1. Creeper
   Magnet grabber
2. Laser thermometer
   LED bar

If you have any issues with temperature in your vehicles, either due to the cooling not being cold enough or the engine being too hot, a laser thermometer can diagnose where the temperature is running off.

1. Headlamp
   Video scope
2. LED Bar
   Brake bleeder

A video scope doesn't seem like a mechanic's tool, but it can be very useful as a diagnostic device. No point pulling apart whole sections of the insides of a car to fix something that may not be broken. Instead, snake in a tiny camera and see if it needs to be repaired or not.

1. Brake degreaser
   Digital calipers
2. Air compressor
   Braker bleeder

Can you use an air compressor to fill your tires? Sure. But it's mostly needed for operating a litany of air-powered tools ranging from impact wrenches to sanders and buffers and any other pneumatic item out there.

1. Torx wrench
   Rotary tool
2. Ratchet extension
   Hose clamp pliers

If you plan to use a ratchet ever then you probably need a ratchet extender of some kind. Space is at a premium in any engine, so an extension helps you get into the tight areas and the best part is they only cost a few dollars.

1. Multimeter
   Creeper
2. Brake bleeder
   LED bar

An LED bar is a pretty simple device — it's just a light. But hanging a light under the hood of a car you're working on is important for safety and convenience. It's just easier to get the job done when you can see what the heck you're doing.

1. Pliers
   Sockets
2. Oil filter wrench
   Vice

A good pair of pliers will have numerous uses in a shop. Needlenose pliers are good for working in tight areas, grabbing fuses and wires, getting in at some connectors, working on brakes, pretty much any place you wish your fingers could go but can't.

1. Impact wrench
   Hex wrench
2. Torx wrench
   Creeper

If the lug nuts on your vehicles aren't coming off the old-fashioned way, there's a good chance they were tightened with an impact wrench which likely means you'll need an impact wrench to loosen them. They're usually pneumatic but you can get electric ones, hydraulic ones and somewhat less powerful cordless ones.

1. Sockets
   Hex drivers
2. Wrecking bars
   Drill bits

A ratchet isn't much good without some accompanying sockets. There are literally dozens of sizes but the most common ones are essentially including 10mm, 8mm, 13mm, 7mm, all the way up to 24mm and maybe one or two slightly larger ones, just in case.

1. Multimeter
   Wrecking bar
2. Wrench
   Hammer

A simple wrench is totally necessary for any mechanic. An impact wrench is good, too, but it can't fit into the places a normal wrench can, and without a normal wrench you literally can't take apart and put back together most of the parts of an engine. That they've existed since at least the 15th century is a testament to their usefulness.

1. Wire terminals
   Oil filter wrench
2. Ramps
   Jack

It's very hard to change the oil in a car if you can't get under a car, and getting under a car requires the use of ramps. Even a cheap ramp can get the job done and make it safer and easier to do your work.

1. Digital calipers
   Wire terminals
2. Multimeters
   Sockets

Wire terminals are where wires come to an end, but they do tend to get corroded over time and can cause wires to short out. Regular maintenance and the use of good quality terminals rather than the cheapest ones you can find will keep things running smoothly.

1. Wrecking bar
   Angle grinder
2. Trim removal tool
   Hex tool

Angle grinders are a necessary tool for quick, clean cuts. You can also use them to grind off rust and paint, hence the clever name, but cutting metal is another perk. They've been around since 1954 so they've more than proven their worth in the shop.

1. Heat gun
   Impact hammer
2. Drill
   Multimeter

Drills may seem more like carpenter's tools but they're also useful in the shop. Removing screws from door panels and drilling holes to run wires behind the dash is easier, and tightening nuts and bolts when using an impact wrench would be overkill.

1. Calipers
   Jack
2. Creeper
   Vice

Either mechanical or hydraulic, a jack is used to lift a car so you can get under it and do some work like change a tire. You want to use jack stands to secure a car, though, because a jack doesn't stabilize anything very well.

1. Jack
   Hex wrench
2. Wrecking bar
   Screwdriver

Screwdrivers may seem old compared to modern power tools but there's a reason people keep using them — you can't replace something that works simply and efficiently. They date back to the Middle Ages in Europe and were written about as early as about 1475.

1. Circlip
   Creeper
2. Jack
   Multimeter

A multimeter is important for working on a car's electrical system because it can tell you which wires are live and which aren't. The basic science behind a multimeter dates back to old-school galvanometers which have been around since about 1820.

1. Hand cleaner
   Heat gun
2. Funnel
   Spark tester

Shop hand cleaners are not the same as your average soap when it comes to cleaning up. They do contain soap but they also have a pumice additive that can scrub away the toughest grease. You can make your own home version with soap and something gritty like salt or sugar.

1. Trim removal tool
   Crimper
2. Vice
   Oil filter wrench

As you'd assume by the name, an oil filter wrench has a fairly limited number of uses, but it's still important for getting an oil filter off. Other tools can do it but none do it as fast or as efficiently as the tool that's meant to do it.

1. OBD2 scanner
   Digital calipers
2. Multimeter
   Creeper

Calipers can be old school or digital and are key for measuring precise distances in engine components to the smallest of fractions. But if you want a precision engine you need precision parts. Old school calipers date back as far as the 6th century BC.

1. Brake bleeder
   Hex wrench
2. Funnel
   Degreaser

Bleeding the brake lines requires the use of a brake bleeder along with a vacuum pump. It makes cleaning out the old fluid and swapping in new fluid a much faster and more efficient process than before vacuum pumps were the standard.

