On Nov 20, 6:28 pm, "John Grabowski" wrote:
"Shrubman" wrote in message

...

Hi all,

This is a very general question from someone who is looking to own a
small but high-quality collection of tools for home and car repair and
maintenance.

Given the great number of available variations in form of tools like
screwdrivers and wrenches, do you have any opinions on which type is
most useful, if you can't have a full mechanics set? For instance,
what's up with all the t-handle drivers I'm seeing these days - is
that just a leverage thing? Can these replace straight handled drivers
in most instances? What about box wrenches with built in ratchets, as
opposed to sockets, or bit and driver sets versus fixed-handle styles?
Are these all just a matter of preference or are some examples of
newer, better technology?

One piece of advice I can offer is don't buy tools until you need them. I
know some tools go on sale from time to time, but when you really need the
right tool for a job it probably won't be something that is already in your
tool box.

It's more an issue of what's suited to the job at hand, with
preference the next issue. You can get a single allen wrench or a
socket type driver into a tight spot that you'd never get a T handle
into. The T handle offers more torque and is balanced.

Same thing with the ratching box wrench. For close work, where you
can't get a socket on it, they work great and are a life saver. But
if I had a tough bolt to loosen, I wouldn't want to expose one of
those wrenchs to that much torque, and if possible would use a regular
socket with ratchet or bar.