for this durable metal - carbide insert sizes

Just slip the pointed end into the lip of the hose and pull the tool around the pipe. The rounded edge breaks the hose free, then use the tool to pull the hose off. This baby will save you a lot of time and at least a good 25 curse words for later use on a different repair.

So there’s less PCD to remove where it isn’t needed and twice as much in targeted areas. The first point lowers the cost of the tool; the latter results in a tool that can be resharpened up to 10 times. Combined, this can yield a significantly lower cost per hole, especially as these PCD tools last through 9,000 holes.

“Some applications require drilling a composite-titanium-aluminum-titanium stack,” Prom explains. “That’s four layers of different materials. It has to be done in one shot with one drill, and it has to be perfect. It’s a daunting task for one drill bit to handle all those dissimilar materials. It requires drilling each layer at a different speed and feed, so the equipment has to be highly automated and programmed for each layer of the material. It’s the hardest thing that aerospace manufacturers are doing in assembling airplanes.”

In the case of the F-35 fighter, DenBoer says a leading manufacturer had been forced to tape the entire underside of a large unidirectional-composite section to prevent delamination. The TNT eliminated the problem, so the manufacturer is now implementing the tool to remove “this laborious task,” according to DenBoer.

For some, working on cars means being able to change a tire, for which you can get away with using the jack and lug wrench that came with your vehicle. But if your mechanic skills progress beyond that, you’ll need to hit the hardware store for better automotive tools. Here’s what to stock in your garage tool kit—all available on Amazon.

Another upcoming product line that excites Doiron is Emuge’s Hard-Cut End Mill, which he says is going to exceed close to 70 Rockwell in some materials. “That’s a huge step. We have re-engineered the tools and are reportedly having great results with speeds and feeds. I’m currently testing one right now on some die forgings.”

“This allows you to use it in materials that are very susceptible to heat hardening, like Inconel,” Blandon says. “These materials tend to create a protective layer after you hit them, making it very difficult for the following tool, such as trying to thread after drilling.”

The numbers bear out Prom’s performance claim. For example, tests show a 1/4" (6.35 mm) Wave-Point can drill carbon fiber at 600 SFM with a feed rate of 0.008" (0.2 mm) per revolution at 8,500 rpm, resulting in a 70-IPM feed rate. What’s more, the tool held a 0.0005" (0.013 mm) diameter tolerance with minimal delamination on entry and exit, plus it ran over 1,200" (30,480 mm). That’s one drill. The countersink portion of the tool is equally impressive.

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The TNT acts with “more of a slicing action than a standard drill, along a longer, curved edge than a standard PCD drill, which cuts just along the short diamond face,” DenBoer says. The design produces a significant lifting force in the material that virtually eliminates the delamination otherwise common on exit.

Many electrical connectors in late-model vehicles are locked together with plastic pins and slides. Going after them with needle-nose pliers can wreck those locks. But you can easily finesse them out with a pick from this automotive hook set. They’re also good for snatching O-rings—and even hors d’oeuvres.

“A telescoping magnetic pickup tool is one of those automotive tools that you hope you won’t have to use too often, but when the need arises you will be glad you possessed one,” says Family Handyman editor and automotive expert Ethan O’Donnell. “Their purpose is to pick up anything magnetic that falls into your engine compartment but is too small to be picked up by hands.”

I’m a national award-winning writer and journalist specializing in outdoor trends, interior design, home decor and gardening. As a shopping editor and writer at Family Handyman, I’m well-versed in researching products and recommending the best options to suit various needs. In fact, I’ve personally tested more than 100 products, from outdoor gear and DIY gadgets to mattresses and vacuums.

“As an example, drilling a typical composite-aluminum stack with a 1/4" tool and a standard peck process would take about twelve seconds per hole,” he continues. “When you implement the VAD process, you’ll get it down to three seconds per hole. A fourfold improvement in throughput.”

In a real-world case a few years ago, Prom recounts that Boeing found a PCD drill so prone to chipping in composites that the company lowered the feed rate to 3 IPM. Boeing switched to a CVD diamond-coated tool and got up to 9 IPM, but still with poor tool life (200 holes).