1. Hammer
   Angle grinder
2. Scaler
   Wrecking bar

You don't really have to drive many nails as a mechanic, but a hammer can help loosen up bits and pieces stuck on with dirt and rust. It's not the cleanest method but it helps as long as you use a little finesse.

1. Compressor
   Filter box
2. Shop rag
   Trim removal tool

Never underestimate the simple stuff! Oil is everywhere in a shop and also terribly dangerous to leave around. The use of a shop rag to clean up spills, drips and other messes is essential. Paper towels are for amateurs!

1. Needle scaler
   Ratchet extender
2. Jumpstarter
   Rotary tool

A needle scaler or a needlegun scaler can be used to power through thick layers of rust and corrosion as well as old paint. It works a bit like a giant tattoo gun, literally using needles to stab at the surface you're cleaning.

1. Angle grinder
   Rotary tool
2. Neede scaler
   Brake pump

Rotary tools, which some people just call Dremel tools though that's a brand name, have a nearly endless number of uses. In an auto shop, they're very handy for cutting through rusted nuts or bolts as well as polishing and cleaning small parts.

1. Vice
   C-clamp
2. Flexible magnet grabber
   Hex set

A flexible magnet tool is remarkaby useful when you're working in tight spaces wth greasy hands. If you drop a screw this can snake it and grab it anywhere and they cost less than $10 most places.

1. Magnet grabber
   Wrecking bar
2. Calipers
   Torx wrench

The Torx wrench or Torx key was created in 1967, and it has a 6-point star head. Though they could be used anywhere, they're often used in automotive applications more so than most others including in motorcycles and bikes.

1. Heat gun
   Needle scaler
2. Impact wrench
   Angle grinder

A heat gun looks a lot like a hairdryer and kind of works the same. It can be used to soften up dented side panels so minor dents can be popped right back out again, saving the trouble of replacing the entire thing.

1. Ramp
   Jack stand
2. Creeper
   Oil pan

A creeper is basically a flat surface on wheels, kind of like an extra-wide skateboard or wheeled sled. If you're handy enough you can make one on your own or just grab one on Amazon for abut $30 or so.

1. Voltmeter
   OBD2 Scanner
2. Ohmmeter
   Channel locks

An OBD2 scanner is a diagnostic tool that can monitor a vehicle's systems and help troubleshoot issues as monitored by the car's on-board computer. Those lights that show up on your dash when something's wrong? Each of those can be explained more fully with diagnostics.

1. Digital calipers
   Multimeter
2. OBD2 scanner
   Jump starter

A jump starter does exactly what it says it does: It jump-starts a battery. You could do it the old school way by hooking up jumper cables to another car battery, but that's a fairly complicated way to do the very same thing.

1. Wrecking bar
   Vice
2. Torx
   Ramp

Wrecking bars are known by an abundance of names including crowbars, pry bars, pinch bars, goosenecks, prise bars and a pig foot. While they can be used to pull nails, they're mostly useful for busting things and separating things.

1. Slider
   Funnel
2. Calipers
   Socket

A good funnel helps you pour oil and other fluids without making a mess. An upside-down funnel is actually an old-time symbol of madness. The Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz" was depicted as having an upside-down funnel on his head.

1. Compressor
   Pressure gauge
2. Torx
   Circlips

Most mechancs still carry one of these in their pocket all the time. A pressure gauge is a simple and quick way to check tire air pressure. A lot of garages actually give these away as cheap promo items to customers.

1. Circlip
   Torx wrench
2. OBD2 scanner
   Ignition spark tester

If your car won't start at all there are often very few causes for it, especially if you know you have a tank of gas already. It's a good option to try to see if you're producing a spark at all. An ignition spark tester can be swapped for a spark plug to see if any spark is occurring, which quickly eliminates one of the main causes as an option.

1. Circlip pliers
   Linesman pliers
2. Crimpers
   Brake calipers

Circlips, also called C-rings, snap rings or Seeger rings, are small metal rings that can't readily be removed with normal tools. Circlip pliers are the tool that helps pull them off with minimal effort.

1. Pry bar
   Wrecking bar
2. Torx wrench
   Hex wrench

Everyone has seen a hex key somewhere in their lives as they're used everywhere from cars to office furniture. They were invented back in the late 1800s. Oddly enough, it wasn't until the early 1900s that screws to match them were manufactured.

1. Headlamp
   LED bar
2. Voltmeter
   Multimeter

It's hard to do a lot of work with just one hand in a garage if the other one holds a light. A headlamp frees up your hands. They actually date back to the 1900s and were most often used by miners and others who do work in the dark.

1. Wrecking bar
   Pry bar
2. Hex set
   Molding remover

Door panels are very hard to remove through normal means as they're secured with special clips. A set of molding removers is key to pulling panels off in a safe and secure way that doesn't damage them in the process.

1. Impact wrench
   Clamp
2. Sledge
   Mechanic's vise

A mechanic's vise is a necessary tool for any shop for sanding, drilling, filing or whatever other precision work you need to do. Generally speaking, most vises are made from cast steel or cast iron.

1. Degreaser
   Shop rags
2. WD-40
   Creeper

A can of degreaser and brake cleaner is useful for any brake work you may be doing to get the grease and grime off all the parts. This allows you to actually get a grip on things, and also brakes just don't work well if they're all greased up.