Building the ULTIMATE $3500 Mechanic Tool Box - Perfect for Beginners and DIYers 

If you want to see some other tool videos with lower budgets, see below : $2500 Tool Box ~ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-v1sJsCKAJew.htmlsi=_rBRJ5L6fsfCy8VN $1500 Roll Cart Kit ~ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zZ4xrrHZE4A.htmlsi=fXPG5YxRl42SJM8d

This just reminds me how much I have invested in tools. What a time to be alive.

Mobile mechanic truck box? Great vid, almost nothing better than a whole video of tool unboxing lol

I've been a tech for 871 years and i approve this message. I cringe any time a new tech gets on a tool truck looking at 8000 dollar tool boxes 400 dollar wrenches ect. Great video! Im definitely adding a mr. Predicto to my box. Thanks!

The $200 HF Tool Carts are a great value for lots of things. I have a red one that lives on my back patio. It sits next to my BBQ Smoker and it holds all my gloves, temp probes, aluminum foil, and all my other BBQ tools & stuff. I’m using another one to build an auto detail cart. Electric pressure washer mounted to the lower shelf, and all my detail crap in the drawers. When it’s time to wash a car, just roll the whole cart outside, hook up water & electric and I’m ready to go

I've had my Klein cutters for nearly 20 years, still perfect. I cut nails screws just about anything with em and they still work perfectly. Spend the money once, for life.

The tool bag is very good though for the car tools, which are very often the thing that gets you out of a bind. Also useful when you are at home or out doing DIY, as it can hold a lot of tools for small jobs. Well worth using, saving you from either not having a screwdriver or pliers on the road, or to carry stuff when at home.

I absolutely love these videos, i am a mechanic myself but have been stuck with a husky tool set, I don't make enough money to load up a cart like this because of how expensive things are, but I love seeing you build them!

I think it would be pretty cool to see a motorcycle mechanic setup.

Mr. Predicto! You are giving away our most-secret tool! You are banished!

A race style pit box would be a cool build. More niche but could be cool to see a box set up with the essentials to survive a weekend at the track.

Build a Complete toolbox 42-inch top and bottom and fill it with tools ONLY from Harbour Freight. Quinn Master Socket sets, 1/2" (83pc), 3/8" (72pc), 1/4" (54pc). Also, Master Impact socket sets, 1/2" (61pc), 3/8" (48pc), and Master bit socket set (87pc). A lot of videos want to go straight to ICON brand everything, but Quinn makes good stuff.

For the cheap shop multimeter I highly recommend the fluke 101. $40-50 for a fluke that you can fit in your shirt pocket, auto ranging and super clean UI and display makes doing basic continuity/resistance testing a breeze.

I have a Milwaukee 2010R pen light! More expensive then the one you showed, but it is rechargable, battery life has been good too. Has a rubber end so you can bite down on it to hold in your mouth and free up your hands when needed, and it has a laser pointer so you can use it to point out problem areas to customers or service advisors

As a 20 year old who has been at a dealership for just over a year, I don't see the need to spend more than I have to. I will admit I have my fair share mac tools that I used my student discount, and a snap on ratchet that I also used my discount on before I graduated this past spring. And I love all of my Milwaukee battery tools. All of my sockets are Tekton or Sunex, and extension and bit sets are ICON, which I also love ICON brand. My box is the $600 US General 7 drawer which you can get on sale for less. It's a perfect box for me, which I have organized very well to fit as much tools as possible, with room to grow. For someone who is just starting in this industry, realistically, you need about 3k minimum starting out, but most people that I know my age agree that 5k puts you in the best spot. This big thing is staying out of debt, and buying as you go.

That Maddox caliper kit is a life saver. I spent years fighting the "cube" you get from the parts stores to compress the rear brakes on mustangs. I bit the bullet one day and bought one of those kits, and I absolutely love it.

One thing I would recommend would be thin wall impact sockets. Grey pneumatic makes some nice sets, no need for impact and chrome redundancy saves money and space

Love these tool box builds.

I've been playing both of your other videos on repeat while planning out my set up, this is a huge help thank you.

I'm starting my automotive career this month, and these videos have been super helpful for me to get an idea of what I should be buying to fill out my box. Thank you!

