...what would you buy? Spend it all on one higher end piece of equipment? Get a few small, cheap Amazon specials from China (drill press, bench grinder, etc)? Extensive set of hand tools? Let's say you'll mainly be using it for, I don't know, say, restoring an old motorcycle.
I would spend the money where I use it most, one thing I wish I bought earlier is a motorcycle lift.
I got this one on sale few years ago: https://www.princessauto.com/en/1000-lb-motorcycle-atv-lift/product/PA0008880239
Specifically for restoration work, I would by a buffer/ polisher. With a soft wire brush at one end, and a spindle for cloth buffer wheels at the other end. Good lighting, a good vise, and general hand tools like sockets and spanners.
A drill press is only needed when making or modifying parts.
A Dremel or similar is also handy for polishing and wire brushing small parts.
Maybe try to buy used equipment at a fraction of the price of new.
A nice work bench. They can be built for very little money, $50. If you want it to be really sweet, get a piece of sheet metal and cover it. My main bench is just this. It's easy to clean, you don't lose parts on it, and it's very sturdy so it works for a very wide range of projects. Find a used vise and put on the corner of the bench.
From there, find used tools. I bought like $2k of Snap On stuff from a guy who retired, but I only paid him $200. Then fill in the gaps with Harbor Freight stuff. A lot of people will groan about HF stuff, but if you aren't a professional mechanic it will be just fine in most cases (there are of course times where crappy wrenches will not work). Home Depot's Husky brand stuff isn't terrible either. I have 15 year old Harbor Freight tools that I use almost daily. For example, the plastic/composite ratchets that I bought more or less because i thought they were hilariously bad continue to work while my name brand ratchets fail and slip. After you get the core tools, then start looking at machines. A drill press is a great tool to have. The list is never ending though. I honestly don't know if I will ever have enough tools.
A lift and an ultrasonic cleaner; that being said, a table can be built inexpensively along the lines of the bench Chris described in lieu of a lift.
High-end hand tools are nice, but Craftsman, Husky etc. have the same warranty for less $$. If you break a wrench, they replace it...but Harbor Freight often will hand you a new SET of wrenches, as they have no use for an open set of anything.
Garage and yard sales can be a great source of inexpensive tools; I work out of a MAC stacked toolbox that retailed for $3200 that I picked up for $400. It had several hundred dollars of miscellaneous tools inside. People like to haggle, and you can often find free stuff.
lights. Lots of led lights. (90)
decent work top. (maybe with tool box) but if stand alone, (50)
good quality set of 6 point metric sockets. (70)
set of metric gear wrenches (40 bucks)
jis screwdrivers. (50)
cheap ultrasonic. (150)
organizing bins. (30)
decent tool box from lowes or hf or whatever. (300)
thats over budget a bit but its a solid start.
Do you just want to wrench on a fairly stock bike, or build and modify stuff.
You said START, which is good because for a real shop you will eventually spend ~100 times that much. For just service (no restoration) you will need wrenches, pliers, JIS screwdrivers, oil collecting pans and funnels. Drop light, gloves, scrap carpet to put under the bike you are working on (I need to replace all of mine after five restores), shop trash can with foxtail and pan. Feeler gauges, calipers, assorted soft and ball peen hammers, DVM, clip leads. The first machine I would buy is a drill press - you can use it for drilling, wire wheel, and polishing. Air compressor and air tools (painting, grinding, sanding). Then a mini-lathe (so many unobtanium parts that you can make yourself). Bike lift is a preference thing - I'm on my 5th restoration without one. If you are married (and want to stay that way), buy her something with the $600 and ask if you can put together a shop when you get the money.
i have to say: organization is key. me? I've NEVER wanted a lift at home.
I cant even begin think how much money i have tied up in tools, and you cant see most of it here.
I set up the garage last fall, these are some of the pics. its much better now. I also built a shed out back to put all the yard shit in.
I guess the question is: what do you already have?
Besides budget, there are 2 keys that will dictate your list and order of priority: (1) what you have already & (2) how much space you have to work with?
I would start with:
1. Hand tools (including torque wrench & JIS screwdrivers)
2. Air compressor
3. Workbench
4. Bench vise
5. 2-stroke timing dial gauge kit
6. Digital calipers
7. DVM
8. Measuring cup or Ratio-Rite
9. Nitrile gloves
10. Tool chest
And I fully agree with Mark about having lots of lights and organizing bins.
