47 replies to this topic

[7 VII 7]

To all the home owners/home renters.

Wife and I are closing in May and we are starting to get a hefty list together of what items we need right now, can wait on and nice to have. One of the biggest things for me is tools. I am not looking for tools to make a wall in our place or to cut crown molding (yet), I am looking for drills, lights, weed wackers, lawn mowers and other misc items.

Just seeing what people like, are using and what to avoid.

I do have a shed that is wired for electricity and has lots of space.

Thanks!

[gdizzle]

I've owned milwaulke, bosch, dewald, mikita, and hitachi drills, and I love my hitachi. I've had major issues w/ all of the others, so far so good w/ my Hitachi. I've smoked it twice and it still keeps on rocking.

Essentials you'll need if you're a DIY'er:
Cordless Drill
Circular Saw
Working Surface
Miter Saw

Those four items can get you through most of your jobs.

As for lawn mowers, you looking for riding or push mowers? Like anything, you get what you pay for.

[Mesoam]

Always been a fan of Porter Cable, no huge projects for me but enough to keep it busy through the year. Also important is also a good set of bits

[Ghost Shadow]

DONT BUY A LAWN MOWER OR ANY LAWN EQUIPMENT stuff.

Wait till next year, hire a landscaper to do the lawn first. You have enough stuff to do right now. Next year then get into the lawn. You might find out that you dont want to do the lawn, You might find out you bought all the wring stuff. SO dont do it yet.

You need to have a place to store the mower or tractor and all the stuff associated with the lawn.

Life is busy enough, especially with a new move and getting settled.

[VolvoForLife91]

Snapper lawnmower + Husqvarna or Echo 2-stroke equipment.

[Honeyman]

In the tool world you get what you pay for... don't go cheap. Also, when it comes to Lowe's and other huge stores, know that the Husqvarna you get from there is not as beefy as one you would get from an actual dealer. They can sell it cheaper because of scale volumes, but also because the parts are not as heavy.
I've got alot of DeWalt tools, both corded and 18v, and they seem fine for the average bear. Porter Cable, Milwaukee also are the way and will last a homeowner a lifetime. I have steered clear of the Japanese stuff for a while, but know that they have come a long way as well. I like Stihl and Husq for outdoor stuff. Congrats on the new place!

[matt b]

I agree with the lawn mower thing, skip it and pay some neighborhood kid $20 to come it for you.

I've stuck with Dewalt, and the drill I use is the XPR version. Other than that, lots of hand tools and plenty of wood working equipment. As you build up your tool list, think of areas to store and organize. You'll be happy later when a simple 20 minute repair doesn't turn into a 20 minute search for a tool followed by a 20 minute repair. I have screws in dedicated boxes, all paint equipment on one shelf, all woodworking stuff on another rack, etc....

[7 VII 7]

I have a tool/storage shed in the back yard. It already has peg-board with hangers and shelves. It also has a loft area on both sides to store stuff up top (boxes, etc).

Yeah I think paying $40 a month for a lawn mowing service might be good for a bit. I would love if I found a place to do it for $20 a month but I doubt that in our area.

[scumcity14]

$40 a month is a good price for a pro job with edging. A yard your size (looking at your pics) we'd charge @$30 per cut/30 cuts per year.

I agree with above, don't buy cheap tools. (harbor freight power tools..junk) You will always need them and it will be nice to just always have them. Never hurts to buy good used ones too..get the same stuff for 1/2 the price or get something much better for the same price.

Some of this you may have

Like Greg said Good cordless drill is probably the most useful, along with a Miter saw and a Circular saw..I prefer Milwaukee BUT most of my Milwaukee tools are older and USA made, so I don't know about newer stuff.. I also like Bosch. For me it depends on the tool as to what brand I buy anyway..I own tools from most good companies..
Basic hand tools..Hammer, screwdrivers, tape measure, multi-meter that does AC. Good paintbrushes (Purdy are my favorite..keep them clean and you'll have them a long time).
A pipe wrench, channel locks and other pliers, wire cutters/strippers, a couple of scrapers (removing wallpaper, repairing drywall) Good set of bits for your drill...

Edited by scumcity14, 10 April 2012 - 11:25 PM.

[andyb5]

I have some Porter Cable tools (cordless drill+circular saw+ jig saw+sawzall) and I'm pretty happy with them, no complaint 2+ years after purchase. Dewalt makes extremely nice tools, can't go wrong with anything they sell.

Unless your shed is insulated, don't leave power tools out there year round unless you want oxidation to form on everything.

[scumcity14]

I have some Porter Cable tools (cordless drill+circular saw+ jig saw+sawzall) and I'm pretty happy with them, no complaint 2+ years after purchase. Dewalt makes extremely nice tools, can't go wrong with anything they sell.

I have a Porter Cable table saw that I really like...very accurate for a "cheap" saw. (I say cheap compared to a US made Delta etc..)

Quality on some of DeWalt tools has gone down recently, but for a homeowner they are still very good.

Any of the Major brands will be pretty decent for a homeowner/handyman...

Ryobi is functional, but not great. Spend a few bucks more it's worth it.

[Serge]

Big fan of Dewalt XRP cordless tools. You can also check our garage sales and estate sales. Often times you can find some good quality corded tools, stuff that'll last a lifetime.