Thanks for this. I watched and realized I have a few more things I need to pick up and add to my boxes.

If you’re buying tools yourself I would recommend the Icon brake caliper set. It has a few more adapters, a left and a right hand assembly, and it’s only like $20 more than the Maddox. Not knocking the Maddox one, because I’ve had some good quality Maddox tools, but the Icon one might be a better purchase if you work on different makes of cars that the Maddox one might not have.

I love watching your videos!! As someone building up my tool box i recommend an icon stick flashlight specifically because it’s magnetic and thin enough to lookin places without a pencil light.

Going on 18 years of wrenching. If I was starting out today, I would get everything from harbor freight, and slowly upgrade to higher quality tools. I've seen too many young guys be crushed by debt, and leave the industry.

When I started (locomotive/railroad mechanic), I was working out of an old, handheld Kennedy box. I had one of the cheaper Crafstman box setups on layaway. That was back in 2010. I *just* bought a much nicer, larger Craftsman lower box. It was a LONG time coming.

I've always liked these videos for a couple of reasons 1. The completed carts always go out to graduating technicians, which is always a blessing since techs in the United States are responsible for their own tools 2. It highlights tools from the non-truck brands that are solid for not only new technicians, but shade tree/home mechanics, showing that we don't always need tool truck tools 3. It showcases what I call the "Harbor Freight" approach, which gets you in the door to find out what you will always be using and what is worth upgrading if it breaks

1. Absolutely one of THE best automotive channels on RU-vid. 2. You are such a nice person too. I remember a few years ago, I sent you a question and I was actually surprised with how you answered it and how nice you were. 3. FINALLY.....can you do like a 72" dream toolbox build?

12:48 Mr. Predicto LOL

My vote for the next box is a for a mobile heavy diesel mechanic. Being one myself, I’d like to see what input someone from the light vehicle world has to offer, and see something more in line with end of apprenticeship stuff, stuff you’d have from later in the trade that you may use everyday or basically never.

God i wish i had Harbour Freight in the UK, there arent many stores dedicated to tools. Anyway i love these videos, ive watched the other 2 like 100000 times.

Been changing oil for almost 2 years this has been the most expensive job I’ve ever had I get underpaid for the amount of oil changes I got to do and every paycheck I be buying tools from harbor freight it never ends I’ve spend thousands already I haven’t been able to save up any money I don’t have nice car or a nice gaming setup or even nice quality tools when I use to work at a fast food place I was able to save $10k

Gearwrench refers to the long nose pliers with two pivot points as "Double X". I would consider a set of oil filter cartridge sockets since many late model cars have internal cartridge oil filters. Coast makes some very bright, very durable rechargeable flashlights that won't break the bank. I would also add some Astro impact swivel sockets as they are a bargain and increase productivity. What I like most about these videos, is you keep the new tech off of the tool truck starting out. Great job!!!!

WD-40 put outlets over the Vermont plate, and I took that personally. Kidding aside, that was a great video!

Sometimes I talk sh*t about *HF,* but really, I have tools from them I use _constantly._

Truck box would be cool but how about an Everyday car kit?

Very nice tool box for anyone just starting out in the field. I started kind of late in life working on cars after I was already married with kids and it has been really hard to get a decent tool box going. I am getting there but it is a slow process. I need to pay bills and such first and when I have a little extra money I will go buy something I need. I really have been just using Harbor Freight for hand tools and to be honest for what I need them for they are perfect for me. Thanks for sharing this video, I am sure it will help many people who are new to the trade.

I look forward to your Sunday vids. Thanks for all the time and hard work you put into them! As far as a penlight, the Coast® HP3R 385 Lumen Rechargeable LED Penlight is my go to. A little more cost, but rechargeable is great for me.

For a flashlight I have liked what NEBO has been putting out. Very bright, rechargeable, high quality

For cheap stuff: Flexible magnet / grabber, fuel line separator tool, spark plug gap tool Spring pilot hole tools come in handy when you can't get a hammer in there

Manual vacuum pump. For the DIYer without access to a power brake bleeder. Handy for testing something that's supposed to move when there's vacuum.

