Your girlfriend needs help putting some furniture together. Your wife asks you to install a ceiling fan. Your kid needs her bike fixed. Of course you have the tools to take on these jobs, right? For many younger men these days, owning a well equipped toolbox is something that only their dads do. Often when these men have a project, they have to go to someone else to take care of their handyman needs. But a man should be self-reliant. He should have the tools and know-how to tackle basic projects around the house.
If you’re one of those younger gents who just never got around to stocking a toolbox, below we’ve included a list 12 basic tools that we think every toolbox should have.
Before You Buy
A few things to remember before you head over to the hardware store and go on a shopping spree:
Fork over the money for quality tools. You can easily go to Wal-Mart and buy an entire 102 piece, Made in China, piece of crap tool set for $30. Fight the temptation. These chintzy tools will probably last you a few uses before they snap or break on you. Invest your money in quality, durable tools that will last a lifetime. If you have no clue about which brand to go for, Craftsman tools are a pretty safe bet. They’re durable and tough, and their hand tools come with a lifetime warranty.
One at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are great tool boxes. You don’t need to buy your complete set of tools all at once (unless of course you have the scratch to do so). Spread your acquisitions out so you don’t break the bank. Another good way to build your toolbox arsenal is to ask for specific tools for presents on different occasions. If you’re a young man just graduating high school, ask for some tools instead of money. That’s when I started my tool collection. I also know of a couple of (lucky) guys whose friends threw them a “Man Shower” before they got hitched. All of their buddies brought a tool or piece of camping gear to bestow upon the groom-to-be. Also, Christmas, your birthday, and Father’s Day are all great times to acquire tools.
Claw Hammer
Image from 1exile08
A good, solid hammer can be used for driving nails into wood as well as small demolition jobs. My old man would use his hammer for damn near everything, much to the chagrin of my mother. Go for the classic 16 ounce hammer. It’s heavy enough for most basic home repair needs, but light enough for you to carry around without it being a nuisance. While your grandpa probably used a hammer with a wooden handle, you shouldn’t. Wood handles break easily. Go with something that has a long-lasting synthetic handle. Also, when picking out a hammer, you want one that has a good balance in your hand and isn’t head heavy. It’s a lot like picking out a golf club or a baseball bat. So go to the hardware store and try a few out before making your selection.
Flathead Screwdriver
Image by CBJason
A flathead screwdriver has a single blade that fits into the single slot of a flathead screw. Flathead screws have been around for a l o n g time, so it’s likely your great-great grandpa had a few flathead screwdrivers in his tool chest. While the Phillips screw has quickly taken the place of flathead screws in most projects, it’s still a good idea to have a few flathead drivers in your tool arsenal. In addition to driving in screws, flatheads can also be improvised for different uses like light prying, scrapping, and nudging. Quick tip: make sure the electricity is turned off BEFORE you start sticking a screwdriver in a light socket to pry out a broken bulb. Trust me.
Phillips Screwdriver
Image by milliped
Invented by Henry F. Phillips in 1936, the Phillips head screw has quickly replaced the flathead screw in most projects. A Phillips head screwdriver has a four star point at the end that fits into the corresponding screw’s shallow, cross-shaped depression. This design allows a user to apply more torque than is possible with a flathead screwdriver. The depression forces the blades of the Phillips screwdriver to slip out before any damaging over-torquing can occur. As mentioned above, Phillips screws have pretty much replaced flathead screws, so make sure you have a good set of Phillips screwdrivers in varying sizes.
Tape Measure
Image by redjar
Whether you’re building a gun cabinet or measuring to see if that flat screen TV will fit in your den, a dependable 25′ retractable metal measuring tape is a must. Plus, they’re fun for your kids. I remember my brother and I would take my dad’s measuring tape and extend the tape all the way out, lock it, and then watch it retract. It was double fun when the end would accidently pinch my brother’s finger, and he would start crying.
Crescent Wrench
Image by treedork
Of all your tools, this baby will probably see the most action. It’s like having 50 wrenches in one. The crescent wrench is an adjustable wrench with a sliding jaw that changes the width of the wrench. So you can use the same tool on different size nuts and bolts. Remember, when you’re using a crescent wrench, the movable jaw is located on the side towards which the rotation is to be performed. This reduces the chance of backlash.
Socket Wrench (aka the ratchet)
Image by john4kc
When you have a large project that requires you to tighten and loosen a bunch of nuts and bolts, it’s time to put aside the crescent wrench and reach for its more efficient brother. The socket wrench’s ratcheting mechanism allows you to tighten a nut without having to remove and refit the wrench after each and every turn. This can make your life a whole lot easier when you’re taking on larger projects. A 3/8-inch socket wrench with a couple of extenders and a set of sockets should do the trick.
