Garage Essentials Lists

[rvariverguy]

Hey guys, I've recently moved and have a garage for the first time in my life. Actually, it's a two car detached garage located on our alley. Pretty ideal since I have room for storage and working, without making too much racket and bothering the wife or kids.

What I was wondering is, do we have a list of essentials for home garage mechanics/DIY maintenance? Of course I'm sure this could pile up quickly but I'd like a manageable budget to get myself organized and set up with the right tools.

My dad passed away when I was 16 so although this may seem like basic knowledge I'm teaching myself everything (and hoping to show my three year old son in the process). Any help is appreciated!

[danewilson77]

I would say a nice set of tools (metric) should be first on your list, then:

1. Jack stands - 4 is ideal.
2. Low profile jack. 2 is ideal.
3. Wet/dry shop vac.
4. Air compressor capable of at least 100 psi.
5. Rhino ramps if you think you'll use them.

I went the Kolbolt route from Lowes. They're basically made by Snap-on, but is the home owner edition. Lifetime no haggle warranty. I broke a breaker bar the other day (20° and was using a cheater bar), so I took it to Lowes and swapped it out for a new. Boom. 5 minutes.

I also got a Kolbolt compressor.

Sorry about Dad.

"No flamesuit required"

[NoVAphotog]

What Dane said and then also what Doug has listed here...do not need to buy these brands or all at once but pretty much covers everything.

Doug's Domain: BMW Tools (http://www.dvatp.com/bmw/tools)

[slater]

great stuff. and yes... the list could pile up quickly. :) here's some basics:

1. clean and organized workspace: cannot stress this enough - i have dealt with messy, tight, cluttered garages that were either my own mess or something i shared with someone else. spend some time analyzing the space and figuring out where you want stuff to go.
2. good lighting!
3. work bench (you can build a solid, basic 8' bench for $50)
4. good basic set of metric sockets and wrenches (3/8" and 1/2" drive), and a breaker bar
5. good LOW floor jack (the ZHP is hard to lift up front with a traditional jack)
6. plenty of jackstands
7. air compressor - even a small pancake compressor is fine. it will cycle often, but it is a great tool to have.
8. impact gun for said air compressor
9. bins/trays and pans for bolts and liquids
10. good work gloves and supply of shop towels
11. some sort of music blasting device
12. nice to have: sawzall (seriously), bench vise, bench grinder, spring compressors, torch, magnetic pickup tool, mini magnetic LED flashlight, variety of hammers (rubber, small sledge, etc), pry bar

after 4 years of home ownership, i finally got around to cleaning up and organizing my garage. it's almost done. and it makes a HUGE difference having a clean, well-organized space to work in.

peter

peter

[JupiterBMW]

Nobody has said anything about safety glasses and hearing protection... Tsk tsk on all of you! :biggrin

Two things I'll say (as a million people will give you THEIR ideal list, I find it better to start working and find out what you actually need, then go buy it)

1. Only a rich man can afford cheap tools. Spend a little money on the items that will get more heavily used, and hand tools with a good warranty (like Dane mentioned). Cheap tools will break and you'll be buying them over and over...

2. You only get one chance to take care of your most important tools, your senses. This is why I mention safety glasses and hearing protection. Buy a good pair of safety glasses that you wear all the time in the garage. Buy a bag of disposable earplugs or a nice set of muffs for any time you use power tools. Hearing and eyesight don't grow back. And work gloves are good too. Buy a nice set to protect yourself from cuts. Cuts and scars may make you think you look cool, but an infection will not, and if you hurt yourself and can't pick up your kids, you'll be bummed.

Enjoy the new found space. Make sure to make a small area dedicated to your wife, she'll eventually gain some of it for herself anyway... :rofl :biggrin

[cakM3]

Besides what has been mentioned earlier, think about adding shelving/storage space in the garage. Like Peter mentioned, keeping the garage organized will make a huge difference. :thumbsup

I didn't mention PPE's (also safety shoes) because you said it Jon ;)

[JupiterBMW]

Good call on the storage Charlie. If possible, added cabinets versus open shelving as it keeps the contents dust free in case you start getting into any sort of woodworking or metal work.

