My first tool set

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My parents bought me a Craftsman 204 piece socket/wrench set, and a bunch of craftsman screwdrivers, my first very own tool set. All Made in USA, and a Craftsman Professional adjustible wrench set. I also have $100 in Sears gift cards so Imma get some more stuff to fill in the important gaps and get back to you. But for now, hooray!

PS: Oh yeah my little brother bought me a little interchangeable tip screwdriver thing from some thing at school. That's the yellow thing.

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Looks good! I wish I had got a set like that when I was your age.
Next tools I'd get is a more complete wrench set, just normal open and box end wrenches but 16 of metric and 16 in SAE, every size from 1/4" to 1-1/4". That should cover everything on your car and enything else you get into.
I also have a cheap corded electric impact gun, still 240 ft/lbs though, which makes changing tires or working on suspension parts easier. A decent inch pound torque wrench and cheap foot pound one would be good too but you could do some math and use a fish scale if the budget doesn't cover those right now.
 
Thats a very nice set, good luck with it. My first tool "set" was a craftsman 50 some piece 3/8 and 1/4 inch socket and ratchet set in a canvas zipper pouch. I was 14 and my grandmother bought it for me for my birthday. That would put it at 17 yrs ago and i still use it quite often. I generally remember when i got most of them and the story behind it.
 
do yourself a favor and throw a small chisel and pry bar in there to keep your screwdrivers nice.
 
Just remember to take care of your tools.

Tools are something you'll use over your entire life so buy good ones and NEVER loan them out unless you never want to see that particular tool again.

Believe me, this is just the beginning. If you're a diy'er, You'll accumulate quite a collection over time but in my experience, those tools will pay for themselves a thousand times over.
 
My first set of tools was a S&K 3/8" ratchet set I got 33 years ago at the local Napa store. Keep them at my parents and used them today to tighten some bolts on a wood splitter. It seems like yesterday. I have a feeling this is only the beginning for you. I replaced a PCV valve on a Lexus this week and tried four 19 mm wrenches until I found I had one with a ratcheting head. Made the job very easy after that. The proper tool can make such a big difference.
 
Rudolphna, Take good care of those babies. I still have my Craftsman tools from 1948 when I just a kid and my grandmother gave my brother and me her 1937 Dodge D5. We learned a lot about cars that summer. Some 8 wks later the engine was rebored, Tranny rebuilt,and a split exhaust manifold with dual Smittys really made for a sweet sound.( don't forget, I was 15 at the time) Anyway, the Craftsman tools are still in my basement and I hope they give you as much pleasure and as many memories as I have had putting them to good use. FWIW--- Oldtommy
 
Nice!

The 154-piece model was the my first tool set. Now, just throw away those lousy flat-panel ratchets and replace them with some quality Snap-On 80-tooth or 100-tooth models.
 
I think mine was a 192 piece Craftsman. That was in 1973+/-.


Do they still include the ..what was it ..either 17/32 or 19/32 (some really strange fraction 21/23/25/27/29) socket? I had it for 10-12 years without a purpose. I then had to remove a starter from a Chevette. It was the only socket that fit ONE of the bolts.
 
Not sure. Mosat of them are normal size sockets, there is a 5.5mm Metric 12 point though. I like these ratchets, they are the same ones my dad has in tool box that I've been using for some time now. I'll take good care of them. On my list is a craftsman 3 piece plier set (standard, needlenose, and channel lock), Craftsman Vise grips, Craftsman 16oz Hammer, a BFH, and eventually some ratcheting boxed in wrenches.
 
Oh you know what else about them makes me feel good? The fact that from looking at the case, to opening it up, I see "Made in USA" everywhere. FINALLY. I've seen a decent amount of Made in USA stuff lately, mostly car parts and tools.
 
You have a very good set to start with, similar to what I started with.

Here are some tools I found useful that you might want to add to your collection:

Get a universal in 3/8 and 1/2 from Sears. Get a set of different length wobble extensions in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 from Harbor Freight.

