5 Home Depot Tools That Are Must-Haves For Any Home Garage

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Working in a garage is a highly satisfying hobby that many people incorporate into their weekend routines or evening plans. Lots of home garage mechanics do it for themselves, restoring project cars as a labor of love. Others open their home workshop up to the public, transforming the space into a secondary moneymaking gig. Bringing more cash into the budget is generally a welcome change, and it's especially valuable if you are getting to do what you love in order to earn those extra dollars. Either way, home mechanics also need to spend some dough on occasion. There are plenty of tools and support equipment that act as necessary purchases when tackling even the simplest jobs around the shop. 

Whether you're performing a basic oil change on your neighbor's ride or rebuilding a project car's engine from scratch, you can't accomplish the job without the right tools. A few key essentials can go a long way. Additions like a versatile ratchet and socket set, or a creeper seat to support your knees and back as you move around a vehicle you're working on are significant improvements. These and a few other crucial, must-have tools form the basis of a functional and competent home garage. 

An air compressor is a crucial tool that plays a vital role in the functionality of many auto mechanics. Many home mechanics lack access to the extensive tool options that come with having an air compressor in the shop. Those who haven't utilized these tools before might not understand what the transition to an air compressor entails regarding cubic feet per minute (CFM) ratings and tank sizes, with fear of the unknown playing an integral role.

The reality is that adding an air compressor to the workshop doesn't have to be costly, and it unlocks an entire ecosystem of workplace solutions that can transform your experience under the hood. The Husky 4.5 Gallon 175 PSI Portable Electric Oil-Free Jobsite Air Compressor is a great example. Listed at Home Depot for $219, the air compressor features a 1.3-horsepower output and a 3.0 standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) rating at 90 PSI, alongside important features like dual tool capabilities and quiet operation. All this is to say nothing of the tool's portability, making it an ideal choice for an early entrance into the world of air tools. This compressor offers oil-free running and can be used to pump up car and bike tires, air mattresses, and toys. Naturally, running nail guns in a variety of gauges is another option, making it a solution suitable for DIY projects around the house beyond your garage requirements. It weighs roughly 70 pounds, and the condensed overall frame provides good portability in a variety of use cases.

Work surfaces and storage cabinetry are essential for users of all varieties. Whether you're a carpenter or a welder, having the right shop equipment to support your larger tool and material requirements is more than nice to have. Auto mechanics are in the same boat, and key storage solutions are necessary to support even the most basic workflow essentials. Whether you're a solo mechanic or part of a team working in your home setup, there are plenty of brands and tools you'll love to have on hand. But workplace additions like the Husky Modular Tool Storage Workbench Cabinet undeniably help make things run smoothly.

This tool storage and workbench solution combines two essential functionality areas into one accessory tool. The worktop measures 52 inches by 20 inches, providing a sizeable benchtop area to support basic tool storage requirements and coverage to support part assembly and other work. This is part of a modular system that can be customized with additional inclusions and offers integrated power outlets and USB ports within the drawers to support charging needs without your wires becoming an unruly tangle in the space you're trying to use to work on other jobs. The cabinet is set on top of 5x2-inch casters and includes a large push handle to allow for increased mobility. It's built with an all welded 21 gauge steel frame with ten drawers that each support up to 100 pounds, and the workbench itself is rated for a 1,500-pound total weight capacity.

The mechanic's tool set is a ubiquitous sight in any home or professional auto garage. There's a mechanic tool set for every budget, and individual tools and kits from a bevy of brands that can improve a mechanic's capabilities while augmenting existing kit setups. A great option that newer mechanics might consider is the Milwaukee ¼-Inch, 3/8-Inch, and ½-Inch Drive SAE/Metric Ratchet and Socket Set Combo Kit. The 153-piece set features three different cases that house a ratchet handle in each of the three primary drive sizes. Rounding things out, each case offers a comprehensive selection of both SAE and metric sockets, extension bars, and other adaptability accessories. As a starter kit, this hand tool solution from Milwaukee provides elite coverage across a huge spectrum of fastening and part removal needs.

The combo kit isn't just a great option for newer mechanics, however. With comprehensive coverage across both standard and deep-well sockets, seasoned auto repairers often consider a kit like this a supplement. Rounded sockets or lost parts can tank workshop productivity. There's also a need to add redundancy into the mix in order to speed up processes by keeping certain socket sets stored in a drawer and others as part of a mobile tool kit or onboard the storage compartments in a rolling creeper seat or elsewhere. Listed at $449 from Home Depot, this kit from a much-loved tool brand offers solid durability and great total coverage.

Auto mechanics will be intimately familiar with the rolling creeper. This tool enables workers to access low areas with greater ease when performing various repairs or part replacements. Creepers come in two main varieties: a lay-down undercar option and a seated solution. The Skyshalo Mechanics Stool Rolling Creeper Seat is a seated solution. It features 4-inch rubber casters for a smooth rolling operation across the shop floor. Two of them lock and two do not to support free movement, static immobility, or a more subtle, one-locked position shifting option when engaging work in a particular area. The seat also features a thick sponge cushion complete with curved geometry for enhanced comfort.

The space underneath this creeper seat is really what makes it valuable to the home mechanic. It's built with a slot-in design and a pair of partition storage trays that fit on either end of the seat. In the middle, there's a large storage drawer that pulls out to reveal even more space for tools or components. All of this storage underneath the seat is easy to access as you work through just about any task, and the trays are designed specifically to support all manner of tool and part storage so that you won't have to press pause in the middle of your repair job to go hunting for a fastener or even something like a can of WD-40.

Work lights are a crucial tool in any mechanic's arsenal. The workplace has a natural tendency to be dimly lit. Mechanics largely work inside and even when opening up the garage doors or exploring the engine compartment in a room full of windows, the workpiece itself can easily block direct illumination coming from natural sources or overhead lights. The reality for most mechanics is that specific, additional lighting elements are consistently required when performing even simple repairs on a project vehicle. The best work lights for mechanics offer flexibility, major brightness, and other integrated features. The Stanley 1,000 Lumen Portable Work Bench Shop Light fits this mold very well.

This work light isn't one that delivers extreme portability, but it does offer a high degree of brightness and functional value when placed in a stationary working position. The compact frame also makes it mobile when necessary. Portability is on offer considering the tool's slight frame, although not to the same degree as some truly mobile solutions. The light features an integrated power strip that allows you to connect charging equipment or corded tools directly into the unit for use at the bench. It also offers storage space on either end of the illumination source for small hand tools you frequently use at that position. It's also adjustable with a backlit power switch to make use even easier.