As for safety shoes, admittedly, even I slack on those at home. Pretty tough to put on safety toe shoes/boots in hot ass Florida... I've got OSHA approved flip flops... :rofl :biggrin

[danewilson77]

A workbench.

"No flamesuit required"

[slater]

Nobody has said anything about safety glasses and hearing protection... Tsk tsk on all of you! :biggrin

what??

(ha)



1. Only a rich man can afford cheap tools. Spend a little money on the items that will get more heavily used, and hand tools with a good warranty (like Dane mentioned). Cheap tools will break and you'll be buying them over and over...

yep. i generally buy craftsman/crapsman because of the warranty. they are not the best though, by far, and the nearest sears is 35mins away - so about once a year i make a trip to exchange 2-3 ratchets for new ones. it's a minor hassle for never having to actually buy new ones.


Enjoy the new found space. Make sure to make a small area dedicated to your wife, she'll eventually gain some of it for herself anyway... :rofl :biggrin

LOL!! my wife has tried to insist on many things living in the garage, but she has only gotten her way on two of them; 1) our chest freezer, and 2) parking the car in there in the winter (clearly i had no problem with this as i want it parked in there all the time!).

i am fortunate that i have a small (like 15'x20' - but it's about 150 years old) barn to keep gardening stuff in, the lawnmower, kids trampoline, etc...

peter

[ryankokesh]

A few additions... I really have to clean though...

1) decorations
http://i.imgur.com/V9wZN4C.png

2) tool box
http://i.imgur.com/xJIqIEO.png

3) heater
http://i.imgur.com/Rven3ky.png

4) air hose to go with compressor
http://i.imgur.com/7nqMtSG.png

5) space for other hobbies
http://i.imgur.com/AlPsg6I.png

6) wall of wheels
http://i.imgur.com/Wnia5Em.png

7) wall of detailing stuff
http://i.imgur.com/TEJM4qc.png


Sent from my iPhone

[ryankokesh]

I would say a nice set of tools (metric) should be first on your list, then:

1. Jack stands - 4 is ideal.
2. Low profile jack. 2 is ideal.
3. Wet/dry shop vac.
4. Air compressor capable of at least 100 psi.
5. Rhino ramps if you think you'll use them.

I went the Kolbolt route from Lowes. They're basically made by Snap-on, but is the home owner edition. Lifetime no haggle warranty. I broke a breaker bar the other day (20° and was using a cheater bar), so I took it to Lowes and swapped it out for a new. Boom. 5 minutes.

I also got a Kolbolt compressor.

Sorry about Dad.

"No flamesuit required"

I didn't know that about the kobalt stuff... I was just admiring the quality last weekend though. Most if not all of their ratchets seem to be the 72 (or whatever) toothed ones! I was bummed I went with craftsman after I played with them, lol.


Sent from my iPhone

[cakM3]

Pretty cool setup Ryan! :thumbsup

[ryankokesh]

Thanks! Drives me nuts how messy I let it get in the winter though :facepalm

[TheFinanceGuy]

+1 to a garage heater. If you live in a cold environment.

I have to say I like my garage floor the best. I put down an epoxy coating on my floor. Similar to this (http://d2pbmlo3fglvvr.cloudfront.net/product/full/3BU19_AS01.JPG). Nothing stains in. All my oil spills clean right up with a shop rag. However, if you are renting, this might not work so well, as it is pretty permanent.

[KevinC]

Poster or calendar featuring some scantily-clad (bikini is acceptable) hot chick holding an air gun in a provocative pose.

[slater]

+1 to a garage heater. If you live in a cold environment.

I have to say I like my garage floor the best. I put down an epoxy coating on my floor. Similar to this (http://d2pbmlo3fglvvr.cloudfront.net/product/full/3BU19_AS01.JPG). Nothing stains in. All my oil spills clean right up with a shop rag. However, if you are renting, this might not work so well, as it is pretty permanent.

i gotta do this too - however i have to patch some of the concrete first (water damage). definitely on my list for this spring/summer.

peter

[ELCID86]

+1 to a garage heater. If you live in a cold environment.

