Whats your Must Have 'Go To' tools and shop items. Budget friendly ;-> This is my first time doing serious engine work on a MB and there are lots of hex bolts...

Removed my Oil Filter Stand and Starter. The Oil Stand took forever because I didn't have a 6mm hex for 1/4" drive, just stubbies in 3/8, which I picked up yesterday at Northern Tools.

Plan to get maybe the ball end hex socket sets etc. Before I do, wanted to find out what else makes life easy working confined spaces. Also, doesn't seem like anyone carries 1/4 hex socket sets...

Also, oil was a mess today... suggestions on inexpensive oil absorbent cloths etc for cleanup.

(whine - everything is sore, up and down all day on the crawler... almost fifty and not feeling foxy anymore : (

__________________
"Well, once again, we find that clowns and anarchy don't mix..." - The Tick
'94 E320 ~ Wikel
'87 300SDL ~ Frieda
'87 190E ~ Thurmond III
'84 944 ~ Schrickelgruber
'86 535i ~ Joerg

I just ordered a set of 1/4" hex from ebay for about $20. You're right: Sears doesn't carry them and I wasn't able to find any retail store in town that did--not even Harbor Freight.

I talked to an aircraft mechanic last week and he mentioned that his favorite 1/4" ratchet was the Husky from Home Depot, of all places. I laughed, but plan on checking it out this week. He said it has the smallest increments of any 1/4" he has used and was the best for working in confined spaces. He would know.

As for shop towels, I think Costco has the best deal on the blue rolls. We even use them in the kitchen.

For brakes, I bought this tool ten years ago and it makes changing out pads really easy. http://www.samstagsales.com/images/kk126-00.jpg

It is kind of expensive at $221.69.

__________________
1993 400E, 256,000 miles (totaled)
1994 E420, 200,000+ miles
1995 E420, 201,000 miles

just a word of caution my friend....cheap tools are expensive.

if you end up rounding out a bolt because of the cheap wrench, you'll end up paying more in aggravation. i suggest going on CL and buying a USED set of quality tools than going to Northern Tools or Harbor Freight.

cheap tools are very expensive.

__________________
Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

Benhogan, your right. I just didn't want everyone to gang up on me with suggestions of Snap On only stuff ;->

Been looking on CL. What I really want is a set of stubbie and longer 1/4" hex sockets, but can't find anyone who has them.

Right now I just want y'all to feel sorry for me ;-< I feel like I did 100's of crunches from getting up and down on the crawler all day. And since I didn't have said 1/4" 6mm hex, I had to be a contortionist with an allen key just to get the LAST bolt off, too me 30 min...

*runs and takes gobs of motrin*

*then runs and looks on ebay*

__________________
"Well, once again, we find that clowns and anarchy don't mix..." - The Tick
'94 E320 ~ Wikel
'87 300SDL ~ Frieda
'87 190E ~ Thurmond III
'84 944 ~ Schrickelgruber
'86 535i ~ Joerg

I have about 1000 lbs of US made high quality tools all the way up to 32mm. Some bigger sockets to 46mm and to 3-1/2" but the bigger ones are Snap-On.

Send me a list:

You can buy Armstrong, Easco, Cornwell, Williams, Proto, all of which are made by Danaher Tools in the US, which sells their entire inventory exclusively to the US military and limited other industrial frims.

Metric and US.

I also have about 75 tool boxes. But I'm far away in Michigan so I'm thinking Ebay for the tools and the local swap meets for the tool boxes which are Proto, Snap-On, Stack-On, Napa and Craftsman.
Plus some other heavier duty ones used for tank repair.

This purchase of mine has netted some very cool tools, including bullet-proof Fluke meters. I don't worry about dropping one of those, lol.

__________________
Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

Your probably up there with WHunter ganging up on me...

;-<

What I wouldn't GIVE to attend a rummage sale by y'all.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9650 using Tapatalk

__________________
"Well, once again, we find that clowns and anarchy don't mix..." - The Tick
'94 E320 ~ Wikel
'87 300SDL ~ Frieda
'87 190E ~ Thurmond III
'84 944 ~ Schrickelgruber
'86 535i ~ Joerg

ebay can be very, very good if you are patient especially for craftsman tools.

__________________
1985 300D 198K sold
1982 300D 202K
1989 300E 125K
1992 940T

"If you dont have time to do it safely, you dont have time to do it"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."