All of Cutwell’s test are conducted with a Spike force sensing unit from Germany’s Pro-Micron, which is one of the company’s technology partners. “We get live data on all the forces—thrust, bending and torque—to help us analyze what’s going on,” Prom says. “We monitor and record all force data, make adjustments and retest until we build the best solution possible for our customers.”

“The Heleman model is the exact model I own,” says O’Donnell. “The fact that it has a light so that you can see what you are picking up makes it even more useful.”

While polycrystalline-diamond (PCD) drills were once the mainstay for composites, Prom says diamond-coated carbide tools have taken over most high-end applications to enable optimized geometries.

Prom says tasks on Boeing’s latest and largest airplane, the 777X, require drills up to 1" (25.4 mm) diameter for fastening applications, and 1.4" (35.56) diameter for an access hole, all of which Cutwell can build with the Wave-Point geometry.

“A Trochoidal End Mill is a two to five times D tool,” Doiron says. “The tool is designed for light radial passes. And because of the long flute length, it has chip breakers along the flute.” That’s because cutting a deep pocket with a long flute length would otherwise produce chips that would entangle and “get wrapped up in the tool.” Breaking up the chips makes evacuation much easier. Although the tool has chip breakers, they are staggered in position along each flute, producing smooth wall finishes.

A single InoxDrill can drill multiple stainless steels, multiple nickel alloys, and both pure and alloy titaniums. Just follow the recommended feeds and speeds.

The patented Wave-Point design features multiple radii along the cutting edge, alternating in and out, from the major OD to the point. The drill delivers high penetration rates, excellent hole accuracy, and minimal exit delamination in both CFRP and stacked materials.

That’s a sevenfold improvement in feed-rate with 4X longer life than the previous carbide tool. The application is drilling the holes for fastening the fuselage sections of a 787 plane. The reduction in drilling time is so significant that Boeing has saved an entire shift of drilling time on each fuselage joint, according to Cutwell.

Plenty of mechanic jobs can and should be done sitting down. The Wen Rolling Mechanic Seat has four ball-bearing swivel casters and on-board storage, making it as convenient as it is comfortable to use.

The InoxDrill family is all two-flute, and either 3 or 5xD, with a proprietary monolayer PVD coating that also carries over the entire material range, Blandon says. As the drill is self-centering, Emuge does not suggest using a spot drill or any type of piloting tool prior to an application.

How many hours have you spent looking for nuts, bolts, washers and other small parts spread willy-nilly around the garage? Just drop them into this handy magnetic tray, and they’ll be there when you need them. The 4-1/4-inch cup holds a handful of parts, keeping them in place so they don’t get lost, and the cup itself sticks to any ferrous metal surface.

Various car makes and models often require specialized tools for maintenance and repairs. For example, European cars may require different tools compared to American vehicles. Always research your car’s specific requirements before investing in tools.

Sure, shade-tree mechanics can stand on a peach crate to work on the truck engine. But if they lean a little too far over, the crate goes flying. That won’t happen with the TireStep 4040 from Heininger, one of the most no-brainer automotive tools. It has more adjustments, a larger step and higher-quality construction than others, and it comes with its own storage pouch. Just unfold this baby, pop it over your front tire, adjust it to the right height and hop on. You can even use it on a rear wheel to secure loads to your roof rack.

This enables a single tool to drill multiple stainless steels that include ferritic martensitic 440 and austenitic ferric heat-resistant super duplex; as well as nickel alloys such as Inconel 718 and 625, Incoloy 901 and 903, and Waspaloy; plus pure and alloy titanium.

Cutwell also has slightly different versions optimized for carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP), aluminum stacks and CFRP titanium stacks, as well as solid titanium, Inconel, Hastalloy and related exotics. “If you don’t want to swap out tools, you’d use the geometry optimized for the material you machine most often and the tool will still cut the other materials,” Prom adds.

The numbers for a CFRP/titanium stack are lower: 400 SFM x 0.008 IPR in CF and 50 SFM x 0.004 IPR in titanium.

