Everyone has their toys, for some men it's tools. These are the ones who enjoy doing the handyman projects around the house one to save money and of course the challenge of taking on a project and completing it brings on a sense of accomplishment and pride. I know I've been there, though I have an up on most homeowners in this area having been a carpenter for 16 years and a residential contractor for 14 years so I know a little more than most when it comes to DIY projects.
Over time I have been asked by friends "What kinds of tools Should I have for myself to do handyman projects around the house?" I had to think a moment because I had never really thought about what one should have to be a homeowner handyman. I have so many tools that I have built up over time just from the business I'm in that I just grab what I need to do a particular project. As I thought about it four categories of tools came to mind. Hand Tools, Power tools, Accessories, and Information (Knowledge). Out of these categories I made out a list of tools that get used most around the home and of ones that are nice to have when the need arises.
Disclaimer: Any project that you plan to undertake it is recommended that you use the proper proper eye protection such as safety glasses and ear protection such as ear plugs or ear muffs as far as any other safety requirements, it is recommended that you follow common sense safety, it just may save your life or at the least from breaking a leg or loosing a limb.
Most common hand tools to have around the home:
1. 12oz and 16oz smooth face Hammers. My favorites are Craftsman, and Vaughn with either hickory or fiberglass handles. Both have a limited lifetime warranty but may only apply to certain hammers. I know years back that I was told by a salesman that Craftsman was going to remove the warranty from their wood handle hammers. As far as this tool I prefer the craftsman 23 oz. framing hammer myself because of the large corrugated head and the weight is just right for me. As far as working with finish nails I like a 12oz. smooth face hammer, if you miss the nail and hit your hand it will hurt but won't remove skin like the corrugated heads those of you who have work with these type of hammers know what I'm talking about.2. Tape Measures: Who can live without these tools? 25' to 30' Tape measure, my favorite is Fat Max by Stanley it's just a great tape with a 1" wide blade, far better then the standard tape measures and has a limited lifetime warranty.
3. Assortment of screw drivers with Phillips and standard tips and different shank length. I can't remember a year that I haven't had to use this type of tool for something. My favorites are Stanley and Craftsman. They both have a limited lifetime warranty.
4. Combination standard and metric socket set with standard depth and deep well sockets. Craftsman is my favorite and has a limited lifetime warranty.
5. A 6' step ladder is nice to have around. As far as tools go this is a must have. I like Werner, I have used this brand the most and have found it to be a reliable ladder. They come in different type ratings you just need to get the one that applies to your use and weight capacity, the information will be on the ladder its self. If you have the space to store it a 24' extension ladder is a good tool to have especially if you plan on doing anything up high on you house just be sure it is set up properly or you could be in for a nasty fall.
6. Assorted combination wrenches which are wrenches that are open ended on one side and close ended on the other. I usually go for Craftsman because they are a good brand of tools and of course the limited lifetime warranty.
7. Pipe Wrench: AKA the Monkey Wrench. This tool is good for more than just pipes as most who have used these types of tools will attest.
8. Crescent Wrench: This tool is like having a whole set of wrenches in one just by making a simple adjustment.
These few tools will take care of most basic fix its around the home
Now if you plan to go beyond the fix its and get into the more involved projects you will want to have a larger selection of hand tools and have the power tools and accessories to make your job easier. There is nothing worse than not having the proper tool to do the job. In the list below are items that are nice to have when the need arises. You will notice that I mention Craftsman a lot but it's hard to beat the good quality and the warranty coupled with the competitive price. Now you do not need to get all these tools at one time, they will certainly put a dent in your wallet, just get them as needed but at least you'll have a list to go by when you do need them.
2. Nail Puller or Flat Bar: These are great tools to have. The nail puller is also known as a cats paw and the flat bar is just known as a flat bar but the brand name that best suits the description is called Wonder Bar. I myself have a cats paw and two different types of the Wonder Bar, one is the standard type tool which has a bend in it for prying nails and one called the Super Wonder Bar Which has the bend plus an extra deep bend on one part of the bar which comes in handy when setting doors or prying up boards and nails.
