Toolbox Talk

[krevo]

For all the fine gentleman here who arent afraid to roll up your sleeves...

I tied the knot last weekend and have been receiving an assortment of Sears, Home Depot and Lowes gift cards from all those who care enough about me to not get me another toaster and waffle maker.

I'm looking for some good suggestions of high quality, name brand tools (hand or power) that I should pickup as I put together my workshop. I grew up an engineering contractor's son, so I've dabbled in carpentry, home remodel, plumbing and electrical work. (just never spent any money on good tools)

So far, I've picked up an Estwing claw hammer, some ChannelLock brand pliers, and a Craftsman Professional Series screwdriver set. I also snagged a DeWalt circular saw, DeWalt hand sander, and a Ryobi bench grinder for the workbench I built.

Tell me, gents, what else do I need?

 

[BrianL]

You can not go wrong with the Craftsman socket sets. Be sure to pick up a level and square while you are shopping.
Congrats on the wedding.

 

[DeusVult]

I have the Craftsman screwdriver set as well; it's very good quality for the money. I have an assortment of other screwdrivers as well, some Wiha Phillips and Torx. These are GREAT tools. I use them more than my Craftsman drivers.

Dewalt cordless drill - this gets heavy use in my shop. I couldn't get by without my big vise, which is an antique. My grandpa was a blacksmith. Anyway, if you've got a workbench, you'll want a vice. Build some sawhorses too; lots of great plans on the internet.

Second on the Craftsman sockets; I have a large set of these. If your budget allows, get a full set up to 1" of SAE open/box end wrenches and a set of similar sizes in metric. Get 6" and 12" adjustable wrenches. You can't go wrong with Craftsman. Also get a pipe wrench. Get a large and small needle nose pliers; you can probably get by with cheaper ones of these.

Also second on the square and level. I have a small 6" square, adjustable 12" square and a framing square. Have a 6", 12", and 3 ft level. I will sometime add a long 5 ft level probably. Get a good 25 foot tape measure. I like my Stanley, and their levels and squares are good too.

I have found a stud finder to be very useful. You need a hacksaw, side cutters, bolt cutter, large punch, nail set, box cutter, large and small putty knives. Don't know what brands. Lowes Kobalt tools aren't too bad; I've got several things from them.

If you've got any money left, get some peg board and hooks so you can hang all these tools up. Getting organized is very important, in my estimation.

I have children who like to flush things, so I've got a long sewer snake and a 3 ft toilet snake. You might wait until it's an emergency to buy these, but believe me, I've saved tons of money with these not having to call a plumber.

Lots of my tools are old or antiques, handed down from my grandpa and dad. Get the best you can afford and you can pass them on. Some things do wear out easily or don't get heavy use and you can skimp on them a bit. I do about 99% of my home repairs and everything I mentioned I use all the time. With three children at home, something is always broken, holes in the wall, you name it. SWMBO is also prone to tearing things up. So there you go.

 

[Rivguy]

I think that you are off to a good start. I have tools that are many years old and still serve me well. If you think AD's are out of control on this site, my tool AD's have been around for a long time. In all seriousness, good quality tools pay big dividends both in the short term and over long term. The pay back just keeps on giving. This is what would be on my start over list.

1) Good selection of Phillips, blade, torx screwdrivers (Craftsman because they are excellent and have a lifetime guarantee)
2) Good selection of pliers Craftsman for reasons stated above
3) Good selection of sockets in both !/4" and 3/8" drive. 1/2" if you plan on doing heavy work. Again, Craftsman for above reasons.
4) A good quality tool storage box. Craftsman boxes are excellent (made by Waterloo) and much less expensive than Mac or Snap On.
5) Good quality levels. Stabila are the best in my view but are expensive. On the other hand your kids will leave them to your grandchildren. Empire True Blue levels are top notch levels as well.
6) An assortment of hammers like dead blow, soft tip, tack an ball peen are always handy.
7) A good quality cordless drill combo kit will serve your well. I have several but if I were to choose one it would be my Makita 18 volt Lithium ion drill/impact/flashlight combo. It is the right balance of power and weight and has never let me down.

I could go on but in my view good tools are an investment that will serve you well for many years. As your skills improve you will pick up more tools as projects present themselves. Any good project usually deserves at least one new tool. My work shop is a testimony to that statement. My wife would agree. Take care of your tools and they will serve you well for many years and give you pleasure as you accomplish your tasks.

Enjoy your new tools,

Doug

 

[AlanL]

Don't forget a set of combination wrenches:

And Vise Grip locking pliers:

 

[nickelsig229]

I don't know how much respect Ryobi gets, but I purchased one of those 18v drill/skill/sawzall kits 10 years ago. I spent 5 years building homes and doing additions or remodeling with these tools on a daily basis. I'm always looking for an excuse to use them.

