need tool advice
Camilo
auto mechanic. He hasn't really begun to amass his tools, and I'd
like to buy him something for Christmas.
Criteria:
$50-$75 price limt
A tool that he will use throughout his career
Something that can be "excellent quality" within my price range, not
necessarily "the best", but something suitable for beginning
professional auto mechanic and would be good enough to be appreciated
later in the career as well.
Something that one COULD skimp on if he wanted to (and my nephew will
tend to do that at first), but where a "$50" tool is much better than
say, a $15 one.
Ideas that have been given to me are a good (e.g. Fluke) electrical
meter and a dial or digital caliper or micrometer. Unfortunately,
even "moderately priced examples of these things seem to be $100 or
more.
Any ideas for a $50 tool that a beginning pro mechanic would
appreciate?
Thanks much!
Cam
Heron McKeister
news:ebd7d737-713a-4c6b...@z10g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
Torque wrench, fuel pressure test set, flare
nut or crowfoot flare nut wrench set.
Tegger
01ad98...@z10g2000prh.googlegroups.com:
> Odd question here: My nephew is going to school to be a professional
> auto mechanic. He hasn't really begun to amass his tools, and I'd
> like to buy him something for Christmas.
>
> Criteria:
>
> $50-$75 price limt
>
What HAS he got so far?
--
Tegger
Scott Dorsey
>
>Torque wrench, fuel pressure test set, flare
>nut or crowfoot flare nut wrench set.
I agree about the flare nut wrench set, but where in God's name do you
find a decent torque wrench for $50?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Paul
Ball peen hammers.
Two of them, a big one and a little one.
aarcuda69062
<ebd7d737-713a-4c6b...@z10g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
Camilo <campa...@yahoo.com> wrote:
A three piece set of channel locks
A serpentine belt tool
A set of files
Fender covers
Gear wrenches
Fan clutch wrench(s)
A three piece ball peen hammer set
A punch and chisel set
A pry bar set
Camilo
> Camilo <campasc...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:ebd7d737-713a-4c6b-bd11-
> 01ad983b6...@z10g2000prh.googlegroups.com:
>
> > Odd question here: My nephew is going to school to be a professional
> > auto mechanic. He hasn't really begun to amass his tools, and I'd
> > like to buy him something for Christmas.
>
> > Criteria:
>
> > $50-$75 price limt
>
> What HAS he got so far?
>
> --
> Tegger
I'm not totally sure, but he doesn't have much and almost anything
would be welcome, I think.
AMuzi
gift certificate here?
http://www.snapon.com/
--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
Tim Wescott
Tegger
14bf53...@w19g2000pre.googlegroups.com:
> On Dec 14, 4:14�pm, Tegger <inva...@invalid.inv> wrote:
>> Camilo <campasc...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:ebd7d737-713a-4c6b-bd11-
>> 01ad983b6...@z10g2000prh.googlegroups.com:
>>
>> > Odd question here: �My nephew is going to school to be a professional
>> > auto mechanic. �He hasn't really begun to amass his tools, and I'd
>> > like to buy him something for Christmas.
>>
>> > Criteria:
>>
>> > $50-$75 price limt
>>
>> What HAS he got so far?
>>
>>
>>
>
> I'm not totally sure, but he doesn't have much and almost anything
> would be welcome, I think.
>
Is this meant to be a Christmas gift?
Unfortunately, $50-$75 won't buy a whole lot on its own for somebody who
has nothing to begin with. Sears Craftsman is a good beginning; they're
pretty good value for the money.
He should start with a set of 3/8" Metric and SAE sockets from 10mm/3/8" to
maybe 25mm/1". Plus a 3/8" ratchet with a swivel head and a few extensions.
Sears has combination extensions that double as fixed and "wobble" types.
If he's already got all that, a set of combo wrenches, both in Metric and
SAE.
If all of those already exist, then a Sears Craftsman click-type torque
wrench in foot-pounds (probably a bit over your cost limit).
For pro use, stay away from no-name tools (or Harbor-Freight-type) unless
money is really a very big factor. There is such a thing as false economy.
You can get often "suitcase" sets of sockets and the like on sale. Those
sales can amount to /really/ big savings and give you an excellent
collection of tools. My sister (a mechanical engineer, believe it or not)
recently picked up a genuine Dremel set in a wooden case. Originally $100,
on sale for $25. It had about a hundred pieces in it, plus a two-speed
Dremel tool.
