There are some basic automotive tools that you should have on hand. Many of them are versatile and they make it possible for you to quickly access what you need for maintenance and repairs. When you are starting your automotive tool kit, flat head and Philips styles of screwdrivers are essential. You want to have various head sizes and shaft lengths too. This will allow you to have the versatility you need for a variety of jobs.
You also want to have several different styles and sizes of pliers. They include needle nose pliers and standard types. You want to determine if your vehicle was manufactured with metric or SAE fasteners. Most of the newer vehicles have all been converted to metric fasteners. A good set of box end wrenches and sockets will be very handy for different types of automotive work.
If your car has limited space for working under the hood, you may consider getting some extensions. These will fit on your socket set along with universal joints. They allow you to get the socket on a fastener that may be in a hard to reach area or at a strange angle. If you plan to do routine maintenance on your vehicle, it is a good idea to have the right size of oil filter wrench for each of them.
Coolant testers can be a great addition to your tool kit. A tire pressure gauge is important so that you can keep them properly inflated. Adjustable wrenches can help you to take care of many elements as they can easily be manipulated to fit any area. A set of ramps to put your vehicle up on can be very useful when you have to work under it.
Make sure you buy good quality tools too. You don’t want something that is going to break when you are trying to use it. However, you don’t have to buy high dollar automotive tools in order to have those that work well. You can bypass what the professionals use and go with something that has a solid reputation at an affordable price. Some of these tool manufacturers offer lower priced tools with great warranties on them.
You can buy many tools as part of a set. If you are just starting out this is a good way to go. Then you will have many tools and not pay as much as you would individually for them. However, there will be times when you may need to buy individual tools for a specific job or that is specific for the vehicle you own.