A true car enthusiast can never have too much gear and too many gadgets for their home garage. There is a tool for everything you could ever need out there! But stripping it back to basics, what are the essential must-have items for the perfect home garage?
Jack and jack stands
Whether it’s for changing tires or draining oil, you’ll need to jack up your car at some point. This will require a good quality floor jack and some robust jack stands to support the weight of the car once jacked up.
When shopping for a jack, look for something with a high lift and a heavy weight rating. The high lift will provide more space for you to work, and a heavy weight rating means you won’t be in danger of your jack collapsing on you which can be super dangerous.
Good storage
As I said, you can never have too many tools! To prevent your home garage from becoming a cluttered mess where it takes 15 minutes to find anything, you are going to want a good storage system. Cupboards and storage systems are a must, but make good use of all the space you have.
Pegboards are great for utilizing wall space and providing an organized storage system that not only displays your tools but makes them easy to reach for.
A mini-fridge
Once you have the perfect home garage set-up, you probably won’t want to leave! If you plan on spending hours in there tinkering away on your car/s, make sure you have all you need close by.
Consider installing a mini-fridge, stocked up with some drinks and snacks. Plus, when your friends come round to admire your handy work, you can offer them a beverage and turn your home garage into a social space!
Car lift
There are a lot of car lifts out there on the market, many of which are designed to fit in most domestic garages. Whether it’s a scissor car lift, a four post car lift or a two post car lift, get your hands on one of these to make storage and working on your vehicle a whole lot easier.
A car lift will allow you to raise your car around three feet off the ground, allowing you to work safely underneath with plenty of room for movement and greater visibility of the underside of your car. You might want a car lift simply to store a car, making more room in your home garage for your car collection or paraphernalia.
A good compressor
A must-have tool is a good compressor. This will enable you to pump up your tires, blow debris out of tight spots and much more. It also allows you to clean and dry parts of your car that you would otherwise struggle to reach.
When it comes to shopping for a compressor, big is generally better. Just be aware that some compressors on the market may require a higher voltage than the voltage commonly found in a residential garage.
The list really could go on, but there are our basic essentials. What are your home garage must-haves?
Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Pinstripe Magazine. Creative thinker and menswear designer who has been writing articles dedicated to men’s fashion, lifestyle, luxury items, home design, gear, grooming and gadgets since 1998. For info on PinstripeMag, any editorial needs or to contact me please email at marv@pinstripemag.com.
