simonmd

Bit harsh calling someone with over 2200 posts a noob!

Anyway, I dont go for the big name stuff but do have a decent sized tool kit in a rolling case. My most usefull 'specialist' item for the RX though is a simple squeezable plastic oil filling bottle, makes gearbox and diff oil changes easy!

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

I have over 23,000 posts and I am still a noob.

kma5783

iTrader: (7)

I have a good mix of tools, Craftsman, Mac, Matco, Cornwell, Snap on, Ingersoll Rand, and Pittsburgh. Mostly stuff I've inherited from my dad and uncle. There's a harbor freight local so buying their hand tools makes sense for some stuff cause they warranty it no problem. I have a bunch of air tools but no compressor right now lol, I left it in NY when I moved.

Wobble Extensions and a good penetrating oil(Not WD40, Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster work much better) are a must!

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

only because he should know better

Harbor Freight has a lot of good stuff for a great price that will last the avg garage hack a lifetime, some is trash though too

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

not sure what you mean? You act like my being a hardcore tool in the tool thread isn't appropriate

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Although i prefer brands, but when it comes to tools i use whatever that last or does the job

made in china/hf tool doesnt mean its crap, i bought made in usa crap b4, u just gotta check before u buy.

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

+1 to whatever gets the job done.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Well, getting the job done, and getting it done correctly without damage are two different things. Certain bolts on my RX-8 have been off many times and I have found that cheaper 12 point sockets will round off the bolts.

So if you are buying new sockets then 6 point sockets are highly recommended.

What tools are really nice to have?

In no particular order.

1. 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" metric sockets up to 27mm
2. A long and short 1/2" breaker bar and a 3/4" breaker bar if you do engine tear downs.
3. Two large heavy duty floor jacks with a nice pump operation
4. four (at least) heavy duty jack stands
5. a 19mm and 21mm plastic sheathed 1/2" deep sockets for removing lug nuts without scratcing the wheels
6. full set of allen wrenches with ball heads on one end
7. Full set of GOOD cutters (dikes, line man pliers, etc)
8. Hose cutter
9. Nice set of screw drivers (klein)
10. Nice set of wire strippers, crimpers, and cutters (crappy crimpers and cutters suck ***)
11. Oil filter wrench
12. A large oil splash pan (I make a mess usually)
13. A nice Pick set
14. A nice file set
15. A nice set of punches
16. A nice extendable magnet wand for retreiving dropped bolts
17. A nice nut/bolt extractor set
18. A nice metric thread chasing and tap and die set
19. a good set of dead blow hammers of different sizes
20. A good large compressor
21. A 500ft/lb or higher 1/2" impact gun
22. A good vacuum tester
23. A good pair of tin snips
24. A good set of shop scissors
25. A good (expensive) 1/2" Torque wrench and a good 3/8" torque wrench
26. A good set of 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" swivels
27. A good set of various length extensions in 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2"
28. A decent OBD-II reader/reset device
29. A good Volt Meter
30. A good battery charger/booster (cheap ones suck ***)
31. A good measuring caliper

I still need to get/replace a lot of this stuff with higher quality stuff.

RJayX-8

Matco Box and cart filled with mostly Matco tools and test equipment a few snap-off and cornwell tools.

G_ man

iTrader: (2)

I've got most of the tools needed, i just want the 30'x30' garage to do the work in!!!!!!

HiFlite999

iTrader: (2)

You left off a good HACKSAW!

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

and a grinder.

ken-x8

I haven't had to put any serious tools to Zoomy yet, but I've done more than enough on prior cars over the past half century.

My tool set started in the 1960s with a 1/4" drive Craftsman socket set and a starter mechanics set (3/8" drive socket stuff, open end wrenches, allen keys, screwdrivers, lots of hacksaw blades so they could up the advertised count, etc) from Montgomery Ward. (Their "Powercraft" line...equivalent to Craftsman. Sears did not have 3/8" metric at the time.) Added 1/2" Craftsman socket stuff over the years. Also screwdrivers, box wrenches, ball peen hammer, couple of torque wrenches, deep sockets, crow's foot wrenches, chisels, pry bars, pipe expander, timing light, mirrors. Hydraulic floor jack and a couple of jack stands. A few 3/4" items to win a couple of special battles. The days when Sears had their hardware week, with a lot of stuff half price, really helped.

A key to building up what I really needed and use was browsing through the Sears tool catalog so I knew what was out there, then buying speciaty items as they were needed. 9k gives a very nice list, but unless you're a collector hang onto it for reference and not as a shopping list. FWIW, I've done nicely with a cheap-*** 3 amp battery charger from K-mart.

The final major purchase was a proper tool cabinet on a roll-around stand.

Back when I accumulated this the choices were pretty simple. Craftsman for the average do-it-yourselfer, or Snap-On if you were a professional mechanic and the Snap-On truck lured you the way an ice cream truck lures kids. Nowadays there's lots of decent stuff from Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. And these days "made in China" does not necessarily mean shlock.

Ken

godesshunter

When it comes to doing alignments where an open box wrench is mandatory for adjusting tie rods, Snap On Flank Drive is the only way to go. And also brake lines going into wheel cylinders on drum brakes. Flank Drive. Most times, the flare wrench cannot get the right angle.