The peg board is an excellent suggestion. If your starting fresh, organize your work space and go for the plastic 16/16 squares. Not the 8x8 sheets. If one breaks, and they will eventually, its easy to replace a 16 inch tile, then have to replace an 8 foot piece. I suggest 1/4 inch pegs too. Along these lines I also suggest you make or purchase a solid, heavy bench top. Having a sturdy table to work on makes life easy. I can't tell you how many times I knocked over work horses or vibrations from a crappy table ruined my day.

I would buy a quality set of basic tools. Paying a little more for something that will last forever and be more comfortable will actually save you money in the long run. Not all tools are equal either. You can buy a 50 pc craftsman screwdriver set for 30 dollars, or a 5 piece craftsman screwdriver set for 30 dollars. There is a difference. I prefer a good name brand, but even with in that name brand I make sure I'm spending my money on a quality tool, not just the branding.

Don't be tricked with the socket set's. I purchased one of the larger laser etched craftsman kits, and though its a great quality it's a bit of a rip off. To pad the number of pieces they give you a lot of other lower quality pieces, like torx bits, screwdriver pits and allen keys. They also will give you sockets with 5/8/12 pts but they are the same size. Save your money and buy a smaller kit, with a wider range of socket sizes and use the savings to buy the individual sockets that aren't included in the set.

I had the benefit of having a large variety and number of hand tools when I started my shop. I could jump right into things like compressors, drill press, scroll saw and things like that. But I would suggest to anyone just starting out, if you want to get a good base, start with hand tools. There are a lot that you might overlook, and you fill in later as needed.

When I start any job, be it electrical, remodeling, fixing or some type of installation. I get my tools ready and if there is one I need, I go and buy it. After a couple of years you'll be surprised how nice your shop looks with all the tools, and tools you actually use, organized and ready to work.

As far as brands. keep in mind that even some trusted name brand tools have lower quality less expensive lines that they contract out. Any name brand you can get a home depot including their husky line is good. Craftsman name brand is the same on their quality items and their economy items so make sure you look at the build quailty when buying.

 

[M80]

DEWALT 12" (305mm) Double-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw and Bosch Gravity-Rise Wheeled Miter Saw Stand.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_122915-70-DW718_4294857521_4294937087_?productId=1007585
http://www.lowes.com/pd_271911-353-T4B_0__?productId=3260096

 

[krevo]

Thanks for all the advice gents. I'm actually picking up the following items today.

- Bosch Impactor 18v Impact Driver. Has drill driver and impact driver functionality. (cordless)
- Milwaukee Sawzall (corded)
- 6 pack of C Clamps
- A chisel set and punch set


Already have the socket set/combo wrenches from Craftsman.

 

[evandood]

I agree with all, I would add, large t square for marking 4 x 8 anything. 10 inch table saw, basic router set up. Irwin quick clamps, bosch Jig saw. Take the time to build yourself a nice work bench, and keep that area for yourself. I use tons of bell jars for my screws etc. I also down the line would buy a nice air compressor, and a basic nailgun for finishing nails.

 

[_JP_]

Tell me, gents, what else do I need?

What are you going to work on?

I buy tools as I find a need for them.

 

[DeusVult]

Irwin quick clamps

How did I forget clamps?? I've never got enough or the right kind for the job I'm doing it seems. Buy some clamps!

 

[krevo]

What are you going to work on?

I buy tools as I find a need for them.

My cousin builds sheds, decks, stone patios, and other backyard addons for a living. We're going to start a deck in the next month.

The impact driver will definitely help with that, as will the sawzall. I need a miter box too though.

 

[Phog Allen]

I am probably not a great one to recommend tools. I am a persnickety type with tools. Anal is more like it. I can give you what I use day in and day out as a commercial/industrial maintenance electrician(read; overkill for most homeowners). However, I would make this one caveat. Good electrical pliers make the jobs much easier. And no, you do not need a toolbox or toolbag full of them. Here is a list of a few I have full confidence in.

First up is the Knipex "combination" pliers. American brands call them "linesman" pliers with Klein being a big name. The image below shows the brand I use. Very pricey at nearly $40 per copy. Just insert 225 at the end of the model number. That last number corresponds to the length in millimeters(225mm ~ 9 inches). These are real overkill for most people but I wanted to show off what I use daily. Do NOT get the Channelock brand of this type of pliers. They do not cut for crap. And that is from DIRECT experience. By a Craftsman before you would those. These Knipex pliers will cut piano wire.

