Just moved yesterday and now for the first time have a 2.5 car garage.
It has 2 ~10 foot duel halogen lights across one side, some shelves, several outlets, no water.
I know I'll need jack/ jack stands/ probably a compressor/ rolling tool bench/ more lights.
Wanted to see what folks consider the essentials so I can smartly and cheaply start adding stuff.
Install the extra lights Before you completely move into the space. Much easier. I was amazed at how much adding a few extra lights transformed my garage. Wish I had done it a long time ago.
I spent a bunch of money on a full set of craftsman 'mechanics' tool set 20 years ago, sure some of the tools I still haven't used, but knowing I had a tool to get the job done, sure upped my confidence level to dive into more and bigger projects. If you don't already have a huge assortment of hand tools I start there, and then buy a proper organization/storage solution for them. Also recommend saws-all, dremel, 110volt Mig welder and good solid work bench with a large vise bolted to one corner.
In reply to Indy-Barely Functional-Guy :
Fyi Sam's Club has a 10 pack of linkable 4ft Honeywell LED lights for $189.xx this month on their website. Thats about half the best price on LED lights I've ever seen.
I'd add a decent push broom, a bucket of kitty litter, and a form a funnel.
Retractable extension cord hanging from the ceiling.
Two paper towel holders, one for regular paper towels and one for the blue shop towels.
Ramps, jack stands are a pain for mundane work like oil changes on the daily drivers.
Storage! Preferably cabinets with doors to hide all the clutter that you will eventually collect, but plastic storage bins on open shelves work too.
Car themed artwork/posters/etc.
Some sort of light for under the car... all the lights on the ceiling don't help when you are under the car. I have started using these from Lowes:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-1500-Lumen-LED-Portable-Work-Light/1000297187
Wasp spray, or at a very minimum carb cleaner.
Two words: BEER FRIDGE
Electrical tape, which is like Band-Aids but way better.
Fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and eye wash station.
When buying LED lights, look at the specs first rather than the price. Over on the Garage Journal forum, member Platonic Solid has generously provided a ton of expert advice on what to buy and how many are required. Look at the two sticky notes at the top of this page: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=30
Easy. You’ll need only 3 of those $50, 4ft led lights. They plug in too. Then you’ll need a cheapo Hercules harbor freight angle grinder, plus extra cutting and grinding and fapping wheels.
Next, you’ll need a crap HF 120v welder. Ya know, for sticking things together, albeit, sketchily.
I would have the electrician come out and wire up a 220v receptacle now, before all your stuff is in there. Then you can get the slightly-less-crappy HF 170A welder, which can actually handle some decent sized projects.
Ten years ago I thought my air compressor was indispensable. Lately I’ve been building up my arsenal of Makita 18v tools, and haven’t run the compressor since who knows when. If I didn’t already own the compressor, I wouldn’t bother with it.
Half inch cordless impact gun.
Push broom, mop and bucket, extra lighting, cabinets and/or shelving for storage.
A plan on how to organize and utilize the space.
And wheel dollies to roll the project around the garage. My miata loves them.
Is the answer a Miata? Your garage needs a Miata. Looks like you have one. Excellent.
What sort of work do you envision yourself doing? How far down the fabricobbling rabbit hole?
Generally speaking, adding good lighting and work bench(es) w/storage makes for a good start.
A good shop vacuum is really nice. I asked for one for Christmas (to replace my 15+ year old one that finally gave up) and my folks got me a Craftsman one that I really like. I can use it without damaging my hearing. (my old one was a craftsman one too but it was pretty loud.)
A workbench with a vice is also pretty much mandatory.
Storage for your tools and anything else that will live in the space is critical. I find myself swimming in stuff that doesn't have a place to live. I do little mini-thrashes to build some shelves or whatnot and I'm always REALLY happy that I did.
Someone above noted a Hercules (Harbor Freight's highbrow upscale swank) anglegrinder. I got one and have been impressed. Impressed enough I'll even second that recommendation.
Oh...I remember a good one. I got one of the air chucks that has a gauge built into it. I LOVE that thing. You don't have to go back and forth between tools when playing the game of: air it up a bit, check pressure, oh...it needs 3 more PSI, air it up some more, check pressure again, close...only 1 psi to go, air it up some more...
Get the nicest floor jack you can afford. I have a harbor freight one, but any of the 2 1/2 ton plus ones are good. There's really no need for the little goofy "trolley jack" type ones in my opinion.
I hate doors on storage cupboards.
I have switched to stackable semi- transparent plastic bins. I label the outside with a sharpie, but I can see the contents from across the room, and can easily identify which bin I am looking for.
Thanks all for the ideas! Will start finding more storage, lights, beer fridge, PPE, shop vac, etc.
I've got a miata in there now that's 90% stock and using to work through HPDE ranks.
Right now the intentions are just general maintenance on the fleet but depending on how the summer goes, could pop for an full spec miata/e30/whatever for w2w or TT if one shows up at the end of the season.
Trackmouse said:fapping wheels.
Um. I think you're using your angle grinder wrong.
