Absolutely agree with sunex, precision intruments, mayhew, milwaukee, and ingersoll rand. All top quality tools with reasonable prices considering the features you get.

Great video. I tell all the mechanics that want to get into it to buy the basics, like you said. Wrenches, standard and metric, sockets, standard and metric, screw drivers, pry bars and the like. One thing that I do add is that you want at least two ratchets in each drive size. I have doubles and triples of each because what happens if you have one and strip it out? Snap on, Mac, Matco, Cornwell trucks come once a week. Have a spare. And I like to have them in multiple length handles. Cordless tools are Milwaukee M18 FUEL. Hands down. I just upgraded to the XC 9.0 batteries and I charge them all once a week. I use my impact driver (1/4 inch with socket adapter) every day, drill every other day and 1/2 inch impact every day. Now they do not have the power of air, but for exhaust work they beat dragging an air hose under a school bus.

Fantastic tool review. Nicely unbiased and the suggestions to get things like plyers, punches, and cordless electric tools at a hardware store will definitely save money! Only real advantage to the tool truck wrenches is that if you break something- the truck comes by weekly. FUNNY THOUGH how when you turn 60ish and take your toolbox home - the tool truck guys aren't quite as quick to replace your stuff...

Good video and nice to hear good unbiased tool recommendations . I started out In 2000 on trucks at a dealer and have since went away from that in work in garbage business now exclusively on heavy equipment . I started out with about 1700 $ worth of craftsman tools and stayed in pretty heavy debt for about 3 years gathering what I needed. as far as yours but 1 1/2 up pluss size wrenches go tractor supply is the way to go I have never seen anyone break a wrench that size even wailing on them with a hammer which becomes pretty routine working on rusted equipment. I still have all of my old craftsman tools and use those when abuse is called for and I just like the old style wrench compared to any of the expensive ones . but that is my preference. good source for lower cost snap on and Matco tools is there repo box if they keep on on the truck ,that is where all of my branded tools have came from except for a few special speciality tools or one that just makes my life easier. gather as much as you can afford first few years and take care of them and they will take care of you that is my words of wisdom for anyone new. if I spend 500 a year on tools now it was a bad year for me . sorry for the lengthy comment Keep up the good vids

Love your content but I just need to say something in the name of saving up and coming techs money. The brand Mayhew you mentioned is a us manufacturer of prybars and chisels. They make ALL the chisels, bits, prybars, etc for the truck brands. Cornwell, Matco, mac, and even snap on. 5 piece prybar set is $70 from Mayhew vs $200 for a 4 piece set of any of the 4 mentioned trucks. Matco also is owned by apex tools, who also owns gearwrench. All their wrenches are made in Taiwan and can be had for a fraction the price through gearwrench. That being said though, apex tools also owns fluke and all of Matco higher end multimeters are rebranded fluke meters that tend to go on sale every so often as a cheaper alternative to buying outright for a fluke meter All the tool trucks excluding snap on use channellock as their supplier for USA made pliers/cutters. The cheaper pliers are made in China and are identical to the pliers found at harbor freight or in the bargain bins at most hardware/parts stores. Matco rebrands, They do not make any of the tools they sell. Their USA made tools are manufactured by Mayhew, lisle, aj manufacturers, otc, channellock, assenmacher, and a few others. Mac wrenches are still made In the USA, but can be found slightly cheaper under their industrial brand “Proto”. This holds true for their screwdrivers, ratchets, and ratcheting wrenches. Pretty good rule of thumb is the tools trucks, again with the exception of Matco, only manufacturer their hardline tools. This includes ratchets, wrenches, and sockets. Snap on and Mac have a little more reach in the “in-house” manufacturing Mac, being owned by Stanley black&decker, has dewalt and Proto branded tools, rebranded for a higher premium. With Snap-on having Williams and Bahco. So that’s another way to save all while getting the same quality

Don't forget to insure your tools or make sure your workplace has insurance to cover them.I spend $50 per week on tools and buy tools that are on special to make my life easier if you do this over the years you will end up with a really nice toolbox.

Great job, I have Sunex impact sockets I bought in 1989 when I started turning wrenches and haven't broke one yet!!!

Like all your videos they are clear, concise and well thought through. I like the honesty of your opinion on various brands of tools and the practical advice that anyone interested in or working in this field finds hard to get from anywhere else. Keep up the good work and keep making those videos.

Good stuff man. Also its refreshing to see somebody make a video with alot of talking that doesn't have a jump cut every five seconds.

