my dad wasnt poor he had a white collar job so he didnt need to do his own oil change and brake change. he started doing them on his own because he just didnt trust the workers. this might rub you guys the wrong way but his reasons were not financial to do his oil change and brake change himself. he iust didnt trust the mechanica or technicians. anyways his car never had issues and he did this right up to his 70s but recently stopped due to old age. his brakes were fine? i dont get all you guys trying to scare me out of this.
i did my own oil change recently. ive observed brake changes a few times.
and if youre wondering why he couldnt trust the mechanics. well one time he went to dealership to get an oil change he got his car back with dirty oil.
If you feel you can do the job safely, replacing brake pads is definitely diyāer doable. If I were doing that job on my Corolla (30+ years old) Iād probably also rebuild the calipers and replace the flexible brake hoses. But on a 2010, thatās probably not necessary. Take a close look at the flexible brake hoses though, if twisting shows them to be developing cracks , suggest it is time to replace the hoses. If you decide to replace the discs (as suggested above), you may run into some difficulties getting the old ones to break free of the hub, and getting the new ones to seat against the hub properly. If so, suggest to post here again for ideas.
Apples to Oranges.
I helped my bil put brakes on my car for the first time in 1968. I have done my own brakes on all my cars ever since. This was before the internet but I also had and read the factory service manuals.
For the first time it is best to have someone help that knows what they are doing. I have found a1 auto has among the best how to videos. Study first, then decide.
On my last brake job, I did the front one day and the rears another, then paid a shop for the bleeding and exchange.
As a kid , around 10-12 years old, I started my diyāer learning process by helping my dad install replacement brake shoes on the family cars. So I already had quite a bit of experience when I had to do the same job for my truck. The first time my truck needed new shoes I hired a shop to do it, but they botched the job and caused me grief. After that Iāve always done that job myself. I still experience grief sometimes , but at least I know who caused it ā¦ lol ā¦
The difference between an oil change and a brake job is like the difference between night and day.
An oil change requires little more than a crescent wrench, a filter wrench, some household equipment (to catch the oil), checked for mistakes before starting the vehicle and simple enough that I could teach my 15 year old daughter to do it in an hour.
OTOH, to do a brake job correctly requires more tools, more time, is more complex and if you do it incorrectly your first inclination may be when youāve done some expensive damage.
While itās a useful skill to DIY, having someone physically there whoās experienced to guide you the first time will make a world of difference.
I donāt want anyone using a crescent wrench doing my engine oil and filter service
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Iām sure your 23-year old daughter is now better and more knowledgeable at wrenching than many of the people posting comments on this forum 
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And can probably out drive most of them tooā¦ lol
She has back issues (2x 11" rods and 18 screws, since 12yo) or she would be doing even moreā¦ lol
But has done rad fan assembly, motor mounts, many brake jobs, rotated tires, many oil changes, front axle, and moreā¦
She now takes care of getting her own oil changes and R&B and alignments done every 5,000 miles, and just last week, she said her TPMS light came on and flashed a few times and then it went solid, but a few days later stayed off, she said she thinks she needs a new sensorā¦ Yeppers, the battery was dying, she has a new sensor and all is wellā¦ Proud dadā¦
BTW her brake pads still look GREAT with 95,000 miles on them, at this rate she might get 140-150K miles on the OEM brakes, me thinks I will be going back with dealer pads and rotorsā¦ lol
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Letās not elevate the difficulty of a front brake pad replacement to an unreasonable level. This is an easy job for even the moderately mechanical-minded person. If you can hang your flat screen tv, you can replace front pads and rotors IMO. The OP isnāt asking if they should do the repair, theyāre asking for advice prior to starting so they get it right. I applaud the effort.
Pad slapping is one thing . . .
But doing a brake job CORRECTLY is another thing
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Weāre not talking about a generic front brake job. Weāre talking about a 2010 Mazda3 specifically. If the OP canāt follow the directions in the video below, they canāt hang a flat screen tv. Please, if you think the video shows an incorrect brake job, enlighten us.
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OK, a vise grip then 
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They did a pretty good job imho as a diyāer. Not exactly the way Iāve done it though. After removing the wheel I rinse the brake dust off everything with a garden hose and let it dry off before continuing. Donāt want to be breathing any brake dust, and I donāt want any any brake dust on the completed job. I also wear a mask. I put the lube on the back of the new pads rather than the surface they used. And while I may use a screwdriver to retract the piston enough to remove the pads , I use a c-clamp for the rest of the retraction. I donāt want to cause the piston to skew cock-eyed in the bore. Finally, I visibly check the flexible brake hose by twisting and flexing, looking for any cracks in the rubber developing.
Actually my dad used to use a monkey wrench on or 58 Chevy. I donāt remember having a crescent wrench or vice grips. Even as a ten year old though I kinda wondered why not one of those craftsman sockets? Otoh just had a breaker bar for it which is how I broke the head bolt on my go kart. I guess you use the best you have. Then again laying under the car on gravel, clearance would be an issue and didnāt want to make him madder when he forgot the drain plug entirely.
I used a Crescent wrench on my truckās oil drain plug after I first purchased the truck. I only had a very few tools, didnāt even have socket set or even a wrench set. In retrospect that was a big mistake, rounded the drain plug.
Yeah in the can plant the manager finally outlawed using crescent wrenches on equipment.
still havent done a brake change. the sound comes and goes. but i notice the sound only comes from front driverside wheel. and there is significant brake dust only on front wheels. so my question now is this. what if i only change just the front brake pads? would anyone think i wouldnt be doing the job right if i only change the front brake pads and not the rotors and completely leave the rear brakes alone?