Lots of lights. Everywhere. You cannot have enough. I'm thinking about adding them to my garage door somehow, so that they're either overhead or shining inward.
2 big trash cans, and a bunch of little ones.
Kitty Litter
Rolling tool cart
More tools than you think. Even if you never use them, having them there is somewhat confidence inspiring. Don't go overboard here--I can't imagine that I'll ever need a valve-spring compressor for a flathead ford--but having a deep socket set is nice
Radio or stereo of some sort
Wifi, if you can spring it.
SVreX said:I hate doors on storage cupboards.
I have switched to stackable semi- transparent plastic bins. I label the outside with a sharpie, but I can see the contents from across the room, and can easily identify which bin I am looking for.
This X 1000
Doors and drawers are the devil. It may not look quite as neat, but I like to be able to see all the stuff I have. I can't tell you how many times I've found something hiding in a drawer or behind an opaque door that I wish I remembered I had before I bought another one.
Get a label maker to label all those storage cubbies you can't quite see.
You can never have enough light or electrical outlets or data connection speed.
If you haven't started doing so already, find a SINGLE cordless tool ecosystem and stick with it. Having to wrangle different types of batteries and chargers sucks butt. I like the DeWalt 20v stuff. It's a little spendy, but Lowe's carries it, the lineup is very complete and the tools are really good. I add a new tool to the lineup every couple months and I find that once I get the 20v version my corded version never comes out again.
Get a rolling tool cart. 90% of the time you only use 10% of your tools. Put those on a cart you can bring right to the job and you life will be better forever.
I'll also suggest two Shop Vacs (a big one and a little one). It's not a luxury.
Put wheels on as much stuff as you can. Storage, worktables, everything.
A old crappy PC with internet connectivity.
For looking stuff up when you hit a snag when when working on your car, or posting questions or answers on the GRM forum. Phone is to small for things like wiring diagrams or looking at IPBs. And you dont want to be tracking grease and dirt into the hose for something that you can do from the garage.
This PC is still running XP, the HW is at least 10 years old, and the monitor, 20. and was a double hand me down, aka FREE. It runs like a champ cause I put a fresh install of XP on it, and there is no bs apps on it. On trick pony, OK, two, I also use it to stream pandora/
For lights I suggest either the cheapest led 4ft that Daisy chain together or running multiple screw in bulb outlets and high output photographer cfl bulbs or both. Volume of light makes up for color temperature and the 20packs of 4 ft led sticks are like half the retail store prices. You also should paint everything white or as close to white as you can. Paint is a big deal that it's there but you can go cheap here too with primer from Walmart.
Next I suggest milk crates, filing cabinets, and pegboard and a small but heavy non moving bench to mount a vise to ( I use the stump of a 100 year old black oak which is also needed for old school hammerforming body panels or knights of the round table armor)
The milk crates are free stackable and can hold lots of weight. You will find a lot of other food boxes fit in them perfectly like premade broth or boxed milk. This is perfect for mid to small organization. But do put the crates on wall mounted (not floor mounted, floor space in precious) shelves.
Filing cabinets come in all shapes and sizes and usually can be found for $20 or free. If you pay for them used only get the old school ones with metal drawer rollers. Check file cabinets are good for tools but map makers drawers are worth paying real money for if you find them/ better. The two drawer cabinets are the perfect height for mounting horizontal bandsaws, or grinders,lathes, or whatever bench top tools that don't get leveraged on. You can add curbside partical board are a reinforcement for the tops attached but drywall screws. Once you stick castors under them they become the perfect work height, roll around storage things.
Filing cabinets need castors under them, hft movers dollies are generally a good cheap source for castors.
Everyone likes to hate on pegboard but if you don't abuse it, it's perfect for keeping low weight stuff out of the way. The alternative in sticking the stuff in some box on the floor that just makes your life harder.
Other advise, skip the enclosed storage cabinets they just hide mice and clutter. They look good in magazines but they are stupid in a real working garage.
Last scavenge Craigslist for heavy duty used tools, if you can't find that then find stuff from Taiwan and usa made home use. If you are in a bind and need the tool now go to hft, don't buy the warranty, but don't buy it if you aren't using the thing immediately to make sure its quality. Otherwise take it back in 30days with receipt. ( I love hft they have supplied most of my garage but you do get some lemons.
If I didn't say LARGE OLD USA made vise then let me say that twice now
Creeper to roll yourself under the car (you appreciate it more and more as you get older!)
I have an old metal army desk that has both a good bench grinder and a vise bolted to it. I have the bottom half of an office chair to sit on there, so it tucks under the footwell nicely. The desk was something like $10 or $20 at a yard sale over a decade ago - they were thankful to have the heavy thing gone!
+1 for music source. I have out old component system hooked up in the garage because it was too good to throw away, too big for the living room. (I did go to smaller, mounted speakers).
for Internet I have a beater laptop that was retired because of vertical lines on the screen. Fine for doing some quick research, small and movable, and the screen is just annoying enough to keep me from spending more time online than working on projects when in the garage.
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