5 Underrated Tools You Can Find At NAPA Auto Parts
You can never have too many tools, whether you're a professional auto repair technician or a casual home mechanic. Tools are more than just blunt instruments at their core — they're investments in our abilities and our future endeavors. But while everyone can benefit from a solid toolkit, not everyone knows where to find the best deals. Tools can certainly be expensive, especially when it comes to more niche devices.
Fortunately, you can find a lot of great deals to buy and rent quality tools at auto parts stores, like NAPA Auto Parts. NAPA is known for providing an extensive lineup of products, ranging from basic hand tools to highly specialized professional devices. One of the best things about NAPA is that most of the tools sold there come at affordable prices, even for novices and DIYers. For this article, we chose items based on their affordability and their status as less well-known but still highly useful tools. From dead blow hammers to heat guns and borescopes, let's dive in and explore these five underrated tools you can find at NAPA Auto Parts.
Carlyle dead blow hammer
Dead blow hammers are incredibly handy when working on cars. Unlike standard hammers, they have a soft face that won't mar or otherwise damage metal surfaces. When performing auto maintenance or repairs, you'll often need to use a significant amount of force to remove or install a component — like when removing brake rotors for resurfacing or installing an alternator. However, using an ordinary hammer can damage these parts. Instead, you can opt for a dead blow hammer. These tools are built with a metal canister filled with sand or small BB pellets. The canister is covered in a softer material, like rubber or plastic, meaning you can strike sensitive objects without causing damage.
The Carlyle Soft Face Dead Blow Hammer from NAPA is an excellent tool to keep in your kit. The 26-ounce hammer features a steel handle welded to the interior steel canister for increased durability and a polyurethane exterior that won't leave blemishes or create sparks when striking metal objects. Its 13-inch nonslip, textured handle provides superior grip and comfort, while the plastic coating is chemical, cut, and chip resistant. The hammer face features convex heads that won't rebound off surfaces and a shot-filled canister that creates the dead blow effect.
Actron Video Borescope
A lot of car parts are built into tight spaces with little visibility or room to manipulate a tool. Some of those components have even smaller parts inside of them. To access these parts for repair or maintenance, you typically have to disassemble nearby systems and components. But what if you want to inspect these pieces without spending the time to remove surrounding parts? In some cases, you can get away with using a flashlight and a mirror. In other circumstances, you'll need a borescope. This device uses a small camera mounted to a long, flexible shaft. You can direct the camera into engine cylinders or behind hard-to-reach parts and view the video feed on a built-in screen or via an app.
The Actron Video Borescope, available at NAPA Auto Parts, is an incredibly underrated find with a surprisingly affordable price tag. It features a 9-millimeter waterproof camera designed to fit into even the tightest spaces and a three-foot flexible shaft, meaning you can access basically any component on your car. It has a 2.4-inch LCD color screen and eight levels of contrast control to help you identify parts and look for damage or leaks. The tool also includes clip, mirror, and magnet attachments to increase its versatility and prepare you for virtually any job.
Craftsman heat gun
Heat guns are essential items for both professional and home mechanics. From reshaping plastic fenders and vinyl-wrapping a car to last to wrinkle-painting valve covers and removing old gasket material, heat guns have myriad uses. These tools are similar to hair dryers but provide much higher temperatures and less airflow. Although heat guns are extremely popular tools among mechanics, they also have applications across other industries. Outside of automotive work, you can use a heat gun for numerous home improvement and maintenance projects, like removing old wallpaper and vinyl flooring before a remodel or defrosting pipes in the winter.
The Craftsman 5,100-BTU Heat Gun is a worthy addition to your toolbox that won't break the bank. It features a variable temperature control, allowing you to dial in the temperature between 120 and 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. It also comes with a six-foot cord for a wide range of motion and mobility and two air speed settings so you can customize the airflow based on your project. The gun is rated for 1,500 watts and includes a support stand for hands-free use and enhanced multitasking.
OTC pickle fork set
Ball joint separator tools — also known as pickle forks — are one of the more specialized items on this list. But that doesn't mean you should overlook them or that you'll never need a set. In fact, pickle forks are invaluable for anyone planning to do their own suspension work. They're helpful for everything from separating ball joints to removing tie rod ends and Pitman arms. As the name implies, pickle forks are wedge-shaped, pronged instruments. They work to separate ball joints and other components by prying the joint out of its housing, and you can use them with either a traditional hammer or a pneumatic tool with a top air compressor.
The OTC Pickle Fork Set from NAPA is an affordable and versatile kit. It features three pickle forks with sizes 1-⅛-inches, 15/16-inches, and 11/16-inches, as well as attachments for use with both traditional hammers and air hammers. The pickle forks are built with durable materials, and the kit includes a hard plastic case for storage and transportation.
Gearwrench plier set
Pliers are universally valuable tools. From automotive maintenance and repair to home improvement, electrical work, and HVAC jobs, they're often a necessity. Some of the most useful and prevalent pliers across all industries are tongue and groove pliers. These tools are commonly called channel lock pliers — not to be confused with the Channellock brand — and they feature adjustable, curved jaws with teeth for gripping various objects.
The Gearwrench Pitbull Auto-Bite™ Tongue & Groove Pliers from NAPA are wonderful additions to any professional or hobbyist toolbox. This four-piece plier set is built of durable alloy steel and features non-marring, ergonomic dual-material grips for superior, all-day comfort. Unlike standard tongue and groove pliers that utilize a button, the Gearwrench Auto-Bite lever mechanism lets you use the tools with one hand. The jaws are slimmer than traditional pliers, allowing you to fit these tools into the tightest spaces without sacrificing grip or power. The angled teeth will grab onto even the strongest metal components, while the pinch-stop handle design prevents you from pinching your skin or hurting your hands.
How we chose these tools
Each item on this list was chosen based on two main criteria: affordability and underrated practicality. Each tool covered in this article comes with a price tag well below $100. When it comes to auto repair and maintenance tools, finding items under $100 can be difficult, especially when you consider the lofty prices of some professional brands. Finally, each tool featured on this list provides unique and valuable applications for both professional mechanics and casual DIYers. The fact that these tools are less well-known than mainstream devices like ratchets and screwdrivers does not decrease their utility.