The 20 Essential Tools Every DIY Mechanic Should Own

For many people, the biggest barrier to working on their car is not poor patience or even lack of knowledge but insufficient equipment.  First of all, if you can’t take the time to do things right, you shouldn’t be picking up a wrench in the first place. And besides, these days, the Internet can walk you through pretty much any problem you’ll encounter, be it something as simple as a spark plug swap or something as intensive as a timing belt replacement. However, if you don’t have the right tools for the job, you’ll either be brought to a halt or forced to make do with what you have. If you opt for the latter option, you might very well get lucky and have things go off without a hitch. Then again, it’s just as possible that your ad hoc attempt could end up making the issue even worse.

All that is to say: it’s incredibly important that you outfit your garage with the right means to accomplish your repair. But let’s face it. Apart from a few basics — screwdrivers, pliers, and safety glasses — your average handyman’s toolbox isn’t likely to be equipped for automotive applications. As such, you’ll have to build out your setup based on the demands of your fix and the particular standards of your vehicle. With the potential for electrical work, oil changes, and any number of other routine maintenance tasks and unexpected problems, the list of tools you need can stretch for miles. Rather than attempting to manage it all for yourself, do yourself a favor and check out our handy guide. Drawing on our own experiences getting our hands dirty and turning wrenches, we’ve rounded up a list of essential tools that we feel that every DIY car mechanic should have. From catch pans to breaker bars to jack stands, we’ve got it all — read on and have a look-see.

What Factors Should I Consider When Buying Mechanic’s Tools?

If you’ve never shopped for mechanic’s tools before, the process can be a bit intimidating. Fear not, however, as we’ve streamlined this process by also piecing together this mini guide to the most important factors to consider when shopping — all of which we’ll be breaking down directly below. 

Materials: The materials used to construct any tool will always play a monumental role in determining the item’s overall quality. How meticulously these tools are crafted also plays a major role in overall quality and durability, though most of the more premium well-crafted tools tend to be made from more high-end constructions while the less-finely-crafted, mass-produced budget tools are typically made from more economical materials. Additionally, this area alone plays a pretty huge role in determining the tool’s pricing as well — making it that much more important to review when shopping. 

Brand: Most tool brands are incredibly consistent with the overall quality of their products, and as such these outfits develop distinct reputations — for better or for worse — for the quality of their respective tools. So, another way to ensure you’re getting a great tool, is to do some cursory digging online, browsing forums, Reddit, and YouTube to start getting a sense of where each brand stands in terms of quality and craftsmanship. And, while you’ll always have some outliers, the wrenching community’s consensus and views on these brands tend to be fairly widely held. 

Sizing: Both cars and motorcycles require tools in either metric or SAE (short for the “Society of Automotive Engineers”) sizing. As such, you should simply consider the vehicle(s) you plan on working on, as that should clue you into which type you’ll need — though having said that, you can often get away with just a metric set when wrenching on cars. 

Price & Value: It can be tricky knowing exactly how much one should spend when buying tools. While it’s true that the more premium brands in the space like Matco and Snap-On do objectively make higher-quality products, they’re hugely lacking in bang for your buck compared to mid-tier tool brands. Super budget brands like Harbor Freight do tend to offer unbeatable value, though their lack of quality makes it easy to justify spending a bit more to get a much better overall product. 

Organization: Though primarily applying to multi-item offerings such as ratchet or screwdriver sets, when buying tool kits, you’ll definitely want to consider organization — i.e. if the set comes with any kind of organizer or carrying case above and beyond its original packaging. Organization not only makes it markedly easier to find the right tool that you need when working, but it also makes storing and finding them at home substantially less difficult, as well. 

Warranty: In order to get a sense of how long manufacturers expect their tools to last, one can typically look to an item’s warranty, as this should offer at least some ballpark sense of their expected lifespan. So, while it does typically come at a premium, purchasing from brands that stand behind their tools with a lifetime warranty is a fantastic way to ensure you’ll be able to use your tools for years to come. 

Storage: When buying tools, one shouldn’t merely focus on the performance, construction, and value, but also how and where they’ll be storing that tool when they bring it home. This area is particularly important with large power tools, jacks, air compressors, and other large items that occupy a decent amount of space. Additionally, if buying sets of tools, you’ll also want to consider how you’ll go about storing and organizing the items that comprise these kits — assuming said kit isn’t sold with an organizer or carrying case. 

3M Secure Fit 400 Series Safety Glasses

Best Safety Glasses: Between splatters, sparks, and sharp objects, wrenching on your ride has the potential to do some serious harm to your eyes. As such, safety glasses are non-negotiable any time you’re in the garage. Sure, this pair of glasses from 3M isn’t exactly “stylish,” per see, but they’re made with lightweight frames, soft silicone nose pads, and anti-fog shatter-resistant polycarbonate lenses. And, at the end of the day, you can’t beat ’em at around just $5 a pop — especially given how often these things are going to get lost.