It might be better to simply give your nephew the cash, and tell him to
watch for the sales at Sears.
--
Tegger
Kruse
>
> $50-$75 price limt
>
While Snap-On is a good tool, $75 would barely buy him a Snap-On 1/4
combination wrench.
Plus, are you SURE there is a Snap-On tool jockey in your area? At my
previous place of employment,
the Snap-On man simply stopped showing up without warning.
My vote is to give him a Craftsman gift certificate. To everybody here
who claims these aren't good enough,
(and in some areas they leave a little to be desired for the
professional mechanic) he could get a small set
of decent quality Craftsman tools that could be used for an emergency
take-along set in his car/truck that
includes a carrying case. They frequently go on sale and that money
would get him a nice little emergency set for that amount of money.
Nate Nagel
I'd try to pick something that doesn't come with the standard bigass
mechanic's tool set, because he's probably going to buy that on credit
himself... I like your ideas but agree that good ones may be out of
your price range... maybe a pair of pickle forks and an engineer's hammer?
I bought myself this last xmas...
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/kd41690.html
Also, if you can find out what brand he prefers (Snap-On, Mac, Proto,
whatever) a gift certificate might be in order, esp. if he *is* going to
be buying his "master set" on credit. (that's actually how I ended up
with the tools in the link above; I'd amassed enough gift cards at Sears
that I needed to blow them on something, and I kept breaking cheap
Pitman arm pullers working on rusty old cars)
nate
--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel
Steve W.
Sears gift card or a Mac, Snap-on, Cornwell, SK gift certificate.
http://www.mactools.com/
http://www.snapon.com/
http://www.cornwelltools.com/
http://www.skhandtool.com/
--
Steve W.
Camilo
Is an infrared thermometer of any use to an auto mechanic?
I'm definitely thinking of trying to find something that wouldn't come
in the big set of standard tools I'm sure he'll invest in soon - some
little gizmo that either might be ovelooked or "cheaped out" on -
where $50 would buy something decent and handy (not necessarily
essential - but handy).
Thanks for all the great suggestions so far, too.
Cam
Nate Nagel
> On Dec 14, 3:43 pm, Camilo <campasc...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Odd question here: My nephew is going to school to be a professional
>> auto mechanic. He hasn't really begun to amass his tools, and I'd
>> like to buy him something for Christmas.
>>
>> Criteria:
>>
>> $50-$75 price limt
>>
>> A tool that he will use throughout his career
>>
>> Something that can be "excellent quality" within my price range, not
>> necessarily "the best", but something suitable for beginning
>> professional auto mechanic and would be good enough to be appreciated
>> later in the career as well.
>>
>> Something that one COULD skimp on if he wanted to (and my nephew will
>> tend to do that at first), but where a "$50" tool is much better than
>> say, a $15 one.
>>
>> Ideas that have been given to me are a good (e.g. Fluke) electrical
>> meter and a dial or digital caliper or micrometer. Unfortunately,
>> even "moderately priced examples of these things seem to be $100 or
>> more.
>>
>> Any ideas for a $50 tool that a beginning pro mechanic would
>> appreciate?
>>
>> Thanks much!
>>
>> Cam
>
> Is an infrared thermometer of any use to an auto mechanic?
IMHO yes, I lost mine and miss it.
If you find a good one for a reasonable price please post back!
Camilo
>
> - Show quoted text -
I have no idea what makes for a good one. Any pointers?
I see that for $50-$100 (which gets me in my ~$75 max), there's a lot
of offerings.
On the other hand, I see some for several hundred dollars- so maybe
getting a $75 one is not a good idea for a blossoming pro?
Vic Smith
<none...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>A three piece set of channel locks
>A set of files
>A three piece ball peen hammer set
>A punch and chisel set
>A pry bar set
I agree with those, or, mix and match
set of Vise-Grips
magnetic pick-up tools
flex claw pick-up tool
stethoscope
offset screwdrivers
screwholder/magnet
small tap and die set
He'll pick up most else when he gets his tool sets.
It's the things you don't use much that you wish you had when you
don't have them.
