Tools & Garage Equipment

For the driveway mechanic and the two-car garage: socket and wrench sets in metric and SAE, torque wrenches, trim tools, OBD2 scanners and battery testers, floor jacks and jack stands, creepers, magnetic trays, funnels and drain pans, work lights and the odd specialty tool that saves a Saturday. Canadian garages see both metric imports and SAE domestics, so we list sets that cover both and say which is which.

What to look for: chrome-vanadium sockets with a stated drive size (1/4, 3/8, 1/2 inch); torque wrenches with a calibration certificate and a range that covers wheel nuts (typically 100–150 lb-ft on a car or light truck); jack stands rated above the corner weight you are lifting, always used in pairs, never on frozen gravel; and OBD2 scanners that name the protocols and manufacturer codes they read.

See also tires and wheels, parts and the guide on winter tire changeovers.