What are the Best Tools for Fixing Cars at Home?
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Chris Fix addresses common questions about tools, offering advice on brands, toolboxes, and essential tools for car maintenance. He emphasizes the importance of organization, quality, and investing in tools by saving money from DIY car repairs. Chris also compares tool brands to cars, providing a unique perspective on their value and utility. Viewers are offered a discount on Sonic tools, highlighting their efficiency and warranty.
Takeaways
- 🛠️ The importance of a good toolbox for organization and storage, starting with a small one and possibly upgrading to a larger, more organized one as your tool collection grows.
- 🔩 The necessity of a complete socket set, including both shallow and deep sockets, with a range of sizes that covers most needs, and the value of having extensions and universal joints.
- 🔧 The advice to start with a basic wrench set that is complete and covers all necessary sizes, and the variety of wrench types available for different uses.
- 🔨 The categorization of 'supporting tools' such as screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, and vice grips as essential for a beginner's tool kit, along with the types of pliers and their uses.
- ⚙️ A reminder to avoid gimmicky tools when starting out, focusing instead on the basics that will serve most needs in automotive work.
- 📈 A strategy for affording tools by saving the difference between professional repair costs and the cost of doing the job yourself, then investing part of those savings into tool purchases.
- 🏎️ An analogy comparing tool brands to cars, with Snap-on likened to a Ferrari for quality and price, Harbor Freight to a Hyundai for affordability, and Sonic to a Corvette offering a balance of quality and price.
- 🔄 The benefit of renting specialized tools from parts stores instead of purchasing them, saving money on items that are used infrequently.
- 🛒 Tips for buying a large toolbox, including looking for ball bearings in the drawers and having multiple drawers for better organization.
- 🔑 The emphasis on the investment aspect of a toolbox, suggesting it should last a lifetime and contribute to efficient tool organization.
- 👷♂️ The speaker's personal testimony of building up a tool collection through self-repair savings, highlighting the practicality and cost-effectiveness of DIY car maintenance.
Q & A
Who is the speaker in the video and what is the main topic of the video?
-The speaker is Chris Fix, and the main topic of the video is to answer common questions about tools, including tool brands, toolboxes, basic tools for car maintenance, making money buying tools, and getting tools for free.
What is Chris Fix's stance on being sponsored by tool companies?
-Chris Fix clarifies that he is not paid by any tool companies, and his goal is to provide honest and truthful information to help viewers learn and contribute to their knowledge base.
What is the first tool box that Chris Fix got and why did he choose it?
-Chris Fix's first tool box was a small, inexpensive one that he got when he was a kid. He chose it because it was affordable and served its purpose at the time.
What advice does Chris give on choosing a first tool box?
-Chris advises to find a first tool box with a lot of storage because tools will be collected quickly. He also suggests waiting for a holiday sale to buy a larger toolbox for better deals.
What are the two main features Chris recommends looking for in a large toolbox?
-Chris recommends looking for a toolbox with ball bearings in the drawers for smooth operation and a toolbox that has a lot of drawers to fit as many tools as possible.
What is the recommended size range for a beginner's socket set according to Chris?
-Chris recommends a socket set that ranges from 8 to 22, ensuring coverage of common sizes needed for most tasks.
Why does Chris suggest avoiding socket sets with skips in the size range?
-Chris suggests avoiding socket sets with skips because missing sizes like 18 and 20 can be essential and their absence will lead to the need to buy additional tools.
What type of wrench set does Chris recommend for beginners?
-Chris recommends a complete wrench set with no size skips, starting with a regular set that includes an open end and a box end.
What are the 'supporting tools' Chris mentions and why are they important?
-Supporting tools include screwdrivers, pliers, a hammer, and vice grips. They are important as they are basic hand tools that complement the primary tools for various tasks.
What is Chris's opinion on gimmicky tools for beginners?
-Chris advises against buying gimmicky tools for beginners, suggesting to resist the urge and focus on essential tools that are more likely to be used regularly.
How does Chris suggest saving money on tools?
