IMO, for many shade tree mechanics will outgrow a simple code READER. If you do anything beyond very simple repairs, step up and get a SCANNER. It's difficult to describe just how powerful an ODB2 scanner is once the operator knows how to use it.
At that are the horns of the dilemma. Having access to ODB2 operational data is only half of the battle. The rest is being able to understand what the numbers mean and translating into a repair.
IMO, most any scanner will do the job. Some will do it better than others. All will do the job better as the experience of the operator improves.
I have a very old Auto X-ray one line unit. It lacks data logging capabilities that when I bought it I didn’t think was important. Today I wish I had data logging. However, the one line display unit has been invaluable in solving more problems than I could count.
As far as picking a brand, if interested in custom tuning, pick the brand that your tuner uses. Otherwise, it's what ever fits your budget and interests.
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