what kind of socket set?

[jay5012]

Hi guys, I was wondering what kind of socket set should I buy for covering most of DIY jobs?

I assume M3 is german car, so should i get metric socket set?

I can call myself as a DIY person but I left all my tools back to home cuz I recently moved to US. I would change most of oils, air/cabin filters and stuff. Mostly maintenance jobs.

The items currently in my carts are

1. Newton Meter torque wrench (3/8)
2. 3/8 hex bit socket set (3/8, metric)
3. 36mm socket (3/8)

any recommendation of socket sets you felt satisfactory?

[Z K]

You need a set of hex sockets and torx sockets. German cars use these things... Japanese cars rarely use these.

[pbonsalb]

Craftsman, Harbor Freight, Lowes Kobalt are all ok inexpensive stuff I have used a lot. If money is no object or you are a professional, buy Cornwell or Snapon or Matco. You want metric. 1/4 drive and 1/2 drive. Eventually you will want torque wrenches, torx and inverted torx sockets, hex sockets, end various extensions and adapters.

[admranger]

I like the Facom stuff I've bought from Steve D'G at the Ultimate Garage

Great stuff and a great guy to deal with. Knows BMWs too.

I love the 72 tooth ratchets. So smooth! Handle is very comfortable.

FWIW, I have 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch socket sets and use them all. You'll need 16mm and 18mm sockets (some sets don't have them). You need a hex head set for a lot of stuff, including the brakes. Make sure your set has 7mm hex.

Torx sockets and bits are a necessity too. I've found the cheap ones you get at Harbor Freight just don't cut it. I found a nice set of Mac bits on ebay. Just be patient and stuff like this will come out.

Don't forget screw drivers. Find a set that's comfy in your hands.

Get excellent tools once vs. so-so tools two or more times for the stuff you'll use a lot. For the once in a 100k miles type stuff, you can get HF.

Whatever you do, don't cheap out on your jackstands (or your jack). Poor tools can frustrate you. Poor jackstands/jack can injure or kill you.