-Chris suggests saving money by fixing cars yourself instead of going to a mechanic, using the savings to invest in tools, and considering renting specialized tools instead of buying them.
What is the analogy Chris uses to describe different tool brands?
-Chris compares Snap-on to a Ferrari for its quality and high price, Harbor Freight to a Hyundai for its affordability and basic functionality, and Sonic to a Corvette for its balance of quality and price.
What unique warranty service does Sonic offer for their tools?
-Sonic offers a unique warranty service where if a tool is broken, customers can take a picture of it, fill out an online form, and receive a brand new tool shipped to their house without the need to return the broken one.
What feature of Sonic tools stood out to Chris during his use?
-The feature that stood out to Chris was the organization of the tools, with every tool having a specific place, as well as the solid feel, nice rubber grip, and the socket grips that help remove loose nuts or bolts.
How does Chris suggest viewers can get a discount on Sonic tools?
-Chris suggests that viewers can get a 25% discount on Sonic tools by following the link provided in the video description, specifically for a set of third tools to help organize their toolbox.
Outlines
🧰 Toolbox Selection and Tool Organization
Chris Fix discusses the importance of choosing the right toolbox for storing and organizing tools. He advises starting with a small, inexpensive toolbox and gradually upgrading to larger, more organized ones as needed. He emphasizes the value of a toolbox with ball bearings in the drawers and multiple compartments for better organization. Fix also suggests looking for deals during holiday sales or on platforms like Craigslist and at local auctions to find good deals on used toolboxes filled with tools.
🔧 Building a Basic Tool Collection
The video script covers the essentials of building a basic tool collection for car maintenance. It highlights the need for a good socket set with both shallow and deep sockets, extensions, and a universal joint. The importance of having a complete wrench set without size skips is stressed, along with the types of wrenches available, such as open-end, box-end, and ratcheting wrenches. Supporting tools like screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, and vice grips are also mentioned as necessary additions to the toolkit. The script advises against buying gimmicky tools when starting out and suggests renting specialized tools instead of purchasing them.
🛠️ Tool Brands and Affordability
Chris explores different tool brands, comparing them to car brands to help viewers understand their quality and price range. He likens Snap-on to a Ferrari for its high quality and cost, Harbor Freight to a Hyundai for its affordability but lower quality, and Sonic to a Corvette for its balance of quality and price. Fix shares his personal strategy for affording tools by fixing his own car and investing the money saved into purchasing tools. He also provides a discount link for Sonic tools and encourages viewers to subscribe for more helpful content.
🔩 Sonic Tool Review and Organizational Benefits
The script provides a detailed review of Sonic tools, focusing on their organization, warranty, and functionality. The organization of tools within the Sonic toolbox is praised for its efficiency and ease of use. The warranty process is highlighted as being straightforward, with a quick online form and fast replacement of broken tools. The feel and function of the tools are commended for their solid build, comfortable grip, and durability. The script concludes with a special offer for a discount on Sonic tools and an invitation for viewers to share their tool brand analogies.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Tool Brands
💡Toolbox
💡Basic Tools
💡Socket Set
💡Wrench Set
💡Supporting Tools
💡Gimmicky Tools
💡Renting Tools
💡Tool Affordability
💡Organization
💡Warranty
Highlights
Chris Fix discusses common questions about tools, including brands, toolboxes, basic tools, and making money from buying tools.
He emphasizes the importance of not being paid by tool companies and providing honest advice.
Starting with a small, inexpensive toolbox is recommended before moving to larger, more expensive ones.
Holiday sales and local auctions are suggested for finding good deals on larger toolboxes.
A toolbox with ball bearings in the drawers and multiple drawers is recommended for better organization.
Building a good socket set is essential, with a preference for metric or SAE depending on the cars worked on.
Socket sets should include both shallow and deep sockets, extensions, and a universal joint.
A breaker bar is necessary for removing stuck nuts and bolts.
A complete wrench set without size skips is crucial for a beginner's tool collection.
Supporting tools like screwdrivers, pliers, and hammers are categorized as basic hand tools.