I ❤ Vag, I drive a Audi type 89 convertible 2.3e 5 cilinder. Best first car ever. Only problem i've had was a coolent leak. The extra radiator had a tiny hole, easy fix but took me a day and a roll of paper because the hose was crusted on😅

I’d think a toolbox/tool starter video for an aircraft mechanic fresh out of A&P school would be pretty awesome with the resources you guys have and being able to donate it to a A&P mechanic getting outta school. I’d be happy to help you compile a list of tools that are must haves for aviation mechs!

U got me with Mr predicto. It was a joke. I didn’t get it at first.

Humble mechanic I've been a fan of you for a while now and I really appreciate the insight you give with regards to the automotive field . Love from trinidad and tobago

Whoever got the rollar cart with the Milwaukee drills and hex bit set is one lucky person. Those saved me so many times and had things running fast for me to make more money than i invested into buying those for myself. I am lowkey kinda jealous. Those are a life savior

I love this videos of tools man give me a lot of knowledge about how to buy tools!! I dont have that much tools cuz i had everything in my country, I want to get that set I being watching ur videos a lot! im from MEXICO bless me with those tools man ❤️

Love your videos! I watch way to many videos on building a tool box. One tool I never see in a tool box is a good computer tablet. I have used my tablet many many many times. when I’m having problems on a job my go to problem solving tool is my computer tablet. If I’m having a problem I know someone has had the same problem before me and posted it on RU-vid.

Just a tip for the parrot nose pliers - it helps a LOT if you grind the lower jaw so it’s parallel or if anything slightly angled downward from the end of the jaw to the beginning (by beginning I mean closest to the hinge). The icon ones come slightly curved on the lower jaw which leads to them slipping off of fasteners a little too easily. Grinded parallel and they’re all good. Also I’d highly recommend a safety wire tool. In a pinch you can make very strong hose clamps, cotter pins, hang exhausts temporarily or as a permanent solution if you want to, and probably tons of things I haven’t thought of.

A few notes I'll give as a Ford tech. If you plan to work on Fords, an angle torque wrench is a must. Ford really loves to use angle specs on a surprising number of their bolts so even a newer tech really should have on. I decided to get some snapon ones with my student discount but the quinn ones from harbor freight are pretty great from what I have heard. Next time you do one of these I think it would be great to see some more suggestions for young guys that are starting to take on more advanced jobs. One thing in particular that I have made an investment in recently is sockets. A large assortment of specialty sockets such as swivel and u joint sockets has been a game changer for me when trying to access hard to reach fasteners.

Between the boredom of Car Channels building houses.. here we have our beloved mechanic on ANOOOTHER tool box... god help us.

great vid. unless the husky set comes with it, a couple of other useful tools would be snap ring pliers, c-clamps, e-torx star socket set, gear pullers

2:40 i have that set and other than a 46” striking snap on one they are the BEST pry bars on the planet for light duty work. i’m a heavy duty tech and they work wonders. i’ve broken all of them and replaced them, but for the price it’s more worth it to replace them every 3 years then get a whole snap on set

Wish this video was around when I started my career. Spent way too much on snap on my first year. My biggest advice to new techs is buy a us general cart they’re cheap and they do the same thing as the snap on carts for a 1/3 the price.

Narva LED pen light are bloody amazing. Uses usb c to charge and they can last for 2 weeks on a single charge. It use this everyday at work

I recommend a carbide gasket scraper. I can't remember what I spend on the tool truck but it works so well compared to every scraper I have used.

Would love one of these sets. Just got back into the industry and it's been rough trying to buy tools I need for work at the shop in this economy and kids. I've missed out on so much money because I've had to pass up work and give it to my co worker bc I didn't have all the right tools

As far as small pen lights go, check out the Coast PM50R, about $30. Rechargeable USB C, magnetic end, flash and flood lights, a laser pointer, and red light. I use it in my IT job all the time and have used it to work on my car occasionally. I have nothing but good things to say about the light.

