The latest Keys & key tool list that I consider essential after months of research, tool purchases, and regret

This will be simple. I have a lot of apocryphon to get up and only so much time in the day for this. This is in response to the Autel feature removal issue that has angered many people. Xhorse has a sweet mobile app that allows for easy lookup that is ideal for quoting jobs and researching new situations you have not been in before outside of having to open up your tool crates. I spent over 5k so far on my tool knowledge and it will reflect here.

Must have's:

• KM100 (post all key lost feature removal - It is approximately 400 bucks new and Autel keys have great reviews. Buy this, update it to max (unless it has all key lost features you can form in other posts here - then you list it for sale lol), and use it solely to generate Autel brand keys and transponder chips.

• Xhorse Key Tool Plus - (replacement for IM508) I DO NOT OWN THIS YET. This tool will not lose features in updates and has a wealth of solder-less adapters for doing european keys no other manufacturer has. Above and beyond GODIAG sells adapters designed for use with Xhorse tools to make some well paying jobs simply plug-n-play in comparison to other tools on the market.

• Xhorse MultiProg - (newer version of VVDI, replaces XP400 Pro) I DO NOT OWN THIS YET but If you are not using an IM508 or IM608 anymore this is a very popular option. I may very well replace this recommendation in the future with the CG100 as it has all the features of the Xhorse plus many Air Bag applications the Xhorse does not have as well as the super cool MCU in circuit adapter and being able to decode land rover MCU data...

• Xhorse Key Tool Max Pro - If you got the extra cash these are not expensive and would be way more convenient to generate Xhorse universal keys & super chips. It would be less bulky for simple key programming jobs and could be replaced with the Max & Mini further providing simple/easy on the go programming.

• KeyDIY KD-X4 - I DO NOT OWN THIS YET. Will allow you to program another brands keys (KeyDIY), allows for you to add "Phone as key" to any vehicle, and has built in fuctions for Jaguar/Land rover as well as pre-prepped replacement microcontrollers available for purchase that you will need to be able to add keys to these vehicles.

• GODIAG break out box & adapters - I own some but not enough, yet lol.

• CG PRO - I DO NOT OWN THIS YET. It has a awesome MCU in circuit adapter and excels in various encrypted MCU units above and beyond all its competitors.

Keys

• Common key blade set - (60 bucks shipped on aliexpress) - These work with autel, Xhorse and Key-DIY keys (with some modification) and are very cost effective.

• Xhorse XD57A super chips - Newest and best with an application list that dwarf every other manufacturers so they are all you need.

• Transponder key heads - Again purchased on aliexpress they split in the center, take a center screw to hold the key blade in (purchased above), and space to hold the super chips you program. This gives you the ability to do almost every blade car outside of the ones with remotes built into the keys.

• Keys blades with attached remotes - I have been buying Xhorse flip keys for these applications even though they are overkill. It seems the way the industry has gone due to the various amounts of remote blade keys designs/functions and the fact that they have become a minority of vehicle keys these days (in comparison to smart keys).

• Xhorse XM38 keys - to cover all Toyota vehicles that Autel keys do not.

• Key duplicator - I purchased one new on ebay for less then $120 that can do many tyles of keys (chines machine). The keys that it cannot due only require adapters that fit in the jaws the machine already has (for typical double side blade keys - I purchased on aliexpress) and different sized milling bits/tracer points (ebay). I will eventually need a computer controlled machine for cutting key codes but for now this will be sufficient as I do not have any lock decoding tools/lishi's.

• Key originator - still a huge question mark. There are not many options for these kind of machines.