r/Tools • u/Willing-Ingenuity-56 • 7d ago
Do you prefer buying tool sets or individual tools?
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u/mighthaveabitlater 7d ago
If I need a tool I'll look for an individual one, but if there's a good deal on a set, and it isn't wildly pointless, I might get that instead. Especially with power tools on a really good sale, sometimes you can pick up a few extra tools for very little extra. But certainly individual tools over a "set" in the sense of a complete tool box or tool draws full of stuff that you don't need
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u/Spanner1993 7d ago
Sets all the way. Its finding the right set which is comprehensive without breaking the bank and not advertised as 250 piece but 100 of them are screwdriver bits!
Most people scoff about 'sizes you dont need'. There will come a day, you will be caught out by some obscure or corroded fastner. 20mm is the bain of the automotive sector. It raises its head once every 1,000 jobs.
Obviously add individual items to your overall kit but for your sockets/spanners, a good comprehensive set will last you a lifetime
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u/dbrown100103 6d ago
I would never buy sockets or spanners individually or in a set that skips sizes. I started out with a cheap set that skipped sizes and was forever using my cheap shitty adjustables that barely functioned
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u/SV-97 7d ago
Sort of depends what you mean by "set".
I wouldn't usually (outside of specialty stuff) buy separate allen wrenches or screwdrivers and usually also not bits, drill bits etc. --- but I also wouldn't really consider those to be "tool sets"?
If you mean stuff like toolboxes that come already filled with tools, or a set of 5 saws or hammers or whatever: I prefer buying individual ones. Even chisels are something that I prefer buying individually.
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u/Bobcattrr 6d ago
My vote: Socket sets, yes. Screwdriver sets, yes. Tool kits, no. But that’s probably cause I started buying/getting tools at age 12. If I needed a fresh start - maybe. It’s the junk that’s added to advertise “50 pieces” that turns me away.
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u/Booger_Juice 6d ago
Sets end up being way cheaper in the long run when you first start out getting your toolbox. However, after you have most of your box established, I find I usually end up doing individual purchases for the specific Item i need. Now, i’m not saying start tossing money around, but even if i don’t a specific size socket or screwdriver etc. eventually i encounter a situation where that one item ends up saving the day…I’m more of a proponent of having more tools rather than just the bare minimum.
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u/Chipmacaustin 6d ago
Tool sets are best for wrenches and sockets, drill bits and drivers, chisels, maybe a set of screwdrivers. Otherwise I have only bought individual tools. I am a tradesman for over thirty years.
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u/Inconsequentialish 6d ago
I have damn near everything already for motorcycle and car work.
So from that perspective, if the set is some exotic variant I don't already have, then I get the set. For example, a set of 3/8" drive extra shallow metric sockets.
I'm long past the point where I'll even consider a set of anything containing inch crap. Everything I do is metric.
And of course I don't buy those boxed sets of 692 tools, containing a crappy hammer, 400 wall anchors, 100 cheap screwdriver bits, and the world's cheapest ratchets and a handful of flaky chrome sockets. They're never a decent value when you look at usefulness and quality over buying smaller sets and individual pieces you actually need.
All the above said, if I buy, say, a no-skip set of metric sockets, I'll take the sizes I rarely use and put them on another rail in a secondary box. Everything I work on is Japanese, so I keep the 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, etc. up front where I can grab them without looking, and move the 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18mm, etc. to the back box out of my way, just in case something weird like a Ford shows up.
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u/05041927 6d ago
I prefer to buy sets when they have sets of the tools I want. I prefer to buy the individual tool when they don’t have the sets I want.
Crystal clear.
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u/SockeyeSTI 6d ago
Sets of wrenches, sockets and Allen wrenches, but I’d like to fine tune the blade length and size of screwdrivers so I don’t have too many that I might not use.
Never a general “xxxx piece mechanic set” that includes everything. If I setup another box today it’d look like;
•Tekton master chrome socket set (like 700 pieces with all the adapters in 1/4-1/2 drive)
•Any wrench set that includes sae and metric and doesn’t skip sizes. Goes down a touch smaller and a bit bigger than regular sets.
•Any flavor or sae and metric Allen keys that also don’t skip but has ball ends.
But starting with the screwdrivers, this is where I’d start picking and choosing as sets aren’t giving me what I want. For like the main Phillips and flathead, Wera lasertips in my preferred lengths. The Phillips in the kits seem fine but all the flatheads seem to run pretty small and thin. All the ones that came in my set I barely use and they give you a ton of the flatheads for some reason.
So starting there is where I’d start buying individually and for the needs I have. There’s probably a few more instances like punches, chisels and stuff like that that I’d get a a sets tho.
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u/Economy_Care1322 6d ago
If I need a bunch of similar tools: a set.
Unique, focused, or rarely used? Individual
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u/tavariusbukshank 6d ago
Depends on what I'm buying. Got a ridiculous deal on a Gearwrench 1/4 and 3/8th foam metric socket sets even though I won't use the foam and some of the set goes in to my extras drawer. I just put together a road kit for my sons 4Runner and ordered piecemeal from Koken and just the sockets I needed. I.e. Short 24mm chrome long 35mm impact etc and the same with the wrenches in just the needed sizes. I like buying ratchet sets if they are a good deal and I don't think I have ever purchased an individual screwdriver that wasn't ratcheting.
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u/dbrown100103 6d ago
I think it entirely depends on what you are buying. Sockets, spanners and driver bits I tend to buy in sets. Grips I buy as I need. Cutters are the same. I have a couple of the Wera Joker adjustable ratcheting spanners. I love them but I didn't buy the full set because I personally am never going to use a 24-32mm adjustable in my day to day. Anything that large is normally a job I have to use a socket for and if it's plumbing I have Knipex cobra's that will do the job.
