Power And Hand Tools Needed By The DIY-er

by Scott Gray of www.everydayhandyman.com 

Prepare to save lots of money when you learn how to do your own home repair and home improvement work with basic hand tools, power tools, and an enthusiastic do-it-yourself attitude.

Start by finding a safe, dry place to store your tools and materials, and a protected spot to work that doesn't interfere with the lives of other family members like a corner in the basement, garage, or carport.

Basic Hand And Power Tools Needed for DIY Projects

For general repairs, you need the following hand and power tools:

• three types of hand screwdrivers (Phillips, Robertson and regular flat) in two sizes each.
• a power drill/driver, either a plug-in or cordless, which will not only drill holes but turn screws in or out
• three pliers (multiple-joint, slip-joint, and locking grip)
• a hammer and a mallet
• three types of wrenches (socket, open-end adjustable, and an Allen)
• nail set
• two hand saws (crosscut for cutting wood and hacksaw for cutting metal)
• and/or power saws (jigsaw, circular saw, and sliding miter/mitre saw), or maybe a radial-arm saw if you decide to tackle furniture making
• a measuring tape (check out the laser and digital tape measurers too)
• a square
• a staple gun
• a wire brush for cleaning 
• paint brushes for painting
• an assortment of metal and wood screws and anchors, finishing and common nails
• silicone caulking
• glue
• sandpaper
• crack filler
• duct tape
• penetrating oil and machine oil
• earplugs, safety goggles, and gloves

For plumbing, you also need:

washers and o-rings, and, in time, an assortment of wrenches

For electrical work, add:

a roll of electrical tape

a variety of wire nuts

a wire stripper and crimper

needle-nose pliers.

Don't buy everything at once but start with few important items: a standard hammer, four or five screwdrivers, a pair of pliers, an adjustable wrench, a crosscut saw, a staple gun, and a measuring tape; and some basic materials like glue; duct, masking, and electrical tape; penetrating oil; and assorted nails, screws, and anchors. Add other items as they are required.

Best Cordless Drills for the DIY-er

As you tackle increasingly difficult jobs, you will want to buy more power tools, but don't throw the hand tools out. When you want to tighten one loose screw, you're going to reach into your tool box for that handy screwdriver.

That being said, the power tool most loved by DIY homeowners is the cordless power drill, or drill/driver (combination drill and screwdriver), and the plug-in versions. Dewalt cordless drills are a great make and are available in most retail and online merchants.

Cordless impact drill/drivers are more expensive, good for driving long screws and bolts, strong enough to handle car-wheel nuts, and noisy enough to require ear plugs use.

Comparison shop and check out cord and cordless models with various features and prices offered by reliable manufacturers such as Hitachi, Bosch, Makita, Ridgid, Bosch, Ryobi, Delta, and Craftsman.

Table Saw Comparisons for the DIY-er

For sawing, you need various hand and power tools. The choices will be dictated by the particular jobs you are doing. 

You can manage most DIY projects with a combination of crosscut, hacksaw, and keyhole saws, but you will soon become impatient with the slowness of these hand saws. When choosing power saws, compare the models sold by the manufacturers mentioned above.

1. Portable jigsaw – has a motor-driven gear assembly that moves a shaft and blade up and down.

2. Portable circular saw – makes straight cuts in almost any material.

3.A sliding miter saw – can cut angles for different style molding like crown, window and baseboards.

4.Table saw or bench saw – is one of the most popular power saw with a circular blade protruding through a slot from under a rigid table.

5. Radial arm saw – is a circular saw suspended from a track on a metal arm over a wooden table, and the motor and blade can be moved along the arm and locked into any position. It can make vertical, horizontal, bevel and miter/mitre cuts, and can be fitted with other tools to drill, grind, sand, or shape.

Comparison shop and read consumer reviews to make sure you are purchasing the hand and power tools that are right for you and right for the jobs for which you are planning to use them.

About the Author:
Scott Gray is currently a home improvement handyman enthusiast and freelance writer who enjoys providing tips to consumers who are in the market for hand and power tools like Dewalt table saws.