And if budget permits:
Bench drill press
Bench grinder
Ultrasonic cleaner
Cordless impact wrench
Media blast cabinet
Motorcycle lift
I think you guys are pretty optimistic about how far $600 goes in 2021.
I just spent rather more than that budget on a few upgrades that make my shop look really nice and to be honest, it makes very little difference to the ability to do the job.
Over the decades I have built and restored too many bikes to list and at few points in time did I have a decent workshop space. I have built motors on the kitchen floor, or in the main hallway or outside or in a small cramped garage I even completed a restoration in a 5th floor apartment. Sure a nice shop makes a difference, but it's not absolutely necessary. Compressor is nice to have but I managed without one for a very long time.
What is important are good hand tools but you never need snapon type prices. Crafstman were great quality at reasonable prices and many HF tools are adequate.
Build a wooden workbench. Buy 2x4 wood from your local hardware store and uses 2x6 on the top with a 1/4" masonite skin on top. Or get a length of kitchen cabinet top when a neighbor is upgrading their kitchen. You can but that cheaply at Menards - often priced to clear. But wood works just as well. If you need drawers, consider a cheap wooden kitchen cabinet and build it into your workbench.
Lifts are nice but eat all the budget so leave those for now. Get decent LED shop lamps cheaply at menards or online so you have enough light to work. Add them for the rest of the shop as you go. For now you just need light where you work. A rolling tool chest is super cool and I picked up a Husky from Home Depot recently for around 250 bucks.It's not the biggest or toughest, but it's enough for what I need.
Add tools as you go along and not before you absolutely need them. Welding - find a local welder. Lathe and Mill, same thing. Find someone close that will machine parts at a reasonable price. If you need them more and more often, it might be time to add them, but for me it's not worth the cost or the space. A mini mill would be nice, for sure, but not a lot of use if I want to machine a cylinder head or add reed valves to a piston port motor. Better to pay someone with the right equipment and skills. I can use a mill and lathe but it's not cost effective for me and I just don't have the space or need.
So start with the basics - good (enough) hand tools. Add files and drill and angle grinder as you need them.
Free wood is more plentiful than you might think. The tractor dealership I work for pays to have scrap pallets and shipping lumber hauled away by the 30-yard dumpster. 2x4, 2x6, 4x4, 4x6 and sometimes 6x6 or bigger free for the asking.
I would buy a lift. I agree with what everyone else has said about them but if you have the room, buy one. I found a used one for 275.00 and it even has the removable panel for making rear wheel removal easier. Just like everyone I've worked on bikes for years without one and even told myself I don't need one but now that I have one I love it. I'd also buy an air compressor. Yes you can get by without one of those too but when you need it you need it and there's no substitute for it. You don't need a large one unless you plan on running air tools but it sure comes in handy when cleaning stuff. Drill presses are nice but unless you do a lot of parts fabbing or modifying it will just sit. Ask me how I know. I'd also buy a decent 3/8 drive torque wrench. Most of the other stuff you need for working on bikes can be bought a little at a time for reasonably small amounts of money. :twocents:
One of my favourite tools in the garage, the small 12v driver.
https://www.dewalt.ca/products/power-tools/screwdrivers-and-screwguns/12v-max-14-screwdriver-kit/dcf610s2
Assuming you have sockets and wrenches, stuff for resto work:
JIS screwdrivers including impact driver
Sonic
Polishing wheel
Dremel
Flywheel puller
Case splitter
Crank puller
Bearing puller
Clutch holder
Heat gun
Good tire irons
Assortment of picks hooks and punches
You should be able to get most that for 600. Of course the list goes on from there
The reality of it is $600 is a rough point to start if you are buying new. With that you cannot afford to buy specialty tools until you need them, wait till you are in a project and what that specific bike needs.
You can get a decent a decent starter set from HF for cheap, this one is actually ok for $130, i bring it to the track and it has the basic stuff for cheap. upgrade specific sizes as you go and when you need bigger size wrenches and sockets you can buy them individually.
https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-tool-kit-225-pc-62664.html (https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-tool-kit-225-pc-62664.html)
Spend on JIS Screwdrivers
Finally save money for the spring and hit all local garage sales, this is your best place to fill out your tool stash cheap. you can score deals on boxes, benches and I have gotten some great odds and ends like electrical kits and hardware.