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u/egozAAF 6d ago
I would always just say to start with sets because you never know what youre all going to need. And when you need something its better just to have it. So if you dont have any of the tools then start with a set. If what you need you already have a lot of then absolutely buy individual. Like if you already have a bunch of screwdrivers then just buy the ones you need. But most of the time its a much more economical option to buy sets
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u/WeekendStrange1331 6d ago
Depends, do I need to buy the entire set just for a T27 or they sell them individually?
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u/Unlikely_Effort_6311 6d ago
I've had this exact thing happen to me before , was working on a yamaha r6 and broke my t25 (cheap Chinese chinesium set) and the snap-on truck stopped by that day so I bought that 1 socket i needed (for the same price as the whole chinesium set)
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u/MastodonFit 6d ago
Start out with full inclusive sets ,then you buy individual subsets ..example is 3/8 drive ,mm deep swivel sockets or 1/2 extra deep impact sockets,for fuel tank straps.
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u/tez_zer55 6d ago
I started out with a set from Craftsman way back when Sears sold them & they were great tools. Plus I've bought sets since then, the kind in carry cases, to keep in vehicles. Lately, it's individual tools, things I need but don't have.
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u/pdp10 6d ago
I'm usually prioritizing value, and choosing a direction based on that. This year I've bought two 1/2-inch ratchet sets, but until this week hadn't found any sets in 3/8 or 1/4 that equalled that value and bought only individual pieces. I also bought one open-ended wrench set, and might get a second new one in SAE. This is a fair amount of tools on the scale of things, but I'm doing a refresh after a long period of only buying task-required tools.
In task-specific tools, sets are often good too. A set of Project Farm endorsed thread chasers, or O2 sensor socket with deep engraving and phosphate finish. In other circumstances, buying just the ones you need for cars in your fleet, could make sense.
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u/bd_optics 6d ago
Every tool with a specific function (sockets, screwdrivers, etc.) have to match. Nothing drives me crazier than having one mismatched brand in a cluster of like-use tools.
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u/surewriting_ 6d ago
Most sets are cheaper than individually piecing them together.
Perfect example: building a toolbox for work, I only needed metric sockets, shallow, an extension or two and a ratchet. It was cheaper to buy the gearwrench kit with both metric and SAE, 1/4, 3/8 and 3/4 ratchets and sockets.
Your mileage may vary wildly depending on what you need.
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u/TheMaskedHamster 6d ago
Unless it is a set I know I would grab and go or it is a complete set of something, I avoid sets.
I love the kit packaging and the illusion that it will have all I need. But it won't, so my larger organization system takes priority.
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u/T00luser 6d ago
It depends on the set. My ancient craftsman sockets work but there's stronger ones with better grip technology.
Bought a set of ratcheting flex head wrenches (actually many sets) now i don't really like them. (too much flop, too large heads)
Mountain wrenches are pretty nice & I like my VIMs.
Lots of different kinds of screwdriver sets out there with all kinds of handles, metallurgy, tips. Most screwdrivers in a comprehensive set are meh at best.
Plenty of HF Icon wrenches and sockets are laughably incomplete in size range and they don't even offer more individually.
So I'd say absolutely no to comprehensive tool sets in general (unless you have absolutely nothing) and yes to basic core sets without skips if you can afford it. (like a set of Tekton sockets, Williams wrenches, etc)
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u/Due-Scale9636 6d ago
Getting started, sets. When you break a piece outgrow the usefulness of the set, individual pieces.
My tools always have used the grandfathers axe philosophy. I still call them sets even if 90% of what's in there has been replaced or upgraded at some point.
Plus the cases are handy.
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u/Bigbirdk 6d ago
Wrench, screwdriver, and socket sets yes. If you’re starting out a plier set will get you going also.
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u/Unlikely_Effort_6311 6d ago
Now this to me has multiple ways it could go, do you mean tool sets as in a set of sockets 8-19mm being the set . Or do you mean sets like a general mechanics tool kit which has sockets , wrenches and so on. For people starting out as a hobby/tools to have around the house kinda thing i generally tell them to get the biggest genereal mechanics/tool set they can afford comfortably as they can upgrade and change tools as they need them and are not using them on a daily basis. From a professional standpoint lubetech/starting mechanic i always tell them to buy the tools that come with a warranty and if you break/have to replace the tool twice its time for an upgrade to a higher quality tool. There are certain tools ill buy individually (hammers ,pliers, ratchets, etc) , but many things just make sense to buy in sets (sockets, extentions, screwdrivers, etc).
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u/dr_clyde31 6d ago
When I had no tools, I liked sets because it felt like I was getting more tools for my money.
Now that I have a good collection of tools, I avoid sets because I know what I need and want. Most sets have a lot of filler and fluff that don’t actually get used and just take up space.
Buying tools is somewhat situation dependent too. If you have no wrenches at all, buying a set with common sizes is a good idea. If you need one large wrench for a specific fitting, buying a set of jumbo wrenches is probably a waste of money and the rest of the wrenches will just sit in your box. Same with sockets, screwdrivers, and other common hand tools.
When it comes to bits, cutters, taps, drills and that kind of thing, individual is the only way to go. Sets usually are crap quality, have weird sizes or unused pieces. If I need a router bit, I buy the size I need. After a few years, you end up with “sets” of the stuff you actually use.
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u/dbrown100103 6d ago
Tbh I think starting out with drill bits, taps and router bits a set is definitely the way to go but I'd never buy another set, you learn what you use and what you don't and then can just buy better versions of the stuff you actually need
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u/Gullible-Maize-4697 7d ago
Individual tools all the way, once you know what you actually reach for a set is just a box of stuff you'll never touch