5 Handy Garage Tools That Help Keep Car Repairs Simple

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While the majority of cars produced over the years are built to last, they aren't bulletproof. If you have the right tools for the job, though, most maintenance and repair work isn't anything that requires you to go to the mechanic for. Keeping on top of the smaller tasks is sure to help you avoid the massive bill for a major repair in the long run, so investing in a solid set of versatile and reliable tools will prove hugely beneficial no matter your skill level. 

With so many options on the market that have similar purposes, it can sometimes be tricky deciding which tools are best for the specific job at hand. For this list, we've selected tools that are easy to use and cover many different bases, all designed to make car repairs as streamlined as possible as well as avoid getting ripped off at the mechanic for a job you could have easily done yourself. Repairs that may feel overwhelming beforehand can be made so much easier with the following five tools, most of which can be picked up for hardly anything.

The best tools to have at the ready are ones that can be used for a variety of different tasks. And with car repairs, the list always gets longer and longer. Within these jobs are plenty of smaller things to take care of, which is where a propane torch kit can come in super handy. If you need as much heat as possible to weld, cut, or remove the tightest fasteners, going for an oxy-acetylene torch or even an oxy-propane one will be the far more effective choice. But if you just need to touch up a few areas for the best maintenance, a standard propane torch should prove to be incredibly useful.

Pricing for propane torch kits can vary depending on the overall capability, but you can pick up a highly-rated one for around $40. For example, one of Bernzomatic's tools from Home Depot gets plenty of praise for its versatility and features an overall rating of 4.5 stars. In the garage, you can use this for repairs and maintenance tasks like soldering and brazing smaller metal parts, loosening fasteners that don't need as much heat to shift, and restoring plastic trim that's picked up damage over the years. 

Keeping on topic with the best tools to make jobs revolving around fasteners far easier, it doesn't get much more effective than an impact wrench. There are a few different areas where this tool will come in handy, with the most obvious being removing the lug nuts from your wheel. Subsequently, this'll also make it easier to access to parts such as the brakes and suspension, which are other parts where you may well encounter tough fasteners that you need to take off during repair or maintenance.

A high-quality, cordless impact wrench can also prove massively effective for your engine, once again removing stuck or difficult-to-reach fasteners during individual replacements or complete disassembly. They're aren't the best at putting those same fasteners back on, though, with a torque wrench being the optimal tool for that instead. Plenty of the major tool manufacturers have an impact wrench in their lineup, with examples from Milwaukee (SlashGear's reigning champion for impact drills) ranging from $199 up to $489. They're certainly one of the more expensive tools that you'll pick up for your garage, but they provide unrivaled efficiency for the specific task.

The next tool on this list is a little different from the rest, as it's not one that you'll use to actually repair something directly. Trying to find the source of that mysterious rattle that seemingly came out of nowhere feels like an entire job by itself, particularly when it sounds like it's coming from a component-dense part of the car. This is what makes investing in a mechanic stethoscope so valuable, as it could potentially save you a lot of money on something you can resolve yourself.

A mechanic stethoscope works the same way the one you encounter at the doctor's office, as it enhances your ability to hear faint sounds. Instead of a diaphragm, though, it uses a metal rod that can pick up vibrations clearly and accurately for you to hear. For automotive work, placing the rod on the different components where the noise is coming from can pinpoint what exactly is causing it, giving you a much clearer idea on the next steps. The money-saving aspect of this tool is through indicating low fluid levels, particularly if you find the noise is metal-on-metal contact with components like bearings that are lacking in lubrication.

You can pick a highly-rated mechanic stethoscope for as little as $8.99 from outlets like Harbor Freight, a unit that boasts a highly respectable 4.6-star user rating. It's easily one of the cheapest yet most practical tools for your garage repairs. Do take extra care when placing the rod while the engine is running, though; the last thing you want to do is to hit any moving parts that could mangle the stethoscope or any other components.

If you do find yourself needing an oil change, removing the filter can present yet another challenge that can be easily solved with this next tool. Whether you have a leak or the filter just isn't on tight enough, oil gathering on and around the filter can sometimes make it next to impossible to tighten or take the current one off barehanded. Purchasing an oil filter wrench can reduce the hassle significantly, providing you with the necessary grip and force to remove filters that otherwise wouldn't budge.

There are a few different types of oil filter wrenches you can buy. The first is the plier type, which works in the way you'd imagine by gripping either side of the filter. Another popular choices are the adjustable strap and band types, which are best for attaching to the more difficult-to-reach filters. Harbor Freight offers a solid plier wrench with a 4.7-star user rating for just $4.99. Strap wrenches are often more expensive, running closer to $10 or higher.

Getting the most precise measurements are essential for most automotive repair jobs. If you're looking to buy an aftermarket part or you're fabricating a custom one from scratch, your measurements can't be even slightly off if you want the right fitment. This is especially the case for newer cars that have even less breathing room for tolerances. To make things as easy as possible while getting accurate measurements, we'd recommend using a digital caliper, which offers all the versatility required for automotive repairs.

The standard vernier type of digital caliper consistently proves to be the most useful, with its opposite jaws capable of proving both interior and exterior measurements with ease. These prove particularly useful for the smallest components that are also hard to reach, especially for parts with rounded edges. Another incredibly useful garage tool you can pick up on a budget, Amazon has plenty of these, like this caliper set for around $20 with standout reviews and a 4.4-star rating. A comparable Harbor Freight in-house product, similarly well-reviewed by buyers with an identical user rating, goes for an even more affordable $9.99.