Love your videos although I'm not in the professional field any longer I'm starting the diesel field because I just purchased a 7.3 f250 and you've helped me a lot to figure my way around the motor I'm also a disabled veteran so I'm on a limit budget so a lot of mine are impact tools but I learn alot from you so thanks bunches

Great videos! I wish I had found your channel sooner than a few weeks ago. Regarding tools, some of mine have changed from my first preferences just based on what trucks show up regularly. Started out with mostly Snap-on and Matco (and Klein and Greenlee from a previous line of work) but because the Mac truck shows up the most frequently at my current location, thats what ends up being the most common replacement or new purchase (or Amazon). As far as the electric tools, I'm the stubborn guy that tries to avoid bringing them to the shop. They're incredibly handy and much more powerful vs even 5 years ago, but from my construction days of blowing ~$1000 a year replacing batteries, I figure the shop air is free (to me) and I'll stubbornly stick to that as much as I can and use my cordless electrics at home. You're also the only other person I know of that has a preference for Matco ratchets. I have plenty from other brands, and I wouldn't even say I dislike the others, but I'll habitually reach for my Matco ratchets first every time.

If you're enrolled as a student It's always good to check with the companies to see if they offer special student pricing. Snap-On, Fluke, and IR all offer discounts for students. If you don't see a student discount offered on a particular companies website then try sending them an e-mail, they may still have one even if they don't advertise it, or they may direct you to one of their distributors who do.

For impacts I like aircat/nitrocat. For die grinders you need to look at how often you use them, a couple of times a month then HF is more than good enough. You can replace an HF a lot of times for the price of a ir or snap on. If you use it all the time then you step up to the high dollar tools

Snap on, craftsman meachanics, matco,mac, blue point, proto & mayhew bars,chisels and punches are all the same they're all made but mayhew forge in PA I used to heat treat them the only differences are certain designs can be proprietary to who sells them (mac or snap on etc) and Sioux tools air tools are snap on as well we used to do parts for them that all came from snap on

I'm not a professional mechanic, but after working on my own vehicles, I have almost all the tools you mention. For screwdrivers, I prefer Wera. Knipex for pliers and love my Mayhew pry bars. For sockets, I have a combo of Sunex, old school craftsmen, Tekton and Capri. Wrenches are Capri, Gearwrench, Stahlwille, and of course old school Craftsman. No air tools here. But I have Milwaukee impacts and ratchets in electric. Drinks are DeWalt cordless. I don't have any die grinders, but they're on my list.

Love Milwaukee electric tools. I got 1/2" impact wrench as a free add-on to drill/driver kit at Home Depot. Would suggest waiting for one of those specials if you can.

I had to cut the vid short bc of some time restraints atm so I'm not sure if you touched on it but one of the biggest reasons for Snap-On's higher value is because of the fact that their dealers are everywhere. Unlike Mac, Matco, and Cornwell, they're the most reliable/consistent dealers around. I've had some A-Hole snappy dealers and great dudes selling other stuff, not saying they're the best all around, just that Snap-On from what I've seen is better at keeping dealers and sending in new dealers if they do loose a guy. I've been in a class 8 truck tech for almost 15yrs and Ive went years without having a Mac, Cornwell, or Matco dealer which can get frustrating when you have a pile of tools that need to be warrantied. Could be my area, nut it seems like when CW, MAC, and MCO looses a franchisee, it can be a long while before you see another. The truck dealers all bring a convenience fee with them because they come to you and offer smaller weekly tabs, that being said, you'll save a mountain of cash by shopping with many of the brands Adept Ape brought up elsewhere.

Hi Buddy, you know that I am a big fan of your videos.Have you ever been or thought about being an instructor? You have a great speaking voice and you seem to be very patient.

I like sunex. great tools. Fluke and Klein are amazing!

As always great video. The best advise I received was spend your money on the tools themselves and then if you have money left over then buy a name brand tool box.

Want to thank you for sharing your advice, tips, rebuilds, etc. Going to start my schooling in January.

With companies like Mayhew you can't go wrong,their chisels,punches and pry bars are great.

Love my power probe 3. That and my maximus 4.0 scanner are some of the best investments I've ever made

CDI makes Snap-On Micrometer click type torque wrenches. Great wrenches, much cheaper with CDI label. PI makes the split beam style.

The best tools are the ones that get the job done without part or component damage while minimizing knuckle busting. Brand name does not matter in my opinion

Good video, Can be hard getting good advice on tools when you start. Fluke 101 is a great multimeter for an apprentice. Auto ranging with basic things to selected from. Cheap too!