Blunt nose and needle nose pliers are recommended for various tasks.
Magnetic screwdrivers are beneficial for holding screws in place during assembly.
Gimmicky tools should be avoided in favor of practical, basic tools when starting out.
Specialized tools can be rented from parts stores instead of purchasing them.
Saving money by fixing cars yourself can be reinvested into buying quality tools.
Tool brands are compared to cars, with Snap-on likened to a Ferrari and Harbor Freight to a Hyundai.
Sonic tools are praised for their organization, warranty, and feel and function.
A discount is offered for Sonic's third series tools to help subscribers organize their toolboxes.
Transcripts
hey guys chris fix here today i'm going
to answer many common questions i get
about tools what are good tool brands to
buy what toolbox should i get what are
the basic tools you should have to start
working on your car how can you make
money buying tools and how you can get
tools for free and if you already have a
ton of tools remember to comment below
with any tips and tricks or with
something i might not cover which should
help everybody out also most of my
subscribers already know but for those
of you who are new i am not paid by any
tool companies at all everything i'm
saying is completely honest as always
the goal with all my videos is to help
you guys learn contribute to your skill
sets contribute to your knowledge base
whether it's craftsman if it's sonic if
it's stanley or if it's pittsburgh it
doesn't matter what you guys take away
from it and truthful and honest
information matters to me and that's why
you should consider hitting that
subscribe button because i'm just like
you guys i use common hand tools to work
on my cars at home in my garage in my
driveway because i enjoy working on cars
and also i like to save some money and
know the job is getting done right
[Music]
let's start with tool boxes now these
are important because this is where you
keep all your tools and keep them
organized but you don't have to start
out with one of these big boxes you
could start out with something small
like this this right here was my first
toolbox i got this when i was a kid it
was real inexpensive but it did the job
when looking for your first tool box
find something with a lot of storage
because you're going to be collecting a
lot of tools real quickly and you don't
want to move up to something like this
just yet this lasted me about a year and
it worked real nice
after this box i moved up to this black
one right here now unfortunately these
are significantly more expensive but
they're an investment wait for a holiday
sale to buy one of these big boxes
because you could find some great deals
and save a ton of money also check
craigslist your local auctions sometimes
you can get these filled with tools
they're used but big deal you get a
great deal so after this box i moved up
to my sonic box this thing is fully
loaded fully organized and it has a
great workspace on the top you could
wheel it around to your vehicle so you
could bring the tools to where you're
working which is helpful and i have two
tips for when you're buying one of these
large toolboxes the first tip is you
want to get a toolbox with ball bearings
in the drawers
the next tip is you want a toolbox that
has a bunch of drawers you don't want to
have a toolbox that only has a couple
you want to get as many drawers as you
can so you can fit as many tools as you
can and finally when you're buying your
toolbox remember it's an investment it's
going to last a lifetime and you want
something that's going to organize your
tools really well because that's the
whole point of this keep your tools
organized
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
all right so you got your toolbox
whether it's a small one or one of these
larger ones if you're just starting out
what tools do you want to get so that
when you're working on your vehicle you
could fix most things with a beginner's
set of tools now at this point of the
video let's forget about the actual
brand don't worry about the brand of the
tool that'll come later for now just
focus on the tool itself the other thing
is we're focusing on hand tools not
stuff like a jack or one of these
electric impact guns the first thing
we're going to talk about is building a
good socket set now unfortunately you're
gonna have to pick metric or sae or buy
both what i do is i'd pick one most of
the cars i work on are metric so here's
a metric set now one of the most
important things to me are the sockets
you want to make sure that you have both
shallow sockets and deep sockets because
you're gonna find uses for both of them
now this set here is a quarter inch set
so we go from four
all the way up to thirteen but if you
can try to find a set that is at least
eight here we go six it goes to 14 15
all the way up to 22. so 8 to 22 is my
recommendation if you could find a set
like that so we have everything covered
between these two sets here you don't
want to get a set like this where it
goes 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 21
because i promise you you're gonna need
that 18 you're going to need that 20 and
this will just drive you nuts you also