The correct CAM approach, Blandon adds, is critical. “These tools require a left-hand spindle rotation in order to use them properly. You come in from the outside of the hole and work your way in a corkscrew-type motion.”

While DenBoer believes PCD drills are the right choice for “standard” composites used in Boeing and Airbus airliners, he concedes that it’s often impossible to eliminate delamination in unidirectional material with these tools. For such applications, Sandvik Coromant has developed a new diamond-coated carbide drill called TNT, which features a unique swirling flute geometry that’s compared to a soft-serve ice cream cone.

It’s a drag when you pull your ratchet and extension bar out of a tight spot only to discover that the socket is still stuck on the bolt head. That’ll never happen if you use locking extension bars. Pull back the locking ring, snap on a socket and let go—it won’t budge until you release the lock.

So-called stacked composites present an even bigger challenge. Prom says their recommended starting speeds and feeds for a 1/4" drill in composite and aluminum is 500 SFM x 0.008 IPR in the composite and 400 SFM x 0.008 IPR in the aluminum. “And we’ve tested up to over 800 inches (20,320 mm) of tool life, for a quarter-inch drill in this application.”

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“With PCD, you don’t have the ability to create a drill tip with all the features that you’d want, or all the clearances,” Prom notes. “With a carbide drill, we can optimize the geometries and then coat it with diamond to give it a super-hard shell. You get the best of both worlds, geometry and tool life.”

The InoxDrill was initially designed for high-temperature alloys, with a single margin. As a result, only one side of the flute has a margin for stability purposes.

The socket wrench is the most frequently used mechanic tool. It enables rapid and efficient tightening or loosening of nuts, bolts and various other fasteners. Make sure to invest in a high-quality socket wrench to ensure its longevity.

Tool geometry is also limited, according to DenBoer. He points out that the grind down the side of the nib must be straight, so it can’t follow the desired path of the flute. Thus, this approach works only for a short nib with a correspondingly short run of PCD.

The mechanic light provides up to 1,200 lumens of light for working, and the 202-bulb LED light is rechargeable. The internal battery runs the work light for three hours on low and six hours on high. As a bonus, it’s an excellent emergency light for the house during power failures.

The carbide TNT tool costs less than a comparable PCD tool, DenBoer points out, and is offered in diameters from 0.190-0.685" (4.83-17.4 mm). But because the diamond coating wears primarily at the cutting edge, it can’t be efficiently reground. That, plus the longer life of PCD tooling, limits the TNT to the unidirectional material, in DenBoer’s view.

The lesson is clear: Users need to keep checking in with their cutting tool suppliers. If you’ve been doing the same thing for a few years, there’s probably a new geometry, a new coating or some other improvement that will blow older tooling away.

If you do your own repair work on a newer vehicle, a heavy-duty floor jack with lift pump is one of the must-have automotive tools. This jack from Big Red allows you to get under low-profile vehicles for repair work. It’s made of durable, high-strength aluminum and steel, is easy to carry and has a machined, non-slip handle. It can lift a car up to 14 inches and has a load capacity of 1-1/2 tons.

Today, Cutwell has an even more advanced way of drilling aluminum. To this end, it works with Mitis (Bouguenais, France), which specializes in micro pecking, to deliver vibration-assisted drilling (VAD).

With engine compartments more crowded than ever, a set of flex sockets may be worth the investment in your automotive tools arsenal. They have a much shorter profile than an ordinary socket and universal joint combo. Yeah, they’re a bit pricey, but they let you remove and install bolts in really inaccessible places. What’s that worth to you?

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“These two are unique combination tools designed specifically to produce the hole and thread simultaneously in really tough materials,” he says. “As the name suggests, the THRILLER-AERO will work well in many of the high-temperature alloys, stainless steels, titanium combinations and nickels. If the hardness threshold goes beyond 46 to 50, we would probably recommend our THRILLER-MAX.”

Decide whether it’s more practical to purchase individual tools or invest in a comprehensive set that will prove useful for future tasks. Additionally, factor in tool storage. To prevent loss or damage, ensure you have a designated space for your automotive tools. Consider investing in a tool bag or storage cabinet to maintain organization and protect your tools.

