DIY dilemma: Which must-have DIY tools should I buy?

Question about must-have tools

Mark,

I have a DIY dilemma.

I need more tools! But I’m not sure what’s best to get first.

I’ve got basic hand tools (hammer, tape measure, impact driver, etc.). I’ve got about 600 bucks, and a project list that includes a bathroom re-do, kitchen, landscape, and regular maintenance.

So what should I get? A good ladder? What about a sander, circular saw, miter saw, table saw, or oscillating tool? I wanted your input, expertise actually, on some things that I’ve maybe not thought of or that aren’t ‘stereotypical’ tools.

–Robert

Answer about must-have tools

Robert—

This is so cool. Thank you for asking. As a self-avowed tool lunatic, I hope my answer helps with your DIY. First, conventional stuff. Then the oddball stuff I can’t live without.

Miter saw.

Go for a slide compound. You can drop $600 on this, but I’d spend around $200. I cut with Craftsman’s 10-inch slide compound at the first ever MAKEation. It has the features you need to cut rough lumber and precision-cut trim at the right price for you. It even has a nice blade. A circular saw would be better/faster for some rougher outdoor projects like a deck or playset, but since there can be only one, go for the bigger iron.

Table saw.

For ripping boards there’s really no beating a table saw. You may not use it for every project, but I bet you find it indispensable. Hurl about $200 at it. One note: If you plan to cut lots of sheet goods like MDF or plywood for book cases or shelving, I recommend a circular saw and straight edge guide instead. For the record: We like wormdrives because of their awesomeness.

Ladder.

Great call thinking about a ladder. We can do 99% of our DIY with a 4-foot step ladder.

Now for the oddball stuff I love.

Cut station.

With just a $50 sheet of birch plywood and some drywall screws, you’ll create a thriving nerve center for your DIY—and a home for your miter saw and other tools. We call it the MyFixitUpLife miter saw work station. I bet it takes less than 12 seconds to put your coffee on there, too.

Sawhorses.

Whack together two sets of sawhorses and you’ll have a place to store lumber or a base for a worktable and a home for the cut station above. They’re easy to store and you can pretty much park a truck on them. If you make the total height of two sawhorses + the workstation about 1/2-inch shorter than your table saw height, then it can double as outfeed for the table saw…what?!?!

Tool belt.

A sensible tool belt can be the difference between Rob Riggle in the Hangover and DIY SWAT team. There’s a reason pros where them. If you’re installing a ceiling or drywall, you need a place for all the stuff where you can reach it. From pencils (I always carry two) to a painter’s multi-tool—a tool belt have-to-have—you’ll omit all the scurrying around looking for stuff to twist screws and nail boards. Oh yeah!

Shovels, rakes, & more.

We didn’t get to your yard projects. And that’s by design. Because I like explaining things in as convoluted a way as possible. Here’s the Twitter(ish) version: I could have given you links to super cheap tools and made it work for your budget. And you might love that. Until something craps out and you have to buy it twice. Then what?

Buy as much tool as you can for the budget you’ve got. You can’t do a bathroom and a landscape at the same time anyway. So plan your tools as carefully as your budget. Chance favors the prepared wallet.

Hope this helps. Good luck Robert. Oh yeah, we want pictures when you’re tooled up! Bring it.

Mark

A licensed contractor, tool expert, wood and outdoor enthusiast, and elite Spartan Race competitor, he writes about home improvement and tools for national magazines and websites, and teaches hands-on clinics for other remodeling professionals. Check out his book, The Carpenter's Notebook.

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