If you’re a professional handyman or someone who likes Do-It-Yourself or DIY projects at home, you use several tools to get the job done. While there may be so many tools that you want to store in your toolbox, there are those that you need more often to make you more efficient to tackle your projects. Here are tools that every handyman should invest in:
-
Utility knife
Many individuals would consider a utility knife as a go-to tool for a lot of things. A utility knife can work very well with fine details where bigger tools may not be suitable. At the same time, it’s designed to be light and easy to carry. Many variations are available, including those that are multi-functioned for many of your needs. Some uses of a utility knife are:
- Scoring or marking materials
- Stripping wires
- Trimming excessive materials of plastic, rubber, foam, wood, and other materials
- Sharpening pencils for marking
- Scraping paint, plastic or film from metal or glass
- Cutting binding materials such as cords, packing tapes, or twine
- Removing old carpet from your floor
-
Cordless drill
Most handymen would purchase a cordless drill as their first power tool. Besides drilling small or big holes on surfaces, drills have been used as an efficient screwdriver that makes the task so much faster. A cordless drill has other uses that make a handyman invest on it such as:
- Drywall installation
- Various attachments allow drills to mix paint
- Attaching a sanding drum to sand curved surfaces and contours
- Driving bolts
- Grinding metal with attached wheels
-
WD-40 can
WD-40 is a popular product used by many handymen and homeowners to prevent rust, silence squeaks, preventing rust, and loosening parts that are stuck. It can be used on small things like preventing corrosion on guitar strings, to larger pieces like lubricating a planetary gearbox like listed here. Other surprising uses are:
- Removing strong glue
- Loosening stuck zippers
- Erasing crayon from surfaces such as doors, windows, furniture, and flooring
- Getting rid of rust on blades
- Lubricating shovels, hoes, and spading forks, especially when digging clay
-
Screwdrivers
Screwdrivers are most often present in any handyman’s toolbox. They help in removing screws, bolts and nuts. It’s best to invest in a set to ensure you have something for whatever type of screw you might encounter. There are different kinds of screwdrivers:
- Phillips
- Flat head
- Torx
- Hexagon
- Pozidriv
- Square
-
Claw hammer
A claw hammer is a staple of every toolbox because it’s light to store in a box and carry around, while still being able to drive nails or pull them out. Invest in a good quality hammer with a synthetic handle rather than wooden, because it lasts longer and won’t break soon. While you usually use a claw hammer for nails, you can also utilize it to act like a crowbar or to demolish small surfaces.
-
Pliers
A handyman needs a good pair of pliers. If you want to be prepared, it’s best to invest in two kinds: needle-nose pliers and locking pliers. Pliers are a good help when you need an extra grip to loosen or tighten nuts, as well as being extra leverage for holding on some pipes. There are various kinds of pliers available in the market, and uses are specific for each type. A few other uses for pliers are:
- Cutting wires
- Holding objects for stabilization
- Bending or straightening wire, cable, or chains
- Stripping insulation from wires
-
Tape measure
You’ll never know when you need to measure something, but a handyman should invest in a tape measure. This is a tool that’s easy to forget, and you might just remember buying one when you’re in a situation where you can’t find something to measure your cabinet, window, or furniture with.
A traditional tape measure can reach high places, can be locked to compare heights or widths, and doesn’t take a lot of space in your toolbox. It’s also fairly easy to lose a tape measure compared to other tools, so make sure that you secure them in a bag or box with other materials every after use.
-
Circular saw
Another power tool that you want to invest in is a circular saw, especially when you are working with wood often. It’s portable, cuts faster and is more efficient than other kinds of saw. In addition, a circular saw can be used with various wood materials from lumber to hardwood with less effort and consistent power.
-
Flashlight or torch
There will be times where you need to do some work or check darker places in your home or others’. Because you’ll never know when you’ll need an external light source, make sure that you have a flashlight in your toolbox at all times. Invest in a quality torch where you can control light intensity and use with AC and DC.
Final thoughts
You don’t need to have too many tools in order to be an effective handyman. There are so many more tools that a handyman can have, but it’s crucial to have the aforementioned essentials listed above. By investing in these necessities, you are sure to have almost anything you need for a job or a weekend DIY project.