Get the small ratcheting philips and regular screwdriver bit set. It has a very small ratchet that the bit sticks through. I think Sears sell this but I purchased it several years ago so I am not sure.

Also you probably want a breaker bar in 1/2 inch drive. Another great tool like a breaker bar is a piece of pipe that fits over the handle of the ratchet and extends your leverage.

Look at the size of the sockets required to remove or install the alternator and work on or remove the belt tensioner for each vehicle you might end up working on. Some of them require large metric sockets you might want to have in your tool kit.

Make sure you have a socket for each spark plug size and also a spark-plug gap measuring tool. You probably want two spark plug sockets for each size, one with the rubber insert and one with-out. A feeler gauge set is the most accurate way to set a plug.

Get a small teeth per inch gauging set that fold up like feeler gauge set. And also get several bolt sizing devices.

Get some Loctite in the small bottle or small tube, get it in blue and high temp red. Loctite is a great product, learn to use it often. When you assemble a part with loctite vibration will not cause it to loosen, and it will require the same amount of torque to loosen it as was used to tighten it. The green Loctite is used to retain sleeves for cylinder liners, and valve guides. If you use it to assemble threaded parts you will probably have to break the part to get it apart.

Some other items you want:
tape measure,and a long reach parts grabber that uses little claws, and one that uses a magnet. A good hack saw (spend a few extra bucks for this one and get one with a very comfortable grip, you will have it for many years). Chanel lock pliers , long nose, and medium pliers, and a few different size vice grips.

If you are going to do front breaks you will have to get a very large C clamp to compress the wheel cylinder. Include a pencil and a pen along with a roll of masking tape. The masking tape can be used to label plug wires, and parts, and can be used to hold a bolt or nut to socket or to hold a screw to a screwdriver.

A set of adjustable wrenches of different sizes preferably with yellow rubber coated handles.

Get the larger set of SAE and Metric Allen Wrenches.

Get some Xcelite (with the black tip) Phillips screwdrivers. Be sure to get two of the Xcelite XST-102 Phillips screwdrivers. These Xcelite screwdrivers will last for decades and allow you to drive or remove philips screws where other screwdrivers will not work.

A impact driver with bits and a heavy mallet would be nice. A torque wrench would also be nice to have.

You will also want a Ryobi drill (from Home-Depot) and the large Titanium Nitride (looks like a gold color coating) set of drill bits that you can get at Harbor Freight.

You will want a trouble light (two trouble lights is even better) and probably want a creeper, thought a double layer of cardboard from a large appliance box can work almost as well and is almost as comfortable.

Get a can of PB Blaster rusted bolt penetrating oil. If you use this on a item in a house be sure to not allow over-spray, it will smell, not terrible but very noticeable.

Some 3M black electric tape and some wire cutters if you know how to work with electricity.

And a good flashlight will come in handy.

If you have a bench you will want a large vice, and a grinder on it.
 
Originally Posted By: 2oldtommy
Rudolphna, Take good care of those babies. I still have my Craftsman tools from 1948 when I just a kid and my grandmother gave my brother and me her 1937 Dodge D5. We learned a lot about cars that summer. Some 8 wks later the engine was rebored, Tranny rebuilt,and a split exhaust manifold with dual Smittys really made for a sweet sound.( don't forget, I was 15 at the time) Anyway, the Craftsman tools are still in my basement and I hope they give you as much pleasure and as many memories as I have had putting them to good use. FWIW--- Oldtommy


Even for those my age, we could learn a few things from you. My Dad had a 37 Chevy so I know what you mean. I still have some of my Dad's Craftsman tools from back in the early 50's.

rudolphna, you could have not gotten a better gift.
 
For your Cavalier, a few additional tools you might need include a big 30mm deepwell socket for the CV axle nut, the appropriate sizes of Allen (or Torx) for your calipers and wheel bearings (I can't remember what they used in 1997, who knows they might all be hex?) and a 5.5mm socket or nutdriver for various electrical components in the dash, the ignition module, coil packs, etc. A 7mm nutdriver is extremely handy as well.
 
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