Vise Grip (locking) Pliers
Image by jon m ryan
Vise grip pliers come in handy when you need an extra hand but only have your own two mitts to work with. Vise grip pliers are pliers that can lock in place. Some locking pliers use a mechanism that allows one- handed release of the locking mechanism; others require two hands to disengage. They are versatile tools that can be used as pliers, a pipe wrench, an adjustable wrench, wire cutters, a ratchet, or a clamp. Standard 5-10WR pliers are good for most stuff around the house and garage.
Needle Nose Pliers
Image by Oh my gil
An essential electrician’s tool, needle nose pliers are good for any household project which requires you to cut, bend, grip, or strip wire. Because of their long and skinny shape, they’re particularly useful for getting into small cavities. You can also use them to pinch your younger brother with.
Cordless Drill and Bits
Image by puuikibeach
A good cordless drill is an essential tool to have in your toolbox. It can be used for drilling holes into sheetrock or driving screws into a 2×4. When choosing a cordless drill, you want one with lots of power, which is measured by the amount of voltage in its battery. You can get drills that have batteries that go up to 18v. But when you increase voltage, you increase weight. That 18 volt bad boy weighs 10 pounds. 12 volts is a good size. It’s enough power to do most stuff around the house but isn’t too heavy. Also, make sure the drill you get has multiple speeds and is reversible. The reversible feature will come in handy if you need to take some screws out when your treehouse goes awry.
Crosscut Saw
Image by wick
The image of a fine handsaw has long been the emblem of a craftsman at work. A good general purpose handsaw is useful for trimming branches off your tree or cutting lumber for a project around the house. Crosscut saws are used to cut against the grain on a piece of wood. That’s exactly what you do when you trim a branch or shorten a 2×4. If you think you’ll be doing work that requires you to cut along the wood’s grain, get a rip saw as well.
Level
Image by jkdigitalservices
Whether you’re hanging up pictures or putting a mantle over your fireplace, a straight line is absolutely crucial. You don’t want to put a bunch of nails in the wall, only to step back and see that’s it’s crooked. To get the job done right the first time, you need to use a level. There are some sophisticated laser levels available these days, but you can’t beat the satisfaction of finally nudging that bubble into place. Of course if you have the iphone level app, you’re all set.
Utility Knife
Image by eab aod
While it may not be the most exciting of the tools, your utility knife will never be found gathering dust at the bottom of your toolbox. Every project always provides plenty of things to cut and scrape, hundreds of tasks that cry out for the utility knife’s super sharp blade.
Alright. Now it’s your turn. Did we leave any tools off the list that you think should be in every man’s toolbox? Disagree with the ones that made it on the list? Drop a line in the comment box and offer your suggestions.
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Can I translate your article into Russian and published on my blog?
While I’ve seen mention of pry-bars, and crowbars, breaker-bars and lead pipes (creative I’ll say) I haven’t seen mentioned a cats paw. Sure, they’re on the small side, but when trying to pry boards loose in your little girls playhouse, the smallness of it really lends itself to the close quarters.
You forget the stud finder, and I don’t mean my wife. Every man has to hang stuff on the walls from flat screen TV’s to art, and these really help locate the supporting lumber behind the drywall. Other’s have mentioned the handyman’s secret weapons, duct tape and WD-40. By the way, WD-40 sprayed on your fishing lure will catch more fish— it’s primarily fish oil.
@ Steve Maslin “This is Rubish, If you live in a community with people you don’t need to own a tool kit per male. Living in community is a manly thing, sharing what you own etc, The art of manliness has gone down hill. Most of the blogs don’t help me one bit and are just trivial like this one.”
its not very manly to mooch off your fellow man… grow up- man up- buy your own damn tools!
and too all the canadians in the house… i love the robertson screws / drivers but please stop crying about it whenever a driver is mentioned. philips- robertson- torx- nut driver- there are plenty of drivers out there know what ya need and get the appropriate tool…
Growing up in Tasmania we reckoned if you can’t fix it with fencing wire and/or an old stocking (use ‘em as fan belts for instance) then it couldn’t be fixed. these days you’d have to add “and a milk crate” because every tradesman in the country uses a milk crate for something.
about made in china tools etc. i agree with Ben that even when they’re “made to spec” etc. they ain’t as good. i get most of my tools from the “trash & treasure” “car-boot” junk sales – there I can find genuine Made in Germany/Australia/Sweden/USA/England quality tools . . . damn good they are too.
