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Basic Tools

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Conndog

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Hi, been a homeowner for years but have just a few scattered tools- a hammer, some screwdrivers- think I have a basic cordless drill but can’t find it & think I’ll get a new one. I’d like to buy a set of basic tools that a homeowner should have for both house and yard maintenance. What would be a good starting list? Off top of my head, I’d like to get: cordless drill, chainsaw, hand saw- and where is good place to buy? Budget is kind of limited- thanks!
 
6-piece screwdriver set
Wrenches
Adjustable wrenches (big and small)
Vice grips
C clamps (different sizes
Drop light
Wallboard saw
Hack saw
Quality Allen wrench set
(I have ratchet sets. Never touch them)
Maglite
Claw hammer
Roofing hammer
Hatchet
Non contact voltage tester


Jig saw
Cordless drill
 
Conndog said:
Hi, been a homeowner for years but have just a few scattered tools- a hammer, some screwdrivers- think I have a basic cordless drill but can’t find it & think I’ll get a new one. I’d like to buy a set of basic tools that a homeowner should have for both house and yard maintenance. What would be a good starting list? Off top of my head, I’d like to get: cordless drill, chainsaw, hand saw- and where is good place to buy? Budget is kind of limited- thanks!
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Here’s a vote against a chainsaw. On a limited budget, get a bow saw. It’s fine.
 
When I think of tools I always start with Boeheim. He was a complete tool! Then I reach for a Pitino. Multifaceted tool that can be disliked in so many ways. So many other tools you can find at Auburn, Old Miss, Gtown. But seriously don’t buy a chain saw!
 
Ryobi, Dewalt and Milwaukee are all made by one company. Milwaukee is a little higher end. There is no longer much of any quality difference between Ryobi and Dewalt. Buy a nice set of cordless Ryobi tools at Home Depot and buy a big hand tool set at Costco. That will solve most problems.

In the yard, Greenworks 60v and 80v tools are great as are EGO.
 
Hoophound said:
Ryobi, Dewalt and Milwaukee are all made by one company. Milwaukee is a little higher end. There is no longer much of any quality difference between Ryobi and Dewalt. Buy a nice set of cordless Ryobi tools at Home Depot and buy a big hand tool set at Costco. That will solve most problems.

In the yard, Greenworks 60v and 80v tools are great as are EGO.
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Ryobi and Milwaukee are owned by TTI.

DeWalt is owned by Stanley Black and Decker. They also own the Craftsman brand and Porter Cable.
 
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I have an old set of Porter Cable cordless tools that are OK, but definitely not high end. I use the drill/driver and the reciprocating saw the most. They are definitely in need of replacement. I'm kind of stuck on getting Milwaukee but you can't go wrong with DeWalt.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the difference between brushed or brushless power tools. This comes back to the discussion of if you aren't going to use them much, Ryobi is fine, but the afore mentioned Milwaukee and DeWalt are better but more expensive. Same issue with brushed or brushless - brushless is definitely better and will last longer, but more expensive.

I figure this is my last set of tools I'll ever buy so I'm going with brushless. I'm thinking a 12v fuel drill/driver and impact driver for most common things and the 18v fuel impact drill/driver, reciprocating saw, multi tool and circular saw. Oh and a good orbital sander. That should set me up for anything I need to do.

As for hand tools and wrenches, I have a bunch and they all get used from time to time. Good socket set, good set of screw drivers, pliers (linesmen, channel locks, adjustable, strippers, dykes, needle nose, vise grips), hacksaw, woodsaw, holesaw and hammers should do. And as mentioned, a full set of allen wrenches.
 
Minicoop69 said:
Ryobi and Milwaukee are owned by TTI.

DeWalt is owned by Stanley Black and Decker. They also own the Craftsman brand and Porter Cable.
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Ah. My bad. I was told by a factory rep in Home Depot that they were all manufactured by the same people. He said Milwaukee was superior and Ryobi and Dewalt were about the same these days. Now I think he may have told me that to encourage a purchase of either Ryobi (cheaper) or Milwaukee (better).

Anyway. We own quite a bit of stuff from all three manufacturers, which stinks for battery management. I have been very satisfied with Ryobi. It’s good for around the house and it is easy to get supplies and accessories, extra batteries etc at Home Depot. That’s a big convenience especially since I will take tools to our vacation home. I can always find a Home Depot. If I was taking them to construction sites daily, I’d go with Milwaukee. The plastics seem heavier duty. Again, easy to get stuff at HD.