Agreed, craftsman screwdrivers are terrible. Love my pro series craftsman wrenches though.

I am hadicapped and have worked as a mechanic for 42 years. I will say that ergonomics is important in tools you use often.look for tools that are easy on your hands.a screwdriver might be the best in the world, but if it does not fit the hand using it properly. #1- it will be uncomfortable and even painfull to use. #2- you will not achieve peak torque or get the best out of a tool that doesn't fit your hands properly. Ratchets and wrenches are the same. Don't stick yourself with tools that do not fit your hands properly. I have had a Fluke 88 since 1991. It beats everything else. If you buy a Power Probe, make sure it has silicone insulated leads. Much easier to use in cold weather.Mac tools was bought by Stanley tools. If you buy Stanley, Home Depot carries a full line of Stanley .

Check out bit wax for drill bits,it really extends bit life,great for air saw blades too.

Your videos inspired me while in school man 👌🏻 now im in the field and trying to learn as much as i can thank you ‼️

SNAP ON, MAC but they are pricey, I would recommend Cratg List for good deals or Swap Meets. We had a deal with Snap On dealer for a starter kit when I went to Tech School for $300. Its probably sellng for $1000 now. But remember its an investment and a tax write offs. JSL

Another good brand for Techs to start out with is SK Tools. I have a 3/8 socket set that is 20 years old and I haven't broken any sockets or ratchets, plus the price is competitive. I also own the xframe ratcheting wrenches, very durable and I love the teeth the wrench has on the open end, basically like the flank drive on a snap on wrench. Plus I'm a Channellock fan myself. All good recommendations for tools by the way, nice job.

I pretty much agree with your recommendations. I like my DeWalt 18v electric tools.

First time watching this clip and I appreciate the advice even if it is personal preference it was good advice to me I'm going to be starting out can't really get tool trucktools but I really enjoyed this video preciate it!

You can get a lot of Milwaukee power tools off ebay for really great deals. Most of the time they are just kits someone broke up and can get them atleast 20$ cheaper. Thanks for the video

Power Probes are the greatest things ever.

Thanks for the videos, helping me out a lot since im 19 years old trying to get into the diesel field. Any advice people are willing to give me is well taken; i need all the help i can get

With drilling lube avoid engine oil because boy o boy did I get myself one big head ache on a 3306 exhaust stud, made some great high Corbon steel it sure squeeled and I sweated

You forgot 3/4 drive sockets must have start with cheaper and work up, Adapters are handy and inexpensive

One more comment for those air tools. I used to work at Atlas-Copco and 50% our warranty work was rejected due to lack of lubrication. 2 drops of oil a day and air tools will last forever, unless you have wet air.

The only thing I'd say is the Snap-on dead blow steel hammer hits harder less impact goes to your hand and never have to worry about the head flying off my 36 Oz Snap-on hammer is one of my favorite tools only problem is if your tight on room to swing u can't turn it sideways due to the plastic that surrounds the side of the head I've had good luck with most Snap-on except for lights only tool I seem to lose and battery never last long I go with millwakie lights now bigger stream lights have been good to me but the small ones I always have issues with but stream light usually sent me new ones

Btw S K makes a 64 tooth round head ratchet, nearly indescribable

I had a beat up 11 year old Streamlight with a damaged rubber button, lenses, and grip. I sent it to their factory and they repaired and shipped it right back at absolutely NO CHARGE. Don't hesitate buying their products.

Really good video. Informative

Get some tool organizers and socket organizers. Using the box or sleeve or whatever the tool came in wastes space. A larger box is NOT something you want to but after you bought a tool box already.

All the guys at my shop just bought the same stupid snap-on hammer. Mine is a 4lb head from a broken Walmart hammer welded to a suspension u-bolt.

We appreciate you

Cool video. I've preferred snap on when it comes to hand tools and Ingersol Rand in the air tool area.

Love the video should throw in pictures of the tools make it better

Have you ever seen a flex head breaker bar/torque wrench fail at the head? I've seen flex heads on the truck and online but always been afraid of getting one since I don't really trust 300 ft/lbs to a roll pin.

Good advice all around.

I really like your videos I find very interesting by the techno degree of your information ok I work since my new years with diesel mechanics in engines Man and Caterpillar sport line recreation marine line .. hug

Yea, but MY opinion is the right opinion.

