@gsragtop; I am fine getting tires off with my lug wrench, but doing struts is a bit of a challenge with a breaker bar-I guess I could get it done though.
@MikeInNH; I am not going to compress the springs with a cheap spring compressor. There are people who depend on me for their food…; I will take it to a shop, just have to see which one is more reasonable nearby. Usually $10-20 per strut is the fee.
To the OP, I think you have gotten quite a list. My rule for buying tools has been that the tool has to pay itself off on the first DIY project or it is a no go. It is very easy to walk in a tool shop and get carried away. That rule is why I don’t have a compressor, well that and the fact that I do not have enough room for one either.
To answer a question: Universal joints are OK sometimes but after they get used a bit, they flop around and need rubber bands around them to stop that. Universal sockets don’t flop around a lot.
My rules for tool buying are a lot less stringent. Yes, they do need to pay for themselves, but not necessarily on the first project. I buy good tools with an eye on how long they will last and how many projects I’ll use them for over the years.
I’ll admit, I like toys and my compressor and impact wrench are things that I could exist without, but so far they have assisted me in about 8 brake jobs, and those brake jobs have saved me many hundreds of dollars. I could have done the jobs just fine with a breaker bar, a ratchet, and a few sockets, along with a jack and a hammer. I have 8 year-old twin boys and they are a major handful. The time and effort saved by the power tools is well worth it to me. Besides, the aforementioned twins are very fascinated by mechanical things and the air tools provide them with a lot of entertainment:-)
When you get down to brass tacks, 400 bucks for a good compressor is less than some couples spend on cigarettes in a month!
I purchased my air compressor and tools, gosh it has got to be at least 10 years ago… It has many. many hours of use and It is one of my prized tools. AIR makes life so much easier… I can rotate my tires in about 10 min if I am pushing it, etc… My dream is a lift which I REALLY want bad, but cant fit in my garage… Maybe one day
As for tools I just use basic hand tools but the first thing I do when I buy a new car is buy the factory shop manuals for it. They can be found on ebay with a little patience and usually the best 100 bucks I spend on a car
If you have a Bimmer, as your handle indicates, check out the BMW car club for suggestions on useful tools/equipment specific to your model.
We used to own a BMW 2002 and the club was a source of sound and enthusiastic advice. The club didn’t have many car snobs, as you might expect, although that was years ago. Good luck!
Also … if you spend a lot of time bent over the hood, consider a good back exercise manual – wish I had done it years ago.
I put my list on the other thread you started about “age people stop doing their own mechanical work”, but I did see something on someone else’s list that you definitely want. These are life saver’s and prevent lots of cussing on rounded bolt heads.
Another thing you’ll need if you do any electrical repairs or testing sensors is a digital multi meter. For most jobs a $5. unit from Harbor Freight will be all you’ll need and if it gets dropped and broke you don’t have lots of money tied up in and can buy another cheap model. I have 3 or 4 different models from dirt cheap to more expensive models. As for the stripped bolt head bolt removers, Harbor Freight also has those. I don’t know how good they are since I’ve never used theirs, mine came from Sears.