want to try to get a set that comes with
extensions because you'll definitely
need those and then a bonus is one of
these universal joints which you'll
probably use every once in a while for
those nuts and bolts that are difficult
to get to if you notice with this set we
have these torques which you don't have
to worry about when you're starting off
unless if you have like a german car
that uses a lot of torques but these are
more specialty and you could wait and
hold off to get those till you build
your collection up a little bit more and
then with every socket set that you buy
you need to get yourself a good breaker
bar this is how you remove all those
stuck nuts and bolts it'll come right
off when you have all this leverage so
that covers the basics on what type of
socket set you want to look for
next you need to get yourself a good
wrench set just like with the sockets
with the wrenches you want to make sure
when you get a set it's a complete set
there's no skips and sizes i have this
cheap set here it goes 6 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 17 19. so we're missing 18 we're
missing 16 we go down to the beginning
we're missing seven you're gonna need
those and you're not gonna have them and
then you're gonna have to buy more tools
so you wanna try to find a complete set
now there are so many types of wrenches
that you could get i just want to cover
the basic one that you should start out
with a wrench just like this has an open
end has a box end it's medium size not
long not short but there are tons of
options and here's what i mean we have
specialty wrenches just like this
they're angled even our basic wrench has
differences you could have a six point
like this or you could have a 12 point
like that and the uses vary and then you
could also get ratcheting wrenches which
you don't need right away you could wait
to get those they just make your life a
little bit easier in tight places but
they work the same as a regular wrench
so again there's multiple options but
i'd start off with a regular set with
all the sizes that you need then as you
need tools you could go and get those
tools from the store and for the last
category on basic hand tools i like to
call these supporting tools they're your
screwdrivers they're your pliers a big
four pound hammer some vice grips and
stuff like that when choosing pliers
there's two types i like these blunt
nose style pliers and then these needle
nose style pliers which are a lot
narrower and then you want a good
clippers for cutting wires and then you
could get your specialty pliers you know
these are curved needle nose pliers you
don't need these right away but they do
help with getting hoses off hose clamps
and stuff like that and then obviously
screwdrivers i don't really have to
explain these you got your basic
phillips head and flat head i like these
because they're magnetic which is
awesome because you could put the screw
on there and it holds it in place or
when you unscrew it won't fall into the
engine bay so these are good for the
basics but as you get more tools these
thirds are a great way to get
specialized tools that you don't need a
whole set of you just need a small set
and finally there's something i like to
call the don't category don't buy
gimmicky tools especially when you're
starting out tools like this are really
cool i gotta give it to them they come
up with these great ideas but i haven't
even used this even once because one of
what a regular wrench just does the job
better but as many of you will find out
you have like a tool addiction you see
something cool like this you'll buy it
so when you first start out resist the
urge to buy those gimmicky tools the
multi-tools or even the specialized
tools unless if you need them
[Music]
for specialized tools you don't actually
have to buy them you could rent them a
polar set like this go to your parts
store you might only use this once twice
three times a year they'll rent it out
to you for free same thing for a bowl
joint press set like this your local
parts store even rents ac gauges and
vacuum pumps so if you need to do air
conditioning work you don't have to buy
the pump and the gauges and there are
tons of specialty tools that part stores
rent out for free so check it out and
save some money on tools that you might
only use once a year
now buying tools costs a lot of money so
how do you afford them well this is how
i started let's do the math every time i
had something to fix on my car i got a
quote from the dealer and then i priced
out the job if i did it myself for
example a brake job could cost 500 or
more it really depends on the car i know
parts are going to cost me around 100
bucks so that means i save 400
if i do the job myself now i can invest
all that 400 into tools but instead
let's be smart and invest only half of
that into tools and save the rest for
whatever you might want then as things
break on your car fix it yourself save
money and buy new tools and that's how i
afford my tools i mean when i was in
high school and college i was working at
pizza hut so i couldn't afford many
tools but fixing my own cars and never
having to go to a mechanic i saved
