My First Collection Of Power Tools: What Should I Buy?
I want to be “handy” around the house–I live in the country, by the way, in the rural mountains, and I have to do a lot of thing around here myself. What is the definitive list of tools that I should get to start my collection? Preferably, I would have a short list and a long list.
What I think I should have/want is the following:
drill
skill saw
sander
Dremmel
draw knife
nail gun
staple gun
hammers
Any brand suggestions/warnings?
Thanks!
What I think I should have/want is the following:
drill: 3/8″ chuck, not Dewalt or Black and Decker, Battery operated, two batteries, 18 volt, Lithium Ion or better. Get a complete set of screwdriver bits as well as a complete set of drill bits. Don’t put pressure on small drill bits, they will break easily.
I would recommend either Bosch, my favorite, or Makita.
skill saw That is Skil Saw, and they are dangerous. Don’t get a cheap one, but you don’t need the very best. They are available with battery, but get a combination blade, which will come on it, and a plywood blade which will cut down on splitting on the plywood when you use it. If you are cutting plywood, measure, put a piece of masking taple on the wood, measure again, use a T square (a sheet rock tool mostly), and cut the wood. After cutting the wood, take off the tape from both sides. I would get the same brand that I recommended for the drill and make sure that the batteries are interchangable. You can buy kits with all that in it.
sander This depends on what you intend to do. They come in 1/4 sheet and 1/2 sheet size for the rectangular. I like half sheet size, but I am bigger than you are. They are also available with circular sheets, and depending on what you plan to do, get the size you want. I suggest the ones with hook and loop. Again, I would suggest that you get Bosch or Makita.
Dremmel Do you really need one?
draw knife You don’t need one
nail gun You can get a battery operated finish nailer for 18 gauge nails and unless you are framing a house, you don’t need one bigger. They make them that will take up to three inch finishing nails. Bosch and Makita don’t make them. Paslode is a good brand.
staple gun You could probably use the nail gun for that, don’t waste your money.
hammers Get one that feels good to you. Light weight hammers don’t do much, I would suggest 14 ounce to 18 ounce, with claws. Don’t get one with a cleated head for framing
Bosch, in my estimation, mades the finest tools. All are ball bearing and do not have nylon bushings like the cheaper brands. I have dropped my drill from a 30 foot ladder and gone down and got it and it still works. Of the other brands, I would dodge Dewalt (which both Home Depot and Lowes will shove in your face), but they are cheaply made. Hitachi is good, Makita is good. Porter Cable and Delta tools are made by Dewalt now.
Never buy brands you have not heard of. Don’t buy Ryobi, GNC, or anything like those.
The only other tool that I would recommend is a Bosch Scroll Saw, or hand Jig Saw. They are more expensive, but again, they don’t break. They have an older model, which I can’t remember the number, and a brand new model where the blade just pops out when you switch a lever, I would recommend eithe rof those, I have one of each.
Now for the safety lesson: Watch out for cords, use safety glasses, watch yourself with the nail gun, and don’t let a sander sit in one place to long while you are sanding.
as a handyman i find the tools i use the most are cordless drill / saws-all / palm sander/ rotozip / hammer/ water pump pliers- channel-lock/ set of vise grips/ and good multi bit screw driver. as far as brand goes craftsman/ dewalt and ryobe are good choices. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend black&decker make decient quality cordless tools.
What’s with all the Sears recommendations? Their lifetime warranty is for hand tools only, NOT power tools.
One decision you should make is whether to go with cordless or corded tools. If you go cordless, get an extra battery and keep it in the charger, so it’s ready right away when the one you’re using runs out of juice.
There are a couple of ways to look at this. Tools for hobbies and tools for repairs. Dremmels, sanders, staple guns, are generaly novelty / hobby tools. for around the house they don’t offer many uses. My sugestions in order of importance would be:
1-Measuring tape ( 1″ wide type 25 ” long)
2-Cordless drill ( minimum 18 volt with 2 batteries)
3-Circular saw (7″ is fine)
4-Hammer ( claw type)
5-Adjustable wrench’s ( medium sized is fine)
6-Exacto knife (olfa makes good one’s)
7-Flash light
8-Manual screw drivers
9-Ladder
10-Glue gun
11-Caulking gun
12- Hack saw
13- 2′ level
14- Heavy duty scisors
15- Putty knife( 3″ wide)
I have personal preferences on tool brands from experience so it is hard to give you a single brand. Chraftsman has some good and some s____t. Black and Decker used to have good stuff (years ago), Dewalt = Duh walt ( Good for the “I think I am a contractor” guy) Ryoby makes both good and bad, Rigid makes great stuff but is a little pricey and heavy, Hilty is great but pricey, Milwaukee is great but pricey(not comfortable to use), makitah has both good and bad, Bosh is ok but heavy, Freud is expensive but good, Porter cable makes good stuff at reasonable prices.
