What's in your Tool Box?

[rokguy]

You will need whatever you dont bring

The reason we end up with so many tools and spares.

Someone mentioned spare alternator earlier, 
My diesel use to like breaking alternator top brackets all the time. Bought all the 25 year old N.O.S left at Ford here, decided one day to double install two together and have never had a problem since. I'm still driving around carrying about 12 brackets, guaranty the minute I ditch them I need another.

 

[Cajunwolf]

I quit carrying spare alternators; I just carry a kit to rebuilt them. Smaller, lighter, and takes up a spot in a drawer. If it's not field rebuildable, core it for a rebuilt, or find a local starter-alternator shop. Go get some lunch, and then go pick it up, swap it out, and hit the road.

 

[rokguy]

I quit carrying spare alternators; I just carry a kit to rebuilt them. Smaller, lighter, and takes up a spot in a drawer. If it's not field rebuildable, core it for a rebuilt, or find a local starter-alternator shop. Go get some lunch, and then go pick it up, swap it out, and hit the road.

Yeah, I have to as mine runs the vacuum operated exhaust brakes. Not easily found on the road here.

 

[Stargazer]

Good grief! I don't even know what most of that stuff is. I built out my van with a screwdriver set, a jigsaw, couple different pliers, couple crescent wrenches. Oh, and a hammer. And a box cutter. And a tarp.

Carried those, a hatchet, a K-bar knife, a swiss army knife and yes a corkscrew! And my favorite tool is one of those big plier things that can accommodate hose ends, propane tank connections, and sparkling wine bottle tops.

If those won't fix it, I'll look for one of you.

 

[Joe Dirt]

And my favorite tool is one of those big plier things that can accommodate hose ends, propane tank connections, and sparkling wine bottle tops.

 I’m guessing that you’re talking about tongue and groove pliers, which are often called water pump pliers, but most often referred to as channel lock pliers....... If I were allowed to have only one tool, that would be my tool of choice...…..  I believe that I could tear apart damn near anything with a pair of Channellocks

 

[SheketEchad]

Ponders buying all of these tools, or buying a good mechanic a few beers and holding the flashlight...

 

[Stargazer]

This

 

[Stargazer]

And what She said ^^^. Lol! I can hold a flashlight!

 

[Giuseppe Hardblast]

If you buy a channel lock get 2 of them

 

[MrNoodly]

I could carry fewer wrenches if only GM had decided to go either all-metric or all-SAE instead of their random combination of the two.

 

[B and C]

It's not only GM. When they started to offshore parts (to cut costs) is where it all started. To be honest, if all the parts were made here, we probably couldn't afford the vehicles.

 

[Lowdesertpatrol]

SAE just needs to go already

 

[Giuseppe Hardblast]

That's unamerican

 

[B and C]

SAE will be around for the rest of my lifetime and anyone working on older vehicles will still need SAE tools. When I was in school in the 50's, they started teaching the metric system saying everything would be metric in the next few years. Here we are 60+ years later and SAE has not gone away and the metric system never stuck with me. I hate it when foreign vendors list dimensions in metric as I have to find a metric to SAE conversion to figure out what size something is. I used to be able to tell what size wrench I needed by just looking at the bolt head, not anymore as metric got thrown in the mix. Now I have to have two sets of tools, SAE and metric and make a lot more trips back and forth to the tool box. I know, I am a dinosaur and going the way of the Dodo bird. At least I don't wrench much anymore. I still think and speak in inches, feet, yards, miles and fahrenheit. I would be happy if metric went away and I am sure I am not alone in that. It seems everyone wants everyone to be the same when we in reality are all different.

Rant over.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

I have the basic hand tools, the pliers assortment, the driver assortment, the sockets, the wrenches. I have Metrics for the truck, SAE for oddball things on the trailer and the good samaritan rescue mission.
Here's what no one else has mentioned, or at least not that I noticed:  a Clamptite wire tool, a 3 in 1 saw (2 kinds of wood and hack), a machete, a sledge hammer, For DC: a test light, For AC: non contact voltage testers and plug in circuit testers.  Ratchet straps, rope, chains & shackles, cordless work lamps, a 1/4" cordless impact driver.  
As to parts and supplies:  safety wire, heat shrink tubing, lithium grease, silicone grease, gaff tape, blue painters tape, electrical tape, teflon tape.  yards and yards of paracord, various lengths of electrical conduit & PVC pipe, a decent length of black pipe to slip over my breaker bar,

 

[pupiedad]

New toolbox I have is https://parts.jeepsareus.com/oem-parts/mopar-tool-box-82211357?c=bD0xJm49U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM= that I need to install this weekend. It's really an upgrade with what I have since this would comprise 1/4 of my trunk. Planning to place extra tow wirings and other tools when towing.