Getting Started With Tools
Written By: Ian Clayton
Edited By: Merielle Donaldson
Let’s face it - one of the biggest barriers to entry in this field is the fact that as Mechanics/Technicians we have to buy our own tools. At this point, three years full time into this career, I can say that I have probably spent around ten thousand dollars on tools and tool boxes (and as a prior Volkswagen owner I can say that about ten percent of that was specialized tools just for working on German cars). Having to buy our own tools is a huge barrier to entry for someone new to the field and is a major deterrent for people contemplating a career as an automotive technician. This, coupled with the fact that the point in your career when you will need to buy the most tools will also be the point in your career when you will be making the least money, makes it a difficult career to enter. When you add the factor of rampant inflation outpacing wage growth, entering a career as an automotive technician seems near impossible, but I assure you that it is not. In this post, I will go over ways to save money and still put together a decent set of tools to get you started.
“Debt is dumb, cash is king”- Dave Ramsey. I will begin this post by saying that I have never been a fan of debt. I have rarely used it in my life, and I have only seldomly used it for the purchase of tools for my career. Yes, debt includes tool truck accounts - if you are not paying for the tool at the time, it is considered debt. I am not a financial advisor and you should do your own research, but if you find a financial advisor who tells you to accumulate a bunch of debt to buy tools for your career you should probably look into their credentials.
“Never buy an expensive tool box”- Chuck. My mentor is the kind of guy who probably picked up his first wrench at two years old and repaired his first carburetor at three. He’s been turning wrenches his entire life and has been working in this field for thirty-five plus years. I tend to listen to him when he gives advice. This is one piece of advice that has proven correct so far in my career and I can say that he practices what he preaches; he works out of a US General full bank tool cart and has a Craftsman toolbox that looks older than I am. I myself have assembled a collection of US General tool boxes and I have to say that they do the job at a quarter of the cost of anything off of a tool truck.
Estate Sales: When I first decided to make the transition into this field, I knew I was going to need to stock up on tools and, since I also try to practice what I preach, I was not willing to go into a ton of debt to accumulate that collection of tools. Estate sales gave me a great start in my tool collection and I still use a good number of those tools on a daily basis. When people say “they don’t make them like they used to,” they’re correct. I have a pair of channel locks that probably proceed me by thirty years, and they are one of my favorite tools to use almost daily. I purchased them at an estate sale before I started school five years ago and they have held up quite well. Moral of the story? Dead guys usually have good tools, and you never know what you might be able to find. My wife’s grandfather was a machinist, for example, and the collection of tools he passed down to my father-in-law is massive, covering every odd job you can think of. If you were to attend an estate sale for someone like this, you may be able to cross a lot of “must buys” off your list all at once, and possibly at a cheaper bulk price.
Garage and Barn Sales: These go along the same lines as what I discussed above about estate sales. Don’t let a potential deal slip by just because it requires a little footwork.
Pawn Shops: Bring cash and be prepared to feel like you need a shower after leaving, and just know you probably bought stolen tools. That’s a moral quandary for another day and a post that isn’t this one. I bought my impact socket set at a pawn shop and they are all still going strong.
Facebook Marketplace: Let’s face it, there are more people leaving this field every day than are entering it. A lot of those people are looking to sell off some of their tool collections. The opportunity may arise where you are able to use someone else’s bad financial decisions for your own benefit and score premium tools at an affordable price. You can buy tool truck products at a fraction of the original cost, and you can likely get a tool truck toolbox for a half, third, or quarter of what it is worth.
Harbor Freight: Harbor Freight has started making good products, and you don’t even have to go half-crazy and buy the Icon brand (though I have a few Icon tools and can say that they are quite nice). The Pittsburgh line will do just fine. I have a good number of tools from Harbor Freight and can attest that they have held up quite well over the years - and I do not go easy on my tools. Some Icon and all Pittsburgh tools come with a lifetime warranty, and whenever I have had to exchange a tool, the associates have been super helpful and accommodating. I cannot recommend Harbor Freight enough when it comes to buying tools.
Lowe’s: Lowe’s is a step up from Harbor Freight in terms of price and sometimes quality, but it is still a fraction of the price of the tool trucks. Craftsman products are now sold at Lowes since Sears went out of business a decade ago. I have bought some Craftsman and some Kobalt products over the years and they are holding up well. For example, I bought a Craftsman swivel head ratchet at Lowe’s five years ago when I started school and I use and abuse it daily; it has a lifetime warranty but I have yet to need it, as it is still in great shape. Craftsman still makes a reliably good product and it is a great option when it comes to buying tools and saving money.
Home Depot: Home Depot now carries GearWrench. I have a purchased a fair amount of GearWrench products over the past three years and have had zero issues with any of them to this day. Home Depot also sells Husky. That impact socket set that I bought at the pawn shop was a Husky set and came with almost every socket I need. It has held up perfectly with no issues.
Amazon: While all of the places that I listed above can be really good for getting your basics, they often lack the specialty tools, things like front end alignment tools. That is what Amazon can be really helpful with. And it is often the same product that you’re buying off of the tool truck with a different label on it.
Snap-On/MAC/Matco Student Discounts: I took advantage of this a lot while I was a student. In fact, the majority of the Snap-On products that I own were purchased while I was a student, using my student discount, and paying cash for them. Do not buy the bundle sets that they try to sell you when you start school; they are often overpriced and include a lot of things that you do not need.
It would be my assumption that most financial experts would say that using a portion of your income to put towards your job would be a horrible way to build wealth and become financially prosperous (but, once again, I am not a financial advisor). Buying tools is unfortunately a necessary part of this field and a huge deterrent for people working in or entering this field. And truth be told, this is worsening with the amount of specialty tools that some of the manufacturers are requiring to work on vehicles today. However, it does not need to be financially devastating. If you follow the advice that I listed above you can amass a solid tool collection and avoid financial hardship while doing so.