Cheap Handtools for Trail Set

[19scout77]

Any recommendations for cheap wrenchs, sockets, impact sockets, pliers, snap ring pliers, multi tester, wire cutters, pry bars, ball joint fork, screw drivers etc? I am putting together a dedicated set for trail use only. Everyone knows what to buy for the tool chest, but how about some recommendations for cheapos that work well enough, but won't make you cry if left behind to rust in the woods. All of the generics look the same when shopping online.

[andyr354]

pawn shops, garage sales, and auctions.

Where alot of mine came from.

[yager]

harbor freight for the bulk and upgraded tools for some critical items (snap ring pliers, rachet, etc..) This assumes your rig is not all frozen up from 10years of rust and no maintence.

[CTENG]

Wally World and Harbor Freight for screwdrivers, cheap 100pc socket set in plastic case, pliers...HF is great for cheap vice grips, always a trail necessity.

[rocknbronco]

Northern cheap and good

[VerticalTRX]

Stanley tools from walmart for wrenches and sockets, they are (or used to be atleast) surprisingly good quality for the price. Stanley pliers, dikes and visegrips are good too, their screwdrivers are crap.

[crusty1007]

i carry around the 4 drawer plastic craftsmen tool box, you can usually find them on sale for around 100$ they come with 1/4" 3/8" 1/2" drive sets open & boxed wrenches, allens,screwdrivers with tips its a preety handy way to carry the crap, and the rest i throw in canvas bags....

oh and its alot cheaper to lose the craftsmen than snap-on, and usually wont break as quickly as some of the other crap on the market..

[CrustyJeep]

HF for all sockets and extensions (but throw the ratchets in the bushes). Pawn shops for most other stuff. You should be fine with a set of mid grade wrenches, such as Husky, Stanley, Craftsman, etc. EBay for good truck brand flair nut wrenches, less than the best will eat your.. um... nuts.

[rocknbronco]

I think the Stanley tools come with a lifetime warranty as well.

[speedo]

I take good stuff on the trail, warranty..... almost as good as..... just don't cut it when your miles from anywhere and need tools to perform their job. All of my trail tools are either Mac or Snap-on.

Gus

[rocknbronco]

Sounds like your either a mechanic or loaded for tools.

[suprzuk]

I have been using the Stanley stuff even in the garage. It has held up great for me. Even the impact sets from wally world. Can't beat $17 for a deep well impact set in a case.

kevin

[BMB]

Look into the Champion tools at Sears, its their import tool line.

I got one of their kits and used it extensively at the Pull A Part and haven't had any trouble, other than some surface rust on the pliers. So, I got another to carry on the trail.

Doesn't cover it all, but it makes a good start.


BMB

[TheRamChargerMan]

I'd rather not have a cheap set that can fail when I am out in the woods.

At home, if it breaks, you go get another one...out on the trail, it may take some walking for a replacement.

[jmhinescj]

the stanley stuff from wallmart works pretty well, half the time I end up using a trail tool when I misplace a shop tool...and for the most part it's hard to tell a big difference

[Souse Mouse]

I'm going to speak against Stanley.

About five years ago I bought a Crescent-branded tool set for $60 at Sam's Club. SAE & metric, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" drive with four screwdrivers, a bit driver & bits, needlenose pliers, dykes, L-allens, and combination wrenches. Three-eighths drive has deepwell as well as shallow sockets. All the wrenches (on the box end only, of course) and sockets are six-point and I've never rounded anything off even with the open end of the wrenches. The blow-molded case held everything fairly securely yet easy to pull out with oily hands, was fairly compact, and the gray color made it easy to read the deeply-molded labels.