--Vic
Camilo
> On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:25:47 -0600, aarcuda69062
>
I was thinking on the same lines too and have been looking at various
pickup tools, mirrors, stethoscope (great idea, I hadn't thought of!),
etc.
fred
news:ebd7d737-713a-4c6b...@z10g2000prh.googlegroups.com:
First things first: A lockable toolbox. A large as you can find, but with a *real*
lock, not something that look suspiciously like a cheap bicycle lock.
AMuzi
We gave up on the trucks 20 years ago and just call Snap On
directly now.
(we're 90 miles from Kenosha; overnight delivery)
The suggestion to go Craftsman was a good idea for a starter
set.
cuh...@webtv.net
months ago.
Check out the pawn shops in your area, seriously.
I own thousands of very good execellent quality famous name brands of
tools that I bought at pawn shops over the years.You might also check
out auctions and government surplus sales and the classifieds in your
local area newspapers.
cuhulin
Scott Dorsey
>
>I'm not totally sure, but he doesn't have much and almost anything
>would be welcome, I think.
Another oddity here is a timing light. People hardly ever need timing
lights these days, but when you need one, you really really need one.
And it's something nobody else will give him.
You can never go wrong with socket kits, though. And really, really good
screwdrivers.
Scott Dorsey
Yes! It is one of those things that makes finding cooling system problems
a lot easier.
Scott Dorsey
>small tap and die set
An excellent idea! Get a good one from Grainger, though, and not one of
the cheap Chinese sets. I'm not sure what you can get for $75, though.
What kind of cars does he like? If he likes European cars, get the metric
set. If he likes BMWs, get him an M24 socket also. Most mechanic's kit
sets don't come with a socket that big and it's a thing he'll need a lot of
on some of those cars.
Camilo
In looking at the IR thermometers, I see you can spend anywhere
between $25 and $500. I have a tiny $25 one that I keep on my boat
to shoot the outboard's cylinder heads if I ever think I might be
overheating on one side or another, but it's a POS, if you know what I
mean. It can give me an idea if they're way out of line but I don't
trust it for anything more than that.
Is this something that a typical mechanic would spend $500 on, or are
the expensive ones for some sort of ultra-special use? Are the ~ $75
ones good enough for troubleshooting car cooling problems?
Thanks for all the help guys!
PS: my fall back (if I'm told that $75 IR thermos are not good enough)
is to box up a collection of handy odds and ends including a couple of
different size mirrors, a couple different magnetic and claw grabbers,
a mechanic's stethoscope, etc.
Henry Bemis
ToolOutfitters.com
Good tools, Good prices, Good seller.
They even have a Tool Forum where all kinds of tools can be discussed:
http://www.forum.tooloutfitters.com/
Camilo
My solution for the three criteria I settled on
$50-$75 budget (shipped)
"Handy" tools that are not likely to be included in a large starter
set of professional tools.
Nothing that is "cheaped out" - decent/acceptable pro-quality at price
point
Mechanic's Stethoscope $15
Large-ish inspection mirror w/ LED $10
Small-ish inspection mirror w/ LED $10
Claw grabber $10
Small magnetic grabber $10
Larger magenetic grabber $10
He'll use all of these things sooner or later and be glad they're in
the box when he needs them, probably won't even think of them until he
needs them or borrows one for the second or third time 8-)
Steve W.
Those are all hand items to have. I only wish they made a self guided
grabber... Just finding those dropped parts can kill some serious time!! ;-)
Personally I think there is a time portal that dropped parts fall into.
Then they return to the current time a few hours later....
--
Steve W.
Tegger
> I only wish they made a self guided
> grabber... Just finding those dropped parts can kill some serious
> time!! ;-)
>
> Personally I think there is a time portal that dropped parts fall
> into. Then they return to the current time a few hours later....
>
I do believe the "lost parts" (and small tools) thing has become worse
since automakers started installing plastic splash shields under the
engine. I just drop the shield, and lo! Oftentimes the lost item suddenly
enters current time.
--
Tegger
cuh...@webtv.net
finding nuts and bolts that get dropped on the ground.I have two old
raggity ones I bought at a scrap iron yard many years ago.Don't let any
kind of magnets get too close to your computers, that will screw them up
big time.
cuhulin
Ad absurdum per aspera
> Another oddity here is a timing light. People hardly ever need timing
> lights these days, but when you need one, you really really need one.