Nice.i would recommend an oil filter claw for those filters that are recessed into the oil pan .and bolt cutters and aviation snips for cutting where there isn't enough room for a die grinder or sawsall.a long 3/8 flex head ratchet is very handy too probably my most used tool .

those impact sockets are great ive had mine 5+ years and haven't broken em yet

Went back to 9:35 and paused, just to reiterate the importance of what he is about to say--not using a torque wrench may have been the cause of my motorcycle malfunction which almost crippled me bad. If something has a torque rating, it is best to grab it.

This kit would be amazing for me starting my own business. ❤ to have one of my own set like that one day.

Excellent episode, I would suggest a vehicle series per tool box. Start from basic 1990's to the next series, highlighting the different tools per series. Would be great viewing, go through a preferred cart per Audi A4 / Golf GTi / A5 etc. Really helpful for any owner? Every owner wants to know what are the best tools to own for their vehicle.

You should include what sprays or lubricants technicians should have and if you should get impact sockets.

Your next video should be a tool box tour compilation. It'd be pretty cool to see how people organize their tools

Energizer pen light is nuts! And rechargeable for $12-15

The Capri Windstorm is an awsome blow tool...For about $35ish you can get the different tips to change the air shape and it's also adjustable so you can control how much flow you get.....The 800 lumen Icon folding lights are also well worth the $35

My vote for the next box is a for a mobile heavy diesel mechanic. Being one myself, I’d like to see what input someone from the light vehicle world has to offer, and see something more in line with end of apprenticeship stuff, stuff you’d have from later in the trade that you may use everyday or basically never. And in that case I’d recommend a strap type filter wrench that you put in your ratchet, and a big set of multi grips, big pipe wrench, and 2 sets of adjustable wrenches, with a 24” adjustable wrench to go with it.

For tight spaces I highly recommend flex head gear wrenches. They’re spendy but well worth the price. Also the extended double spline drive wrenches from Mountain Tool Company. They’re slightly less expensive than the icon ones and they go from 8-19mm.

My #1 pet peeve... Thank you for addressing the sharp edges of poorly trimmed zip ties. Cheers!

Picking up tools and tool boxes at Harbor Freight using a Home Depot rental truck............PRICELESS. My vote for your next toolbox giveaway goes to ICON. BTW, what casters did you put on the first cart in this video??? I need to replace mine, and those looked pretty stout.

The streamlight 66320 MacroStream has been my edc for 3 years now. It’s a little wider than a pen light but way shorter and has a helpful clip for a hat that comes in handy. Not to heavy either, highly recommend.

The coast penlight (spotlight) that sells home depot is very good too, and is about the same price and you can put a rechargable battery.

I would recommend a universal radiator pressure Tester Kit/ vacuum refill kit for cooling system. It makes filling the coolant system a lot easier and less time consuming. Plus when you put a vacuum on the system you can see if you have a leak before filling it or pressuring it because it won't hold vacuum.

Just wanted to say thanks, I am off to grab some tools I didn't know I needed :)

I bought a cheap 3 claw oil filter wrench and any time I have to fight just a little bit too much to take an oil filter off, I grab it. Works every single time, and I call it the God Hand 😂 It doesn’t work on chevy though, the filter is surrounded by the oil pan.

The acebeam pokelit or pokelit 2aa will blow that streamlite out of the water. A high cri neutral color light with a clean crisp beam makes a big difference in an inspection light. Getting clear color rendering makes a world of difference for diagnostics

You should keep making videos like this❤ keep up the good work

Those Pittsburgh hose pliers are INSANELY underrated. I bought a set like 5 years ago and use them almost everyday.

I was LITERALLY just craving another one of these videos, and the algorithm blessed me.

VW friend said impact rated T25 t27 and T30 , get every 1/4 drive 1/4" shallow sockets are yard sales and glue em in. A 4-5Ft extension cord, you cut in the middle and add alligator clips to the cut ends.. You can plug it in a 25/50/100 extension cord and not have a test lead set. The digital torque adapter HF sold works great vs a $$ wrench. The $10 ebay clutch pully socket, Short Titan triple square set,, to get in rear caliper carriers on Mk6. Mac 5.6mm RBRT allen keys. 5.5mm allen for ABS wheel sensors. the Wera phillips with laser cut teeth. the cam for strut removal and pentalobe MAF bit from Kerma.