It's also worth checking pawn shops for some of the more expensive tools. Pawn brokers love to haggle so don't be afraid to make a reasonable offer. Those guys are all about moving the merchandise.
Quote from: Djg8493 on February 01, 2021, 12:08:34 PM
https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-tool-kit-225-pc-62664.html (https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-tool-kit-225-pc-62664.html)
I wouldn't waste my money on that many SAE tools, unless I regularly worked on (old) American cars or bikes.
Oh! 10mm sockets!
the guy i work for bought this exact set for himself to work on his car and other stuff, its actually pretty decent. the box is a nice bonus, been holding up well. (along the same lines cost wise)
https://www.amazon.com/CRAFTSMAN-232-Piece-Standard-Combination-Mechanics/dp/B08MDBXLKC/ref=sr_1_36?dchild=1&keywords=craftsman+metric+socket+set&qid=1612357351&sr=8-36
Quote from: pdxjim on February 02, 2021, 06:53:19 PM
Quote from: Djg8493 on February 01, 2021, 12:08:34 PM
https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-tool-kit-225-pc-62664.html (https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-tool-kit-225-pc-62664.html)
I wouldn't waste my money on that many SAE tools, unless I regularly worked on (old) American cars or bikes.
Yea, it is not the perfect kit and the SAE are not much help but quality wise it is much better than I would expect and especially better than all the other HF kits I have seen. The ratchets are much tighter than others and usable. The Craftsman kit is nice as well for the money, I have a similar set at work, they make one that is a bit bigger as well.
I agree with Sav0r. Work bench. Though I would build one out of framing lumber. One you can attach a big vise to and really get medieval with a hammer. Sheet steel top is a ++ especially if you intend to weld in the future. I would do at least a 1/4" thick plate steel or aluminum top rather than sheet metal to get fewer dents.
I have all the other stuff but end up using my lift for a workbench. It is not ideal. I plan to build a bench this year. For me next after a sturdy bench would be air compressor. I have 2 of them and use them all the time. Flea markets rule for used shop tools. I would really like an anvil but that is slightly off-topic. Oxy-acetylene torch is also a good idea.
I worked at Sears auto center when I was a lad. It was a much different repair business then and not just a glorified oil changer. We got their deluxe Craftsman tool sets and tools we used for work for less than 50% of retail. I spent most of my paychecks at the tool dept. In the intervening 30+ years many have been lost and replaced with other brands. The older mechanics would buy Snap-On or MAC and sell me their Craftsman stuff cheap. It's been sad for me to see Sears failing but their path down the drain was set back in the 80's.
IR8D8R
Yes, all good advice from seasoned pros. BUT, don't buy anything from china. :bang: Lot's of better options out there. :patriot:
Impact screwdriver, the kind you smack with a hammer. This will get those ridiculously tight Phillips head screws out without stripping and save many hours of frustration and swearing.
Quote from: rodneya on February 07, 2021, 11:17:32 AM
Impact screwdriver, the kind you smack with a hammer. This will get those ridiculously tight Phillips head screws out without stripping and save many hours of frustration and swearing.
the #3 vessel jis is an impact. just fyi.
I grew up with the hammer type impacts, my father to this day refused to own an electric or pneumatic impact gun.
Anyways, I was in a bind with one of my engines and managed to cobble together adapters and sockets to use a large philips type (not JIS) bit onto the end of my electric impact gun. To my surprise it works just as well, if not better, than the hammer type. I ended up buying the hammer type impact because the impact bits and 1/2" adapter fit the end of my 1/2" drive impact gun much tidier than sockets and and adapters and what not.
Quote from: sav0r on February 07, 2021, 12:17:22 PM
Anyways, I was in a bind with one of my engines and managed to cobble together adapters and sockets to use a large philips type (not JIS) bit onto the end of my electric impact gun. To my surprise it works just as well, if not better, than the hammer type.
