Christmas Gift Ideas: Choosing the Right Tool for the Job—and Gift!

A passion for cars often (but not always) comes with a love for manual labour and mechanics. So it may be tempting to offer the automobile enthusiasts in your family a tool to help them with repairs.

Proceed with caution. Finding exactly the right tool will make the recipient very happy, but the selection process is extremely difficult and the slightest error will make your gift as welcome as a tacky necktie.

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Begin by discretely finding out what type of tool the person is currently using. For example, if he or she is reassembling an engine, a set of bearing pullers will be useful. However, if he or she is rewiring the car, this same set is just going to collect dust. The key is to listen to the person’s sometimes cryptic clues when he or she returns from the garage.

Then, if you have a bit of mechanical knowledge, you can peek into your family member’s tool boxes to get an idea of what’s missing. And speaking of toolboxes, if all of the tools are haphazardly scattered on a table, why not invest in a good metal tool chest? Replete with drawers, these big storage units can make all the difference and keep you from searching forever for the right tool.

Finally, when in doubt, go with the classics. Wrenches are useful, as are screwdrivers. A socket set is always a winner, since these little doohickeys have a way of disappearing¾especially the confounded 10 mm!

If all else fails, choose the simple option: a gift card from a parts or tools dealer. That way, you’ll be able to give the car enthusiasts on your list exactly what they want!