5 Underrated Tools You Can Find At Advance Auto Parts

What's something that professional mechanics, hobbyists, and casual DIYers all have in common? The need for an ever-expanding toolbox. Whether you're a pro or simply like to tinker with cars in your free time, you can never have too many tools. And it seems like every time you start a new project, you discover a need for another strange and unique tool to help you complete the job. The downside to all of this is that tools can be pricey, especially when you start accumulating more specialized and niche devices.

Fortunately, you can get your hands on a lot of quality and underrated tools from auto parts stores like Advance Auto Parts. The best part? These tools don't come with the inflated price tags that so often accompany professional-level products. That doesn't mean these tools are low quality, though. In fact, all of the tools we cover in this list are made with quality materials by reputable manufacturers. So, if you're a DIYer or even a professional, you can likely find a handy tool at Advance Auto Parts for an affordable price. From digital tire pressure gauges to portable battery jump packs and magnetic screwdrivers, here are five underrated tools you can pick up at Advance Auto Parts.

Tire pressure gauges are cheap and essential items for any car owner or home mechanic. Ideally, you should always have at least one tire pressure gauge with you in your vehicle at all times. That way, if you end up with a flat tire or low air pressure, you can quickly and easily identify the problem wheel and determine how much air it needs. You should also routinely check your tire pressure, especially before extended road trips. Traditional tire pressure gauges use the force of the air pressure inside your tire to move a mechanical piece inside the gauge, allowing us to view the pressure reading in PSI. However, old-school gauges are limited due to those very same mechanical parts. They frequently get clogged or damaged and begin providing incorrect readings or stop working altogether. Another limitation of traditional tire pressure gauges is that viewing the pressure reading can be incredibly difficult in low-light situations.

All that changes with the Slime Digital Sport Tire Gauge from Advance Auto Parts. The gauge provides readings between 5 and 150 PSI, making it ideal for vehicles ranging from passenger cars and motorcycles to commercial vehicles like semi-trucks. It features an LED screen and light-up tip, making it easy to use and read at night and in dark spaces. The gauge has an automatic shut-off feature to preserve the battery life, is small enough to fit in your pocket for easy carrying, and measures pressure in PSI, kPa, and bar.

Learning to work on your own brakes is a wonderful way to save time and money on maintenance work and increase your mechanical abilities. However, the brake system is one of the most vital parts of your car, and it's essential that you have the right know-how and the proper tools when performing brake maintenance or repairs. Most tools you'll use to work on brakes are relatively common. Many DIYers and home mechanics probably already have a slew of tools in their arsenals. 

But there are a couple of more obscure tools that can come in super handy when working on brakes. Caliper tools, in particular, can save you a lot of time and trouble when performing a brake job. These devices are used to compress the brake caliper, allowing you to insert new brake pads. While the pistons in many calipers simply push into place, some use twist-style pistons, which require special tools to compress.

The Sunex Master Brake Caliper Set from Advance Auto Parts is a pro-level kit that will set you up to work on basically any vehicle. The kit contains left-hand and right-hand threaded tools, which can be used on cars with all types of twist-style calipers. It includes caliper adaptors with sizes from 1-3/16-inches to 2-½-inches and also features adaptors designed to fit specific car makes, like Nissan, Honda, and Saab. The set is built using solid and durable materials, and all the parts come in a robust blow-mold case.

The only thing worse than getting in your car in the morning only to realize your battery is dead is climbing behind the wheel after a long day of work to find a battery that won't start. Even if you carry around a set of jumper cables, finding a kind soul to help you out can be incredibly challenging. You could call a tow company or a friend to jump-start your car, but then you're left waiting for who knows how long. This situation becomes even more dire if your battery dies somewhere remote where you don't have cell service or know anyone.

Fortunately, you can pick up a DieHard Platinum Jump Starter and Power Pack from Advance Auto Parts. The jump pack features a lithium-ion battery capable of 2,000 peak amps, which is enough power to jump-start vehicles ranging from small cars up to 8.0L gas engines and 6.0L diesel motors. It has a built-in wireless charging pad for cell phones and multiple USB ports to connect your devices. The pack features an emergency LED light with several modes for signaling help and an LCD screen showing the battery's charge status. The jump pack is small enough to fit inside a backpack, purse, glovebox, or center console, and its pre-boost technology ensures that the tool will work even in frigid weather.

It's hard to reach a level where you have too many screwdrivers. Not only are there myriad different types of screwdrivers, each with significant and unique applications, but it's also relatively easy to lose or break screwdrivers over time. For precisely those reasons, it's common to meet mechanics, contractors, and DIYers who own dozens, if not hundreds, of screwdrivers. Not only do we use screwdrivers to install and remove fasteners, but they also double as mini prybars, pick tools, scrapers, and more.

The Titan 42 Piece Screwdriver Set from Advance Auto Parts covers all the bases and includes a couple of extras that make this set hard to beat. It features an assortment of 42 flathead and Phillips screwdrivers, Torx drivers, square drivers, pick tools, and metric and SAE socket drivers. The tools come in various lengths, from long to stubby, to fit into even the tightest spaces. One of the best parts of this set is that each tool has a magnetic tip, meaning no more losing screws in an engine bay or other piece of machinery. Each piece is constructed using quality chrome-vanadium steel for lasting durability. The set comes with a lifetime warranty for peace of mind and a mini magnetic parts tray to help you keep track of nuts and bolts during all your projects.

Your car's cooling system is another one of its most critical components. Learning to service this system yourself is a great way to save money and time when it comes to routine maintenance, and you'll also develop valuable knowledge and skills. However, one of the tricky things about working with cooling systems is that coolant is extremely messy, and most standard funnels don't work well for coolant flushes. That's because cooling systems are pressurized. When performing a coolant flush, you typically need to add more fluid to the system as it runs to purge any air bubbles. Because a standard funnel can't seal the system properly during flushes, it's easy to make messes and difficult to purge air.

Luckily, you can grab a Lisle Spill-Free Funnel from Advance Auto Parts. The kit includes five different types of radiator cap and overflow tank adaptors, one straight extension, and two elbow extensions, meaning you can use this kit on most foreign and domestic vehicles. The clear funnel makes it easy to see how much fluid you've added, while the specialized adaptors seal the system to prevent spills and make purging air a breeze. All adaptors and extensions fit inside the funnel, and a lid keeps everything in place for easy and convenient storage.