As a builder (I am not hands on and have no carpentry skills), I always ask the subcontractors how they like certain tools and brands. More and more seem to like Harbor Freight’s more premium lines like Hercules. They particularly like how easy it is to get a replacement since they guarantee their tools. Their Predator generators are a huge favorite among these guys.
 
Hoophound said:
Ah. My bad. I was told by a factory rep in Home Depot that they were all manufactured by the same people. He said Milwaukee was superior and Ryobi and Dewalt were about the same these days. Now I think he may have told me that to encourage a purchase of either Ryobi (cheaper) or Milwaukee (better).
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Dewalt has a cheaper line that often comes in starter sets that is probably about on par with ryobi. Their higher end stuff is in the same boat with Milwaukee/Makita (though brand loyalty here will be as controversial and based in actual fact as pickup truck choice). For light home use, anything is probably fine. Once it gets to things like framing nailers or driving hundreds of screws installing subfloor, the difference starts to get pretty noticeable.
 
Minicoop69 said:
Ryobi and Milwaukee are owned by TTI.

DeWalt is owned by Stanley Black and Decker. They also own the Craftsman brand and Porter Cable.
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Oh.
 
Fishy said:
Here’s a vote against a chainsaw. On a limited budget, get a bow saw. It’s fine.
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A bow saw takes down 3-4 inch saplings just fine. And a manual pole saw will do the same for branches.

I did finally buy a Stihl chainsaw some years back, and did successfully use it without hurting myself. But the use case is really limited to small but slightly bigger than sapling trees, logging trees already felled and clearing driveways if a tree blocks it. I viewed it as an emergency preparedness item. Don't cut down big trees. Just don't.

I can't even start my Stihl anymore. Thing is a giant PIA. Anybody wants one, I'll sell mine for $50.
 
HuskyHawk said:
A bow saw takes down 3-4 inch saplings just fine. And a manual pole saw will do the same for branches.

I did finally buy a Stihl chainsaw some years back, and did successfully use it without hurting myself. But the use case is really limited to small but slightly bigger than sapling trees, logging trees already felled and clearing driveways if a tree blocks it. I viewed it as an emergency preparedness item. Don't cut down big trees. Just don't.

I can't even start my Stihl anymore. Thing is a giant PIA. Anybody wants one, I'll sell mine for $50.
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Bow saws are fine - how many times do you need to cut a branch that’s too large for a bow saw? Rarely, if ever.

But also, my thought was also that an OP that was not sure what kind of tools he needed for general purposes probably should not be using a chain saw
 
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Deepster said:
If you are on a budget and don’t have a timeframe in mind, tag sales and estate sales are great for tools you might not use every day. Old guys collect tons of great tools and their dumb kids just want to get rid of them.

When I was younger I got a ton of garden tools and household tools for mere dollars. I still have a great belt sander and mitre saw that were less than 20.00 each.
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Just got a $2,000 generator off Facebook marketplace for $300 on an estate sale.
 
Fishy said:
Bow saws are fine - how many times do you need to cut a branch that’s too large for a bow saw? Rarely, if ever.

But also, my thought was also that an OP that was not sure what kind of tools he needed for general purposes probably should not be using a chain saw
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Chain saws are not just for cutting branches.
 
Kolumbo said:
We just had a remodel and the contractor had all DeWalt tools. It's good to pick a brand and stick with it so the batteries are all interchangeable but DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Ryobi, it's anyone's guess. Minicoop69 ^^ probably knows better than me.

They also have nice tool kits with screwdrivers, socket wrenches, etc. Like anything else though, once you start shopping and researching, you go up and up. There is no such thing as basic when it comes to tools.
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I agree about DeWalt. The builders use DeWalt and Milwaukee is good. Interchangeable batteries, yes.
 
Speaking of trimming hedges, I had a Fiskars hedge shear which I wore out. Lifetime warranty. I contacted Fiskars and they sent me a new tool. They sent the wrong tool. So then they sent me the new correct tool. Not a bad return.

I wish I had so much more free time and money in order to actually try to do some projects correctly. Otherwise DYI is like golf. Most of us suck at it and don't have time to get very good at it.

"what're you using a phillips-head?"

 
Homeowners are such idiots.

The only tools renters need are: 1) a hammer, 2) a roll of duct tape, 3) a full set of screw drivers

... every size, whether Phillips or flathead ...

