Most useful tool in your garage

[Clark Griswald]

Let's share some collective wisdom -
What is the indespensible, most useful item in your garage?

Don't list the socket wrenches and screw drivers. Everyone has those. Tell about the not so obvious stuff, things that make life so much easier just by being around. These are the things that you probably did without for years, but once you got them can't remember how you survived without.

For me -

Magnetic telescoping parts retreiver.

This $7 tool has saved my hide many a time. Everything from retrieving nuts accidentally dropped into a block to grabbing that wrench I left under the car - in the middle.

Creeper type stool.

This little plastic $10 stool has caster type wheels and little trays for parts and tools. It gets used on every project from brake jobs to electrical work in the house. This is a major back saver.

Coveralls.

$30 Means never ruining a another shirt with grease, and always having a place to wipe those greasy hands.

Waterless hand cleaner.

aka Elephant Snot. Surgeon gloves are hot and give up to much feel. This stuff is great, cost $1 on sale a pep boys and nothing cleans faster or better.

Ceiling mounted retractable cord trouble light.

$30 and you always have power and light immediately where you need it, and no excuse for not putting it away when finished.

What is your can't-live-without list?

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Chuck - '86 Cab, '77 Targa, Family Truckster

[gslater]

I'll second the retractable light/extension cord and the roll-around stool.

I'd also add my bright white-painted walls and overkill quantity of fluorescent lights, which allow me to keep my neighbors awake with my tinkering noises late into the night.

My wall-mounted paper towel dispensers are quite handy also, as is the telephone and a white board for jotting down notes.

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Greg Slater
1980 SC
gslater@qwest.net

[Superman]

First, let me say that Superman is a cheapskate. My retrieval tool cost $1 and my coveralls were free ($5 at many parts stores, used).

Okay, first, there is my vice.

Next comes my vise. How did I get along without a vise. Fortunately I've never had to get along without a vice.

BFS (aka large screwdriver). Not to be used as a prying tool (yeah, right).

Cordless drill with socket attachments (my garage still does not have 'air').

BFCL (aka, large Channel Locks).

Latex and Nitrile gloves. Tyson turned me on to this. My earlier disappointment with these was because I tried to make them last too long. These come in a box of 100 for $4, so when they're dirty or my hand is hot, or for what ever reason, I snap them off and get another pair. Petroleum products don't like me much any more (used to use gas as a cleaning solvent....don't do this) and I have always had trouble (read: Impossible) getting my hands clean after a project. I love the gloves now.

Bottle of Glenlivet (just kidding).

Oh, almost forgot. My hammer collection. Various carpenter's hammers, various ball pein hammers, dead blow hammer, soft faced hammer (the favorite), etc.

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'83 SC

[not_sure]

ice chest filled with corona and limes

[Doug Zielke]

I guess you could call it a "tool"...my little bar fridge under the workbench. Sometimes I use it to freeze bearings for easy installation, but mostly it's used for keeping my stash of Sierra Nevada ale frosty cold.

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Doug
'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Canada West Region PCA
members.home.net/zielke/911SC.htm

[rstoll]

Garrett metal detector. Great for finding those "lost" or is it "tossed" wrenches.

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Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944

[RoninLB]

A Snap-On midrise lift relieves all agrivation on those weekend projects.Buy used.

[72SMFI]

I have to say my Alan socket set would be my most use full.. Electric screwdriver 2nd The lift plate 3rd.However the most useull tool in my garage is my hammer aka Ford tool.

[Rod Walter]

I hooked up a natural gas garage heater last fall - now the garage is sometimes warmer at night during the winter than the house. Good thing, too, in the event that my spousal unit makes me sleep out there

I also like my 500w halogen, tripod-mounted work light. The stand's height is adjustable and I can easily remove the housing from the top of the tripod for light under the car. I use this thing even in broad daylight with the garage door open if I need to see into the deep dark recesses of the engine compartment.

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Rod Walter
'88 911 coupe

[atr911]

My hammer (we won't go there...)

The lock on the garage door (6 people in my family, nuff said)

Ha Ha!

Adam Roseneck

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1978 911SC 3.0
roseneck@cyberbeach.net

[RLJ]

My L.S. Starett pocket calipers, Mitutoyo digital calipers that read M&M's and with a button push it tells you what this side of the pond reads, little body and fender roll around stool, GOOD LIGHT,GOOD LIGHT,GOOD LIGHT, Oh, have I said GOOD LIGHTING, When I bought my home the garage had indoor out door carpet in the garage, don't like laying on a cool floor, but do have to be careful with getting grease on the carpet. I think when it gets bad I will jerk it up and just paint the floor, a floor jack is also very nice.

Randy Jones
1971 911

[ClayMcguill]

Dremel.

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Clay McGuill '66 912, '97 Jeep Cherokee www.geocities.com/the912guy

[pwd72s]

My hands. Because they pick up these other tools, and then proceed to screw things up. Hey, my wife says I'm a real life Tim Allen.
The problem? She's probably right...

[fred cook]

Most useful tool? Hummm, how about a metal,
magnetized small parts bowl, it will adhere
to any metal surface (even upside down) and
securely hold nuts, bolts, washers, small tools, etc.

[MarkH]

Has anyone ever used a Craftsman Industrial Die Grinder? It's basically a Dremel, only bigger. My buddies started calling it the "Binford Dremel", but have since shortened it to just "the Binford". This is the most versatile body work/restoration/shaping/sanding/molding/cutting/filing/cleaning/polishing tool in my garage.

Unfortunately, it has become the most popular tool in the neighborhood and when I need it, I first have to track down who borrowed it last.

MarkH

[Clark Griswald]

One I forgot is the oil spill kitty liter stuff. I use the kind sold for the purpose instead of real kitty litter. Boy does that stuff do the job. I have a concrete driveway. That stuff makes spills just about invisible, amazing really. I use it often, keeps peace in the family.

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Chuck - '86 Cab, '77 Targa, Family Truckster

[Superman]

Okay, I'll admit I wasn't kidding about the Glenlivet. The bottle's on the work bench.

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'83 SC

[needlevalve]

Couldn't get anything done in the shop without that poster of Jenny MCarthy (and her two big H4's) shining down to guide the way.

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Matt Macpherson
1975 911 S
nvalve@yahoo.com

[ZE911]

My dog, he brings an ice cold beer for nothing more than pat on the head.

[Fishcop]

My knockometer (hammer), lots of light, and my air compressor and tools...particularly the die-grinder. I also love my little sidcrome 1/4 socket set with extentions!

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John Forcier
69 911T