5 Useful DeWalt Tools For Automotive Mechanics

Obviously, any profession requiring a degree of manual labor also requires good tools. Whether you're working in construction, electrical maintenance, or automotive upkeep, you need a big box or cabinet full of hand tools, power tools, and assorted utilities that you know you can count on. By that same token, you also want to get your tools from brands that you know you can trust. After all, random unbranded tools plucked from who-knows-where might be cheaper, but you won't have anyone to blame in the event something goes wrong with them.

If you want a reliable brand, DeWalt offers a respectable range of tools for most handiwork purposes. In the particular case of automotive mechanics, for example, DeWalt offers simple and resilient hand tools, tough pneumatic power tools, and car-relevant accessories like grease guns and battery jumpers to meet most assorted needs and situations. 

If you're in the market for DeWalt equipment to fill up your garage workbench, you can find its products at your local Home Depot, backed by the recommendations of mechanics like you. For more information on how we made our selections for this list, check out the bottom of the page for our methodology.

Fixing and maintaining cars isn't just about whipping out power tools and tearing things to shreds. It's a lot of careful, detailed work; cars are surprisingly delicate machines, after all, and they need to be treated with the appropriate level of care and caution. If you're looking to make some baseline repairs on a vehicle, you should start with hand tools before moving up to the heavy stuff. If you don't already have a reliable set of hand tools, DeWalt's 200-piece set will get you on the right foot.

This 200-piece set of polished chrome hand tools is diverse enough to accommodate most fittings, adjustments, and assorted autowork situations. Within the protective case, you get an array of combination wrenches, hex keys, nut driver bits, ratchets, sockets, and more. These tools and fittings encompass 1/4-inch, 3/8-inch, and 1/2-inch drives, so they can work in just about any scenario, no matter how weird your car's fittings might be. The tools also feature comfort and anti-slip grips and beauty rings to help you maintain your grasp on the situation while hand-tightening.

The DeWalt 200-piece mechanics tool set is available at Home Depot for $167.31, where it has a user rating of 4.8 out of 5. Users enjoy the overall comprehension of the kit's contents, as well as the efficacy of the individual tools. Several users have also complemented the sturdy carrying case, particularly the use of strong metal latches instead of flimsy plastic ones.

The best kind of tool is one that can serve more than one practical purpose. It's nice to have one tool that does exactly one thing, but it's even nicer to have one tool that does two things. For example, let's say you had a car with a flat battery and flat tires. Normally, you'd need both a battery jumper and a tire inflator to handle these two problems. With the DeWalt portable jumper and compressor, though, you can handle both with a single device.

This gadget is a combination of a battery jumper and a low-power air compressor. In the former case, the device packs a 1,600 peak amp jumper, generating enough juice to jump-start cars, trucks, and SUVs all the way up to V8 in size. You don't even need another car to make it work; just stick the clamps on, push the button, and let there be light. There's even a reverse polarity alarm that lets you know if you've attached the clamps incorrectly. 

On the inflation side, the device is equipped with a 120 PSI air compressor. Just plug the attached hose into any air valve, push the button, and the air starts flowing. The AUTOSTOP system will automatically halt the flow once your desired pressure is reached. This device can also be used as a USB power bank for charging small devices. The DeWalt portable jumper and compressor are available at Home Depot for $159.00. Users have given this device a 4.3 out of 5 rating, agreeing that it's great for maintenance, emergencies, and even mundane scenarios like camping.

The moving parts of your vehicle need to be regularly lubricated with automotive grease (not to be confused with oil or transmission fluid) to keep them pumping and rolling smoothly. However, lubricating parts isn't as simple as rubbing grease all over everything — you need to be able to push grease through the fittings to safely circulate throughout the components. To do this, you need a grease gun, which DeWalt just so happens to offer.

DeWalt's variable speed grease gun utilizes the brand's 20V battery packs to deliver up to 10,000 PSI of grease-pushing power, perfect for cleanly moving grease into and throughout automotive components. The internal pump can push up to 5 ounces of grease per minute, with the variable speed trigger allowing you to fine-tune the speed of the flow. It's also got a long 42 inch hose and built-in LED, both of which will help you reach fittings in tight, dark confines.

The DeWalt variable speed grease gun is available at Home Depot in a bundled kit for $299.00, which comes with a 4.0Ah battery pack and a charger. Users have given this tool a 4.7 out of 5 rating for its durability and ease of use. Several users agree that the variable speed trigger is much easier on the hands than other similar grease guns.

Electricity isn't the only way to power up heavy-duty tools: There's also air compression. With a steady, strong stream of compressed air, you can generate enough force to outpace even some battery-powered tools. Of course, to actually do this, you're going to need an air compressor. Some compressors can be a bit unwieldy in size, but thankfully, DeWalt's portable air compressor is small enough to fit in a car passenger seat.

This miniature tornado of a tool utilizes a 20V battery pack to deliver 1.0 SCFM at 90 PSI. That's enough force and power for a day's worth of automotive tasks, such as screwing and unscrewing bolts or using spray guns and sanders. To protect the device's sensitive components, the entire thing is encased in a sturdy yet flexible roll cage. The OneTurn regulator dial on the cage also allows you to quickly and easily tweak the pressure as necessary.

The DeWalt portable air compressor is available at Home Depot for $304.70, where it comes bundled with a 6.0Ah FLEXVOLT battery pack and a charger. Users have given it a 4.4 out of 5 rating for its powerful air delivery in a lightweight, compact package. One user said that it helped make their entire kit of air tools lighter overall.

Speaking of air-powered tools, one thing you definitely need for automotive work is a powered impact wrench. There are plenty of fasteners in and around a typical car, and you need a reliable way to both force them in and wrench them out. DeWalt is one of the brands that offer cordless impact wrenches, but if you really need to yank out a stubborn bolt, that might be a job for the heavy-duty pneumatic impact wrench.

This small yet powerful tool receives air from a typical compressor to generate impressive levels of fastening and loosening force. The 1/2-inch bit can spin at up to 7,500 RPM, with a max fastening torque of 650 foot-pounds and breakaway torque of 1,200 foot-pounds. Despite the strength, the whole thing can be easily operated with just one hand thanks to its sturdy trigger and convenient forward/reverse switch.

The DeWalt heavy-duty pneumatic impact wrench is available at Home Depot for $214.20, where it comes bundled with a 50 ft 1/4 inch air hose. Users have given it a 4.6 out of 5 rating for its impressive ability to fasten and remove nuts and bolts and its general ease of operation.

Any hardware brand can tell you that it's the best thing since sliced bread, but in the real world, the best source of information and recommendations is the end users. To that end, we only selected automotive-oriented DeWalt products available at Home Depot with a user rating of at least 4 out of 5 stars based on at least 300 user reviews.