How tools actually work, and how to choose one
A magnetic parts tray is a shallow metal or magnet-backed dish that holds loose bolts, washers, clips and small fasteners in one place while a job is underway. Its magnet stops the contents sliding, tipping or rolling off an engine bay, a fender or a workbench. Mechanics rely on them because losing a single bolt … Read more
Metric fasteners are sized in millimetres with thread pitch measured in millimetres per turn; imperial fasteners are sized in inches (or fractions of an inch) with threads counted per inch. The real-world difference is that a metric tool almost never grips an imperial fastener properly, and forcing one to fit rounds off the corners. Why … Read more
A bench vice holds a part still so both hands are free to work on it. In automotive jobs that means gripping bolts to break them loose, holding brackets and fittings for filing or drilling, pressing bushes in and out, and doing any job that would be unsafe or impossible to do while a part … Read more
A trim removal tool is a flat, shaped pry bar made from nylon, hard plastic or soft-faced metal, designed to slide behind interior panels and pop plastic retaining clips loose without cracking the panel or gouging the paint underneath. A screwdriver does the same basic job of prying, but its narrow metal tip concentrates force … Read more
A battery charger restores charge to a flat or weak battery slowly, over hours, so the battery itself is healthier afterwards. A jump starter delivers a short, powerful burst of current to turn the engine over right now, without charging the battery at all. They solve different problems, and neither one properly replaces the other. … Read more
A compression tester measures how much pressure a cylinder can build while the engine is cranked over. A healthy cylinder seals well and builds pressure quickly and consistently. A low or slow-rising reading points to a leak past the piston rings, the valves, or a head gasket — the test narrows down where, but rarely … Read more
A basic oil change needs a way to get the car safely off the ground, the correct socket or wrench for the drain plug, a filter wrench sized to the filter, a drain pan, a funnel, gloves and eye protection, and usually a torque wrench for the plug. Most of it is inexpensive and reusable … Read more
A hub puller is a bolt-on tool that grips a hub, bearing or pulley and draws it off its shaft using a central screw or hydraulic ram, applying steady, controlled pulling force instead of hammering or levering. Some hubs resist that pull so strongly, or are so tightly seated, that only a hydraulic press — … Read more
A torque angle gauge measures how far a fastener rotates after it reaches an initial torque setting, rather than how hard it has been tightened. Some bolts — especially cylinder head bolts, suspension fasteners and other torque-to-yield hardware — are finished by turning them a specific number of degrees, because torque alone stops being a … Read more
A multimeter on a vehicle is used to measure voltage, resistance and current in the 12-volt electrical system — checking whether a battery is actually charged, whether a fuse has blown, whether a connector is corroded, or whether something is draining power while the car sits parked overnight. What does a multimeter actually measure on … Read more
About what you read here. Everything on Find Tool is general information and our own editorial opinion. We research carefully and we say when the evidence is unclear, but we can be wrong, things change, and no article can know your particular situation. Please do your own research and make your own judgement rather than treating anything here as the final word. Prices, products and specifications around tools and workshop equipment change constantly, and what suits one person will not suit another. Check current details yourself, and where a decision involves real money, safety or something you cannot undo, it is worth confirming with the manufacturer, or a qualified electrician or tradesperson before you act.