Assembling New Toolbox Set

Does anyone have anywhere they dig around besides eBay and search engines for new tools, or ways to build a specific set of combo wrenches?

Wife bought me a 30" rolling toolbox last Christmas, and you know what comes next. . . . now I need new tools. I already have everything I need in the truck box, but would like to (slowly) build out a pristine set for the garage.

I have a 320 pc Craftsman starter set from an after Christmas sale, but it only has four combo wrenches each, SAE and mm. First I'd like to build up the combo wrenches but individually they start adding up quick. I have an almost imaginary budget so the thought of throwing $10-$12 for a single wrench doesn't stick to the wall.

I could get one of the existing sets but then I'd have two each of the ones that came with this set, and there's no room in my life for that kind of insanity.

One thing that could work is a merchant that discounts on multiple items, eBay-style. The problem with eBay is most of them are overcharging and/or jacking the shipping. I'm not seeing anything like that out there.

I'm sticking with Craftsman for their lifetime warranty, I know they're not what they used to be.

 

Go to forums: there are complete lists of socket/wrench sizes used on specific Tacoma generations.

I also buy tools for specific jobs. I got to do drum brakes this spring, although not absolutely necessary there are special service tools that will make the job easier.

 

I don't see the point in sticking to Craftsman (or any brand) based on the warranty. Tools don't really break all that often. Even my harbor freight shit from 10 years ago seems to be surviving.

Other than that, get sets on sales around holidays. I got an entire set of gearwrenches for roughly half off at northern tool a few weeks ago. I now have more wrenches than any one man should really own.

 

Pawn shops

Garage sales

Clist

FB market place

At the right price you can afford to buy a dozen tools to get one or two you need. Then give the others away or resell them for what you paid, making what you kept free

 

Thanks, I'll look. Heh, I'm doing pads tomorrow, drums next weekend only because they won't arrive until Monday.

 

LOL the struggle is real. So do I, boxes and boxes, I've always cobbled them together for what I need and carry half of it in the truck box. The goal for this project is to build a new pristine set which I've never done, or at least give it a shot.

 

All I can say is I stopped buying SAE tools years ago. I bought half metric, half SAE starting tech school 20 years ago. Started working in shops and quickly realized I didn't really need half my wrenches and sockets