About eight months ago I decided I needed another set. I got the 156pc Stanley "Contractor Grade" Mechanics Tool Set for $60 at Sam's Club. (They didn't have the Crescent.) It omits the screwdrivers, pliers, and dykes in favor of a magnetic parts dish. (Ever notice how often you'll find screws you can't get to with a bit driver? :shaking: ) Its blow-molded case is black which makes the labels hard to see, grips its sockets in a death grip that requires prising them out with the open end of one of the smaller wrenches yet drops the allen sets all the time, and is twice as thick as the Crescent case. Okay, minor annoyances there. But then the real problems begin. The wrenches' open end is crap and rounds off bolts, with a 12pt box end that does the same. Most of the sockets are also 12pt so you can guess what they do. (Seriously, if you're going to make cheap tools, don't make them 12pt!) Worst of all is the ratchets, which occasionally reversed themselves even though I didn't touch the lever. :mad3:

Oh, and I once bent a 3' cheater pipe on the 1/2" Crescent ratchet, but the ratchet still works like new. That's a "cheap" tool I'd be sad to lose!

TLDR? Summary:
Crescent 10, Stanley -$60.

[19scout77]

Thanks Guys. Sounds like I've got plenty of places to start looking.

[Mike C2]

I was going to recommend the Crescent set at Sam's as well. My Sam's has not had the Stanley, but thanks for the heads up! My only complaint is no big sockets (Nothing bigger than 7/8")

I bought a 3/4" drive Stanley set on eBay, and it' pretty decent. It was new and made in Taiwan but as noted above Stanley has lifetime warranty.

Sears has a pretty decent 155 piece Craftsman mechanics set for $99 right now on sale. Add pliers, screwdrivers, and a crescent wrench and it would be a good start.

[cybergeek23851]

Sears has a pretty decent 155 piece Craftsman mechanics set for $99 right now on sale. Add pliers, screwdrivers, and a crescent wrench and it would be a good start.

That's the same set I just bought about a month ago. So far, I've been pleased with it.

[JTRUCKJMC]

I bought the Stanley set from Sams acouple years ago in the plastic case and like the fact that everything is secure in the box and not rattling around.
Have not had any issues with the tools themselves. I also put together a small canvas bag for the tools I needed not in the kit. I really don't want to take my good tools (snapon etc.) out in the truck and possible loose or lend out.....:cool2:

[crusty1007]

I take good stuff on the trail, warranty..... almost as good as..... just don't cut it when your miles from anywhere and need tools to perform their job. All of my trail tools are either Mac or Snap-on.

Gus

I too carry snap-on, matco stuff, in the canvas and is always going to be the last to come out...
also the only time ive had a craftsmen wrench or socket fail is when i use a cheater bar on the ratchet and bust teeth or use a long ass breaker bar and crack the 12 points, so i can honestly say in my experience my craftsman junk has constantly given my exspensive snap-on and matco tools a big run for their money.....

ive had more snap-on crap fail, and it really pisses me off when they pro rate the shit.... Ive preety much stepped over to matco tools.

[drnut]

If you can find a place that sells ATD they have a master tool set ($280) it comes with 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" sockets, all 6- point all the way up to 1 1/4 in the 1/2" drive, deep and standard, metric and SAE in their own cases. Combination wrenches up to 1 1/4 in SAE and 24mm in metric in their own bag. Flat tip and Phillips scrwdriver sets. Plier set and cresent wrench set. For the price it can't be beat. I usually use a mix of Snap-on and Craftsman professional on a daily basis but for travling tools this is the best set for the money that i have come across.

[bh3733]

went to ace hardware and got a basic set of wrenches, sockets, etc... and seem to work well so far.

[MochaMike]

Watch sears for sales & discontinued Craftman stuff.

I got an 8 piece wrench, two 6 piece screwdriver sets set for $10 each last month.

[Po' riggity]

I take my the crescent tool set with me on the trail, and its usually enough for what I need to do. Im thinking about bolting my mac tool box to the inside of the jeep to put more tools in though.
Scott

[TBItoy]

I pretty much have all Stanley stuff from walmart. the quality has come way up recently ( at least around here) and they have free replacement. I carried a busted socket into the local service desk and they walked to the tool section, got one out of a pack and handed it too me! (they took the short pack to the back)

[19scout77]

Just got back from Harbor Freight with about 30 lbs of Indian and Chinese steel. 11 impacts sockets, 16 wrenches, 6 pliers and a digital multi-tester, grand total $39.50--about 1/2 the cost of my last screw-driver!! They ain't perfect, but they'll do.

