the Top 10 DIY Tools for Home Improvement

[1] Pocket Knife No, it’s not a filthy, huge Rambo knife. However, this small, tough knife is ideal for cutting and carrying around on a daily basis. I prefer blades shorter than 75 millimeters (three inches) in length. In everyday use, anything more is, in my humble opinion, a waste. If your daily travels result in encounters with grizzly bears, you’ll need a larger knife.

[2] Small Screwdriver This all-purpose tool allows for a wide range of unimagined uses; Richard Sennett, “The Craftsman,” wrote, “I get my small screwdriver habit from my father, With my very own little red screwdriver, I’ve followed suit. I prefer the electrical model because I frequently use it to remove electrical covers and even live (don’t tell anyone) wires from the back of things when I’m too lazy to turn off the power (don’t try this at home, kids…).

[3] Measuring Tape Since I’ve mostly moved away from the bulkier “new build” side of construction, I now use a smaller 5 meter retractable tape. Even though I adore my laser measuring device, there is a small, unfounded trust issue. The accuracy of physical tape measures is just reassuring.

used for everything from setting up new walls to measuring blinds before cutting them down to size. Setting up new cabinets in a kitchen remodel or something more exciting like measuring things to see if they fit the space you have

[4] Flexible Scraper A perfect scraper is made with time, not money. After countless hours of use, even a cheap scraper can become a very useful and beautiful object. My razor-sharp edge is capable of getting into the tiniest of spaces and scraping up the smallest of objects. Although it isn’t quite as sharp as a knife, it is pretty close, and it has nicked me a few times when I wasn’t careful!

[5] The Pozidriv or PZ2 is probably the most widely used fastener on the planet. Because it is so readily available, it probably ought to be at the top of this list of DIY tools right away. woodworking to mechanical things. However, pozidriv is being pushed to the side by star drives, so this entry might one day become a T20 screwdriver! However, pozidriv will continue to exist for a very long time.

[6] Claw Hammer It’s time to hammer! showing my age now; if you were born after 2000 or so, search for it). My Estwing hammers are my favorite. They are works of art when new, but not so much after 25 years. However, they are still superb, if not unbeatable hammers. remarkably unbreakable and perfectly balanced.

Even if they’re a little “head heavy,” it’s possible that cheaper ones function just as well. One suggestion: don’t get one that’s too heavy at first. With the exception of heavy framing work, a hammer weighing 16 ounces or 450 grams is sufficient for most tasks. Your second one ought to weigh around 570g and weigh 20 ounces, if your budget permits.

[7] Pry Bar—the thin and wide variety It was a revelation to discover this variety of pry bar. sufficient to enter virtually any location. It is now simple to slip behind objects with the tiniest of gaps. Whatever you want to call them, regular pry bars, crowbars, or wrecking bars are big, bulky objects with thick ends. These are useful for removing large, rough materials, but not for removing small trims like architraves or skirting boards.

Remove objects with care using the slim bars. Lift things to slide them under, etc. Obviously, smaller nails can also be removed in two or three different ways. With a hammer, tap the opposite end to drive the thin, flat ends behind objects with no gaps. However, treat these smaller bars with caution. They are thin, and if you really go after it like a crazy man, you can bend the prongs.

[8] Pliers Pliers, pliers, what else can I say about them? A general wire cutter and a very useful “grabber” of things—not really a poor man’s spanner; use this only if you are stranded in the desert and no one is coming to help. With the cutting portion of the jaws, some designs even let you strip cable sheathing (though there are better tools for stripping wires).

[9] Heavy Duty Bead Lifter Before including the bead lifter on this list of the top ten DIY tools, I had to pause and consider my options. Why? The only “special” tool on the list is probably this one. You might even have to look for one. However, the heavy-duty bead lifter is one of those rare tools that you’ll wonder how you ever managed without, so I figured you’d be glad you made the effort.

The blade of a bead lifter is much thicker than that of the thickest paint scraper, and it cuts right through the tool. They probably don’t even have a proper handle; all they have are thick leather slabs that are riveted to the metal’s sides.

[10] Spirit Level Although it appears to have only just made it onto this list of the top 10 DIY tools, a spirit level has multiple applications and is an indispensable tool.

Start with a small one—I would forego the term “boat” in favor of something around 14 inches or 400 millimeters—for the time being. Despite its size, this is still compact enough to fit in your toolbox.