The Ultimate DIY Toolkit
- Published:
- Filed Under: Fixit Academy, General Repairs, Products
Whether you’re moving from one home to another or you’re a first-time homeowner, moving into a house is a stressful ordeal and it often comes with a whole new set of responsibilities. As the owner, all the maintenance and repairs are on you, you will quickly discover you need tools to stock your first toolbox. From painting the exterior to manicuring the lawn, you’ll need tools for every project and DIY fix. But because purchasing your first home has likely left you stretched thin money-wise, it’s a good idea to buy only the essential tools you’ll likely need now.
However, before you head to the store, look through your garage or junk drawer (or maybe your moving boxes) and cross off any items you already have. With your list in hand of the tools you still need to fill your first toolbox, you’ll be better able to keep to your budget. And you might more easily resist the tempting thought that will inevitably pop into your head: “I’m sure I will need that 100-piece titanium drill bit set someday…”
We’ve created this list of must-have tools as a starting point. Without it, your first trip to your local hardware store could be a dangerous one for your budget. Like everytime our crew goes to get materials, all of those gleaming new tools are begging you to take them home!
And to help you, you can click on the pictures or the links in each section to purchase these items (from Home Depot and others) to make the process easier and to save you money!
To download a checklist for this Ultimate Toolbox to take to your local retailer, Click Here
Note: The links for the tools we provide from Home Depot and others are based on our recommendations and we are not affiliated with Home Depot in anyway nor do we receive any compensation for endorsing these products. We want to give your our best choices for creating the most usable toolkit that will suit your needs and your budget – not what the stores think you should buy!
Safety First – If you want to decorate your home or office, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared for safety. According to OSHA, the greatest hazards involved with hand tools result from misuse and its essential to get at least Safety Goggles and some good Work Gloves! Now that you’ve got them, let’s build that toolkit!
The classic toolbox was the sign of a serious DIYer. Today there is a huge selection of toolboxes and tool bags to choose from. Our choice is based on the tools in this ultimate toolkit list. For instance, the Husky 16 in. Tool Box is constructed of durable plastic and the large body box accommodates everything from power tools to small hand tools and is easy to carry.
On the other hand, the Husky 15 in. Tool Bag is constructed of 600 Denier water-resistant material which will last you many years of use. This tool bag also features a wide mouth for easier access to large, interior pockets for more storage . Tool Bags great for storing your hand tools, small parts, accessories, and more. What’s nice about the tool bagd are that many also include a shoulder strap or paired with your favorite Husky tool storage pouch or belt. Pick what best suits your need…and your style of course.
You definitely need a hammer to put in and remove nails. And many times, you’ve got to pry something or need a nail puller with more leverage. This tool kit gives you the best of both worlds! This Husky 20 oz. Ripping Hammer features a forward weight design to amplify the force of each swing, allowing for a much faster and safer swing.
You always need a screwdriver, right? And not the one you drink! Typically, a Multi-Bit Screwdriver Set includes a handle and a nice set of bits which should be able to handle most screws you will encounter. This should eliminate the need to buy dedicated screwdrivers and contains the most common bits like Philips, Straight, Torx (Star), Square, and Hex (or Allen). It’s also a space save as you grab more tools!
Pliers are used in many different situations- a couple of common tasks come to mind: adjusting or replacing faucets, shower heads and tightening nuts and bolts, etc. There are a bevy of tools for these tasks but most fall under the category of pliers. A standalone pair could cost between five and twenty five bucks, or you can buy a plier set like this one with a few different size and style options for ten at a reasonable cost.
The Husky 4-Pair Plier kit includes an 8 in. L nose and 8 in. standard slip joint pliers along with a pair of 10 in. grove joint pliers and 7 in. diagonal pliers. With this kit, you got what you need.
You can use wire stripper for more than just wire and you’ll find yourself using these for a lot of things. This Commercial Electric 7 in. Wire Stripper and Cutter makes it ideal for use in confined spaces. This tool offers a serrated nose for strong gripping of wire for bending shaping and pulling applications and quickly strips 10-20 AWG copper wire.
It also cuts and threads popular bolt sizes, holes in the jaw for looping wire and are self-opening, spring-loaded hinge with safety lock. Trust me, you’ll be using these a lot and not just for electrical work!
Some people call them adjustable wrenches and some call them Crescent wrenches. The original design was by the Crescent company and the name has stuck for many year. We recommend this 3-piece adjustable wrench set which includes one 6 in., one 8 in. and one 10 in. adjustable wrench. It is designed to be used with multiple sizes of nuts and bolts. This tool is a must have for the professional or Do-It-Yourselfer.