[eschoendorff]

Just got back from Harbor Freight with about 30 lbs of Indian and Chinese steel. 11 impacts sockets, 16 wrenches, 6 pliers and a digital multi-tester, grand total $39.50--about 1/2 the cost of my last screw-driver!! They ain't perfect, but they'll do.

Just be careful. Some of their cheap stuff (pliers and screwdrivers in particular) are downright dangerous.

[LBHSBZ]

I'm not a wheeler, but a road racer (I just like the shop forum here). I worked as a mechanic for toyota and GM for about 5 years, and bought nothing but snap-on. I've broken more craftsman tools than I have Harbor freight. When I go to the track for the weekend, its generally a fairly large chunk of change when you figure in entry fees, a barrel of race fuel, at least 1 set of tires, food, hotel, etc...
I bring everything with me, spare engines (at least 2) spare gearbox (only one) and the best tools I can buy. I can't possibly be stuck anywhere, but I spent a bunch of money to have a good weekend and I'll be damned if a busted wrench kills it for me. I have 2 tool boxes...A snap-on KRL1000 at the shop full of snap on tools and a smaller single bay box full of snap on that I bring to the track with me. I also carry a canvas bag with the essentials, all snap-on, in the truck in the case that something might happen. 10 minutes before the race, I need reliable tools. If there is a chance that something may fail, it means money and a pissed away weekend. On the trail, miles from anywhere, I would only bring the best that I could afford, and leave the cheap stuff at home, where it isn't so critical.

[RockSolidTrooper]

I carry around all my trail tools in a couple of old Army ammo boxes like these:

http://www.forumsigs.com/users/abinidi1455/TH_041004224423.jpg

Works good and you can beat the crap outa them. I even have a tray made outa angle iron in the back to hold 2 of them.

Every time I work on my rig at home, I make sure I have the same tool in my ammo box.

[glfredrick]

Stanley tools from walmart for wrenches and sockets, they are (or used to be atleast) surprisingly good quality for the price. Stanley pliers, dikes and visegrips are good too, their screwdrivers are crap.


I second this... They are fine. Stanley is the owner of the plant that makes MAC, Craftsman, and others. Also check out Lowes Kobalt line, also good stuff. Perhaps too good for trail use... Most of the time I use Harbor Freight stuff (or other import stores) for trail use. Loose too many to spend real money.

As long as we're talking trail tools, I've found that a couple things are invaluable on the trail and are a part of my trail kit on every run.

1. A big-sized coffee can with plastic lid. Inside this, I stuff a small funnel, and a small cheap tarp, rolled up. I've used this stuff on virtually EVERY run I've been on. The can will hold an oil change, add water to a boiling radiator from a local stream, work as a bathroom if need be, etc. Just toss it and use a new one if it gets messed up. The tarp and funnel are self-expanatory.

2. My Snap On 18V Cordless Impact with the charger and an inverter. This tool has proven its worth in multiple runs, and there has never been a run where someone didn't need to use it. Busting loose lug nuts on a wheel on a rocky ledge will prove its value the first time you use it. I also carry a Snap On cordless portable air compressor that operates off the same battery, but that is a luxury piece that could also be served by on-board air.

3. A "junk bag" that has an assortment of one-off nuts, bolts, screws, electrical connectors, Dana 44 spindle nuts, wire ties, shrink wrap, hose clamps, an exhuast clamp, etc. This always gets tapped into for something.

4. Tire fixin' tools.

5. A couple of welding rods, some wire (electrical and steel), tape in various versions (thread, electrical, and duct), rubber gloves, and a roll of blue towels.

Of course, there are the normal hand tools that get carried, and it all goes into a soft-side tool bag.

One last thing I'm considering carrying...

A credit card reader for those guys that insist on wheeling with nothing more than a cell phone and a credit card. Seems that I'm one of the ones that is always having to bail them out on the trail. At least I can charge time and materials... :grinpimp:

So, what do you carry?