3. Nail sets: If you get into installing trim then you want these tools. You mainly use these if you use hand drive finish nails to set the head of the nail below the surface of the wood so that you may fill the hole with putty but it is also handy if you happen to be using a nail gun when at some point or another the nail gun will fail to drive the nail below the surface and that handy little nail set come into play. There's a couple different types of these, one is the standard old fashioned nail set and then there is the nail set that is spring loaded. This type has what I would call a cylinder and the set, when you use this type you will slide the cylinder over the head of the nail and prevents the set from slipping off the nail and when you have it in position then use the hammer to drive the set, the set drives the nail below the surface of the wood and comes back to it's ready position. I have no preference as to a brand type for either style set, in this case they all work the same.
4. Levels: Levels are one of those are one of those indispensable tools in my opinion. They are good for building projects to level or plumb walls, good for use as a straight edge for drawing lines with a pencil, checking to see if you have enough fall, and for checking for dips in floors which come in handy if you plan to tile a floor. They come in a varying rage of lengths, from a torpedo level all the way up to 8' long but for the home owner handyman I would recommend a torpedo level, a 2' level, and a 4' level all with one side magnetic, this will usually cover most projects. I have a combination of Craftsman and Johnson levels, they are both good products, reasonably priced and if you take care of them and don't drop them or let them fall and hit the ground these tools will last you a long time.
5. Speed Square/Adjustable Tri-Square/Framing Square: If you plan on using lumber in your DIY projects then you want to have these tools by your side. These type of tools are what you will be using to draw your cut lines across the lumber. Your speed square and tri-square are the most used since the most common lumber used is anywhere from 2x4 to 2x8 anything larger you can either flip the square to the other side or use a framing square which has 16" edge and a 24" edge. This square also comes in handy for drawing lines on plywood or with the aid of stair locks will aid in laying out stair stringers and even roof rafters.
6. Hand Saw/Hack saw: These two tools are a must. The hand saw comes in handy when you don't want to drag out the circular saw to make a single cut or when you find yourself in an area where power is not readily available. The hack saw is the tool you use for cutting anything metal or PVC pipe. I always have these on hand and have not yet had a year go by that I haven't had to use either of them at least once. I don't have a particular brand preference on either of these tools but if you want lifetime warranty, get Craftsman.
7. Bar Clamps and Quick Grip Clamps: Need an extra pair of hands, well quick grip clamps can serve this purpose. Just clamp lumber or any other item that the clamps can reasonably grip to to something sturdy and make your cut, or drill your hole and more. If you decide to purchase this tool I suggest that you get ones with a strong spring.
8. Wood Chisels: These tools come in to play when you need to clean up an inside cut like on a set of stair stringers or fine tune the depressions for a door lock or hinge. They can also aid in the removal of wood flooring when you need to make a repair and much more. My preference is Stanley, just for the fact that I have always used them and they have always performed for me.
9. Wall Repair Tools: Such as drywall knifes of various widths. The sizes I have on hand are; 1", 3", 6", 10" and 12" though for most DIY homeowners the first three are probably all you need. If you plan on using a lot of drywall compound then you might want to have a mud pan so that you can have the compound at the ready without dragging a 5 gallon bucket around with you. I prefer Hyde because they will last forever as long as you take care of them and their warranty is for life. Also a utility knife and keyhole saw are good tools to have when working with drywall.
10. Caulk Gun: This tool is good for applying any of your silicone, latex caulk, and construction adhesives. I recommend getting a good one because in the end you will end up paying out more with the cheap ones when they break or stop working for one reason or another.
Power Tools: How I love my power tools. These types of tools make everything you do much easier, I don't know what I would do without them.
1. Cordless Drills and More: These are a great invention of man, to be able to work without dragging an extension cord around is a time saver. I will tell you now that if you want to get a cordless drill you are better off getting a combo pack because by the time you buy a drill with the 2 batteries and charger, you can get a combo pack that has a few more tools with it for a reasonable price. I wouldn't get anything less than 18v, less than this really just doesn't have the power you will want out of a cordless tool. If you can afford it go Lithium Ion Batteries, these do cost more but unlike the Ni-Cad Batteries you can charge the Lithium Ion Batteries at any time, no waiting to run the battery down before you charge again. I have both types and I like my older drill with the Ni-Cad batteries but I love my drill with the Lithium Ion batteries. I purchased both in a combo pack deal and the Lithium Ion run the other tools more efficiently then the Ni-Cads. I'm a DeWalt Man when it comes to cordless tools but the other brands such as Milwaukee, Bosch and Ryobi also make good product with Ryobi being on the low end as far as cost.