CRC Brakleen Cleaner

Best Braking Hardware Cleaner: Spills and other messes are inevitable when working on your car; it’s a part of the job. But rather than wasting your time with ineffective household cleaners, just get a can of Brakleen instead. Because it’s designed for scrubbing brake rotors, it cuts through grease and grime like nothing else, and it even evaporates without leaving a trace. However, it’s incredibly caustic stuff, so be careful about what you use it on, and always be sure to don some eyewear like the ones we have listed below.

NewMainOne Cable Zip Ties

Best Zip Ties: Zip ties are one of those game-changing items that are virtually endless in their application, great for everything from fastening cables to repairing bodywork. In other words, it’s to your advantage to keep a bag of these kicking around in your toolbox, as you never know when you’ll need to whip one out for a job. If you’re anything like most auto enthusiasts, chances are pretty good that your “quick fix” will eventually become a permanent repair — unintentionally, of course.

MedPride Nitrile Gloves

Best Disposable Gloves: We touched on it above, but working on your car can expose you to any number of different caustic contaminants, so you should always wear a pair of gloves if you think a job has the potential to get messy. Disposable options like these ones made from nitrile are preferable to reusable work gloves because they ensure that you have a fresh starting point for every fix. Otherwise, you’ll be fighting an impossible battle to keep them clean, likely dirtying your engine bay (along with anything else you touch) in the process.

Pittsburgh Automotive Waste Oil Container

Best Oil Catch Pan: Generally speaking, cheap tools aren’t very good, and good tools aren’t very cheap. As such, we typically steer clear from budget operations like Harbor Freight’s in-house Pittsburgh Automotive brand, however, there are certain items that you can get away with skimping on without losing much quality or performance — such as an oil catch pan. Hugely simplifying oil changes and the process of draining out other fluids, the Pittsburgh Automotive Oil Catch Pan features a concave design that boasts a trio of o-ring-equipped screw-down drainage caps and an 8.5 quart capacity (or 18.5 quarts when oriented vertically. 

Milwaukee Hook & Pick Set

Best Hook & Pick Set: When hoses, bushings, and other thicker-grade rubbers need a-movin’, a hook and pick set will save you from a lot of frustration and your fingers from a lot of pain. We like this four-piece set from Milwaukee Tools because it includes a straight pick, an o-ring hook, an offset hook, as well as a 90-degree hook, giving you a range of options to help you tackle all of your automotive repairs.

Handy Brite Ultra Bright LED Cordless Rechargeable Work Light Lamp

Best Work Light: Having the right tools will be of little help if you can’t even see what it is you’re doing. Unless you’re working out in the direct sun, we’d suggest picking up one of these cordless rechargeable LED work lamps from Handy Brite. Weighing only 5.7oz, this 11.1-watt cordless work lamp features a magnetic base and manages to emit 1,000 lumens, despite its fairly compact 8.86” x 2.03” x 2.60” package. Plus, if it’s onboard battery dies, this lamp can always be plugged in and then used like a traditional cabled work light. 

Kobalt 18-Piece Screwdriver Set

Best Screwdriver Set: Most of us already keep a set of screwdrivers for the odd home repair, but you may need to round out your arsenal with a couple of additional sizes. For instance, a hard-to-reach spot might require an offset screwdriver such as one from this 18-piece set from Kobalt that features black oxide and heat-treated magnetic tips Delicate electronics, on the other hand, will likely need the smallest Phillips you can find. You certainly don’t have to spring for an entire set, but it’s generally more cost-effective than taking a piecemeal approach.

Lisle 57030 Standard Oil Filter Wrench

Best Oil Filter Wrench: Changing your oil alone isn’t enough to keep your car’s engine happy — you also have to swap out the filter. Thus, you’re going to need a specific wrench like this one from Lisle. Although there are universal plier tools that can also get the job done, we prefer the closed design because it allows for even tension. And because the handle swivels more than 180 degrees, it’s far easier to use in tight, confined spaces. (Just try turning a set of pliers when you can barely keep them gripped.)

Neiko ½” Drive 24″ Breaker Bar

Best Breaker Bar: During those times when a little extra oomph is needed to get that stuck fastener free, you’ll be glad to have a breaker bar in your home mechanic’s toolkit; they make the process practically effortless because of the added leverage. Never use a torque wrench or any other kind of precision measuring tool to remove a bolt or knut. They’re calibrated instruments with delicate ratchet systems that are likely to fail under load. These, however, are made to take a beating.

