying a battery-powered impact wrench to unscrew and screw bolts easily.
2. Screwdriver Set
A screwdriver is one of the most versatile tools used in any repair. You’d need a screwdriver to fix both your car and garage door. Consider buying a screwdriver set to get a screwdriver with varying sizes and types, including “blade-type” and “cross-head.”
Consider getting a torque screwdriver or powered screwdriver as the all-purpose screwdriver to help tighten screws.
Spiral Ratchet screwdrivers help to unscrew tight screws easily. You can set it to rotate left or right with each push and lock it to use as a conventional screwdriver.
The screwdriver also comes in handy to open garage motor units and door handles.
3. Protective Gloves
You’ll quickly get your hands dirty while working inside your garage. Car repairs often expose your hands to engine oil, grease, fuel, and electric currents. The protective gloves will not only save your hands from the dirt but also keep them safe from possible injuries while handling sharper or heavier objects.
You can choose from wearing latex gloves or fabric gloves, depending on some projects. Latex gloves come in handy while handling lubricants, such as while topping up your engine oil or unscrewing the Mobil-oil box. It’s relatively light and water-proof, but it’s not strong enough for jobs that require heavier manual work. Fabric gloves can help you deal with heavy work such as turning the wrench.
Consider buying mechanical gloves with foam and TPU padding for the tighter grip. You can get a good pair of fabric gloves for under $20.
4. Protective Eyewear
You must be careful while working inside the garage. There are many instances where your eyes can become the next victim. You might accidentally touch your eyes with dirty hands, the car lubricant could go inside your eyes, or a tiny screw and metal shards could hit your pupils. The only way to protect your eyes is to wear protective eyewear.
Consider getting yourself a quality set of eyewear with anti-fog and scratch-resistant technology. They weigh less than an ounce so that you can wear them anywhere. You can get one from Amazon for as cheap as $11.
5. Car lubricants
When you’re working with your vehicle, you will encounter different lubricants; Engine oil, gear oil, greases, brake fluids, and Hydraulic oil. Each type of lubricant has its unique use. Some lubricants are water and oil-based, while others are silicon-based lubricants such as gear oil.
It’s always a good idea to keep a backup of these lubricants inside your garage so you can use one whenever you’re working with your car.
You can stock your garage with antifreeze, transmission oil, steering fluid, compressor oil, and suspension oil if you’re into DIY car repair.
6. Jack Stands
Jack Stands or Floor Jacks are the handiest power tools on any occasion. You’d often need to repair and replace parts in tight spaces such as underneath your vehicle, and without a Jack Stand, you’re helpless.
Consider buying a reliable pair of jack stands with safety pins. You can find a wide range of Jack Stands that can lift 2000kg, 3000kg, and 6000kg or more.
You’d need two pairs of Jack Stands in some cases to hold the car in the air while you slide underneath. You can get a great pair of Jack Stands for as little as $50 from Amazon. Don’t forget to check whether the Jack Stand is rated for the weight of your vehicle.
7. Adjustable Creeper
A creeper is a trolley used to slide underneath the vehicle. It has a low profile with a wheeled frame that makes it easy to slide underneath any vehicle.
Using a mechanic’s creeper to access a vehicle’s underbelly eliminates strain-inducing postures such as kneeling, bending, and crawling during repairs and maintenance.
When buying a creeper, make sure to get a padded under-car creeper with adjustable frames. The adjustable creeper works both as a conventional creeper and a rolling stool. You can get one for $38 from Amazon.
8. Fire Extinguisher
It’s always beneficial to install a fire extinguisher in your home and not just a garage. You can get four different classes of fire extinguishers.
Be wary of fire extinguisher type before you get one for your garage. While multipurpose extinguishers can work on fire types, you can get a Class-rated extinguisher for specific purposes.
- Class A extinguishers will put out fires in ordinary combustibles such as wood and paper
- Class B extinguishers are for use on flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, and oil
- Class C extinguishers are suitable for use only on electrically energized fires
- Class D extinguishers work well on flammable metals
9. Pressure washers
Pressure washers come in handy to wash your car in any condition. The pressured washer hoses can get rid of even the most robust dirt or residue from your car within few seconds. It also comes in handy to clean your garage floor, driveway, and sideways to eliminate lubricants, dirt, and salt.
If you’re unaware of what range of pressure washers to buy for your garage, consider choosing a pressure washer with a setting of 1200 – 1900 PSI and 1.5 PSM for vehicles. It’s better to use an electric pressure washer set for cleaning cars and trucks.
If you want to clean your garage and driveway, it’s better to get a pressure washer with a setting of 3000 PSI. It can easily clean off encrusted dirt and oil from the concrete floor. You can easily rent one for $45 a day.
10. Work Lights
Getting additional work lights for your garage comes in handy when you need to take a closer look inside the hood. You can easily take a closer look at the small parts inside or underneath the car. Although the garage light works well in any condition, it won’t be enough to shine a light on objects that need closer inspection.
Consider buying LED work lights that work more efficiently. Power Smith pwl1150lbs LED Work light, Woods LED Portable Work Light, Jegs 81927 60 LED work lights are some of the famous work light brands on Amazon.
It’s a good idea to keep a spare jerry can around your garage to help drain fuel while repairing your car. Consider keeping Pumice Hand Cleaner, Shop Towels, Vise Grips, PB Blaster, and Coveralls in your toolboxes for special needs.