> And it's something nobody else will give him.
Dad gave me a Craftsman one maybe 30 years ago and I still use it,
even though most of my cars these days have a computer that will take
over the timing as soon as I remove the jumper. (I also count some
inherited wrenches from the Diamond Calk Horseshoe Co. that are older
than I am as being among my favorites.)
Anyway, as others have alluded, (a) Craftsman is usually good enough
for most purposes, and will certainly hold him until he develops
personal tastes in tools and sources thereof; and (b) the art of
shopping at Sears is to keep what you need in the back of your mind,
know what it usually sells for, and wait for them to put it on a big
sale. There are also certain Craftsman tools that are of interesting
and useful outside-the-box design.
You could do worse than the Crescent or Channellock homeowner set from
the big-box stores, actually, for a kid just starting on a long road
that never really ends. Even if the mainstream of what he buys, on
and for the job, turns out to be a certain brand that a franchisee
brings around on a truck, everything has its niche. I have some tools
that have zero snob value -- a few aren't even objectively very good
-- but which occasionally turn out to be the only thing that fits in
some godforsaken snake burrow that constitutes maintenance access in
the computer-addled imagination of some soft-handed clean-suited
"engineer" (don't get me started!).
Happy holidays,
--Joe
Steve W.
You mean you have some of those ground down, bent with the hot wrench
and cut off wrenches too???
How about that set of cheap sockets that you grab when you find a half
rotted off nut/bolt head that NOTHING fits. You know, the ones you drive
on with a BFH then throw the entire thing away....
--
Steve W.
cuh...@webtv.net
make it fit into a tight spot.Another one, a box end wrench, I cut in
half, I don't remember why.Needle nose pliers I heated up and bent the
jaws into a right angle.I have quite a few times before had to beat a
wrench with whatever was handy to make it fit on a bolt or net.
Some Craftsman wrenches are manufactured at a factory in Arkansas,,, I
Say that is Good enough for anybody.
cuhulin
Tegger
> Ad absurdum per aspera wrote:
>> I have some tools
>> that have zero snob value -- a few aren't even objectively very good
>> -- but which occasionally turn out to be the only thing that fits in
>> some godforsaken snake burrow that constitutes maintenance access in
>> the computer-addled imagination of some soft-handed clean-suited
>> "engineer" (don't get me started!).
>>
>>
>>
>
> You mean you have some of those ground down, bent with the hot wrench
> and cut off wrenches too???
Done exactly that myself. That was the only way, for instance, of adjusting
the master cylinder pushrod on my Honda without pulling the entire booster.
Plus I had to make my own suspension-spring compressor tool when I could
not find a usable one on the market. (Remember that some generations of
older Hondas did NOT have Macpherson strut suspensions!)
>
> How about that set of cheap sockets that you grab when you find a half
> rotted off nut/bolt head that NOTHING fits. You know, the ones you drive
> on with a BFH then throw the entire thing away....
Living in the Rust Belt, I've faced this problem more times than I can
count, and have used the same solution! I've also had to use a Dremel to
make a new hex on rusted bolts because they were /so/ rounded-off that
nothing would even stay on them, let alone fit.
--
Tegger
N8N
> "Steve W." <csr...@NOTyahoo.com> wrote innews:hgebkg$kmb$1...@aioe.org:
To be fair, this problem has been around for a long time... really
since the introduction of OHV V-8s. Remember pulling the rocker shaft
assemblies and having one pushrod stick to its rocker arm, and then
before you can grab it it falls off and disappears down into the
lifter valley, meaning that unless you can fish it out with a grabber
you have to pull the intake manifold and valley pan? I do :( Turns a
quick valve seal replacement into a run to the parts store and a
couple hours' extra work (of course most of that is because if you
remove the intake and valley pan, you *have* to clean and paint them
before reinstalling...)
nate
N8N
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> I have no idea what makes for a good one. Any pointers?
>
> I see that for $50-$100 (which gets me in my ~$75 max), there's a lot
> of offerings.
>
> On the other hand, I see some for several hundred dollars- so maybe
> getting a $75 one is not a good idea for a blossoming pro?