Tape measures are essential when you’re deciding which pieces of furniture will fit where in your new place. Or maybe you’re redoing the floors or countertops — you’ll need to take measurements of those areas if you’re hunting down replacements yourself. So many things need to be measured and/or double checked: window treatments, spacing for wall decor or TVs, or more ambitious projects (adding a patio, deck or fencing).
Most tape measures do about the same job about the same way, but occasionally you’ll find interesting features like built in pencil sharpeners, a writing area or even bubble levels. We like this Stanley Powerlock Tape Measure because it’s been in many toolboxes for generations. One of the main differences between most standard tape measures is their measuring capacity or length ranging from a few feet to about 30 feet.
We wouldn’t suggest you take on most residential electrical issues unless you’re already familiar with the basics. That being said, there are some basic maintenance and troubleshooting tasks you can accomplish with the right tools and knowledge. For about $30, you can pick up a decent test kit that includes an outlet tester and voltage pen (like this one). The outlet tester does exactly what it says: If you notice odd behavior or lack of power from a three-pronged outlet, just plug this in. The GFCI outlet tester features in up to 125-Volt outlet and identify most common wiring problems in standard receptacles, with GFCI receptacle, the tester also has ability to test outlet by a ground fault receptacle to ensure proper interruption operation
This Commercial Electric Electrical Tester Kit combines the two of the most famous electrical testers. The new innovated Non-contact AC Voltage detector (as in, no touching of live wires) detects up to 1000-Volt AC Voltage and GFCI Outlet tester to test the most common wiring problems and identify GFCI protected outlet receptacle.
The Non-contact voltage tester provides AC voltage detection features in circuit breakers, outlet socket, cables, wires and light fixtures. It even has a flashlight! Audible beeps and visual LED bar graph indicates the presence of voltage the higher the voltage sensed or the closer to the voltage source, the more LED’s light up. So the next time that outlet seems to acting “wonky”, you’ll have the tools to identify the problem before calling us!
Need a simple battery tester to see if that old battery in the drawer is still good? This Gardner Bender Battery Tester features an efficient analog scale that easily identifies the battery’s current charge level. Simply insert the battery and the easy-to-read display will reveal a low or good charge.
A convenient contact arm is compatible with multiple battery sizes you use around the home including AA, AAA, C, D and 9-Volt batteries. It also has a small rivet in moveable arm tests button cell batteries. This tester is for regular batteries and is not recommended for rechargeable batteries. And remember, it’s always good to have a kit of small batteries around so you don’t have to run to the store when that flashlight won’t light!
A utility knife is a hand tool that nearly all trades and DIY people use. Because of its sharp blade, compact size and ease of operation, a utility knife is a great tool to have on hand whenever something needs to be cut. It is the most common tool to use when cutting drywall to length or widt and has been around for decades and as such there are a wide variety of configurations on the market.
This Husky Folding Lock-Back Utility Knife locks in place for efficient cutting. The handle is crafted of aluminum for strength and my favorite feature is that the knife features a folding design to help ensure safety. Don’t continue to use the blade when cutting becomes difficult it makes the work harder and can be dangerous – that’s why this knife comes complete with 10 spare blades! A must have in any toolbox.
A good pair of utility shears will allow you to cut paper, fabric, cardboard and other craft materials with ease and the reasons to have a pair are endless. These Crescent Wiss 8-1/2 in. Home and Craft Scissors are great for around the home and feature a soft comfort grips with an oversized, high-leverage bottom ring for easy use. Don’t keep using regular scissors when doing DIY tasks, get a pair of these instead!
Now that you’ve moved in and started decorating, it’s only a matter of time before you redecorate (or try to fix that hole in the wall your kid swears they didn’t make). Most residential interior walls are drywall, sometimes referred to as sheetrock or gypsum board.
It’s attached directly to the wood studs in your wall with drywall screws. The majority of drywall repairs are of the “nail hole” variety and most of the time are holes in the wall from hanging photos or art. For these small hole repairs, grab this DAP DryDex Spackling Wall Repair Patch Kit. The spackle features a unique dry time indicator that goes on pink and dries white helping identify when a patched surface is dry and ready to be sanded and painted. This patented technology eliminates the guesswork and reduces the chance of errors. The kit includes all the necessary tools needed including DryDex spackling, a 5 in. x 5 in. fiber tough patch, a 4 in. x 3 in. 100-grit sandpaper and even a Putty knife offering you a complete project solution.
