reccommend tools for shop

C

carter442

NAXJA Forum User
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tipton in
me and my buddy are planning on starting a shop in the next few years right now we are trying to buy tools. recommend tools that you would use alot in a shop brands would be great as well. the primary focus of our shop will be 4x4s so that should help narrow the tools down.
 
Ima bite the bullet on this one.... and i dont mean this to be a jab at you, i hope you can take it for what it is...


ANYWAYS....
If you dont know what tools you need... what makes you think you should be starting a shop?
 
i knew that was going to be the first post. we actually have a huge list but we want to expand that list maybe help with what brands are good for what tools stuff like that. dont ge me wrong i understand what you mean but just cause i asked for some help doesnt mean i dont have a plan.
 
I cant help you for gear install stuff, maybe someone else can... but for fab, i would want a bender (jd2, hydraulic later on once you start making cash), a good notcher (and drills and hole saws to feed it)... taco shell bender... press brake...

its hard to say, you could spent thousands and still be incomplete... youre in for a loooooong shopping list!

best bet is to start workin on stuff... you'll find things that you want/need... and also stuff that will make you quicker... i spent 2 hours dimple dieing a oil container holder once.... that inspired me to want a press... etc etc.

Its a long swim, dive in!
 
we actually have been looking into a tubing bender my buddy knows a guy who said we could use his all we want as long as we buy the dies we need. and since we are into 4x4s we thought about making stingers/light bars stuff of that nature. we wondered if a harbor freight bender would be ok to start with? currently we are in school for automotive technology and we get up to 55 percent off snap on tools so we have been looking there for alot of our stuff
 
I have been super happy with my Ingersol Rand 2112 3/8 impact. 280 ft/lbs
Grinders: more = better, I would rather have 3 ok ones, than 1 great one, the time spent changing out implements gets old fast. Going to need one each : flapwheel, cutoff wheel, wire wheel. The hitachi brand ones at costco are a bargain at $30 each, much better than HF.
Sharpies, chalk line, speed square, angle finder, protractor, and a good tape.
Micrometer - get one that does fractions, no more searching for that pesky chart.
A good set of drill bits - I find the Dewalt pilot point tips to work well for me.
A good 1/2 drill - my milwaukee has handled everything I have ever asked of it

Well that's a start...
 
NOTHING BUT JACKS from harbor freight.
NOTHING FROM SNAP-ON, unless your a paid wrench, its just too expensive, especially if your trying to get away with a pipe kinker!

There could be an argument for their grinders.... if you MUST... i like what souske's talking about... but i love my ridgids... It might seem like a wise idea to keep 3 differant grinders with differant disks... but this can be a recipe for missing fingers in a small shop like mine... its too easy to hit a trigger by accident. Some grinders have a very hard to press button... which is fine if you use it once a year, i want something i can work with all day and not have sore thumbs.


I would not advise buying dies for someone elses bender... you will end up wanting to work... and hes not around... you get in a fight, etc etc.

I wouldnt bother with a micrometer untill your installing gears, for 90% of rough 4x4 fab, a set of digital calipers will do just fine!
 
You are going to want a decent set of hand tools, I have a mixture of snap on and no name brand tools, I prefer snap on for the ratchets and the cheaper stuff for wrenches as I usually find a need to heat up and bend a wrench to get to a hard spot. I probably have 4-5 modified wrenches for different Jeep parts.

Depending on if you want to get into fabrication, and your budget I recommend a plasma cutter, a few grinders and a portable band saw to start.

Once you start wrenching on the jeeps more you will start finding that you need a tool here or there, thats how my tool collection got built up.
 
i dont plan to buy much from snapon but im in school and we get a good discount so i plan to buy some parts from them. i have a decent set of hand tools all except my impacts are craftsman im slowly getting more hand tools im going to be getting a box soon so il be buying more hand tools then since i will have the space.
 
now for the measuring tools dial indicators mics beam style torque wrenches. what are good brands for these that wont destroy my wallet? when we did rearends in our last class we both got into them alot and found out we are pretty good at regearing them so we are going to try an do many regears
 
im looking for something thats accurate and the torque wrench can be any style as long as you can measure turning torque so either the beam style or the dial style
 
I think a parts washer and press would be good for a start up shop. A vise that opens at least 6". A good tap and die set, along with a good easy out set would be in order also.
 
Mics and dial indicators can be found on craigslist all the time for a great price. machinists were huge in the 50s and 60s but they are all retired if not gone and their tools are being sold cheap. starret and federal are good quality brands. just stay away from china, tiawan, ect. japan makes some good ones too.
since you get such a great discount from snap on, i would suggest the BJP1 ball joint press. probably the best in the industry and that kit does just about any vehicle. if i could find someone in my area that gets a huge discount like that i would get one too. so far alot of great advise.
look into getting a good large air compressor too. the bigger the better. shop air is vital in any shop.
 
The biggest air compressor you can afford. I say at a minimum a 5hp / 80 gallon tank.
 
we are going to try to start it in my great aunts garage. i live with her and am extremely close to her. when my uncle built it for his 442 before he died he outfitted very nicely raised ceiling 80 gallon 2 stage air compressor set up for a bathroom its 3.5 cars so we wana get out start there then if the business takes off buy another place but if we fail then we didnt amass a huge amount of debt
 
If you're in school, a lot of the big name tool companies will give you a great discount. When I was in A&P school, I bought a bunch of my MAC tools, including my roller cab, for 50% off, and Matco gave a similar discount. If you can afford it, now is the time to get them. Just don't use their "financing," or you'll lose whatever you saved paying back the interest.

Otherwise, you really can't beat Craftsman's "Guaranteed for life" hand tools.
 
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