Finding new tools and equipment for your projects seems like a never-ending process, doesn't it?
From finding out that you have every size socket but the one that you need, to the hallowed day you learn that JIS screws and screwdrivers are a thing, the good news is that it's a cool process if you like lifelong learning.
But at the same time, it can also get frustrating and overwhelming, particularly if you're just starting out. And depending on the tools that you're looking at, it can also get quite expensive. For example, Wera makes some really nice tools, but if you don't live in Europe, you frequently have to go on a bit of a chase to find prices that don't make you want to cry.
I'm not here to talk about the top-of-the-line, super fancy tools we love, though.
No, I'm here to talk about your best bargain tools/hacks/must-haves that you think belong in most (if not all) DIY powersports toolboxes. And most importantly, I want to hear from you about your favorites. What's good? What do you know? What do you think other people should know?
I'll get us started with two, and they're both magnets. One is the handy little magnetic bowls you can get for well under $5 apiece (especially with coupons) at Harbor Freight.
The actual price may vary, but it's always next to nothing, and they're an absolute steal for the headaches they'll save you. When I showed up to the carburetor workshoppe with the Real Deal Revolution, seeing these little bowls at each workstation instantly gave me a warm feeling in my heart, and I'm not even exaggerating.
The magnet is strong enough to keep your steel screws, nuts, and bolts in place, so even if you bump the bowl, they won't go flying out all over your floor, never to be found again. And they stand much less chance of rolling into that one annoying crack in your garage floor that you've been meaning to fix, but just haven't gotten around to yet.
The other is a handy long-reach magnetic pen-style instrument. I don't have a specific place to tell you to get it from, and they come in more than one form factor. The one we have at home, for example, has a handle and a long (like a couple of feet, at least) bendy arm with a magnet on the end. The handle makes it easy to hold onto when you're swiping the long, bendy arm under things to find that rogue screw that slipped out of your hand.
I've seen telescoping versions of this tool, too, which can be excellent if you're limited on space. The principle stays the same, though you may like them more or less because they're not as flexible as the kind with the long, bendy arm.
Either way, there's a strong magnet on the end to help you retrieve lost hardware if it rolls into a tight space that you can't otherwise easily reach. Anything that leads to less frustrated yelling in the middle of your latest project is a win, in my book.
Now, it's your turn. What are your go-to, must-have, absolute bargain DIY tools that you can't live with out? They can even be free or repurposed tools, like a stiff piece of wire bent so it has a handle, which you use to clean carburetor jets (some folks swear by this; others not so much). In any case, let us know in the comments, and let's talk about your faves!