I use the 1/4" shank JIS cross head bits in a 1/4" cordless impact driver. Haven't touched the manual hammer type impact driver in years now. Haven't stripped any screw heads in quite a few years either. After starting the first few threads by hand, I install all fasteners with the same cordless impact driver; from screws to axle nuts. As counter-intuitive as it may seem to be, it's much harder to strip anything with the little cordless impact guns.
All the the above suggested items are great for compiling a list of what will be used for most all routine work. Include a digital multimeter for electrical troubleshooting, this is a must for older wiring systems. I think this is a must have. I have some Kobalt brand hand tools and they have held up well. :twocents:
I've been dong this for a long, long time, and I started out poor and so I had to start cheap. My main advice, having looked at the long lists above,---First things first. You are going to be taking things apart, and putting them back together, so hand tools that you can use to do that, are the only priority, before you buy anything else. Since I work on Japanese and Euro, English, and American stuff, for myself I would say both metric and American wrenches, but tailor it to what you are going to work on first. Look all over the motorcycle you will be working on, and get what you will need. If you are going to work on other bikes later, you might just shop now for end wrenches 4 or 6mm up to 19mm and 1/4 to 3/4-- and sockets the same normal reach, and start with a 3/8 ratchet, but you will eventually want 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ratchets and deep sockets and various ratchet extensions too--whatever you can afford, 3/8 if nothing else, and be sure to get a plug wrench or socket that fits the plug in the bike you will work on (note height above the plug, as well as diameter, if the wrench won't fit in between the tank and the plug, it is not going to be useful. You'll need to take the wheels out, so be sure you have that covered both front and rear--get a 12 inch crescent or a couple end wrenches or 1/2 drive sockets to fit. slot and Phillips screw drivers, and a J phillips, and maybe a Vessel impact driver. Battery pliers, slip joint, diagonal cutters, needle nose--among 1000 other things, that will help you take the chain apart. Ball peen hammer, dead blow hammer. An electric hand drill to run a wire brush, buffer, etc. as well as drill holes. A hacksaw. Other useful things you might not think of, like a couple files (incuding a mill bastard, triangular thread file, and a round rat tail file), wire brushes both hand and rotary, straight and 90 degree picks. Some Yamabond 4, some red silicone, maybe some blue loctite. Chain lube, WD40. Some rags. And for sure, a comfortable garage stool on wheels. That should get you started, you can field strip repair/recondition and rebuild a whole RD350 back to a fairly high standard with those minimal hand tools and other stuff. That will consume a big part of the $600. As to brand, I am partial to Craftsman, but then I go back decades to when they were reasonably good middle to upper quality tools sold by Sears. They are still reasonable middle of the road quality, with a warranty, but you decide. You will want reasonable quality, don't buy cheap, it's of no use if it breaks or the open end opens up, get what seems reasonable quality. Don't get sucked into fancy expensive brands unless like someone who posted here, you get a smokin' giveaway deal on used Snapon or whatever. If you go to the Harbor Freight store and look around, some (but certainly not all) their hand tools are reasonable quality nowadays, but look at it thoughtfully--things like overly thick walls on sockets, and fat heads on end wrenches can cause usability problems. Once you have the basics covered, then you can branch out to a vise, a work bench, a bike stand, lights, a caliper and other measuring stuff, and other power tools besides an electric hand drill like a drill press, grinder, buffer, but all that is icing on the cake, first you have to be able to take the bike you have chosen apart and do the tasks it needs to be reworked.
The biggest single thing about starting out is being thoughtful and getting what you really need to do what you have to do. About 50 years ago, Gordon Jennings published an article in Cycle Magazine about what you need in a road race tool box. He started with a modest hand carried Sears Rally 3 drawer box, and proceeded to name the basic list I gave you above, and I copied that and it was quite enough to get me through 50 years of road racing, with the right tools to field strip the bikes I was racing (in fact, since I was racing both English and Japanese, both vintage and modern, enough to field strip the different bikes I was road racing). Since I race modern Japanese motocross bikes too, they don't require very much at all, perhaps just 1/4 of what another bike might need, so I have a separate motocross tool box with just that stuff in it--T handle wrenches and stuff you won't need to work on an RD). So the message is, think about what you REALLY need to do what you REALLY have to do, buy just those tools, and you won't go wrong or waste money.