I may have missed it but an essential for me is an impact screw driver. There’s always a Phillips on brake rotors and drums that sucks to get out and it doubles on any sticky bolt that won’t come free with an impact gun. Also olight i5t and i3t are fantastic pen lights

Great recommendations. I wish we had this many options when I was starting out. I'm glad to have good quality basic hand tools, but also have some pretty expensive stuff that doesn't get used often

OTC makes a tool for centering a drill bit on a broken bolt. Much cheaper than the ones made for the different exhaust manifold. And has a lot more use.

I love when you do these tool box videos to help out up and coming Mechanics

Just got the energizer rechargeable 15 headlamp flashlight. It is more of a flashlight than a headlamp, but im loving it.

Them brake line clamps are just what I needed no more rubber glove fingers over the line with a cable tie

thank you so much for these EPIC video series!!! this is so helpful for me as a mk7.5 owner in nj who needs to build a good diy tool kit:) i love how sweet you are to these new techs, man. it's so inspiring. i hope i can do this one day (if i graduate from my armchair mechanic status, that is haha) what if you built/set up a toolkit/set of tools that could adequately cover someone living in a place where they don't have access to a garage/can't buy a big toolbox? i live in a really urban part of jersey and the best i would be able to do tool storage wise is buy milwaukee's new structured tool backpack, or a really small portable toolbox to store in my apartment closet. maybe something that would be 3-4ft tall and 2ft wide maximum. maybe something that could cover a range of beginner diy stuff? i've really been impressed with milwaukee's new packout system and i would love to hear your opinion on how someone who can't fit a big toolbox/doesn't have a place like a garage to store tools or work on their car can still do some great diy work, and with what tools you think is best:)

I’d recommend a mighty vac as well they are super useful

Going to take classes in September and this made me realize how much I’ve spent on tools to just fix my fiancés and my cars

This is so awesome!!! The Pittsburgh torque wrenches are the ones I have seen rate pretty high. They’re the twist bottom kind but are waaaay cheaper. I already had one for ft/lbs but got the Pittsburgh for in/lbs and it’s awesome! I think it was like $30 and has been really accurate

Great box build!! I'd love that, it covers all of it! I'm always borrowing from the guys at work, which is nice to have such lovely co-workers.. but holy guacamole. Thats was good! Congrats to the lucky tech who won the box!!

+1 for the Topdon IR camera attachment for you phone. Not super mechanic-centric, but I use it a lot. Much better resolution than the competition.

this would send my work and school into the outer limits! Im so grateful for the chance at something so necessary for making money and a name for myself at work. I am a student at a tech school for automotive and work at a used dealership while raising 3 kids on my own. I would be so lucky to get the win

Astro-Pneumatic LED lighting is awesome. All there stuff is pretty cool.

love my astro pneumatic tire tool, was only about 75 bucks on amazon lot cheaper than the blue point and they are virtually identical, digital readout and the ability to bleed air from tire with only half squeeze, everything looked great except for that Pittsburg wire stripper, bought one used it twice before it broke absolute junk blue point one hasn't failed me yet and wasn't that pricey.

That etekcity infrared temperature gun you have is by far one of the best values in tools less than 20$ and I’ve had it 5-7 years now along with a Milwaukee one and honestly they’re just as reliable as the other but the red one is 3x the price, I do wish the 2967 would’ve taken place of that pneumatic one as that’s high on my list (just a diyer tho too so different needs ) another phenomenal tip tho that isn’t mine to give but is imo worth sharing is that you can get snap on manufactured impact sockets for so much cheaper, now they’re not branded SO but from the font to the flank drive it’s all glaringly obviously manufactured by snap on but they’re sold by the Caterpillar brand. you have to find your local dealer set up an account which is free and then you can find the sku it’s well documented

this is my first time watching you i like the way you tell us what we need to know with out bull and you are ease to under stand thank you i,m on a fix in come i still work on my on car

for the brake caliper service kit, ii woulf go with the Lisle 25750, its about 10 $ more but the best tool ever.

There is a $40 1/4 micro ratchet from HB. The best purchase i’ve made and has like more than enough bits for small areas

I have that Husky kit, picked it up on sale and it is amazing for the value.