After all that decorating and wall repairing, you’re going to need to paint. Now we could go on and on about the various painters brushes and rollers out there, so we compiled a quick list that should get you through mist typical homeowner painting jobs. There are many gizmos and gadgets out there to help you with painting, but this is all you really need to start.
The Wooster Pro Woven Roller Tray Kit includes a total of 8 pieces and includes a 9 in. roller frame, Mini roller frame, Wooster Pro Woven 9 in. x 1/2 in. nap roller cover, Wooster Pro Woven Mini 4½ in x 1/2 in. nap roller cover, 2 in. Wooster Pro Firm Nylon/Polyester thin angle sash brush, Deluxe Metal Tray and (2) Deluxe Tray Liners. Form-fitting paint tray liners resist cracking and extend the life of the tray and you’ll save a lot of time in cleanup, especially if you’ll be working with multiple colors.
In additional for small touch-ups you’ll need brushes of varying sizes depending on paint area and location, Painters Tape (to block off differently colored trim or other important fixtures) and of course, a Drop Cloth. If you drip small amounts of paint on most flooring surfaces and act fast, they can easily be cleaned up. But if you’re working over carpet or spill half a gallon of paint, you’re best off with a drop cloth to cover that surface area.
And then there’s the Swiss Army knife of hardware. It looks like a putty knife, with its wide, flat blade, and it has a point for gouging, a square end opposite the point and a curved cutout. This Husky 15-in-1 Painter’s Tool includes a spreader-chisel -scraper , paint can opener, roller cleaner , crack opener, convex scraper, nail puller, 3/8 inch and quarter inch nut driver, slotted screwdriver, a hammer and , and yes even a bottle opener! (You’ll find out more why you need that later)
If you’re painting a larger area, or entire walls, switch to a paint roller. This Anvil 3 ft. to 6 ft. Adjustable Extension Pole for your roller will help save you some back/neck pains as well.
Here’s a tip before you even get started painting: Write down every paint brand and color code you use anywhere in your house. Better yet, you have a camera on your smart phone – maybe make an album with pictures of all your colors and labels and any other items you may need to remember. Paint matching can be an extremely frustrating task — and often ends with repainting entire rooms when you don’t have that information handy.
Now let’s move on. The right extension cord will give you the power you need, when you need it. It extends the reach of power tools and makes it easier to put devices where you want them. Unless you are always lucky enough to have an electrical outlet positioned exactly where you need it, you almost certainly use electrical extension cords around your home.
Choosing the best extension cord relies on understanding how amperage, cord length and gauge ratings work together. Each one of these attributes affects the performance and power of an extension cord. The third prong in the extension cord provides a path to the ground wire in a household electrical circuit which greatly reduces the risk of electrical shock and fires. This Husky 25 ft. 14/3 Extension Cord is great for indoor or outdoor usage and is our recommendation for medium use around the home and is our best recommendation for the price. Many times you need more than one outlet on a cord and we use these Commerical Electric Heavy Duty Triple-Tap Adapters for those instances – just be sure not to overload the cord! CAUTION: Even the best extension cord for the job can be dangerous if damaged: Never use a damaged extension cord and plan to replace it immediately. Remember, extension cords should only be used as a temporary electric solution. Unplug them when not in use.
The smartphone in your pocket probably has a flashlight, and it’s probably pretty good at shining about 3 feet in front of you. But you can get far better illumination, versatility, ergonomics, and durability with this Husky 600 Lumens Unbreakable Flashlight. It’s built to tolerate abusive treatment – it’s been drop-tested from 30 ft. and waterproof up to 1 meter.
This flashlight is capable of withstanding the most demanding work conditions. The premium LED lighting offers 3-modes high, low and strobe powered by 4-pieces Energizer AA alkaline batteries (included). The ergonomically designed aluminum body features a rubber coating for superb comfort and grip. And remember, keep some extra batteries around and remove them from the flashlight if you’re not going to be using the flashlight for an extended period of time.
Finally, and this tool is used most frequently on any job we do. At some point you will need a decent drill. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive name brand you can find, but I would recommend a cordless drill of at least 18-volts. Most products you can find at your local big box store will be fine and handle most do-it-rourself jobs!
