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The Best Gifts for At-Home Mechanics
Anything that makes life and work easier in the garage is a surefire holiday-gift win.
By
Bryan Campbell
At-home mechanics are essentially hyper-focused DIYers, so anything that makes garage life and work easier is a surefire holiday-gift win. A brand-new full socket set to replace and supplement their existing collection? You bet. A light bar with lumens that give sun a run for its money? Definitely. A magnetic telescoping pick up tool to get in the most unreachable places? You better believe it. These are just some of the best gifts for the at-home mechanic — you can’t go wrong with anything below.
Haynes Manual
Factory repair manuals can get pretty pricey and most likely have more information then you’ll ever need, which is why Haynes Manuals are a staple in any at-home mechanic’s garage. There’s still plenty of information to help you repair your car, but it comes at a veery reasonable $30.
The bane of all mechanics’ existence is dropping a socket, bolt or washer into the dark abyss of a full oil pan or down a narrow chasm in the engine bay. A telescoping magnet is incredibly simple but wildly helpful.
There are very few times in at-home mechanic’s career where the sound of a metal-on-metal impact is welcomed. When the job does call for a hammer, a little more finesse is usually required. A rubber mallet not only takes the sting out of the energy traveling through the handle, but it also is kinder on metal and painted surfaces.
Six leveles of brightness, a 5,000 lumen output and a chemical resistant body pretty much ensures the Big Ass Light Bar will replace any flashlight you currently have – and will be the last one you ever need.
When all the conventional methods of loosening a seized nut fail but defeat is not an option, a nut splitter will finish the job. Using a point splitter and focus pressure, the nut splitter does exactly what its name entails and cracks the nut of the bolt, allowing for easy removal.
If you look into the garage of any professional mechanic shop you’ll see fender covers up and down the maintenance bays. It’s important to protect the fenders from accidental scratches caused by tools and clothing while leaning and working under the hood.
When a job requires two-hands (spoiler: most of them do) and you need a light source a headlamp is the way to go. This one from Streamlight gives you bright LED light exactly where you need it.
Most batteries live in tight quarters, which means getting a grip on them when they need replacing isn’t so easy. A car battery carrier makes life less difficult and lets you get into tighter spaces on the sides of the battery. It also is a great way to handle older or damaged batteries without directly touching them.
Red shop towels are fairly iconic – every home mechanic knows they’re a must in every garage. They’re not tough on hands or skin but do an amazing job of scrubbing greasy surfaces and cleaning any spills. They’re also machine-washable, and so a pack of 100 Utopia Shop Towels can go a long way.
As much as the home mechanic likes to work under the hood of their car, it’s not the most friendly place for bare hands. Hard, sharp surfaces and edges are everywhere, and if you’ve ever slipped a wrench in a tight space in an engine bay, you’ll appreciate the protection of high abrasion gloves. Made with extra grip on the fingers and abrasion-resistant material, they’re an essential defensive weapon in an at-home mechanic’s arsenal.
Unless you’re one of the fortunate ones and have a full car lift in your garage, jack stands are a must. Each Pro-Lift Double Pin Jack Stand can hold up to six tons, so having one at each corner of the average car, truck or SUV is more than enough support.
Getting into tight spaces to clean and polish a surface or cut a bolt or shear an edge is a regular activity in thee garage. The Black+Decker Rotary Tool’s slim body and 27-piece set turns laborous, time consuming chores into simple, stress-free tasks.
For the longest time, the creeper wasn’t much more than a plank of wood with a few wheels bolted on the bottom. The Pro-Lift Foldable Mechanic’s Creeper not only has six three-inch polyurethane, oil resistant, full-bearing casters for a smooth ride across the shop floor, it also folds up and becomes a stool, eliminating crouching and hunching for jobs like tire changes.
A torque wrench is an essential tool for any mechanic looking even to do simple maintenance. When using a conventional torque wrench, you’re essentially eye-balling it – converting foot-pounds to inch pounds or Nm on the fly. The Craftsman Digital Torque Wrench takes the guesswork out of the equation by doing all the conversions at the touch of a button and displaying the exact force you need on an LED backlit screen.