[Ghost Shadow]

Dave, i use coldless all day everyday. I have switched from dewalt to milwalkee.

Dewalt batteries suck, dewalts are heavy, dewalts batteries suck...did i saw dewalt batteries suck and they are heavy? LOL

I use two Milwalkees on a day to day basis, one flashlight, one m12 battery and two m12 high capacity batteries

Bought a 2410-22 with a m12 battery because the body is smaller than a 2610-22 and it can use the existing batteries we aready have.
I have a VSR 3/8" drill driver and a compact driver. dont get sucked in with the hammer drill stuff, you will never need it in average household duties.

They carry a 5 year warranty on the equipment and batteries!

of course with all these recommendations, you should goto home depot or lowes and test drive them aka touch and feel what works best for you. XRP stuff does not work daily for me, too heavy and big.

[POSTITSORGTFO]

Milwakee or Mikita

[NEU]

I got the Rockwell 3rill, impact, drill and driver all in one. Not bad, compact and light weight. Great battery life and exchange program. It's good enough to get thru most jobs and if I need something better I'll just pull out my old corded drill, impact gun. I was going to get Rockwells oscillating tool, but ended up with a Fien Multimaster. I also own corded DeWalt angle grinder, B&D drill, Craftsman impact gun. You can get good deals on those type of things used on Craigslist, I'd stay way from used cordless stuff only cause you don't know how good the battery is...

And you know my take on the lawn stuff.. If you are going to do it yourself your lawn seems like a good size for a reel mower (it's good exercise ) and they are cheap or get electric. I won't mess with a gas mower if you don't need it... Like I said too much hassle (another motor to upkeep) and gas ain't getting any cheaper... I've got a Homelite electric weedwacker I paid $30 at HD and it works great and I can edge my sidewalk with it too. I've got a gas trimmer but haven't used it since I've owned the electric. I have a 100' extension cord on a hose reel to get power to every corner of my property. If you are going to get a gas mower get the kind that is like a zero turn (caster wheels in front). And your lawn is flat enough that self propelled isn't really needed... If you want a riding mower I might be willing to part with my John Deere SX95 so I can upgrade to a Deere F525!

[Overboost850]

Like the lawn question and suggestions, the tools all depend on if/when/what you are going to use them for. You could buy the best miter saw available butif you are only going to use it twice to cut some crown molding, do you really need it? If you really think you are consistently going to get into DIY building projects then by all means buy your tools and buy the best you can afford. If you only have a couple projects lined up consider renting. I personally have a ton of tools because I act as the family handyman as well as a hobby-grade woodworker. Most of my tools are Dewalt and I have had no issues with any of them (Mother used to work for Black and Decker = discount). They have been purchased by Stanley and I have not bought anything from them since, so no clue about current tool quality.

12" miter saw (bevel important, sliding is nice)
Best quality cordless drill you can afford (consider other cordless tools you want and try to maintain battery compatability if possible to reduce overall cost)
7.25" circular saw (consider cordless)
Reciprocating saw (consider cordless)
oscillating tool (have found very useful over the past few years)
Greg hit the nail on the head (pun intended) that you need a good work surface - scour CL for a workshop table (i like metal tops but not practical for everyone)
Electrical voltage tester
plumbing repair tools (pipe wrench, teflon tape, plumbers putty, etc)
Good set of hand tools including a nice hammer, rubber mallet, and 4-5lb sledge

That would be a great start for the average DIY but you add specialty tools as you go along. I really didn't include much as far as electrical goes because unless you know what you are doing I do not want to encourage DIY electrical work other than changing a switch here and there (it's not rocket science but can get you into trouble if you do it wrong)

B

[Honeyman]

Make sure you consider getting a "sawz-all" (reciprocating saw) , too, Dave. It builds, demos, and is good for automotive as well. Yesterday it was "pruner".

[gdizzle]

I agree with ghost shadow on the dewalt batteries. Here in the shop we started with Dewalts. Went through a countless number of batteries and drills because the clutches kept burning up in them. Then we switched to Milwaukee, batteries caught on fire from rapid charging. Then moved to Makita, clutches failed. We use the shit out of drills in the shop.

Like scumcity said though, brand for me is tool dependent. I own portercable, hitachi, dewalt, bosch, milwaulkee, dremel, etc. But in terms of cordless drills, i'll never own another dewalt. My drills also have to have a ratcheting jacobson chuck. I can't stand a POS chuck.

As for aquiring tools, I've been a homeowner for over ten years now, and started with a circular saw, cordless drill, hammer drill, and a miter saw. Since then, I've only bought things on a needed basis as projects come and go.

[POSTITSORGTFO]

I agree with greg no sense buying tools you dont need now.
Buy them per project and only if you see using it more then once espcially the more expensive stuff.

Alot of the 1-2 project tools you can rent and be better off.

[MGD1]

Look for sales on stuff you don't need yet. Here in Canada, Canadian Tire usually has what I call "real" sales like 30-60% off on a regular basis. None of this $5 off on a $600 tool! Lawn service and snow plow service is nice to have, definitely makes life easier if you are busy (our twins were born at xmas, plow guy was a god send!). Ultimately as every one has said, you get what you pay for 90% of the time. Hilti makes nice cordless stuff, I find DeWalt reliability has been slipping alot over the last few years.

Top common stuff for me is a good shop vac and pancake compressor.