Must-Need Auto Tools and Equipment for Any Home Garage
When you're pulling together a home garage, there are some pretty obvious things. You need space, a workbench and the right tools. Here at
North American Auto Equipment, we have been in the auto body garage parts and equipment business for years and have come to learn what the professionals need. We also have many individual customers who choose our top-quality equipment and tools for their home garages, and we can help you equip yours as well.
Instead of focusing on those obvious items, we thought we’d make a list of some other important things you might not have thought of for your home garage. You too can work like an auto body professional if you equip your home garage the right way!
Must-Have Home Garage Mechanic Tools
The right list of tools for your home garage depends on the type of work you do on your vehicles. For instance, the collector maintaining a classic car won’t have the exact same tool set as you might have if you work on newer vehicles. The same goes for body guys versus mechanic types. You need the hand and power tools that are adapted to your typical tasks.
Once you’ve figured out the basic mechanic tool sets you need, add the specific tools required for difficult or more involved jobs. Then add on these must-have tools and equipment that the professionals have but home garage owners often forget:
- A fire extinguisher: We sure hope you’ll never need to use it, but having a fire extinguisher on hand can really save the day. Pro shops usually have a sprinkler system as well as hand-held extinguishers, so make sure you have at least one fire extinguisher handy and verify it regularly.
- A safety kit: Again, we hope you don’t need to use this item, but it’s better to have it handy. Some home garage owners might not think this is necessary, especially if their garage is attached to the house, but it is convenient to have a first aid kit right in your garage, ready when you need it.
- A compressor: This piece of equipment gets overlooked in many home garages, but an air compressor comes in very handy. Use it to inflate tires after a leak or long-term storage and purchase pneumatic drills, chisels, cutting wheels, polishing wheels and other time-saving tools. Check out our selection of available air compressors.
- Jacks and stands: Unfortunately, a large percentage of the accidents that occur in home garages are due to improperly jacked vehicles. The jack supplied with a vehicle is only meant to be used for an on-road flat tire. Always use a quality jack and jack stands when you’re raising your vehicle in your home garage.
- Lights: While your garage likely has overhead lights already, adding additional fixed and portable lighting is a great idea for your garage. Choose professional-quality lights that are designed to resist bumps and knocks and are easy to position right where you’re working.
- Storage/service lifts: You might think that auto lifts are reserved for professional garages, but we have many compact models that work great at home. Choose from our low-rise lifts that fold low to save space or our full 2-post lifts to raise your vehicle for work or seasonal storage.
- Internet access: A smartphone with an internet connection can often save the day if you’re working with a certain tool and need some guidance. Even better is a large tablet or laptop computer in your garage, which allows you to view videos, consult forums and even order parts and tools online.
- Storage containers: If you are pulling parts off of your vehicle, you want to keep them organized. This is especially true if you use your home garage for storing other items and need to clean up at the end of the day. Keep a variety of bins in different sizes and label them with the parts you’re taking off.
- Shop vacuum: A home garage can quickly become a mess, especially if you're doing any bodywork and sanding filler or paint. Choose a quality shop vacuum that can handle wet and dry dirt and keep your work area clean. A clean garage is also more inviting to work in and helps you to avoid losing small parts.
Shop Online
We’ve made it easy here on our North American Auto Equipment website to order your automotive garage parts and accessories. Simply browse our selection and choose the items that suit your available garage space and the type of automotive work you do. Make your home garage into the perfect DIY space with the right
tools, equipment and accessories.
You'll find detailed descriptions on all of our parts right here on our site, and you can
contact our team if you have any questions. We'll make sure you're choosing the right equipment and can even tell you about our service and maintenance parts. Find out how we've become the online leader in auto equipment for home garages.
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