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Every pick on the site

10 products, grouped by the job they do. Each one has a page explaining what it is good at, what to check before buying, and who it is not for.

Lifting and support

Jacks, stands and ramps — and which of them carries the car.

2 picks in this category
A floor jack and hand tools on the floor of a garage workshop

Lifting and support

Craftsman 3-ton floor jack

A long-handled jack that raises one corner of the car so that stands can take the weight.

Best for
Anyone doing brakes, tyre rotation or suspension work at home who has hard level ground to work on.
Watch out for
A floor jack is a lifting device only. Nothing in the job should put any part of you under a car held up by a jack alone, and the jack itself is never the thing that carries the vehicle.
Check price and availability
Axle stands and a jack on the concrete floor of a garage

Lifting and support

Craftsman 3-ton jack stands, pair

Rated stands that take the weight of the car while a jack is lowered away.

Best for
Any job where a wheel comes off: brakes, rotation, suspension, exhaust work from below.
Watch out for
Stands carry the load, so the rating, the surface and the support points all matter at once. Check the rating against the vehicle weight, place them under the points the manufacturer lists, and inspect welds, base and locking pin before each use.
Check price and availability

Hand tools

Sockets, ratchets and wrenches that fit the fastener in front of you.

3 picks in this category
Sockets, extensions and a ratchet laid out on a workbench

Hand tools

TEKTON 3/8-inch drive socket set with 90-tooth ratchet

The everyday set: shallow and deep sockets, extensions and a ratchet that swings in tight spaces.

Best for
A first serious socket set for engine bay, bracket and interior work on a car or light truck.
Watch out for
Sets look similar in the case and differ in what is inside. Count the sizes you will use, check the drive size and confirm the sockets are six-point and chrome rather than impact-rated.
Check price and availability
A torque wrench and sockets on a garage workbench

Hand tools

TEKTON 1/2-inch drive click torque wrench, 10 to 150 ft-lb

A wrench that turns tightening a wheel nut from a guess into the figure printed in the manual.

Best for
Wheel nuts, suspension bolts and anything else with a torque figure in the owner manual.
Watch out for
A torque wrench measures; it does not decide the number. Use the figure for your vehicle, re-check the wheel nuts after the first drive as most manuals advise, and wind the setting back before storing it.
Check price and availability
A row of combination wrenches arranged on a work surface

Hand tools

GearWrench ratcheting combination wrench set, metric

A wrench that keeps turning in a space where a socket and ratchet will not fit.

Best for
Brake brackets, belt tensioners, hose fittings and anything buried behind other parts.
Watch out for
Ratcheting wrenches are for turning, not for breaking a seized fastener free — that is what a breaker bar is for, and the ratchet mechanism is what pays for the mistake.
Check price and availability

Power tools and 12 V gear

Cordless tools for the driveway and the accessories that live in the trunk.

3 picks in this category
A cordless impact wrench on a garage workbench

Power tools and 12 V gear

Milwaukee 1/2-inch cordless impact wrench, 18 V

A battery-powered wrench for loosening the fasteners a hand ratchet will not move.

Best for
Wheel nuts, suspension bolts and underbody work, especially on a car that sees road salt.
Watch out for
An impact wrench can overtighten or strip a fastener in seconds. Use it for loosening, and finish wheel nuts by hand with a torque wrench at the figure from the manual.
Check price and availability
A portable air pump and hose next to a car wheel

Power tools and 12 V gear

Viair portable 12 V tire inflator

A pump that runs from the car socket and tops up tyres without a trip to an air line.

Best for
Keeping four tyres and a spare at the right pressure at home, and slow punctures on the road.
Watch out for
Small inflators run hot and slowly. Read the duty cycle, check pressures on cold tyres against the sticker in the door jamb, and let the pump cool as the maker instructs.
Check price and availability
A jump starter pack and clamps on a garage bench

Power tools and 12 V gear

NOCO 12 V lithium jump starter pack

A battery pack that starts a car with a flat battery without needing a second vehicle.

Best for
Anyone parking outside in winter, or with a car that sits for weeks between drives.
Watch out for
A jump pack is a rescue, not a repair. If a car needs one twice in a week, the battery or the charging system needs testing, and the pack should be recharged and stored as the maker instructs.
Check price and availability

Diagnostics and car care

Reading what the car reports, and keeping the paint and trim alive.

2 picks in this category
A diagnostic scan tool plugged into a car

Diagnostics and car care

BlueDriver bluetooth OBD2 scan tool

A dongle that reads fault codes and live data, and shows them on the phone you already carry.

Best for
Anyone who wants to read and clear a check-engine light at home before booking a workshop.
Watch out for
A code names a circuit rather than a failed part. Two different faults can set the same code, and several unrelated codes at once often point at the battery or the charging system first.
Check price and availability
Car cleaning products, buckets and microfibre towels

Diagnostics and car care

Chemical Guys car wash and detailing kit

The washing and drying basics: a mitt, two buckets and towels that do not drag grit across paint.

Best for
Anyone washing their own car who wants fewer swirl marks rather than a cupboard of bottles.
Watch out for
Most marks come from the first wipe over a dirty panel. Rinse the car first, use a mitt rather than a sponge, and give the bucket a grit guard instead of buying another wax.
Check price and availability