I don't know the answers to your questions, so I'm watching this
thread with interest :)
I think the one I lost was an "Actron" brand one that I didn't pay
that much for, but I don't know how accurate it was. It seemed
reasonably accurate around cooling system type temperatures, but if
one was trying to measure, say, the temperature of one's headers I
don't know how good it was.
nate
cuh...@webtv.net
bolts, how to make some tools too.
www.film.queensu.ca/cj3B/index.html
Flat Fenders Forever!
cuhulin
Steve W.
>> and cut off wrenches too???
>
>
>
> Done exactly that myself. That was the only way, for instance, of adjusting
> the master cylinder pushrod on my Honda without pulling the entire booster.
>
> Plus I had to make my own suspension-spring compressor tool when I could
> not find a usable one on the market. (Remember that some generations of
> older Hondas did NOT have Macpherson strut suspensions!)
>
>
>> How about that set of cheap sockets that you grab when you find a half
>> rotted off nut/bolt head that NOTHING fits. You know, the ones you drive
>> on with a BFH then throw the entire thing away....
>
>
> Living in the Rust Belt, I've faced this problem more times than I can
> count, and have used the same solution! I've also had to use a Dremel to
> make a new hex on rusted bolts because they were /so/ rounded-off that
> nothing would even stay on them, let alone fit.
>
>
Same here.
I have a couple sets of the Erwin bolt-out extractors. They work very
well for the chewed up bolts/nuts.
http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/browse.jhtml?catId=IrwinCat100511
One great tool for the rusty crap.
--
Steve W.
N8N
> Tegger wrote:
> One great tool for the rusty crap.
>
> --
> Steve W.
Roger that. I forgot about those; I bought a set of the Crapsman-
branded version of that tool, and they absolutely saved the day for
me. Was trying to remove a supercharger bracket from a VW G60 engine,
and it was held onto the block by socket head cap screws, with rounded
off sockets. (Thank you previous hamfist, I mean mechanic.) Of
course they were recessed into holes in the brackets, so no chance to
try vice-grips on them. If those hadn't worked, I would have had to
pull the radiator for clearance to drill the heads off, not something
that I was looking forward to doing. (and worst case, I might have
had to destroy the bracket, and finding parts for a G60 isn't easy
these days.) Not a tool you use every day, but when you need it, it's
a lifesaver.
nate
Tegger
> I have a couple sets of the Erwin bolt-out extractors. They work very
> well for the chewed up bolts/nuts.
> http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/browse.jhtml?catId=IrwinCat10
> 0511 One great tool for the rusty crap.
>
Another on my list of tools to buy eventually...
--
Tegger
Tegger
news:8d27f448-73bb-4352...@q18g2000yqj.googlegroups.com:
> Not a tool you use every day, but when you need it, it's
> a lifesaver.
And that's partly why I don't begrudge the expense of the tools I end up
buying. When I do buy a tool, it's often because I'm in dire need of its
specific functions. And if I was in dire need once, I could be in dire need
again.
And speaking of which... In the spring I need to rebuild my rear calipers.
This means I need a set of snap-ring pliers with a 90-degree tip that has a
reach of at least 1.75". Seems to be non-existent in my neck of the woods,
but then I also haven't checked the tool trucks yet.
--
Tegger
Steve W.
Put them up top of the list. They are a BIG time saver.
--
Steve W.
Tegger
I did get some money for Christmas from the in-laws (early because they're
going out west this weekend).
I was planning on the snap-ring pliers mentioned in another post (if I can
find them), plus something else that I wasn't sure of yet. Maybe I'll get
these too.
I replaced a bunch of regularly-removed bolts this past summer (with new
OEM! how stupid am I?), but there are still more that will surely cause
grief next time I have to tackle them.
--
Tegger
cuh...@webtv.net
Irwin makes great tools, I reckon I will add some of those Irwin
extractors to my tool collection.Recently, at the Lowe's store I bought
two Irwin laser light devices which fit on to chop saws.One for a
Christmas present for my brother inlaw and one for my chop saw.
I bought a new small electric Hitachi right angle grinder at the Lowe's
store today, because my old Makita right angle grinder finally kicked
the bucket.Right angle grinders are another handy tool for working on
cars and trucks, sometimes anyway.
cuhulin
Vic Smith
Reminds me I want some kind of right-angle drill or flex attachment.
