37 Cool Gifts for Mechanics & Auto Enthusiasts

This toolbox liner comes in a huge 16-inch-by-16-foot sheet and is built with a grid design for easy measurements and cuts. It’s three millimeters thick and prevents your tools from sliding around inside any-sized toolbox drawers. This is a must-have in every box.

A test light is a simple but crucial tool to have for any automotive electrical work. Just secure the alligator clip to a ground and probe for power. If the light pops on, there’s current—perfect for testing fuses quickly. This one comes with a 135-inch spring-wire cord and a spare conductive spring and bulb.

Sockets can be notoriously hard to find, so a good organizer like this Socket Boss from Ernst is a must-have. It holds 57 sockets and locks them on with a twist function for portability. When you want a socket, simply twist and pull—boom, back to work!

This hand repair balm from Duke Cannon might have a name that resonates with mechanics best. Originally designed for fighters in the ring, the balm soothes and heals hands without leaving behind a greasy residue. But with all the inadvertent punching under the hood caused by stuck bolts, they oughta put a picture of a mechanic on the jar. We fight, too.

A power strip is especially handy these days, thanks to the many battery chargers we use. This 10-outlet heavy-duty strip features a strong surge protector, a six-foot power cord, and a wide space between each outlet to accommodate bulky chargers.

If they’ve got the room, a minifridge can be an awesome perk to have in or around a mechanic’s toolbox. This one holds up to 90 cans and can keep the temperature at 37 degrees. Thanks to its sleek design, it also looks great as it keeps their bevs and sandwiches ready for lunchtime.

When checking fuses, a small pair of needle-nose pliers can be super handy. Grab, pull, and inspect the fuse in question—that process goes faster with these than trying to get your fingers in there. The pliers can also be helpful for other issues, such as dropped bolts or credit cards.

For a compact and convenient method of scrubbing a mechanic’s mitts, check out this hand-cleaning kit from Grip Clean. The soap also features pumice scrubbing agents to cleanse tough grime, and it includes a very handy fingernail brush.

These compact LED work lights fold down to just 6 inches when closed—perfect for small storage or mobile toolboxes. The magnetic bottoms allow you to stick them to anything metal for worry-free lighting, and the heads rotate 360 degrees.

A philosopher/mechanic’s wise (and often hilarious) look at the challenges and pleasures of working with one’s hands. Upon its release in 2010, Shop Class as Soulcraft became an instant bestseller, attracting readers with its radical (and timely) reappraisal of the merits of skilled manual labor. Using his own experience as an electrician and mechanic, author Matthew B. Crawford questions the educational wisdom of turning everyone into a “knowledge worker” based on a misguided separation of thinking from doing. A must-read for anyone who enjoys working with their hands.