My boxes are mostly Snap On with a splash of Matco mixed in. I also like VIM specialty socket sets. VIM has a huge selection of various torx and hex sets

Karack

tool trucks do offer some decent tools still but many tools you don't need big name brands for.

for example, some of the most important tools i use are pneumatics. most trucks sell rebadged air tools which are generally made by industrial companies like Ingersoll Rand for example. so buy without the flashy sticker and save a few dollars.

chinese wrenches work 99% as well as my snap on's do(and you can modify them to do more specialized jobs versus buying another $30 "special" wrench. think a snap on dealer will warranty a wrench you heated and bent? they will give you a load of flak for it because they would rather sell you the right one on top of your whole set). impact grade tools, you should seriously consider name brand if you use them a lot.

screwdrivers and bits? i break name brand all the time, a $5 set of screwdrivers will do you just as well.

for my air compressor i run a Husky 80 gallon standup 7hp that anyone can find at a local Home Depot. i have ran it everyday for the last 5 years, even ran it out of oil, refilled it and it went back to work. it has been used for more than twice its rated hours and still pushes 145psi just fine for hours at a time(porting, painting, grinding and cutting).

lately i haven't been buying tools from the trucks, not because i have all of them but because when something breaks it is actually more inconvenient trying to locate them, wait for them to show up or order the tools i need(instead of breaking open a sealed box and give me the tool i need they almost always have to special order the tools i happen to break..). it is also true that almost none of the name brand tools are made in the USA anymore, so you're paying for the name. Harbor Freight is 2 blocks away.. while the level of quality differs, sometimes it is more convenient replacing a tool 3 times versus only once and paying a fraction of the cost on top.

do i prefer cheap versus the very expensive? no, i prefer my $300 snap on wrench set but i have made almost every other type of wrench do the job when necessary. i reach for my snap on first, then the craftsmans, then the $10/set wrenches, none ever really seem to fail but you can feel the quality difference in grip and flex somewhat.

ASH8

I got similar to 9K..Plus..

Compressor
Impact Air Tools
Quality Tyre Pressure Gauge
Hydraulic Press
Hydraulic Jack
Hydraulic Engine Hoist
8 x Jack Stands
Ramps

Also Mazda RX-8 Fuel Pump Ring Tool.
Mazda Ball Joint Boot install tool.
Mazda RX-8 Starter to Ring Gear Lock Tool.
Mazda Clutch Plate Aligner Peg.
Mazda Oil Filter Cap Wrench (2).
Mazda MX-5 NC2 Timing Lock Peg.
Mazda/Ford Rear Main Seal apply tool.
Mazda RE Compression Tester.
Mazda IDS (MMDS) and VCM II Tester. (not a toy)
CFR (Customer Flight Recorder) (data logger for VCM Tester )
Just got CTEK 25 Pro Battery Conditioner and Charger (Best Brand, IMO)
CTEK XS-3600 Battery Charger
Sidchrome Tools , Sockets, Spanners, Bars, etc
Stanley mini sockets.

Sidchrome is an old Aussie only (I think) tool company which was once made all in Australia, now all China, but has a lifetime guarantee, one class then a step down from Snap On.

Signal 2

Have a good assortment of MAC from when I was in High School and College working for a family collision shop. MAC has 4-face open-end wrenchs which don't get any better IMO.
I love my GearWrench ratchet wrenchs. Just about the best thing since drive-thru liquor stores. I also have a set of little sockets for them that are awesome in tight places....
Notice the dimension differences.....3/8" drive, 1/4" drive and GearWrench. 10mm shallow sockets shown in all three...




I seem to reach for my Harbor Frieght Dead-blow hammer alot too. Assorted sizes available and all are cheap. Damn things are just handy ---> Search results for: 'dead blow hammer'

xexok

Signal that middle ratchet in the first picture is one of the best feeling ones I have seen at sears. I know they don't sell them anymore but they can still be rebuilt and are pretty nice.

Gearwrench brand is nice, cheaper than craftsman and the same lifetime warranty. From what I am told they make them out of all or mostly recycled metals.

GK1707

iTrader: (10)

Starting off my tool collection and so far I have mostly craftsman,matco and a few misc name brands i've acquired from my uncle. I've got a Pittsburgh harbor freight low profile jack with rapid pump and it works phenomenal (use it damn near twice a weeks lol). Gotta say harbor freight is hit or miss but the general use tools from them shouldn't give you any problems.

xexok

I've always been worried about buying a jack from there but the 2.5 ton low pro jack for $80 looks nice. Lifts up to 20 inches when the low pro craftsman jack only goes up to 15 inches. That is what has stopped me from buying a nice low pro jack, usually none of them lift high enough. Tempting to go and buy it because right now I am using a regular 2 1/4 ton jack that only lifts so high and is a huge pain to use on this car.

Signal 2

As mentioned above...depends on what your getting. But I'm convinced alot of the same tools you'll buy at SEARS are made by the same manufacturer that supplies HARBOR FREIGHT.
And some are better than I expected. I bought a 1/2" drive torque wrench from HF for about $12 just to throw in my box for autocross events for wheels. After using it a couple years I decided to check it against a (non-digital) MAC one that cost me ALOT more way back in the day. As near as I could tell, they were off < 5 ft/lbs. from each other at 80 ft/lbs (car wheel) and 140 ft/lb. (truck wheel) comparisons.

ken-x8

If it's a beam type torque wrench, there's not much that can go out of calibration. Even if the pointer gets bent, you can eyeball where the new zero is. Unlike the click types which are very nice but need to be calibrated. One of those cases where cheaper can be better...until you torque something underneath or behind and can't see the pointer.

My personal experience with screwdrivers is different from Karack's. The cheap ones just don't feel right in my hand...something wrong about the handles. But the cheapies are great as disposable chisels or pry bars.

Ken

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

I think Sears/Craftsman tool quality has gone down since Kmart bought them out.

hoss -05

iTrader: (4)

If only I could get my hands on the factory tool for a good price.

Just picked up this gear wrench set.

Signal 2

IMO you still need the Mazda SST Pilot Bearing puller. Or get one of these for a little less....Blind Hole Bearing Puller - Needle Bearing Puller
No other practical way to get that bearing out.