2. Circular Saws: This power tool is a must for the Do It Yourself handyman. If you have make a lot of cuts then you need an electric saw, I prefer a worm drive saw but for most a standard circular saw with a 7 1/4" blade is sufficient. I use the Skil brand myself and have had the same saw since 1989 and it's still going strong.
3. Compound Miter Saw: The reason I like the compound miter saw over a regular chop saw is that you not only get your 0 to 45 degree on the X axis you also get 0 to 45 degree tilt on the Y axis which gives you the ability to make compound miter cuts. The only thing better is a sliding compound miter saw but unless you plan to do a lot with it it's not worth paying an extra $200 to $400. I would recommend a 12" saw which will give you the best cutting ability anything smaller will limit what you can cut. Get a cutting table with roller extensions and you have one heck of a cutting platform. Though there are many different brands Ridgid and DeWalt are my two favorites when it come to these types of power tools.4. Jigsaw: This is a nice power tool for cutting curves or detail cuts into plywood or a nice piece of trim wood. There are a wide range of these tools but for the amount that I use mine I find that Black and Decker does the job just fine and the cost is very reasonable.
5. Table Saw: This power tool is great to have when you have to make multiple rips of the same size on a piece of lumber or plywood. you could do it with a circular saw but you won't get the straight cuts like a table saw unless you have rip guide and that is limited to as far as the guide extends outward. There are 3 general types of these saws; the workshop table saw: these things are usually monsters, they are very heavy, run on 220v and they are meant to be placed in one spot and stay. Table saw with legs: they run on 110v, are lighter and are made so that you can move them around as needed. Table saw w/o legs; These also run on 110v. These are the lightest of the saws and easy to transport but you either have to kneel down to use them or have a cutting table set up to use them in the upright position plus it is best to fasten them down to the platform so that they do not move while you make a cut. There are many different makers of table saws and for the most part consider them to be about equal, I use Craftsman myself and consider it to be a fine saw.
6. Saber Saw: More commonly known as a Sawzall which is a brand name by Milwaukee and has been adopted to describe all saber saws. This tool has changed over the years and has made it more user friendly so to speak with the innovation of the quick change for the blade and some have a variable speed dial on them plus they are lighter then the one from the past which lessens muscle fatigue when you are cutting above your head. This tool comes in handy for trimming off boards that may run longer then you anticipated but you are stuck because you have the lumber already in place. Well with a sawzall you can just cut it where it sits. It is also good for cutting through nails, PVC, metal etc.... I love mine and have used it many a time. My brand picks for this are Porter Cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt, and Makita. I have used them all and think they are all good. If I had to pick a best of the best I would have to go with Milwaukee, there is a wide selection, they're durable, and they have the traditional steel foot rather than a cast metal foot which some of the other brands have gone to which after time will break off and you either have it fixed or live with it as is.
Extension Cords: Not many really think of this as a tool but it is, without this you would have a rough time running any of the corded tools above unless you just happen to have an outlet right where you are and that is even limited by the length of the cord on the power tool itself. I would recommend that you have at least a 12 AWG cord just for the fact that most power tools tend to draw enough amps that if you anything smaller would make it hard on the tools themselves and the larger the cord the less resistance you have on power. I do not have any brand preference with these just as long as the cord is sturdy it will work well.
Accessories: A quick run down on the accessory tools that I recommend having on hand. A good set of metal/wood drill bits, a set of paddle drill bits, a set of masonry bits, and a set of hole saws. Any other accessories can be gotten as needed.
As a contractor I use all of these tools in my business but in turn I have used every one at my home for one handyman project or another. It makes me want to grunt Like Tim Allen on Home Improvement. So if your a aspiring do it yourselfer you have the list, do with it what you will.
Mike Montgomery
Amereicorp Inc.
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