Cutwell’s latest achievement is a solid-carbide, CVD diamond-coated drill family for advanced aerospace materials. Dubbed “Wave-Point,” the patented design features multiple radii along the cutting edge, alternating in and out, from the major OD to the point. Prom says the drill “allows high penetration rates and minimal exit delamination in carbon fiber, and it holds very tight tolerances.”

DeWalt, a brand known for its heavy-duty power tools, makes good quality sockets and wrenches as well. After giving them a try, we can tell you that these are no ordinary tools.

At the risk of confusing the matter, Emuge has introduced a line of end mills specifically for trochoidal machining called Trochoidal End Mills.

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Tighten a bolt without a torque wrench and you can do major damage. But doing it the right way can mean buying several sizes of torque wrenches. Safely torque without spending a lot of dough with this digital torque adapter. Just set the specified torque and crank away. The digital display shows the rising torque, and the LED readout and audible signal let you know when you’re done. The digital adapter fits 1/2-inch-drive sockets and comes with 3/8-inch- and 1/4-inch-drive adapters.

Doiron’s main point is that even a general purpose end mill will perform much better with a proper programming approach. In particular, he explains, any end mill can be used for trochoidal machining. In some cases, a trochoidal method can solve tool life issues, allowing for more parts per tool to get out the door.

Although the Neiko light is called an under-hood light, it’s an even better under-vehicle light. Just unsnap it from the bracket to use it from below. The strong magnets hold it in place, so you can aim the light exactly where you need it.

Most socket organizers lock you into a standard configuration. But Triton MagClip socket storage trays use magnets to give you maximum flexibility for organizing your automotive tools. Leave the centering pins in place to store sockets, or remove them and just let the magnets hold your socket extensions and ratchets. The trays are available individually and in sets.

As soon as you pick up one of these ratchets, you’ll notice that it’s heavier and has a beefier handle that fits better in your palm. The fine-tooth, 5-degree ratchet has recessed quick-release and reversing mechanisms so the head fits in tighter spots. Plus, the sockets and wrenches are laser-etched before they’re chromed instead of surface-etched afterward, like most run-of-the-mill tools. The size markings will be readable forever.

Dan Doiron, Emuge-Franken USA’s milling product manager, echoes this for milling in general, saying he doesn’t see enough utilization of the latest CAD/CAM toolpath methods, such as trochoidal machining, in the field. “Everyone has a wrench, but some people actually use that wrench as a hammer sometimes.”

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“A magnetic tray is one of those inexpensive tools I use constantly,” says O’Donnell. “Whether I am working on my truck, bicycle or installing a light fixture on a ladder, these little magnetic trays are like an extra hand that holds screws, bolts and washers safely and securely.”

A sardine can is roomy compared to your average engine compartment. Mechanics need all the help they can get trying to work in such cramped quarters. These crowfoot wrenches attach to any 3/8-inch-drive extension bar and let you remove nuts and bolts from far away. Their flare nut design is great for removing brake and power steering lines, making them essential automotive tools. Just slip the line through the opening and the wrench will encircle the flare nut to give you extra turning power.

This approach necessitates grinding away more carbide, and consequently laying in more PCD, than is actually needed to create a flute on both sides, explains David DenBoer, an aerospace industry specialist with Sandvik Coromant. And given the cost and the inherent difficulty of then shaping PCD through erosion/grinding, the result is an expensive tool.

After years of being clamped in place, most radiator and heater hoses become welded to the pipe. If you want to reuse the hose, you can easily spend 30 minutes finessing it off so it’s still in good enough condition to reinstall. That’s where this cool hose remover tool pays off.

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This mirror and magnet set belongs in every toolbox for car, appliance and home repairs. The telescoping handles pull out to 25 inches, and the screw ends let you swap out attachments. The kit comes with two handles, two swiveling mirrors, two fixed magnet heads and one swivel magnet.

Take today’s advanced high-strength materials, which have long bedeviled manufacturing— especially in aerospace applications. But these new cutting tool advances are up to the challenge, whether it’s for composites, titanium, Inconel or Hastalloy.