- Am reviewing the ‘10 essential tools’ list in May and had to go back to mid -February to find any mention of safety goggles/specs – these are well recognised as ‘Basic’ by experienced DIYers- and may perhaps be even MORE important for the in-experienced to avoid dust+grit -and chemical splashes.
-I think perhaps you should seriously consider re-vamping the list as the ‘20 essential tools’ as most of the comments on omissions are extremely valid.
The Avery Dennison line of labelers allows for a wide variety of different applications. Speeds of 30 meters (ALS206) or 40 meters per minute (ALS204) are standard but much higher speed models can be selected.
http://www.accentpack.com/products.htm?cat=11
WD 40 is an oily solvent. Pretty good for cleaning if an oily residue is OK. Its a poor lubricant unless you want an extremely light lubricant….like clock mechanism light. If you need lubricatiion then 3 n1 or a teflon lube is far superior to WD 40.
Find the best Selection on Tool cases, Rolling Tool Cases, Tool Chest, Rolling Cabinets, Tool Boxes, Hard Shell Cases and Metal Tool Storage at http://www.alltimetools.com
As long as you’re going to include a screwgun, I think the circular saw (battery powered or not) deserves a mention. A handsaw has its undeniable uses, but hard work can be made a bit easier with a circular saw, which can go against or with the grain of the wood.
The tool selection is right on. Now let me add a suggestion.
- Multi-tool. This baby doesn’t belong in the tool box, it belongs on your hip or in your pocket! (The problem with tool boxes is that they are a bit awkward and are not often there when you need them.)
I personally carry a Gerber 400 needle nose every day. (Just an example-I don’t want to get involved in the Gerber/Leatherman/other discussion) I carry it in a belt holster, except dress up times, then it goes in a pocket. (FYI It has gone through several metal detectors successfully. Even though it has a knife blade, it still looks like a tool.) I can’t think of a day that I have not used it at least once. The needle nose pliers are particularly useful for dealing with small objects. The only item I have not used for its intended purpose is the cork screw. Just a long shot, but I suspect that most Model 400 users are beer drinkers.
Radial drills are designed to drill a hole in a part that is too big to fit on a regular drill press. Radial drills have size designations that incorporate the arm length and the column diameter. The arm length of a radial drill typically ranges from about 2′ to 12′ or more. The arm measurement is not the arm length (even though it is called that), it is actually the distance from the face of the column to the center line of the spindle when the head is all the way out to the end of the arm. This means, a 6′ radial drill can drill a hole in the center of a 12′ diameter part.
Look at your local farmer’s market or flea market for vintage tools. At least here in the midwest, the farmer’s markets that I hit always have someone selling reconditioned tools. The local guy will also rehalf your hammer, maul, hoes, shovels, etc for a VERY resonable price. Drop it off one Saturday, pick it up the next.
Channel Locks.
Invaluable.
I have pretty much all of the tools listed in the article and the subsequant comments. I keep a fairly stocked toolkit and tool bench. I use foldking tool benches due to space limitations and portability, and have a small tool belt. However, with all that I have, I must say that the worst tool I ever had was my Cordless drill. It was an 18-volt, variable speed, wonder to look at and a marvel to hold.. untill the batteries died. I could buy a brand new drill for the same price. Forget it. I got a realy nice corded drill with a case of bits to be reconded with for less than the cordless model. More power, longer lasting and it’s even a “hammer drill”.
I’d say, if you were going to start from scratch an buy a set of tools, go for all the items in the list and the comments, except get a chorded drill. Go get the best you can afford and only buy what you need for the job you’re doing. Next time, get some more tools for the next job. After a while, you’ll only need a few here and there and the ones that you have will last forever.
(Except screwdrivers… buy lots and medium quality… keep them everywhere… for later, “You’re welcome”)
Eli
Just read through the article and all the comments.
The “Robertson” discussion interested me the most. In America, at least, pretty much anything requiring a hand screwdriver is going to be Phillips and occasionally flat-head. However, if you’re driving screws into lumber (probably 2.5″ or longer), you can’t do better than with square-drive (what I’ve always heard them called). So, yeah, you should have square-drive/Robertson drill bits, but in America at least, getting a regular old Robertson screwdriver would be a waste.
SAFETY GLASSES! holy moly! sure, these aren’t technically a tool, but they are definitely essential.
If you get a ’standard’ vice grip, be sure to pick up a needle-nose version as well. That tool has saved me countless times. Great for unscrewing stripped screws and pulling carpet staples, etc.
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