We like this RYOBI 18V ONE+ Cordless 3/8 in. Drill/Driver Kit with a 1.5 Ah Battery, battery Charger, and Drill and Impact Driver along with 40 drill and drive bits! It also has an LED light to illuminate work surfaces and on-board bit storage for convenience. Best of all, it’s a part of the RYOBI ONE+ System of over 260 cordless tools that all work with the same battery platform. As important as the drill itself are the bits you get to go along with it. having a nice bit variety on hand will ensure you’re able to tackle all the jobs your home throws at you — hanging your new tv, drywall repairs, new door locks, or hanging new curtains. Try a bit set like this to be ready for anything!
An finally, for all your hard work, here’as your bonus. Grab a Cooler (Okay, it won’t fit in the toolbox, but you are going to want one to keep ice-cold beverages on hand after working on your new house all day.) You can keep all your favorite beverages chilled (just no beer while you’re working) and maybe even a snack if you get hungry!
A Folding Hex key set comes in handy when assembling furniture or installing decorative fixtures with hexagonal sockets. A Folding Nutdriver Set set comes in handy when you need to tighten bolts and nuts on furniture, appliances, toys and much more. Both come in standard (SAE) and metric sizes.
Keep a pencil or marker in your toolkit. A pencil like this one is larger and darker than your typical school days #2 pencil and it’s bright color will make it easy to find when you surely will drop it. This two-pack of Inkzall Black Fine Point Jobsite Permanent Marker are the best for marking anything that a pencil just cannot. It’s great on almost any surface – it’s that good!
Always have batteries on hand and the Battery Daddy Smart battery storage kit holds and organizes up to 150 batteries – each battery is kept safe and secure in a customized slot. Best of all, it comes with a built-in battery tester so you can quickly test the life of the batteries you have. Kit holds 58 AAs, 68 AAAs, four 9-Volt, 8 Cs, 8 Ds and 8 button cells.
The next best thing to gaffer’s tape is this Gorilla 30 yds. Black Duct Tape – it’s is 3X stronger for a hold that lasts. Gorilla tape sticks to smooth, rough and uneven surfaces, including wood, stone, stucco, brick, metal and vinyl. Gorilla tape is great and is made for the toughest jobs on planet earth.
Fastener needs vary from project to project and this Nail and Brads kit offers small fasteners that can be used for a variety of purposes around the home – mostly in wood projects. It contains 6-different sizes and 276-pieces. The Grip-Rite Assorted Indoor Use Screw Pack contains 180-Pieces with 6 different sizes in drywall and gold screws and even includes a bit!
Here’s A Pro Homeowner Tip! Always return tools to your toolbox after every use, so you can find the tool you need when you’re in a hurry, or when you have an emergency repair to make. (And you will always know where to find at least one flashlight when the power goes out.)
So there you go, the OMG! Amazing recommendations for the Ultimate Toolbox. Be sure to download our PDF Checklist below so that you can take it to your local hardware store and get the tools you need! If your budget is tight, or you just like to re-use whenever you can, you may want to check local second-hand stores, salvage yards, or garage sales, where you can pick up many of these essential tools, maybe even an old toolbox, as well as other small, used tools on the cheap. And when the project seems bigger than something you want to take on, you can always call us – we love to do handyman work too!
To download a checklist for this Ultimate Toolbox to take to your local retailer, Click Here
Peter D. Sawyer
Founder & CEO
Born in New York and now living in California, Peter is a dedicated and proud father of Xander – a true miracle of life. After spending 26 years as manager of Operations and Engineering for the CBS Television network, he launched OMG! Amazing in 2019 because he wanted to help people enjoy life in a smarter home.
Come Join Us
Join our Fixit Community and dive into conversations covering every aspect of home repair and improvement!
Current Articles
That’s A Wrap – Winding Cables the Right Way
Fixit Friday is published every Friday on our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088848193030
Where’s That Freakin’ Tool?
Fixit Friday is published every Friday on our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088848193030
Clever Wall Plate Memory Hack
Fixit Friday is published every Friday on our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088848193030
Lighting 201 – The Ultimate Home Guide
Today Light Bulbs come in a vast variety of sizes, shapes, and colors which need different bases and other considerations. We’re here to guide you through the decision process with bulbs, fixtures, and lighting…this is Lighting 201.
Adjusting European Cabinet Hinges
Fixit Friday are plublished evert Friday on our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088848193030
Fix That Garbage Disposal Clog
Why Is my garbage disposal not draining?More times than not, unclogging a garbage disposal is something you can knock out on your own. And the best part is you don’t have to be incredibly handy to pull off the task.
Join the #1 Do It Yourself
Community
The Fixit Academy community is at the heart of what we do. Join in on the daily conversation and get involved.
© 2023 - Fixit Academy (A Division of OMG! Amazing) All rights reserved
