Shop Equipment

[Todd L.]

My friend told me once there are some essential tools needed in the garage. I good vice, a bench grinder, jack, jack stands, and good work benches. There are other tools and items. My question focuses on three items. The Vice, the bench grinder and a shop-vac. what size, make/model are good. I have no vice or bench grinder, and I'm catching heat for using the Kirby in the garage.

Thanks

Todd

[Gary C.]

Re: Shop Equipment

Todd, shop vac I'd buy a Home Depot, Lowe's or Sears large rollaround. Vice 6 inch jaws or larger and one that can take a beating. Beware of soft steel imports. Grinder 1/2 HP 6 inch wheels with ball bearing motor and shafts. Might see if Sears has any 6 inch grinders on sale. There was a good thread the last week about work benches - check a resturant supply for a stainless steel kitchen utility table, etc. in that thread. Good luck, Gary....

[Jim H.]

Re: Shop Equipment

Sounds like a trip to sears...

[Steven B.]

Re: Shop Equipment

I assume Sears offers the Craftsman Club card. Just ask a store rep for an application---it is free--- and you get a discount on tool items. 10% as I recall. I got mine about 15 years ago and get a discount on all purchases in tools, even those already on sale. I don't know if privately owned stores honor it or not but the company owned ones do.

[Todd L.]

Re: Shop Equipment

Thanks all,

I need to go to sears to replace a staple gun and a water nozzle anyway. I'll look at what they got for the other items and see if the wallet agrees. Are there any particular wheels for the grinder I should get? A buffing wheel and a coarse stone, a fine stone, a wire wheel? All the above? What wheels should be mounted the majority of the time? I did read the thread about benches, it is what prompted me to take time to look things over in the garage and ask my question.

Todd

[Phil D.]

Re: Shop Equipment

I have a 8" grinder on a pedestal with one side a fine wire wheel and the other a coarse stone. I use the wire wheel practically all the time to clean bolt threads or remove rust from metal parts. Grinder stone not so much. NCRS frowns upon grinding Corvette parts. Mine is a Delta variable speed and I really like that feature a lot. Have a large Rigid shop vac from Home Depot for years, used quite a lot and very happy with it. Have a Sears 4" vice which has taken a lot of pounding, welding heat, you name the abuse for years. Those are things I have had good luck with. I have often made the mistake of buying a tool that turns out too small or underpowered. Don't underestimate your needs as I have found the next project is always bigger than the last one.

Phil D.

[Jim T.]

Re: Shop Equipment

Not all Sears stores stock all that is available. Their Tool catalog has all stuff they sell. One of my first purchases from Sears was a battery charger at least 30 years ago, it still works today, just a small 6 amp one, but it gets the job done.

[Edward B.]

Re: Shop Equipment

If you own a Corvette you already have a "good vice." Perhaps you need a good vise for your shop.

[Gary R.]

Re: Shop Equipment

A lot depends on what you plan on doing and your capabilities. A good tool box is the start,the bench grinders from Sears are good, vises range from cheap to very good and are priced from $30-$1,000. the cheap will break under load, like trying to press in 1/2 shaft joints.

A drill press and 20 ton press are nice if you plan on doing some rebuilding or fabricating. A MIG welder as well.

I have (4) 6' roll aways full of tools, a lathe, surface grinder, Bridgeport, and 20 ton press for most of my work.

I would say think about what you want to do and stay within that frame.

Good luck

[Todd L.]

Re: Shop Equipment

As always, the input is great. I have a good starting block from which to build. I want to do as much as I can and only farm out what I know I can not do (paint). I believe with the right tools, the job can be done. Sure I have broke good parts "learning" how to do something. But I will not make the same mistake twice.
Thanks again.

Todd

[Jim H.]

Re: Shop Equipment

Don't forget to ask around who has certain tools. Sometimes it is easier to borrow or use someone else's shop tools for a low fee. It helps them out and you..

[Paul J.]

Re: Shop Equipment

Todd:

A good home shop will have alot more tools than you mentioned, but along the lines of your question, don't think that you have to have the best quality tools for home shop use (not including hand tools, where good quality is very important). I almost always buy name brand power tools, and own a lot of Sears tools, although my 1/2 hp bench grinder is a Wen. It's 35 years old, gets moderate to heavy use, and will probably outlast me. I have both a Shop-Vac and an off brand and I can't seem to kill either one of them. Vises and jacks are like hardware, and the pieces need to fit together well in order for to them provide good service. But these don't need to be brand names either. My 6" vise came from Agri Supply and is probably Chinese made. One of my 2 ton floor jacks came from K-Mart and the other from Northern Tool. Both were very cheap, and they provide reasonable service. My 3 ton floor jack came from Harbour Freight, and my 31/2 ton floor jack came from Northern Tool. I'm sure that all of these jacks are Chinese made, but the larger jacks are heavy castings and they have provided excellent service.

My point is...shop a little bit and don't discount the off brands.

Paul

[Todd L.]

Re: Shop Equipment

I definitely agree about all that is said, I do look for a good deal, but there are things I do not scrimp on. Safety items being the most important. Also, the borrowing/sharing of tools, when I lived in Maryland my friend and I did a lot of that he had the big items and it seemed I had the specialty tools, (you know the ones you bought 10+ years ago to do one thing and then it sits.) But now they are coming in handy. I now live in Colorado and I am trying to network, to do the same. I eventually will build an external garage and would really like to equip it. I'm sure just like everyone else.
So I am trying to buy now for what I will want later.

Todd

[Tim S.]

Re: Shop Equipment

My friend told me once there are some essential tools needed in the garage. I good vice, a bench grinder, jack, jack stands, and good work benches. There are other tools and items. My question focuses on three items. The Vice, the bench grinder and a shop-vac. what size, make/model are good. I have no vice or bench grinder, and I'm catching heat for using the Kirby in the garage.

Thanks

Todd

Todd,
Your friend failed to mention a fridge and pizza oven
Enjoy!

[Phil D.]

Re: Shop Equipment

I've bought a number of tools that I wished I had simply researched better. Often tho its a tool that I've never used one before. When I take it out of the box, I try and try and try to make it work and by the time I figure out that its not simply my lack of experience, its a lousy tool, its pretty well used so that I can't just take it back and exchange it for something else. Research is the key regardless if it brand vs. off brand, chinese vs. american, cheap vs. expensive.