Toolkit for a new DIY'er

[sebo]

Morning,

2010 is looking like the year of DIY in our house. If you were to recommend an off the shelf DIY'ers tool kit or some "must have" DIY tools, what would they be?

I presume:

- Aluminium step ladder
- Hammer
- Mallet
- Range of screw drivers, socket set
- Saws
- Work bench ?
- Paint brushes, rollers,
- Electric sander (is one of those B&D Mice things any good?)

I won't be doing any plaster work so should be fine for that.

I have bought all in one tool kits in the past for doing work on the car and possibly because of the price I paid (not allot) they tend to be a bit cr4p. Is it better to just buy all kit separately and go for the best available or just go for an all in one offering and save the cash to replace bits, as and when ?

[eps]

Spanners...

WD40...

B&D Mice - fine, but the cost of the replacement abrasives are eye wateringly expensive. Better to go for a standard shaped one, possibly half sized - I think even a De Walt half sized one isn't too expensive.. You can then use normal glasspaper, etc..

Drills, drillbits?

Saws, wood saw, tenon saw, hacksaw.

[garycat]

spirit level - you'll be suprised how much your DIY improves once you get one (or two)

[annodomini2]

eps said:

Spanners...

WD40...

B&D Mice - fine, but the cost of the replacement abrasives are eye wateringly expensive. Better to go for a standard shaped one, possibly half sized - I think even a De Walt half sized one isn't too expensive.. You can then use normal glasspaper, etc.. Personally would spend the money on a Dual action random orbital

Drills, drillbits? Possibly impact driver if you're doing structural

Saws, wood saw, tenon saw, hacksaw. coping saw

[eps]

garycat said:

spirit level - you'll be suprised how much your DIY improves once you get one (or two)

and a plane, if you're working with wood...

Edited by eps on Tuesday 22 December 12:19

[ln1234]

You're gonna fall into the trap of buying tools and then justifying them by finding some DIY that needs doing with them. Why not get a basic set and then add to your collection when required? Something like a screwdriver set, hammer, pliers, adjustable wrench should do it.

[GreenDog]

A first aid kit

[sebo]

annodomini2 said:

eps said:

Spanners...

WD40...

B&D Mice - fine, but the cost of the replacement abrasives are eye wateringly expensive. Better to go for a standard shaped one, possibly half sized - I think even a De Walt half sized one isn't too expensive.. You can then use normal glasspaper, etc.. Personally would spend the money on a Dual action random orbital

Drills, drillbits? Possibly impact driver if you're doing structural

Saws, wood saw, tenon saw, hacksaw. coping saw

Will look at alternatives (and their consumables) to the B&D mouse.

Thanks

[TOPTON]

GreenDog said:

A first aid kit

[Simpo Two]

Buy what you need as you need it. The tasks you do and the way you do them will be specific to you. At the moment you're trying to find solutions to problems you don't have.

[sebo]

Simpo Two said:

Buy what you need as you need it. The tasks you do and the way you do them will be specific to you. At the moment you're trying to find solutions to problems you don't have.

Fair point. I'll get the first aid kit in advance though as it may be a bit late once I need that "tool".

[Deva Link]

Simpo Two said:

Buy what you need as you need it. The tasks you do and the way you do them will be specific to you. At the moment you're trying to find solutions to problems you don't have.

I seem to quite often stuggle through a job, then buy the tool to do it, only to never need it again!

In the original list, if you're not doing car stuff then I don't think you'll need a socket set - can't think of anything I've used one for.

Get a good quality decent length tape measure, same for (already mentioned) spirit level - maybe a laser level these days as a long one is very useful but sometime too big in confined spaces.

Also something to detect wires and pipes etc buried in walls.

Tool I probably use most around the house is one of those little Bosch Ixo electric screwdrivers - about £20. Stays charged when not in use which is handy. Mine came in a kit with about 10 bits which cover most jobs but the really useful one has a square end and fits Ikea screws so makes assembling their stuff effortless.

[sebo]

Deva Link said:

Also something to detect wires and pipes etc buried in walls.

Useful piece of kit. Have borrowed a relative's in the past. Cheers.

[Shaolin]

Not mentioned so far that I use on nearly every job are:

Set square or combination square
Metal 12" ruler
Cordless drill/driver + decent bits for the driver - not a million piece set for a fiver, every one will be crap and last about 2 goes each
Jigsaw
Carpenters pencil - so much better than an ordinary one or biro or crayon you'll end up using instead

[Simpo Two]

Shaolin said:

Cordless drill/driver + decent bits for the driver - not a million piece set for a fiver, every one will be crap and last about 2 goes each

And a pack of security bits (£5 at Screwfix) so your DIY won't grind to a halt when faced with an Allen bolt or Torx head screw.

You also have to decide whether to buy quality tools or 'Happy Shopper'. If they're likely to be used many times and last many years, then buy quality. If however you only plan to use, say, an angle grinder once in 20 years, you may as well get a cheap one.

The powertool I have used most over 20 years, and is still working despite being hurled onto paving stones (twice) by an ex-bird having a tantrum, is a Black & Decker mains drill with variable speed and optional hammer action. Don't overlook corded powertools - they have more power and never run flat!

[loltolhurst]

i recently got a chisel and have been amazed how much i use it its ace and so much better than hitting a screwdriver with a hammer as i used to...

oh and i use a jigsaw for everything

quality over quantity is the best advice

Edited by loltolhurst on Tuesday 22 December 20:54

[jas xjr]

How about some clamps? I have a pair of the screw type g clamps but the ratchet type look easier to use

[Engineer1]

You want one corded powerdrill possibly even SDS, it is so much better than having to plan a day in advance to charge the battery use it then have to stop or swap the battery. Then a small 3.6v drill driver for fixing the little jobs, pilot holes in wood or tightening screws in tight places.

[Meeja]

Engineer1 said:

You want one corded powerdrill possibly even SDS, it is so much better than having to plan a day in advance to charge the battery use it then have to stop or swap the battery. Then a small 3.6v drill driver for fixing the little jobs, pilot holes in wood or tightening screws in tight places.

SDS is a good idea, but be careful about your budget. (Some SDS drills can be very expensive!)

If you DO go down the SDS route, be sure to get one with a rotary stop - that way you can use specific bits to turn your drill into an electric chisel. Superb for chopping out brick/block for backboxes for electric points etc.

[Simpo Two]

This shows that the tools you need depends entirely on what you want to do. I was a happy DIYer for 20 years doing all sorts of things before needing an SDS drill (to get wastepipes through exterior walls). If you want to chomp masonry or play roadmenders they're perfect, but IMHO far to heavy and clumsy for 95% of DIY tasks like drilling holes in timber. The heavier and more powerful the tool, the less feel you have.

So you have (in order of grunt): cordless - mains - SDS. So to start with, pick the middle one