I have kolbolt craftsman and dewalt tool sets I have snap on and some matco. From 1\4 3/8 1/2 3/4 and some 1" however I love tools their is no bad tools

Nebo is awesome for flashlights and cheaper than streamlight

I agree with everything you said well done.

HF pry bars are pretty darn good, 36 bar beats the daylights out of so, mines 5 years abused and it doesn't bend. A set of through shaft bars you can beat on are good

Cornwell is made in Taiwan! Had my socket replacement on the side said (Taiwan)

I use the crap out of angle wrenches, and the best ones are snap on

I have gained a collection of CAT Injector height gauges over the years left on injectors from some else running over heads.. lol

Dude!!! I have gotten some sweet deals on tools from "sketchy drug addicts". They are usually in a hurry to sell their tools or shall we say, 'the tools they have acquired.' I cannot tell you some of the sweet Snap-on deals I have made. Mexican trailer parks are a good source tool...although I don't know many Mexican diesel mechanics.

What sought of tool kit should you have in your rig?

Klien prybars the type ironworkers use are the best “slever bars”

good video bro. from Atlanta Georgia, Justin

If you use a tool cart, would it be possible for you do a walk around of what you have in it.

not everybody has snap on wrenches.. i have a few snap on things only because the truck was there n i needed it right then.. otherwise its well worth the wait for a 10th of the price online, just dont buy junk.. u dont need overpriced snap on tho theyre "lifetime warranty" only applies to the person that bought it and they have to have the receipt... thats Fn shitty..

Grey Pneumatic duo-sockets.

What about thin wall by grey pneumatic

Just a couple of comments. Tekton is making some nice tools, it's formerly Michigan Industrial Tool (MIT). The other question regards Maglites do you know if rechargeable D cells work with them? Thanks for the video. Basically you told me I don't need any more tools and heck I'm an accountant but I do plan on moving into a diesel motor home in the next year and was wondering if I need anything else. I don't.

Does the ThinkBig program give you an advantage starting out? Or is it just better to start from the bottom? How would you do it if you needed to start out again if you have kids?

I like streamlight But Surefire and Fenix is better I’m my opinion.

have you ever ordered tekton from Amazon to me it seems like Harbor Freight or similar but free Prime shipping

Wise men

Appreciate all your help. Where can I get 2007 kenwortkw900 diagrams. I'm a auto electric mecanic. But need to trouble shoot this truck. No power. After drive for 30 min

Craftsman sockets are great, would not recommend their ratchets though

Snap Ring pliers

Thank you brother for not sending the kids to Harbor, young people please save Harbor freight for last ,and the giant wrenches he has I have in sunex crows feet with three foot pry bar you have the capacity to make a giant wrench .

Mayhew dominator's are great they make Matco's and craftsman professional line. You can find great bogo deals from tool websites.

Good video

Is there a obd software you would recommend that covers all manufacturers without spending $6,000

I've never had an issue with crafstman

When I can make a video of how to regulate the racketing sentting of the 3126 and 3116 engines ... hug

Thanks for the great video, I'm currently going to community college for automotive, my real goal is to get into the field of diesel repair. I watched one of your other videos and you were saying you started in automotive, I cannot really afford diesel school, is there still a good chance of getting an entry level job with a diesel company that will give me their own school/training? thanks

Tooltopia is your friend. Google it. Kudos on all the recommendations too.

I'm sorry for my English, not the best, lol.

nice video...any on the cat 3500 series ??

how to buy a snap on tools in calgary canada? i heard they just offer their products for those who had a company? how about for individual entity or students that really like their products?

Really you know engines Cat without doubts rsrsrsr

What do you think about those infared gadgets that snap on claims are good for electrical diagnosis

why do snap on guys think their the only ppl who have this "special" lifetime warranty on tools. U realize, u can go to a store like home Depot 6 years later and they'll give u a brand new ratchet too😂😂 srry to burst ur bubbles good vid tho.

these vids are good in the background when I'm studying loll also this bit of extra facial hair suits you

I’m going to school to be a diesel tech. and they give us a voucher for about $1,500 for Matco tools and we get 50% off. With that said, what should I get off the truck? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Would you suggest buying both 6 and 12 point sockets for every drive size and for the deep sockets?

what are your thoughts about flarenut wrenches? sizes?

Can you rebuild a 1991 cat 3406b mechanical Motor ???????????????? Make video please

Is there any tools you would add on to this video?

Do you have a recommendations for a 3/4. Impact?

How do you like the blue point socket / ratchet kits?

Most beginners don't do any kind of electrical troubleshooting in it in a production shop

Offset open end wrenches