If you’re a beginner DIY mechanic or just starting to fill your tool cabinet, you’ll want a socket set, a wrench set, screwdrivers, pliers, an oil filter wrench, a spark plug socket set and a multimeter for diagnostics.

Traditionally, PCD drills have been a combination of PCD and carbide, created by grinding slots in a carbide nib into which diamond grit is sintered, then brazing that nib onto a carbide shank. The final cutting geometry is then formed by eroding and/or grinding both the PCD and the carbide.

Sandvik Coromant has introduced the technology to its 85 and 86 series drills in diameters from 0.190-0.376" (4.83-9.55 mm).

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For its part, Emuge-Franken USA, West Boylston, Mass., used the COVID lull to test its InoxDrill “in as many materials as possible,” according to Marlon Blandon, the company’s drills and thread mills product manager. “We created a speeds-and-feeds chart that offers very specific guidance for a wide variety of materials we’ve seen used increasingly in the medical and aerospace industries.”

OK, so you already own needle-nose pliers. But have you ever noticed how your hand is always in your line of sight when you’re trying to grab small things with them? Well, so did the guys who came up with the Kiwi pliers. The angled handle lets you go after clamps, clips and retainers and still see what you’re doing.

Conversely, by 3D printing the nibs, DenBoer says it’s possible “to lay the diamond any place we want it, including farther down the side, following the flute. This gives us the ability to build a much longer nib than what we can accomplish with a standard grind.”

“My mechanic’s roller seat is the first thing I reach for when working on my motorcycle, bicycle or truck,” says O’Donnell. “The height is ideal for working on my motorcycle or bicycle on their lift or for changing the tires on my truck. Despite being close to the ground, you’re still mobile and have easy access to onboard tool storage. Honestly, it’s one of the best bang-for-your-buck automotive tools you can have in your garage.”

InoxDrill has a K-Land-style cutting edge, plus an additional hone added after the tool is ground. The result is a tool that “really likes a heavy load,” Blandon asserts. “For example, whereas you might run six thousandths per revolution with a competing drill of a given size, we would recommend seven and a half to eight thousandths per rev in the same material using InoxDrill.”

Emuge boasts “excellent thread mills” that enable operations to be combined in a single tool. For example, Blandon points to the THRILLER-AERO and the THRILLER-MAX.

Still, Cutwell’s 0.393" (9.98-mm) diameter drill delivers 150" (3,810 mm) of tool life in a CF/Ti/Al/Ti stack that’s 1.25" (31.75 mm) thick, Prom says. “And that’s been in production for six years.”

Thread milling is the preferred method of producing internal and external threads in many of these tough materials. This is mainly due to their edge-wearing characteristics, according to Blandon.

Grab hold of plug wires with pliers and you’ll almost certainly damage the boot. But the padded jaws on these boot pliers let you get a firm grip on a spark plug without tearing anything. Slide it onto the top portion of the boot near the wire and clamp down. That’ll apply force to the metal clip inside the boot. Then twist and pull—no more torn boots or wires.

“That’s when we stepped into the situation,” Prom says. “With the Wave-Point, they run at 64 IPM with an 800-plus hole tool life.”

Emuge is also introducing more six- and seven-flute end mills. “You’re not going to be able to take a large radial step over, but you’re going to be able to gain speed,” Doiron says. “This fits with what a lot of machine manufacturers are doing now. Some machines are much faster than they used to be, but don’t have the horsepower they used to have. So we need to take a different direction to cut this material: Lighter radial passes at a higher feed rate.”

Sharon-Cutwell Co. offers a prime example, and President Jeff Prom would tell you the company’s location “in the middle of nowhere” (Belgium, Wis.) has always given it the relative quiet needed to think. Conversely, he’d add, the team at Cutwell doesn’t isolate themselves in Wisconsin: The company maintains close relationships with both customers and technology partners around the world.

Sandvik Coromant has also demonstrated that the tool maintains a low temperature when cutting, so as not to melt CFRP material.

The most predominant process, according to Prom, is to peck drill in the aluminum. “You drill straight through the composite, and then you turn on lube, generally a minimum quantity lubrication, and use that as you peck drill through the aluminum to make small enough chips that they don’t erode and damage the composite as they exit.”

