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Five tool categories come up again and again in automotive training and workplace safety rules: a scan tool, a digital multimeter, a torque wrench, a floor jack, and jack stands. Each one supports a different part of the job: diagnosing electronic faults, testing electrical circuits, tightening fasteners to specification, and lifting and supporting a vehicle safely. This guide explains what each category is for, what the training materials and safety standards say about it, and where the limits of a general recommendation lie.
This is a category-level guide. It does not list one required kit for every shop, and it does not rank specific brands or models. The right version of each tool depends on the vehicles you service and the work you do.
The five categories at a glance
| Tool category | Main work it supports | Key source for the task | Main caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive scan tool | Computerized-system diagnosis, retrieving and recording diagnostic information, verifying repairs | ASE, The Official ASE Automobile Study Guide 2025 | Vehicle coverage and supported functions vary by tool |
| Digital multimeter | Measuring electrical values during circuit diagnosis | ASE, The Official ASE Automobile Study Guide 2025; ASE, The Official ASE School Bus Study Guide 2025 | The correct instrument and safe procedure depend on the circuit |
| Torque wrench | Torquing wheel fasteners and other fasteners to manufacturer specification | ASE, The Official ASE Automobile Study Guide 2025 | No universal torque value; use the vehicle-specific figure |
| Floor jack | Raising a vehicle, with correct placement | ASE, Test Specifications and Task Lists, MLR-AST (effective 2018, revised 2019); OSHA 29 CFR 1910.244 | Lifting only; it is not a support for working beneath a vehicle |
| Jack stands | Securing a raised vehicle so it stays supported | ASE, Test Specifications and Task Lists, MLR-AST; OSHA 29 CFR 1910.244 | The raised load must be secured at once |
Diagnostic and measurement tools
1. Automotive scan tool
A scan tool connects to a vehicle’s computer systems to read diagnostic information, record it, and check the result after a repair. ASE’s 2025 Automobile Study Guide includes scan-tool use within computerized-system diagnosis, retrieving and recording diagnostic information, and verifying repairs. Those are the core tasks a technician will repeat on modern vehicles.
Scan tools are not interchangeable. Before buying or relying on one, check three things against the vehicles you actually service: which makes, model years, and systems it supports, and which functions it performs on those systems. A tool that reads generic engine codes may not offer the same access on every vehicle. This guide does not evaluate any particular model.
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2. Digital multimeter
A digital multimeter measures electrical values such as voltage, resistance, and current. ASE materials for both automobile and school bus technicians include measuring electrical values as a task, and they identify the digital multimeter as appropriate testing equipment. It is one of the most useful tools for narrowing down a wiring or sensor fault.
Two points matter in practice. First, the correct meter range and test method depend on the circuit being tested, so a reading is only meaningful if you know what the circuit should show. Second, the test procedure has to be safe for the circuit in front of you. Check the manufacturer’s service information before testing an unfamiliar system.
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Fastening: the torque wrench
A torque wrench applies a measured amount of rotational force to a fastener. ASE’s automobile task list includes torquing wheel fasteners and following manufacturer specifications. The practical rule is simple: look up the value and the procedure for the specific vehicle and component every time.
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No universal torque setting, drive size, or wrench range applies across vehicles, and this guide does not supply one. Wheel fastener specifications, for example, differ by vehicle, and some call for a sequence or a staged tightening pattern in addition to a final value. Compare the wrench’s range and drive size against the fasteners you work on, and follow the manufacturer’s calibration and use guidance for the wrench itself.
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Lifting and supporting the vehicle
Lifting and supporting a vehicle are separate jobs, and the safety requirements treat them separately. Use the two tools together, and understand what each one does and does not do.
3. Floor jack
A floor jack raises a vehicle. ASE training materials include proper floor-jack placement, which is one of the basic tasks covered in its lifting and shop-safety content. Placement determines whether the lift is stable, so use the lift points specified for the vehicle.
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OSHA’s general-industry standard for jacks, 29 CFR 1910.244, sets two requirements that apply to any jack in a covered workplace. The operator must make sure the jack has a rating sufficient to lift and sustain the load, and the rated load must be marked on the jack. Check the rating and the marking before each lift. A floor jack is a lifting device only. Never rely on it to hold a vehicle while you work underneath.
4. Jack stands
Jack stands are the support you place once the vehicle is raised. ASE materials pair jack-and-stand placement with shop safety, so these two tools belong in the same training routine. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.244 requires that a raised load be secured right away, and the standard puts it this way: “After the load has been raised, it shall be cribbed, blocked, or otherwise secured at once.”
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Before anyone works beneath a vehicle, the vehicle must be securely supported on stands rated and placed according to the equipment maker’s instructions. The applicable workplace rules also govern how the lift is set up and used in your shop. If the vehicle is not securely supported, do not go under it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keeping tools safe to use
Owning the right tools is not enough if they are damaged. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.242(a) assigns employers responsibility for the safe condition of the tools and equipment their employees use. Its hand-tool standard for construction work, 29 CFR 1926.301, gives examples of unsafe conditions, including wrench jaws that slip, impact-tool heads that have mushroomed, and damaged wooden handles.
The 1926.301 standard applies to construction, so do not assume its scope covers every automotive repair workplace. The principle is useful in any shop, though. A tool with a defect that affects its grip, stability, or rated function should be taken out of service until it is repaired or replaced. This applies with particular force to torque wrenches, where a worn or out-of-calibration tool gives a misleading result, and to jacks, where the rating and locking mechanisms must work as intended.
How to choose within each category
No product was tested for this guide, so the criteria below are selection questions drawn from the tasks and safety rules above, not a comparison of brands.
- Scan tool: Does it cover the vehicles you service, the systems you diagnose, and the functions you need for repair verification?
- Digital multimeter: Does it measure the electrical values your circuits require, with ranges and test methods suited to automotive work?
- Torque wrench: Does its range and drive size match the fasteners you service, and can you keep it calibrated according to its maker’s guidance?
- Floor jack: Is its rated capacity adequate for the heaviest vehicle you lift, and is the rating marked and legible?
- Jack stands: Are they rated for the load, stable on the surfaces you use, and used according to the maker’s instructions?
A general socket-and-wrench set is a foundational hand-tool category that many technicians also use, but it is not ranked here because the evidence supports tool safety and maintenance more directly than it supports a specific composition for such a set.
Quick Recap
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