What are the essential workshop tools?

Just as a baker must have ovens and mixers and a hairdresser needs dryers and scissors, when it comes to a mechanic, he must have the essential workshop tools for his work. Something key to being efficient and working safely and comfortably.

All good professionals should always have at hand those tools they need in their day to day. Something that is essential when it comes to a mechanic, due to the large number of systems that allow a vehicle to move: electrical system, traction, electronics, etc. For this reason, there are a series of tools that should never be missing in a workshop, whether domestic or professional. Let’s see what they are.

Elevation system

When it comes to working on a car or motorcycle, it is necessary to have a suitable lifting system. Something essential to change the wheels on a car or access the lower part of the engine. For this, we can use a simple jack and some chocks, if we work at a domestic level, use lift ramps or resort to modern lifting bridges for vehicles, for professionals. 

Tool boxes and carts

Another key element for a workshop is the basic tools. Due to the multitude of parts that make up cars, you need sockets, ratchets, wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers and much more. Boxes and carts with drawers allow us to have all this small tool at hand, well organized and without taking up more space than necessary.

Work tables and trestles

It is not uncommon that while working on a vehicle we have to disassemble a part to repair or adjust it. A process where it is essential to have a suitable area to work , such as a work table. It is also common that we need trestles to place pieces, either for repair or to paint them. Once again, the equipment will depend on the space available and the branches of the automotive industry in which we plan to work.

Protection equipment

Although we could have left them for last, safety during our work is so important that we have preferred to give protective equipment a more advanced position. When we work on a vehicle, we run all kinds of risks, ranging from the classic hammer blow to a finger to falling objects, particle projection and many other problems. 

For all of them there is a suitable PPE, which eliminates this risk or, in the worst case, reduces the consequences of a possible accident during work. By the way, as important as buying these PPEs is to use them correctly and replace them when necessary.

Air Sistem

Air is a basic fluid for working in a workshop. An air gun, for example, makes it much easier to mount and remove tires, shock absorbers and other elements of the vehicle. It is also necessary to carry out tasks related to spray painting or sanding and polishing parts or bodywork, using products fed with this air. 

The power of the system must be adjusted to the number of tools that we plan to use, also including the hoses necessary to feed those tools comfortably. Home workshops can solve this demand with a mobile air compressor , while professional workshops require more complex assemblies, with compressors and fixed installations.

Lighting systems

We are all aware of how important it is to see everything clearly when working. This implies that the workshop must have an adequate lighting system with good power. However, this is not always enough to reach the most difficult areas of the vehicle. For these cases, we must buy adequate lighting tools, such as flashlights, portable lighting tubes or some other type of mobile lamp, which are easy to place where we need them.

electrical and electronic tools

Vehicles are becoming more complex. Every day that passes they include more electrical and electronic elements, which it is necessary to know to repair them correctly. In this section, it is essential to have an OBD code reader , which connects to the car’s control unit and indicates the possible failures of the system. These affect any element, electronic or not, so this tool is essential.

The multimeter is also necessary, which helps us to measure the voltage of any vehicle circuit and is vital in diagnosing electrical faults. To it are attached all the fuses, tools for electrical work, battery chargers, etc.

Specific tools

It is time to talk about some specific and fundamental tools to perform certain tasks in our workshop. Among them, we have the rim centerers, which facilitate the assembly of aluminum rims when they are handled. We also have to talk about the clutch centerers, which have the same task when it comes to carrying out this work, or the dynamometric wrenches, with which high-precision tightening tasks are completed, achieving optimal tension, but without damaging the nuts

Waste management

We finish our list talking about the necessary tools to achieve proper management of waste from our workshop. Something that we can skip if we have a domestic workshop and dispose of them safely, but that is mandatory in professional workshops. In the latter, it is essential to have a designated area to store this waste, using a series of specific containers , according to the nature of the product to be stored. 

In addition to this storage, it is necessary to contract the services of a company specialized in the removal and treatment of this type of waste. The advantage is that these companies can even offer you the containers for that storage and give you the necessary advice to fulfill your obligations correctly.