Screwdrivers. Brands are all over the place but I use and like Klein cushion grips. They really do not cost all that much and are chrome plated and nicely cushioned and mine just work and work and work. No complaints. The nutdrivers are the same style. Great stuff.

Water pump or "channelock" style adjustable pliers. Now I will likely get flayed by the channelock guys but I find they don't hold a candle to the Knipex Cobra line. I have the 7" and will be getting the ten or twelve inch model to go with them. There is also their Alligator model but the button adjustment of the Cobras makes them beyond handy. And the jaw design makes them get tighter the more you twist whatever it is you are holding. I have seen nothing like them. A bit higher priced but WELL WORTH IT. Do not scrimp here. The seven inch models correspond to 180mm length.

And last but not least, particularly in cost, is my latest lustful item. The Veto ProPac. I cannot scrape together the dough for one and I don't want to drop the money without trying one first but I have come close to pulling the trigger for one of these babies for awhile. Unless you like dropping 100 plus dollars on a tool bag you may want to just look at this one for awhile. I still can't get myself to do it. This would be more of a Tim Allen purchase even with my needs. It doesn't mean I wouldn't do it in a heartbeat of the funds were available.

I am sure you will get some great recommendations in this thread. There are some very knowledgeable and talented gents here. They will steer you right.

Regards, Todd

 

[krevo]

Those Knipex channellocks look amazing.

My attitude towards buying anything is always splurge when you get a chance, and a little overkill never hurt anyone It's usually because I like to buy stuff that won't breakdown when it's put to good use.

 

[cdustercc]

+1 on the Knipex pliers. They used to have a model before the cobra that you didn't have to push the button on the pivot pin to adjust sizes. I liked them a litte better because they had more range of motion. The Knipex pliers are so good that if adjusted properly, you could place them on a pipe or nut and release them with the handles at a 45 degree angle and they would stay attached by themselves! Just the effect of gravity on the top handle was enough for them to grip their own weight!

If you are getting Sears gift cards, check their website often for tool sales. They sometimes have very deep discounts. I have seen them put tools on sale for less than what people were selling used stuff for on craigslist.

 

[Rivguy]

When it comes to tools I have always found that paying extra for good quality always pays dividends. I think that you will find that you will reach for your impact driver on a regular basis when building projects. I have found that Milwaukee shockwave bits are the best and worth the few extra dollars. The kit that includes Phillips, Roberts (square) and torx in several sizes is under $20.00.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[DE Shaver]

My friend also swears by Ryobi but I'm a DeWalt fan myself.

 

[_JP_]

My cousin builds sheds, decks, stone patios, and other backyard addons for a living. We're going to start a deck in the next month.

The impact driver will definitely help with that, as will the sawzall. I need a miter box too though.

If you're sinking some supports for it then don't forget the post hole digger and a spud bar. For the digger, make sure the handles are very solid. I've broken a fairly expensive one that had handles of some kind of man made substance. You really don't need an impact driver for a deck, just a half inch drill with a lot motor behind it.

 

[elkaholic]

I don't know about Lowes and Home depot, but when you're at Sears, check out their "clearance" tools section. Sometimes you can get a great multi-piece set at a good price because it is missing one or two items. then you can decide if you really need to replace the missing ones.

They seem to always have an ex-display Shopvac or three there, as well.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

I have a Craftsmen "big red toolbox" mechanic's set, with just about everything. That said, Klein tools are GREAT---their linesman's pliers/cutters are an industry standard. Visegrip brand for vise grips, Channelock brand for channel locks, can't go wrong there either.

In power tools, as someone who worked in construction (framing carpenter) for many years, I make the following recommendations without hesitation, depending on how serious you want to get:

Circular saw: Skilsaw worm drive. Don't mess around! Worm drives are heavier and more expensive, but last forever, let you watch the blade on the cutline, and allow you to crosscut a sheet of plywood in one pass.

Jigsaw: Bosch. Period. The top of the line one.

Reciprocating saw: Porter Cable. Will cut circles around a Sawzall all day. I should know, my last foreman had a Sawzall and borrowed my Porter Cable constantly.

Miter saw: Makita. Well made and accurate.

Drills: Milwaukee. Hammer drills, same answer. The Hole Hawg, if you ever have need of it, is worth every penny.

That said, as a teacher and homeowner, rather than homebuilder now, I love my Ryobi 18 volt lithium cordless power tools. Plenty of power (nearly equal to corded tools, actually) and the battery fits a huge range of tools, from drills to jig, reciprocal, and circular saws, even flashlights. Handy as all get out, very well made, and all the average homeowner will EVER need.

NANP™