I have to say I like my garage floor the best. I put down an epoxy coating on my floor. Similar to this (http://d2pbmlo3fglvvr.cloudfront.net/product/full/3BU19_AS01.JPG). Nothing stains in. All my oil spills clean right up with a shop rag. However, if you are renting, this might not work so well, as it is pretty permanent.

I really would like to put a heater in my garage. But I only have 110 circuit out there. I guess I'll just use a plug-in for now. And I have WAY too much crap in the garage to do a epoxy on the floor!


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[TheFinanceGuy]

My heater is gas fired. Only uses a 110 plug for the fan :)
Heats the garage from 40* to 65 pretty quickly.

I had to do 1/2 the garage at a time. To allow for the stuff...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[danewilson77]

A few additions... I really have to clean though...

1) decorations
http://i.imgur.com/V9wZN4C.png

2) tool box
http://i.imgur.com/xJIqIEO.png

3) heater
http://i.imgur.com/Rven3ky.png

4) air hose to go with compressor
http://i.imgur.com/7nqMtSG.png

5) space for other hobbies
http://i.imgur.com/AlPsg6I.png

6) wall of wheels
http://i.imgur.com/Wnia5Em.png

7) wall of detailing stuff
http://i.imgur.com/TEJM4qc.png


Sent from my iPhone
What's up with the three odd wheels?

"No flamesuit required"

[Hornung418]

What's up with the three odd wheels?

"No flamesuit required"

The snow roller is on the ground below the rack so the 135 can stay clean?

[ryankokesh]

What's up with the three odd wheels?

"No flamesuit required"

I don't like the Prius's tiny donut spare, so I stick a summer in there during the winter, and a winter in there during the summer. So only three are ever hanging.

Nice catch though!

[rvariverguy]

Thanks guys, this has been very helpful. Yeah Dane I have been studying quite a few workbench setups from DIY on Reddit or Woodsmith Shop. My garage is actually divided between the parking bays (fashionable in the old days? House was built in 1924) so I'll only build a workbench on one side and put cabinets/storage next to the french door to the backyard on the other side.

I've been building an Amazon wishlist to track things and finalize a budget. Do you guys have a particular brand you trust most for the jack and jack stands? Our other cars include a Subaru Outback and Land Cruiser, so some utilitarian and reliable ones would be best.

Aside from car maintenance once I have the garage set up I'll be tackling a few woodworking projects. First on the list is a DIY mud bench and if that goes well enough, then a horizontal murphy/wall bed for our basement (from a kit most likely), with some bookcases adjacent. That seems daunting but having a good workbench setup should set me in the right direction.

[danewilson77]

The Pittsburgh jack (harbor freight) last several years imo. My throw is getting short now. My next jack will be the Al low profile race jack thst ecs has. I'm gonna pick up two of them.

"No flamesuit required"

[Hermes]

*penetrating fluid

*fridge full of beers

I can MacGyver the rest...

[ryankokesh]

The Pittsburgh jack (harbor freight) last several years imo. My throw is getting short now. My next jack will be the Al low profile race jack thst ecs has. I'm gonna pick up two of them.

"No flamesuit required"

Agree on both points. My HF jack is showing its age. And I've been wanting to get a pair next time... Seems like it'd be helpful.


*penetrating fluid

*fridge full of beers

I can MacGyver the rest...

:rofl


Sent from my iPhone

[UdubBadger]

*penetrating fluid

*fridge full of beers

I can MacGyver the rest...

Ah I see you've studied Dane Wilson method.


GoingHAM mobile

[Dave1027]

1. Jack stands - 4 is ideal.
2. Low profile jack. 2 is ideal.


For me, four jackstands is mandatory. I get by nicely with only one aluminum floorjack though.

[Hermes]

Ah I see you've studied Dane Wilson method.


GoingHAM mobile

Hahaha

[Cadeez]

Along with everything these guys have said... Couple boxes of gloves, some kind of degreaser (I like Castrol super Clean), Fast Orange hand cleaner, MAP gas torch (hotter than propane) for those "difficult" nuts/bolts, shop rags, bottle opener

[twisted125]

Not sure it's been mentioned, but that oh so crucial piece of wood to drive up on till you get a low pro jack lol. New jack is definitely on my to do list.