My son and I put a new water pump on the '93 Grand Am a few days ago,
and he pulled out a hard-rubber or some synthetic bristled brush for
cleaning the gasket surface. Never saw one before.
He uses it at work and says it works real good, not scratching the
metal.
Problem was it's designed so the bristles are in line with the drill
shaft, so there wasn't enough room in the engine bay to get them onto
the gasket surface well.
Put it in my smallest drill, a 3/8" but it was too tight in there.
Ended up using a razor blade, like always.
--Vic
Scott Dorsey
>
>And speaking of which... In the spring I need to rebuild my rear calipers.
>This means I need a set of snap-ring pliers with a 90-degree tip that has a
>reach of at least 1.75". Seems to be non-existent in my neck of the woods,
>but then I also haven't checked the tool trucks yet.
Proto makes (or used to make) one.
Steve W.
> Reminds me I want some kind of right-angle drill or flex attachment.
> My son and I put a new water pump on the '93 Grand Am a few days ago,
> and he pulled out a hard-rubber or some synthetic bristled brush for
> cleaning the gasket surface. Never saw one before.
> He uses it at work and says it works real good, not scratching the
> metal.
> Problem was it's designed so the bristles are in line with the drill
> shaft, so there wasn't enough room in the engine bay to get them onto
> the gasket surface well.
> Put it in my smallest drill, a 3/8" but it was too tight in there.
> Ended up using a razor blade, like always.
>
> --Vic
Sounds like a 3M bristle disc. Best item for gasket removal and surface
cleaning. Easy power source is a right angle die grinder. I have about
three of them of various makes.
--
Steve W.
Vic Smith
<thismaila...@comcast.net> wrote:
>My son and I put a new water pump on the '93 Grand Am a few days ago,
Couple other "tool notes" on this job.
Had to prop the engine and remove a motor mount for this.
Lining up the holes up to put it back together took some prying on the
engine.
Tried a 10' long wrench to grab the bracket and pull the engine.
Hurt my hand, so I wrapped a rag around it and tried again.
Moved fine but I felt a hernia coming on.
Said "Hold it. I go in the house and get my pipe wrench"
Then I saw a bunch of 2"x4" pieces I had in a corner.
Grabbed a 4 footer and it worked good with the shock tower as fulcrum.
No strain at all. Didn't have any pry bars around, and the wood was
better in that it grabbed better.
Too bad 2'x4"s don't usually fit in the toolbox.
My kid pulled on a lower mount bolt with his ratchet with no success.
Said he didn't bring a breaker bar, but he had a backup.
Screwed a 18" piece of 1/2" steel rod on a different ratchet.
I said, "Let me see that."
Told me he had welded a nut on an old ratchet to take the threaded
rod. Scrap metal from the suspension shop where he works.
He quickly had the bolt out.
I'd probably just keep a breaker bar around, but an extended ratchet
does have advantages.
Man, I feel a tool frenzy coming on.
--Vic
cuh...@webtv.net
looking at a Craftsman plunge cut 3'' mini circular saw.In the morning,
I am going back over to the Sears store and buy one of those saws.
cuhulin
Ad absurdum per aspera
I just solved a couple of Christmas problems on the farm-and-ranch
side of the family (implication: overtorqued, slightly bent and
jammed, rusted, or messed-up-by-the-previous-owner machinery R us)
with a "Universal" wrench set that Sears has now. Six pieces for $20
in your choice of metric or king's toes and barleycorns as of a few
days ago -- probably still, but you couldn't winch me into the mall
right now.
They've got open-end on one end, box-end on another, and the box end
is complicated on the inside. They claim to be good for (at least
somewhat) rounded hex fasteners, among other things: external Torx,
external spline, and square.
They may be a bit thick for some automotive jobs, perhaps to make up
for the thinness of the bitey bits inside the box end of each one, but
the worst that can happen is they'll fall into the "oddball gadget you
only need once, at which time it is priceless" end of the toolbox.
Anyway, getting back to the original poster's question, quality tools
are always a good gift in my opinion. However, I suspect that someone
entering a formal training program as a mechanic these days is going
to be doing a surprising amount of book learnin' and tube lookin'
at, especially at first. If personally owned tools are needed at
the outset, the course description or a call to the instructor might
give some good hints.
--Joe