Best Mechanic's Tool Set Under $200? Part 2: Custom Or Not 

Congratulations to @Jesse Brooks on winning the giveaway. Thank you to all that participated and looking forward to more giveaways in the future!

Working on my car is my new hobby. Just bought a set of metric Tekton wrenches from Amazon. I’m building my first tool set & blown away by how nice this set is, especially for the price! I appreciate your reviews. You saved me from buying one of those bulky “mechanic sets” from Home Depot/Harbor Freight with all the unnecessary filler pieces. You earned a subscriber! Thanks

I can't thank you enough for all the info you've given in your videos, I watched your Tekton tools video earlier right before I almost bought a DeWalt socket set, with a bunch of extra tools I was not going to need, I just started working on my car (I'm 39) and never ever worked on an engine before, I was surprised that RU-vid has thousands of tutorials, and in 1 month I changed my clutch (standard transmission) alternator, all fluids and filters , suspension, and clutch master cylinder, I saved thousands, which I do not have to spend. I need real tools, I did that with a cheap brand socket set, I even rounded a bunch of bolts and had to buy new ones. I will start by purchasing the Tekton 3/8, and 1/4 for my ford focus, I'll get the 1/2 later. That video was extremely helpful, you "dumbed" it down for us the people new to this. I will follow your advice and get some extra 10mm and 13mm (my car has a bunch of those), because I might lose one. Keep posting videos please, maybe of tuneup tutorials. I wish you well man.

I'm a new guy in a Diesel shop and I happily use these sockets and wrenches. Tekton is a great company to work with like you mentioned. The Pittsburgh wrenches are surprisingly tough and I haven't rounded anything if I'm being smart. As much as I'd like to have a toolbox full of domestic tools, I have to give credit where it's due. These are tough tools and I'd easily hold onto them for years or give them as gifts. Keep up the great content and thanks for your hard work.

wow that tekton set is exactly what I've been looking for! thanks to you I now know! just subscribed. looking forward to more videos.

Agree 100%. Throw in a Quinn plier set and screwdriver set and the travel bag is complete

Congrats to the winner! The custom set that anyone can make is always better. The only drawback I see is that the carrying case may not be as compact and organized as a regular store bought tool set

I was running into the issue of not finding a set that had everything I needed but there was one craftsman set that did. I grabbed the portable mechanics(?) set in the zip up binder. I just looked up what tools you need for my car and found a forum post that asked the same thing. Found out I needed a 19mm socket and all of the other sets, I was only looking at the craftsman sets at lowes, either stopped at 18mm or were way more expensive than I cared to spend at that moment. Plus I needed to leave them in my near nonexistent trunk space. So far I've used them a couple of times, including that 19mm to take off my steering wheel, and really like them. Though once I have a garage of my own I think I'm sold on those tekton sets. I would much rather have all those inbetween sizes for those off chance moments.

Great video. I have multiples of everything in most sets but not in cases and wanted to put together something portable. I got into the series wondering if I'd be better off buying a boxed set

Great video just purchased both tekton socket sets and didnt realize they made that nice bit set might have to add that to the collection. So happy to have socket sets without Sae that I never use 🎉

Great set, I am rethinking my 216pc set now. Ace has tool bags for very cheap, I got 2 for 10$ on Black Friday, they have a deal going on for one bag for 5$ right now.

i just got the 3/8" mm/sae master socket set. I'll probably be using the black friday 20% rewards I got toward a 1/2" deep metric impact socket set.

Cool. I would suggest a Pittsburgh long handle flex head 3/8 drive ratchet instead of a plain 17in. breaker bar. It is about 22 bucks with 5 dollar pp ratchet coupon. More versatile and has lifetime warranty. I love mine.