“A socket set or mechanics tool set is a must if you plan to maintain any engine, from your car to a leaf blower. To a mechanic, they are as essential as a hammer and nail are to a carpenter,” says O’Donnell. “Even though a good set can be reasonably expensive, they will last a long time. The set my grandfather purchased for me nearly 30 years ago is still in use today.”

DenBoer recounts a test of a three-flute CVD diamond-coated 1/4" (6.35 mm) TNT drill with countersink in woven CFRP. It ran without coolant at 5,000 rpm with a feed of 0.008 IPR (for both drilling and countersinking) and Vc=327 SFM. The tool held a hole diameter tolerance of Cp=3.54 and Cpk=3.33 over 3,000 holes, while delamination averaged ~0.0001" (0.0025 mm) and never exceeded 0.0018" (0.0457 mm) throughout the run. The cutter showed no signs of wear prior to an improper clamp that caused breakage at hole 3,303, ending the test, according to the company.

We researched hundreds of automotive tool options, taking into account the different types, cost and purpose. Then, we made sure to select a wide range of tools that would fill out a mechanic’s shop and allow them to work on a variety of projects. Finally, we combed through user reviews to see how real people interact with each automotive tool, only suggesting buys that are worth your time and money.

When you’re working in areas like engine compartments, sometimes you just can’t get a socket into the tight spots. That’s where this Tite-Reach tool comes in handy. Slap your socket onto one end of the extension tool and attach your ratchet to the other end. Then loosen or tighten the “unreachable” bolt.

“As the drill progresses through the metallic material, it also oscillates up and down,” Prom explains, “taking the drill tip in and out of the material by only about five thousandths of an inch.” The movement is so small it’s imperceptible to the eye, but it creates “nice little chips, and it’s a much faster process,” Prom adds.

“High-speed steel cutting edges aren’t usually the best approach with some high-temp alloys, or a stainless steel that has a high concentration of nickel and vanadium ... or nickel alloys,” he explains. “The softer the nickel it is, the harder it is to tap it or to use a continuous cutting method for working it. So, thread milling in general is the best approach.”

Necessity and opportunity—including unforeseen ones—can be the mother of invention and innovation. Several creative cutting tool manufacturers, for example, used the recent industry slowdown during the COVID-19 pandemic to develop and test a host of new solutions.

Equipping your workshop with a range of high-quality automotive tools can significantly enhance your car maintenance experience. While it’s tempting to add every tool to your cart, it’s important to refine your selection by identifying the specific tools required for your current projects. After narrowing down your list, establish a budget and opt for top-quality products known for their durability, so they last. Our curated list serves as an excellent starting point.

But Sandvik Coromant Sweden (U.S. headquarters in Mebane, N.C.) is now using 3D printing to make PCD drills more capable and economical, lowering the resulting cost per hole and challenging carbide and diamond coated tooling.

Sharon-Cutwell engineers check a Wave-Point drill point during production. The tool can run at 70 IPM in CFRP and also tackles stacked materials.

Repeated tests have shown the technology delivers the same or even better tool life, according to Prom.

“In fact, sometimes we have to slow down on entry, because it lifts so much we can actually delaminate on the opposite entry side,” he notes. “No other drill that I know of can do that.”

Seasoned mechanics can disassemble and reassemble just about anything. Know how they do it? They mark each piece as they disassemble. That’s where this inexpensive carbide-tipped scriber comes in handy. Just scratch alignment marks or numbers or whatever you need on the parts as you remove them so you won’t have to remember where they go when it’s time for reassembly.

This air-powered tool may look like a sea monster with tentacles, but the tentacles are actually 19 1/8-inch needles that hammer off rust, scale and dirt at 4,600 blows per minute. Move the adjustment collar forward or backward to vary the needle force and coverage area. Use it to knock rust and old paint off your car, wheelbarrow or other metal object. You’ll still have to deal with the pits from the corrosion, but at least the flakes will be gone. Wear hearing and eye protection and leather gloves, because this baby kicks up a lot of dust and debris, and it’s loud.