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What are the tools that every DIY'er should have? This is a community wiki as there is no one right answer. Instructions:
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A ratchet with a gator-grip head. That is, unless unlike myself, you really like digging through a toolbox full of sockets for every job and can't identify the sizes on sight. BTW: I have no interest in the company that makes Gator-grip, I just didn't know the generic name for this type of tool (if there is one).
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A Good Flashlight Regular and Small versions are good to have - I'm constantly looking for one when trying to fix something. |
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My outlet tester; beats sticking a paperclip in the outlet to see if it's live...
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I love Japanese saws. They cut on the pull stroke and leaves a very narrow kerf (the channel that it cuts). I find that it cuts through wood a lot easier. Cutting on the pull stroke means that the blade won't bend. For saws that cut on the push stroke (most western saws), the blade might bend as you push. I have this all purpose one, Japanese Modern Ryoba Saw, at home. One side is for ripping (cutting to a certain width) the other is for cross cutting (cutting to a certain length) |
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A straight edge is really important. I actually have a 48" long aluminum ruler/straight edge that has a significant depth. It's great for drawing long lines and I sometimes use it as a guide for a circular saw or router. |
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A collection of good-quality clamps of different sizes, including some that can be tightened with one hand. |
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Something you'll definitely want if you're doing any kind of drilling into masonry or stone. A bonus is that these can typically be used as just a regular drill by turning off the hammering action, so it's basically a 2-in-1 tool. Some even let you turn off the drilling action so you can use it like a small jackhammer.
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Workbench with a Vice This may not count as a "tool", but not having one can make DIY projects difficult. I don't have one, and trying to sharpen a mower blade on your kitchen table is sub-optimal. Then there was the metal bracket I needed to drill a hole into... holding it with my hand... I've had my eye on this bench from Home Depot. I like the steel work surface. I will need to drill holes to bolt the vice to the top, though.
Update: Last weekend, I bought this bench along with a 6" vice. My dad and I assembled it as a weekend project. We drilled holes for the vice and secured it with 1/2" bolts. Overall I am pleased with it. It did require a drill for assembly, which was a little unexpected. Here are the photos. (Sorry for the poor lighting, a good workshop light is next on my list!) |
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Lineman's Pliers Lineman's pliers are a sort of heavy duty combination of wire-cutter and pliers. A pair of lineman's pliers accompanied by a pair of wire strippers is about all you need to do just about any home wiring project. I've also used it to pull out staples and nails, bend sheetmetal, cut open tubes of silicon, and even as a light-duty makeshift hammer when I didn't want to walk all the way back to the garage.
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The ultimate compliment to your cordless drill - it does everything my cordless drill sucked at doing!
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Oscillating tool Those cheapo harbor freight version of the Fein Multi-master et al. are nearly as good but much lighter on the pocketbook:
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A decent quarter-sheet, general purpose palm sander. Especially one with decent fastening capabilities.
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Am surprised that no one has mentioned Duck Tape (Duct tape?) and 3 in 1 oil.... :) |
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A portable workbench: I use my Workmate all the time:
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You'll definitely need a torpedo level. I don't have a lot of storage space, so I just have one of these torpedo levels. |
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Head lamp. Much easier than having someone else hold a flashlight, or trying to balance the light against the tool box.
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Watchmakers Screwdriver Set It seems like more and more things around the home use those pesky little screws. Also don't forget all those kids toys, electronics, etc that like to use those same little pesky screws. |
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Aviation shears (tin snips)
These are like giant wire cutters. They are designed to give you a massive amount of leverage from a squeeze of the hand. They're great for cutting anything that will fit in the jaws : wire, nails, sheet metal, conduit, doweling, and corner beads. |
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Circuit Breaker Finder Tracer / Receptacle tester. |
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(Medium to Heavy Duty) Extension Lead/Cord Leads on corded power-tools aren't always long enough to reach from power-outlet to working area. |
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A slide gauge
If you want to know what size bolt you're supposed to use, how deep a hole you need to drill or whenever precise measurement is needed. |
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A Picquic.
[I would have left this as a comment on the screwdriver-set answer, but I don't have sufficient rep.] If you're in Canada, the one tool I'd recommend above any other is the standard Picquic combination screwdriver. Canadian Tire's page is probably the best example -- judging by the reviews, I'm not the only one who loves it. :) I've used mine for years, on almost every job I've done around the house. In a pinch, the bits also fit well into a cordless drill. There are probably good equivalents in other countries, though I've not run across any myself. |
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A good knife. Always in my pocket when working on something. (Knives like the one pictured seem impossible to find in hardware stores in the U.S. Where are they sold?)
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A good solid 3-4 pound drilling hammer ...because regular hammers can chip when struck against hardened steel (i.e. chisels, star drills, hardened nails, etc.).
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