
The Tools You Really Need to Maintain Your Home - robg
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/garden/14pragmatist.html?ref=general&src=me&pagewanted=all
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kraftwerk
That list comes up a little short IMO. These are the tools I've had to buy
since owning a house:

table saw, jigsaw, reciprocating saw, circular saw, cordless 18v drill/driver,
cordless 18v impact driver, corded hammer drill, compound miter saw, dremel,
air compressor, nail guns, wet/dry vac, clamps, levels, squares, plumb bob,
pry bars, hammers, drill/driver bits, screwdrivers, chisels, torque wrench,
pipe cutter, drywall saw, drywall sander, tape measures, stud finder, hack
saw, coping saw, post hole digger, pliers (many kinds), wrenches (many kinds),
drywall pan and drywall knives, putty knife, voltage tester, GFCI tester,
caulking gun, respirator, work lights, tin snips, 12v battery charger, 20 ton
bottle jacks.

~~~
pmcginn
We had an excellent discussion on another (private, sorry) forum with regards
to a member who wanted to put together a toolbox for his daughter before she
went to college.

The general consensus tended to sway towards the smaller, less glamorous
items, and your list would have fit right in. Yes, everyone should have a
drill, but it's hard to hang shelves with that drill when you don't have a
studfinder or a level. Anyone who's working with a saw is going to need those
clamps you mentioned, and probably a ruler or tape measure.

As a geek, my personal toolbox favorite is a headlamp. (And in my age bracket,
having a really comfortable allen wrench set is great for moving IKEA
furniture.)

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skorgu
A cordless drill won't last you a 'lifetime' it'll last until the battery pack
dies and you discover they no longer make compatible ones.

Buy a good corded drill and extension cords and it really will last a
lifetime.

~~~
MicahWedemeyer
Cordless drills are one of the few purchases in life that bring real
happiness. They're not perfect, but drilling a small hole or driving a screw
in seconds as opposed to fiddling with extension cords is bliss.

~~~
cullenking
I am still to this day happy with my $300 18v cordless dewalt with an easy
self locking chuck. I thought I'd have buyers remorse with that price tag, but
I tell you, when you end up needing to frame a basement, put up sheetrock or
basically do anything past a simple job, it's money well spent.

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ars
If your hammer is delivering shock to your elbow you are using it wrong. And I
don't believe that wood vs. metal makes any difference anyway.

Also, one drawback to jigsaws is that they don't cut straight lines. This is a
benefit if you want a curve, but if you are trying to make a 2 foot cut in
wood it will wander all over with a jigsaw. You can get a fence to help, but I
think the goal is reducing tools not adding more.

I personally would have both.

~~~
geuis
Jigsaws are perfectly capable of doing straight lines. I remember helping my
dad and uncle build a picnic table back in the 80s with little more than a
heavy duty jigsaw, a sturdy work bench, and lots of 2x4s. Its a matter of
making sure that whatever you're cutting is secured.

~~~
camiller
yes and no. The jigsaw I have has a little support wheel with a groove in it
down near the work surface that helps support the blade. Also a certain amount
of proficiency helps. The first time I used a jigsaw I found that it was real
easy to unintentionally cause a bit of twisting in the blade. Using an edge
guide helps a lot as well.

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Zak
_if you have teenagers, add a combination lock._

If your children don't know how to respect your stuff and use hand tools
properly by the time they're teenagers, you have failed as a parent.

I have to disagree with the recommendation for the DeWalt drill as well. Black
and Decker makes a comparable drill that's half the price. The DeWalt is
better - perhaps twice as good, but you don't need it if you're reading this
article.

~~~
cullenking
Sorry, but I was raised in a very tool-friendly house where this was instilled
in me. However, when I was a teenager I still managed to lose tools in the
trunk of my car or wherever for a few months. Long enough to need replacing. I
don't think this is in any way an indication that my dad failed as a parent. I
think it's just an indication that sometimes life can get busy and cleaning up
after yourself everytime doesn't always happen.

~~~
Zak
I've done that with my own tools, as an adult. I have not observed that being
a specific age makes this sort of thing more likely. To avoid losing your
tools, make anyone who uses them agree to put them away _immediately_ after
use (yourself included).

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bbuffone
I think list varies with the phase of home ownership

\- Buying a new house - his list is probably good

\- Renting an apartment - his list is probably good

\- Buying a pre-owned house - I needed way more tools - ladder, tool belt is
essential, box saw, hand saw, wire cutters, safety glasses, circular saw, mini
vans (fold down seats) are as "good" as truck for carrying stuff, hand sander,
saw horses, outlet tester

As time has gone on we have needed less and less tools, but having them around
makes everything easier.

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pbhjpbhj
I need a plane.

I've a door that sticks, the hinges haven't moved, it seems the door has
swelled or warped somehow. I can't trim it with the jigsaw, it's too fine a
cut. Hammer and chisel is too rough, I'm not a carpenter by a long stretch. I
could sand it for a couple of hours but again it wouldn't be straight and
even.

Any suggestions that avoid me buying a plane for this one job?

~~~
cullenking
Electric sander, or a good sanding block. But really, $25 for a decent planer
is worth not having a sticking door!

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Vivtek
Aww, how cute, recommendations for people with _new_ houses.

I note they don't include the tuck-pointing trowel or a plaster skim, but you
people in houses built last century probably don't need those. (Mine was built
century _before_ last, and I can't live without my trowels and many, many bags
of mortar and plaster.)

Also: no paintbrushes?

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holychiz
for most people, a Black and Decker cordless screwdriver is enough, really.
For big-job drills, instead of deWalt, get Makita impact driver 18v Lithium,
compact, light, better grip, and a ton of power.

Hammer: article is spot on. Most under-rated tool. Get used all the time and
yet most people buy the cheapest type.

~~~
Vivtek
I buy the cheapest type because I lose them constantly. I subscribe to the
"saturation" model of losing things - keep buying the item until it saturates
your environment and you starting finding hammers as fast as you lose them.

(In my defense, I have a big house and it's still mostly uninhabited - I just
found a hammer in the master bathroom that I'd left there three months ago. I
hadn't _been_ there for three months; there's no working plumbing yet.)

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Avshalom
I'd add a pair of channel locks to cover %50-%70 of your DIY plumbing needs.

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WalterBright
I can fix anything with a hammer.

~~~
pjscott
I accidentally melted a diode by hooking it up directly to an electrical
outlet. Can you fix it with a hammer? Bear in mind that it has melted.

Fixing a broken heart with a hammer would probably be easier.

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davidj
you could probably buy all this stuff for under $100 a harbor freight. Lame
article

~~~
davidj
actually I just added it up, $60