But most importantly, 4) a competent apartment-building super or management company.
 
.-.
Phorcys said:
Homeowners are such idiots.

The only tools renters need are: 1) a hammer, 2) a roll of duct tape, 3) a full set of screw drivers

... every size, whether Phillips or flathead ...

But most importantly, 4) a competent apartment-building super or management company.
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Every building needs a Schneider

 
We renters in urban commununities leave the power tools to the professionals.
 
Powertools in the hands of amateurs ... I don't think that's going to end well.
 
Phorcys said:
Powertools in the hands of amateurs ... I don't think that's going to end well.
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We home owners with an acre or so of woods surrounding our 4BR homes are no longer amateurs. I couldn't even access this house in winter snow if not for my snowblower. I installed the toilets and faucets in this house and have done a bunch of things. Nothing electrical except light switches and lights though.

Chainsaws are high risk. I did learn to use them from my dad, but felling trees is dangerous work best left to pros.
 
Phorcys said:
Powertools in the hands of amateurs ... I don't think that's going to end well.
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There’s a difference in danger level between a radial arm saw and a power drill. Most house projects are not exactly rocket science (except crown moulding, that is rocket science).
 
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WhereistheDove? said:
There’s a difference in danger level between a radial arm saw and a power drill. Most house projects are not exactly rocket science (except crown moulding, that is rocket science).
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I feel like a total weeny if I service anything but difficult plumbing and electrical work out to a contractor. You are only as good as your tools, that said. They're nice to accumulate over the years, as the projects come, not all at once, especially now that you can get almost anything battery powered.

I'd say any dude with ambition to do his own DIY should own a circular saw, a chop saw & a table saw. There are so many DIY videos online these days that as long as you have the patience and coordination, you can figure it out. Other nice to haves are a nail gun & a paint sprayer. If you ever intend to do tile work, a wet saw is nice to have.

Just finished off some box molding and a built in bookcase that would have likely cost 5-6x as much if a contractor was brought in.
 
Phorcys said:
We renters in urban commununities leave the power tools to the professionals.
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If you don't mind me asking, how do you feel about paying rent for a living space where you'll never get anything back for that money you dish out? Clearly you enjoy the urban life enough to make that decision, but if you're doing this over a long span of time (10 years?), you're shovelling out tens of thousands of dollars getting nothing long term in return.
 
Deepster said:
If you don't mind me asking, how do you feel about paying rent for a living space where you'll never get anything back for that money you dish out? Clearly you enjoy the urban life enough to make that decision, but if you're doing this over a long span of time (10 years?), you're shovelling out tens of thousands of dollars getting nothing long term in return.
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$4700/mo is roughly equivalent to a $842K condo with 20% down @ interest of 6%/yr.

So even if one wants to avoid DIY maintenance, buying a condo is a much better option.
 
storrsroars said:
$4700/mo is roughly equivalent to a $842K condo with 20% down @ interest of 6%/yr.

So even if one wants to avoid DIY maintenance, buying a condo is a much better option.
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Exactly. I've never leased a car or paid a month's rent before.
 
Deepster said:
Just got a $2,000 generator off Facebook marketplace for $300 on an estate sale.
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IMG_9902.gif
 
Deepster said:
If you don't mind me asking, how do you feel about paying rent for a living space where you'll never get anything back for that money you dish out? Clearly you enjoy the urban life enough to make that decision, but if you're doing this over a long span of time (10 years?), you're shovelling out tens of thousands of dollars getting nothing long term in return.
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Renting represents freedom, as opposed to being stuck to one plot of dirt potentially forever, and then buried in the family plot at the local cemetery. I tend to move around, a lot. Some past addresses with my name on the lease include: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn, Cambridge, Charlotte Amalie, Los Angeles, Queens. I am someone who loves to travel, but prefer to experience new cultures and generally expand my horizons by actually moving to a place, and fully participating in and becoming an active member of its community.

Try selling, and then buying a new condo—or worse, a house—in a bad real estate market when your next opportunity suddenly emerges in Sydney, Australia (I am currently exploring possibilities).

What if you make a mistake, and discover after moving in that your neighbor is a homicidal maniac? As a renter, I’ll just break the lease and suffer some minor financial penalties and a black mark on my next credit report. Owners are stuck sleeping with one eye open, especially those nights when the neighbor had spent the entire day sharpening power tools in his tool shed out back, sparks flying and maniacal laughter. No thank you.
 
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