enough and built up to what i have now
[Music]
now the last thing i want to talk about
are tool brands now there are tons of
brands and just like cars everybody has
their favorite so the best way i could
think about explaining the different
brands is through an analogy this is how
i think of the tool companies snap-on is
like a ferrari it's really nice
everybody wants one it's fancy it's
expensive it's exotic it's expensive
it's quality it's expensive i think you
get the idea harbor freight is like a
hyundai great warranty not really
comparable to the ferrari but get you
from point a to point b it's usually
cheap definitely low quality but you
could get by with it now sonic is like a
corvette it's nice it's fast it's way
less expensive compared to the ferrari
but it's more expensive than the hyundai
but you get great quality for the price
and you could beat most supercars if not
then you could at least keep up with
them and i think a fun idea in the
comments let me know your tool brand
analogy and since i started using these
tools you've asked me to review them so
now's a good chance to see what they're
all about so the first thing and the
thing that stands out to me the most
about these tools
organization you know where every tool
goes every tool is organized you want
flatheads they're all over here you want
phillips heads they're all over here
your pry bars your specialty
screwdrivers all of that is in one place
neatly organized compare that to a
normal toolbox where well here are all
my screwdrivers i kind of keep them
organized the best i can but they roll
around they move you know this is one of
those portable toolboxes so it moves
around here i roll it around everything
stays in place and i think that is just
beautiful besides screwdrivers you guys
already seen the socket sets but
everything is numbered it's labeled it's
in order it's in place and that just
makes everything so much more efficient
when you're working on cars you could
easily find what you're looking for if i
want to go get my wrenches well i got
thirds here so i could grab some
wrenches specialty wrenches or i have
some deep sockets right there you know
the next one if i want to go and grab
some sae wrenches everything's right
there i come down here i want to grab
pliers any specialty tools a box cutter
that's all in place
come down here here's a chisel set some
hammers and then finally my last drawer
is well i just keep torque wrenches in
here for now but you can put whatever
you want in here it's deeper
and everything in this box is neat and
organized so one of the biggest things
organization now compare this socket set
drawer
with this socket set drawer completely
different i try to stay organized but
you just you can't on something like
this with this all foam to fit your
tools and honestly this is what hooked
me the next thing i want to talk about
is the warranty let's say you use one of
these screwdrivers as a pry bar and you
break it all you have to do with sonic
completely different than any other
brand tool that i've owned you take a
picture of the broken tool you fill out
a quick form online and once they
approve they next day air ship you a
brand new tool to your house no waiting
for a tool track to come no driving out
to the store that i thought was pretty
cool and finally let's talk about
another important thing and that's the
feel and function of the tools
themselves just like other quality tools
i've used sonic tools feel solid they
have a nice rubber grip to them which is
comfortable in your hands it's not hot
in the summer it's not cold in the
winter and the quality of the metal it's
light but it feels strong a cool thing
about the sockets you know after you
loosen the bolt and then all of a sudden
like your ratchet doesn't work anymore
because it's so loose they have grips on
the socket to help you remove that nut
or bolt which is actually a really nice
feature that's one thing that stuck out
to me when i'm using these so for after
owning these tools for a little while
the biggest thing to me is efficiency
with the organization and then the
quality of the tools is great for the
price a similar quality tool brand this
thing is a fraction of the price of what
they would charge which for people who
do stuff at home but want professional
series tools
that's a good thing now i contacted
sonic to see if i could get my
subscribers a discount they did help out
with the giveaway which was awesome and
now they're helping out again they told
me to pick out a tool for a discount for
you guys so i chose these thirds and you
can get 25 off when you follow the link
in the description and the reason why i
picked thirds is because a lot of
toolboxes look like this and with the
discount you could get a third
and get your toolbox a little bit more
organized and try out some new tools so
hopefully the discount helps you guys
it's up for a week you could click the
link in the description to get to it
hopefully the video was helpful gave you
some new tips on getting tools i know
everybody's been asking for this asking
for a review on sonic tools so there we
go as always if you're not subscribed
consider subscribing
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