Craftsman T-Handle Hex Key Set

Best Hex Key Set: T drivers are far superior to standard Torx, Allen, and hex keys, because their handles allow for a stronger grip and their bits seat more securely. Ever the gold standard in affordable hand tools, Craftsman offers both 14-piece and 25-piece sets, with the former including popular SAE and metric sizes, and the latter adding star keys and a convenient folding case. Bonus points if you can manage to keep them all organized and together for more than a single afternoon.

Irwin Vise-Grip Wire Stripper Set

Best Wire Stripper Set: While you’re more than welcome to strip your wires with whatever you can find (preferably not your teeth), having a dedicated tool will make your life a hell of a lot easier. This set of Irwin strippers comes with a self-adjusting model as well as a plier-like multi-tool. Capable of crimps, cuts, and strips, they’re essential for any mechanic who dabbles in his own electrical work.

Torin Big Red 3-Ton Steel Jack Stands

Best Jack Stands: Unless you’re blessed with the luxury of having a lift, you’ll probably be working under your car using a creeper. Never, ever rely on a service jack for anything other than getting your vehicle off the ground. With 2-3 tons suspended just inches above you, it’s vital that you use jack stands for their stable base, heavy load capacity, and locking pins. The added security (read: your life) is more than worth the expense. Also, it’s pretty obvious, but please be sure to check how much your vehicle weighs before ordering.

Klein Tools MM400 Digital Multimeter

Best Multimeter: Even if you’re only doing minimal electrical work on your car, a multimeter is incredibly helpful to have around the house. From finding faulty switches to testing batteries to identifying hot wires, you’ll be surprised at just how much use you can get out of one of these handy little devices. While you don’t need to spend that much to get a good one, we’d recommend an auto-ranging option like the MM400 from Klein — it handles a lot of the troublesome data sorting for you.

Irwin Vise-Grip ProPliers Plier Set

Best Plier Set: In addition to the above wire strippers, we also suggest that you get a set of high-quality pliers (assuming you don’t already have some of your own) like this one from Irwin. Between needle-nose, slip-joint, groove joint, and diagonal designs, you’ll be armed with everything you need to cut, reach, and grip your way out of any tricky repair. It even comes with its own tool roll for compact, convenient storage. This kit also comes backed by a lifetime warranty.

Tekton ½” Drive Click Torque Wrench

Best Torque Wrench: If you’re not already securing bolts to proper spec using a torque wrench, we’d hazard a guess that you’re doing some serious damage to your car’s components. In fact, between stripped threads, broken fasteners, and stuck washers, there’s a lot that can go wrong when tightening things down solely by ‘feel.’ Save yourself the headache and get a torque wrench like this one from Tekton. It comes within 4% accuracy and supports measurements from 10 to 150ft-lbs, ensuring consistent torque settings every time.

DeWalt Xtreme Impact Wrench

Best Impact Wrench: Use an impact wrench once and you’ll understand why these are essential for any DIY auto mechanic; they’re a true game-changer in the garage. In addition to saving you the tedium of having to fasten screws by hand (thereby making your workflow far more efficient), they also reduce the effort required to remove tight nuts and bolts from areas that are liable to rust. And that’s not even mentioning the wide variety of attachments available, including everything from drill bits to polishing pads to cutting tools.

Craftsman 3 Drive 135-Piece Mechanic’s Tool Set

Best Complete Tool Set: Okay, so in all likelihood, you’ll be adding to your wrenches and sockets on a regular basis — every vehicle has its own idiosyncracies — but you’ll need a good starting point to get you off on the right track. Depending on what type of car you currently have (i.e., classic or modern, domestic or import), this 135-piece metric toolset from Craftsman should do just the ticket. With eight combination wrenches, three 72-tooth ratchets, nearly 100 different sockets, and an assortment of specialty tools, it can tackle almost any garden variety fix.

Blackhawk B6350 Service Jack

Best Service Jack: In order to get your car mounted on the above stands, you’ll first need a service jack to raise it to a sufficient height. We’d recommend buying this one from Blackhawk because it comes with a built-in internal safety valve, a convenient swiveling saddle, and a generous 3.5-ton lift capacity. Just be sure to check your ground clearance first; if you have a low-slung sports car, the 5.5-inch starting height might make it under your chassis.

Makita MAC210Q Quiet Series Electric Air Compressor

Best Air Compressor: Last but not least we have an air compressor. Ideal for carb cleanup, tire inflation, and powering devices such as nail guns, angle grinders, and paint sprayers, they make for one of the more versatile additions to your DIY mechanic’s toolkit. If you’ve previously been put off by the thought of using a noisy air compressor, be sure to check out the Quiet Series from Makita. With its lower running speed and excellent sound insulation, it operates at a mere 60dB, or as loud as a typical conversation.

The Best Budget Project Cars For Auto Enthusiasts

Interested in taking on an automotive project now that you’ve got the tools required to do so? Then be sure to cruise over to our guide to the best project cars for a look at some of the best used platforms for bringing your automotive ambitions to life.