In general you get what you pay for with tools. Find out the tools waranty and repair facilities. Generaly no brand makes all tools great.
I would buy from a reputable retailer who will stand behind you with your purchases like Home depot, Sears.
Just thought of an other important tool, A good heavy guage extension cord.
The best way to get tools is to buy what you need when you need it. Also don’t forget tools that are specifically for you car.
I hope this helps.
Lots of good advice here. Brands are a tough choice and your budget will help make your decision.
Let me just say the one and most used tool I have is my Dewalt 18 volt hammer drill. It was almost 300 bucks but I’ve had it for 5 years and I beat the hell out of it. I’ve even used the back of it as a hammer when I needed to do something quick and didn’t have my hammer. Only downfall to an 18V is they are heavy so if you have a project that needs a lot of screws but not a lot of power then a lower voltage is good. Having the hammer ability is great for getting into concrete.
GO TO SEARS AND PURCHASE A 6IN1 BATTERY POWERED TOOL KIT IT’S WARRANTY FOR LIFE AND IT COMES IN A ROLLING ADJUSTABLE HANDLE TOOLBOX IT’S LIKE A HUGE COOLER ON WHEELS I’VE HAD MINE FOR A YEAR AND DON’T GO A DAY WITHOUT USING SOMETHING OUT OF IT.
Sears Craftsman
only buy from sears. they have life time warrenties, if they bend or break then sears will replace them free of charge for the rest of your life!!!
That’s a nice start for a list and I suggest you go to Toolking.com. They have a huge selection with very good shipping and even re-conditioned tools if you like. You can buy an entire set of cordless tools including the drill, saw, sander, and others at a better price.
you forgot man with tools
Buy all Craftsman, noone co. gives a lifetime warranty on powertools, but sears will extend your warranty if you pay the $10 extra, & bring it in for a cleaning & checkup. shop wisely, DEWALT’s not that great.
If you are not a tradesman get the ryobi 18 volt kit or the black and decker 18 volt kit with a hammer drill(trust me on this one. They are reasonably priced and durable for a layman with work around the house.Everything else on your list should be a cince to find in a form that’s comfortable for you. Don’t forget a hot stick to test electrical circuts for heat. Get a greenlee.
make sure your drill is a variable speed drive.
Don’t forget you will also need a jigsawto make cuts that are not in a straight line.
I advise you to get a set of vice grips. They will make you feel like you have another pair of hands to hold stuff up/together.
A cordless screwdriver was my best friend when I moved into my new place.
Also a laser level that you can stick onto the wall. Made hanging stuff up a total breeze
For a nail gun you will need an air compressor. I don’t recommend air tools. For novice users they can be LETHAL.
For the sander you are probably better off with a random-orbit sander. That way you won’t leave a pattern on what you are finishing.
You forgot screwdrivers and allen wrenches. For this I found that a magnetic screwdriver set will have more than enough bits to satisfy most needs.
If you are way out you might also want to include a few pipe wrenches and channel locks.
A set of pliers with a wire stripper is also very handy.
Buy Sears Craftsman manual tools as they are warranted for life no matter what. I prefer Dewalt for power tools but they tend to cost more. Craftsman makes reasonable paower tools too but I odn’t think the warranty is much different than the other manufacturers. Always use safety glasses to protect your eyes and a breating mask if you are sanding.
stick with good name brands like dewalt, craftsman, Ryobi
your list covers allot there and should be good to start out on…if ya come to a job you cant do with the items you have you’ll know what to get right then and there.
I used to use a cordless 19.2V craftsman drill for years until i got a small tabletop drill press….these things are so much better…no bit walking all over the metal or anything you are drilling into.
i got the $100 Ryobi 10 Inch and love it.
stay away from roybi products..there junk..for nail guns that will last you forever buy haitachi.and all of haitachi power tools are good.
buy black and decker tool their cheap and the manufacture of dewalt it will save you money and still have good quality
Dewalt, sears, porter cable, Milwaukee are all good, but I would go Ridgid, lifetime warranty on the tools, labor, and batteries. I have mostly Dewalt, for years now, but now I’m switching to Ridgid because of the warranty, both are great. Good luck