I've really enjoyed this series, and am actually relieved that I DIDN'T win that Craftsman set, since I'd already bought a comparable but pre-VersaStack 224-piece one just last year about this time for for just $99 from Ace that I simply adore (Thanks for the tip Den of Tools Bear!). Add to that the ½ off Hart 215-piece Hart Mechanic's Tool Set I snagged for just $47 as an "open box" markdown, though it's all there, and my existing hoard of this and that, and I guess you could say I needed that Craftsman giveaway like I needed surgically implanted gills in my buttocks. Hopefully it's going to someone who really needs it. But like I said, I've really enjoyed these intimate peeks into those kits. After all that you're certainly well qualified to cobble together your own personalized kit. That and others' comments about not needing or wanting SAE just goes to show how we all have different needs. The oddball vehicle I wrench on most is an elderly Royal Enfield Bullet 500 single motorcycle, made in India in 2005 based almost unchanged on a 1954 British design. Not only does it have Metric AND SAE fasteners throughout, but being a bit of an engineering fossil it also has a couple of wacky old British Standard "Whitworth" bolts, which are neither Metric nor SAE. For example, the ¼ Whitworth is somewhere between a 13 and 14 mm or 1/2 and 9/16 inch wrenches. That's some special order level bizarritude in the 21st century! I see you opted for the Pittsburgh wrenches for your custom kit, and they're just fine, aren't they? Tekton's nice and all, but it's hard to argue with a bargain that's more or less the same quality but costs far less. I favor Pittsburgh's stubbies myself, and their plastic carrying cases are just the ticket for keeping 'em organized. I have gone on and on, but thanks again!

I would rather buy something CONSIDERED "entry level" but able to warranty them fast, then to pay for premium and have to wait a week to replace a socket. I do not care how good you think your crap is, it all breaks, and if I am trying to work on something and I break something like.. 10mm, well my job is now shut down until warranty service decides to mail me another socket. Or, I can goto HF or HD and just swap one out. In and out inside 5 minutes every time. But, I still find too many failing to actually define what makes a premium brand vs. lower quality. Which would be down to destructive testing and metallurgy. None of which I have found a "reviewer" actually do.

Gear wrench 243 pc set at Home Depot with the ratchet wrenches was my pick from your other video. Unfortunately, it's been sold out forever now. Lowe's shows one online, but grey and black, but sold out. ($199 at Home Depot.) Praying it shows back up, even if it's online.

If you want to try a low priced, NICE ratchet, Capri Flex Head

Just ordered 2 boxes of the multi bits thanks man

With what the 3/8" set covers you could almost get by skipping the 1/4" set and getting a compact 3/8's ratchet

This looks great for a quick travel kit.

the Tekton wrench organizer, ordering one now.

Spend the money, and try a Snap-On long flex head 3/8.....

Could you do a review of the duralast 180 piece set? I like it because it doesn't skip a lot of sockets in half inch and has a decent range I was wanting your opinion

I have run into cases where only a 1/2” would work. 12mm too small and 13” too big. Maybe a 7/16 also if I remember.

As a mechanic, SAE is not as important, but as a home owner SAE becomes much more common..

Hello again Project Karr's Thank you for another Great Video. As a Aircraft Mechanic, I have only SAE/STANDARD Tools. I haven't come across anything metric yet. I've have about twenty five years of experience. Manufacturers can always change their supply.

Need to do more videos like this

My question is this though: Why even bother with 1/4"? Personally I'd rather just stick to 3/8 and 1/2 MAYBE if I needed 1/4" I'd throw in some random 1/4 ratchet I had left over or grab the cheapest thing from Harbor Freight. What are you going to use it for? I always find myself more annoyed by 1/4" drive than anything else as I'd much rather grab a 3/8? Am I the only one? I mean obviously there's exceptions for the *really* small stuff like 4-8mm maybe? but again, go grab the smallest HF socket set, or pull one off amazon. Can't be more than what, 10$ for a set?

End up always coming back to harbor freight ftw 😅

if you wanted to have sae just in case you can buy the harbor freight colored deep socket set for I think 15$

Great video!

@10:00 no triple square or e torx though

how do you enter the giveaways?

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Bro.... Where u at?

The machines I work on are so old and there have been many mechanics before me that you’ll have 3 metric bolts and one standard lol

You could have actually gone with Tekton wrenches instead of Pittsburgh because they are made in the same place and technically they are exactly the same except with better Chrome from Tekton ☝️ that's really the only difference

If you are building a custom kit with 6 point sockets, why choose chrome over Impact?

Nice

What happened he just stopped posting

Would you recommend buying a quality set if going to use it at yunkyard a lot?

Bet you make a mean milkshake!!

There is just to much unnecessary bits in those tool kits, putting together your own is the way to go. I have different bags for my truck and cars.

Is this channel dead now? Nothing in months

What happened he just stopped posting