There’s nothing worse than setting out to do a job only to find you don’t have the sockets you need. With a Dewalt 168-Piece Mechanics Tool Set, there’s a good chance you’ll have every size socket to take your entire car apart and put it back together.
Again, unless you’re one of the fortunate souls to have a full lift or drive over bay, you’re going to need a floor jack. The Arcan Aluminum Floor Jack has a three-ton capacity and is relatively light at 65 pounds, so it’s not a complete workout moving it across the garage floor.
Right now, Backcountry is offering an extra 20 percent off some awesome light jackets that are chock full of technical materials and features. You won't be sorry you added one to your wardrobe.
Originally a tennis shoe in the 80s, the Killshot 2 has become one of Nike's most coveted kicks. After years of only being available through J.Crew, they are now available in multiple colorways directly from Nike. They sell out almost every time they go on sale, so act fast to get yourself a pair.
Filson has been making some of the best gear to come out of the Pacific Northwest, and probably the whole country, for years. This tote is tough-as-hell and water-resistant — perfect for weekend trips to the farmers' market.
Huckberry and Timex threw it back to the 70s and 80s with this collaboration. Starting with a blank slate, the brands led with the iconic cola colorway, added a military-inspired dial and finished it off with a woven stainless steel bracelet and aluminum timing bezel.
As we head into spring, you may not need the heavier layers you've been donning all winter, but you still need something. This light jacket from Nike is perfect for breezy days and will even help if you encounter a drizzly April shower.
When looking back on life and thinking hard about every travel mug and thermos you've seen, odds are high that most of them are made by Stanley. This classic brand has made some of the best insulated mugs for years, so picking one up is a no-brainer.
The Eco-Drive from Citizen is powered by light, so you never need a battery. This diver is highlighted by a date display at 4 o'clock, a luminous dial, and a dual-tone bezel.
A wireless charger looks great on your desk and keeps excess cords out of the way. This one is wrapped in Horween leather for a rugged look and can charge any wireless-compatible iPhones plus AirPods and AirPods Pro.
Staub's enameled cast iron is versatile, distributes heat evenly, and works with any heat source, including induction. This is one of our favorite pieces of cookware.
This is undoubtedly the perfect layer (and color) for spring. It looks great over a t-shirt, is soft enough to wear every day at home and looks nice enough for dates and Zoom meetings.
Now that many of us are working exclusively from home, Wi-Fi connectivity has never been more precious. Make sure your entire home is covered with this Wi-Fi extender, which can boost coverage up to 1,200 feet and connect to 20 devices.
Being at home more often is a blessing to many of us, but only if our home is prepared for our presence. If the air is getting a little stale and dry, pick up a humidifier to bring your space back to life and give you some fresh breathing room just in time for allergy season.
Using half bison fiber and half wool, the Bison Ultralight weighs less than a pound and offers extremely well insulation. It also sports a recycled ripstop shell with a PFC-free DWR coating and compactly folds into its own pocket.
Solo Stove took the 360 Airflow Design that made its fire pit so exceptional and turned it into a charcoal grill that is perfect for backyard hangs. This bundle comes with the grill, a grill stand, a cover, a carry case, plus briquettes and starters to get you going.
Hydro Flask really needs no introduction at this point, so when you can get a 32-ounce wide mouth with its Temp-Shield insulation at 31 percent off, you do it.
Making more coffee from home now? So are we. Ditch the Mr. Coffee and unlock all the flavor your freshly roasted beans have to offer with a french press. It is super simple to use and really does make exceptional coffee.
Stasher bags are one of our favorite alternatives to single-use plastic wrap and bags. They keep your food fresh, contain no BPA and are dishwasher and microwave safe. Plus, you can also use them for marinades or sous vide thanks to their Pinch-Loc seal.
Four-way stretch, seamless construction, and extreme breathability make this our pick for the best premium workout shirt. It is simple, and simply good.
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