Top 5 VSP.com articles of the week: Hand tools, hardlines, and hybrids

August is always a busy month -- schools are starting back up and fall and its various holidays are right around the corner. Fortunately, we can take a breather to look at the biggest articles on VehicleServicePros.com for the week of August 4-9.

5. ASE Study Guides

Surprisingly enough, one of our recent additions to our Product Guide ranked as our fifth most popular post for this week. Although Motor Age Training's study guides aren't a new thing, they weren't listed in our Product Guide until recently. Now that a summary of them has been added, the guides have certainly attracted a lot of attention. Find out what the hype is about here.

4. 12 new hand and specialty tools for automotive technicians

Constant updates to manufacturing and materials mean that hand and specialty tools have changed immensely in the years they've been in use, but working as an auto tech is called "wrenching" for a reason after all. Check out some of the top picks for the latest hand tools here. 

3. Guest Blog: The epic quest for the perfect air-to-fuel ratio

Keith Wray is the national training manager for Snap-on Diagnostics, and after reading his explanation of air-fuel ratios, it'll be obvious why. This summary hits the history and highlights of the battle to find the perfect air-to-fuel ratio that started back in 1875. Take a look at the article here.

2. What you need to know: Plug-in hybrids and EVs

No matter how you might feel about electric and hybrid vehicles, there's no denying that they're going to be a bigger and bigger part of the automotive world sooner rather than later. Clore Automotive's Jim O'Hara runs down the basics of jump-starting these types of vehicles in this handy breakdown. Click here to read the rundown.

1. 2024 PTEN Product Showcase: Hardlines

This year's PTEN Product Showcase featured dozens upon dozens of tools and equipment across eight different categories, but the most popular category since the showcase came out has been Hardlines. From crimping pliers to the latest ratchets, check out the highlights of the category here.