There are a lot of common problems that occur at your home-like leaky faucets, loosened hinges, crooked cabinets or you simply want to hand your frame.
In such a case you need to get a bit handy so that you can start taking control of simple repair jobs around your home.
For that, you need to have a set of tools that you help you confidently tackle any small issues that arise in and around your house. It is easy enough to fix them once you’ve got the essential tools on hand.
It can be a hard decision to choose the best combination of tools for your home. You might be doubtful about spending on certain tools.
Most people do own basic tools like hammers and screwdrivers but are ignorant about having any other tools.
So, in this article, we will discuss all the tools you must have at your home. It is definitely worth investing in to accomplish the most essential home repair jobs.
It is very easy to get overwhelmed with the huge variety of tool types, sizes, and prices to choose from.
Therefore, I have mentioned only the essential tools you must have at your home to tackle small projects and repairs. Over time, you can grow your collection based on requirements but make sure to get these first.
Let’s get started.
Tools You Must Have
1. Screwdrivers
A screwdriver is a tool that is manual or powered. It consists of a handle and a shaft ending in a tip that is hardened to resist wear.
It is classified into different types by its tip which is shaped to fit the driving surfaces on the screw head.
Why you need it: You need a screwdriver for driving, removing, or simply tightening a loosened screw. It is a quick fix that can solve a lot of problems.
What you need: Out of the wide variety of screwdriver types, for basic home repairs you’ll need to have a Philips head screwdriver (Also called cross slot screwdriver) and a flat head screwdriver (also called slotted screwdriver).
The most common sizes that come in use are 1/8-inch tip flat-head, 3/18-inch tip flat-head, 0-inch tip Philips-head, and 2-inch tip Philips-head.
If you need to do a greater amount of work such as home improvement or DIY, you can go for a set with multiple replaceable heads or an electric screwdriver to finish work quicker.
2. Hammer
A hammer is a tool with a weighted head fixed to a long handle
Why you need it: You need a hammer for many purposes at your home. To drive nails into surfaces and to extract them, to break something – like nuts, for demolition work, etc.
What you need: There are many types of hammers for different purposes but for home use, a basic smooth-faced claw hammer would be sufficient.
Too light one wouldn’t be sufficient for all uses and too heavy a hammer is not required at home. So, you can opt for a medium-weight hammer.
Go for a hammer that has a comfortable grip. Opt for ones with metal handles or fiberglass instead of wooden ones for more durability.
Also if you have a backyard garden or are interested in home renovations, you can add a demolition hammer to your list.
3. Pliers
Pliers are hand tools that were developed from tongs in the Bronze Age to handle hot metal. They come in different forms and shapes used for a variety of purposes like gripping, bending, cutting, compressing, etc.
Why you need: You will need pliers for gripping, tightening, and loosening metal elements. Also, when you are doing electrical work you need to cut wire. In such a case, you will be needing a cutting plier.
What you need: Out of the tons of different pliers available, many of us get confused as to which plier to keep at home.
For basic home use, you can start with three basic types of pliers- needle nose pliers, combination pliers, and cutting pliers.
These three pliers will be good for all purposes and then you can add more as and when needed.
4. Wrenches
Why you need it: Every now and then you need to tighten nuts and bolts at your home. For that, you need to have a wrench.
What you need: Allen wrench, Open-end wrench, socket wrench, combination wrench, and adjustable wrenches are the five wrench that you must consider having in your home toolbox.
If you don’t want to buy all five of these, just go with a basic Allen wrench and an Adjustable wrench.
An Allen wrench is used for driving screws and bolts with hexagonal-shaped sockets which you would be using frequently to put together furniture and other home decor items.
An adjustable wrench is the most useful wrench you will have as you can change the size of the wrench depending on the size of the nut or bolt you are working with.
5. Utility Knife
A utility knife is any knife that is used for multipurpose works. These knives have fixed blades, foldable blades, or replaceable blades.
Why you need it: The utility knife is incredibly sharp and can be used for just about anything.
Cutting, slicing, or peeling fruits and vegetables, scraping hides, butchering animals, cleaning fish scales, reshaping wood, opening heavily taped bags and boxes, and cutting away carpet edges, for craft work are some of the works a utility knife can do from the list of many.
What you need: There are many types of utility knives available in different shapes and sizes. Blades are of three types- fixed, foldable, and replaceable blades.
It is generally recommended to go for a six-inch knife so that it will be feasible for any type of work. You can go for a knife with a fixed blade if you want more durability.
6. Hand Saw
Hand saws are essential for any toolbox. They are always right up there with hammers and pliers in most homes.
Why you need it: They are used to cut pieces of wood into different shapes and are the most commonly used tools for a range of general home improvement and maintenance projects.
They make clean and quick cuts in wood. Its accessibility, convenience and weight makes it the best option to go for.
What you need: There are many types of saws-rip saws, pull saws, keyhole saws, pruning saws, and the list goes on. But for home use, it would be sufficient enough to go for a rip-cut saw.
7. Measurement tape
Why you need it: A measurement tape is something you cannot skip In your tool list. Not just home repairs but hanging art and shelving, determining the fit of new furniture, and many more, a tape measure is right at the top of the tool list.
What you need: There are many types of tape measures, plastic ones, and metal ones. But for general purpose use or home use, you can go for a 16-foot or 25-foot tape measure with a 1-inch or 1/4-inch blade.
8. Stud Finder
Why you need it: This is an electronic handheld tool that helps you to find any nails or screws placed in the wall that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to find.
Some newer versions can also be able to locate wood and electrical wiring. This comes in handy when you are hanging shelves, and pictures on your walls, especially heavy items that require the additional support of a stud.
What you need: There are many varieties of stud finders available. But you are good to go with a basic electronic one.
9. Level
A spirit level also called a bubble level or simply level is used to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical by looking at the bubble position.
Why you need it: When you are doing your home improvements like securing a shelf into a wall or simply hanging a picture frame, you want to make sure that it is perfectly vertical and horizontal and not at an angle. For such purposes, you need to have a level.
What you need: There are many types of levels. But for home use, you can simply go for a standard carpenter’s level. Levels are made of wood, plastic, and metal. you can choose anyone for yourself depending upon your convenience.
10. Electric drill
Why you need it: When you want to hang something on the wall or you are making some repairs, you need to drill holes into the wall.
Having an electric drill will be convenient enough for you. Otherwise, you would have a struggling time making holes.
What you need: There are many types of electric drills on the market. Out of those many, a cordless power drill is one of the most versatile tools you can keep in your home.
Go for a 12-volt drill that works on a rechargeable battery and can be fitted with various types of drill bits.
11. Flashlight
Why you need it: A flashlight is something you cannot skip from your tool list. Although we have our smartphone lights, we still need a dedicated LED flashlight that doesn’t depend on whether you remembered to plug your phone.
It is useful for providing light when you are working in dark places.
What you need: You can get a medium-sized LED Light if you need a flashlight occasionally. But when you are working in the dark frequently it’s better to get a LED Headlamp.
12. Duct Tape
Why you need it: It is considered one of the essential tools. Duct tape can fix everything that can be fixed with tape by patching and repairing.
What you need: You can get a standard duct tape of 2-3 different colors so that it can match your requirements at any time you need them.
13. Scissors
Why you need it: It is a cutting tool that can be used for numerous purposes at home. For cutting milk pouches, cutting paper, thread, sachets, and gift wrap and endless jobs. In fact you need a scissor at home almost every day.
What you need: It is always preferable to have a set of scissors of two to three different sizes and to be used at different locations at home.
Conclusion
Now that you know which tools to keep at your home, it’s time to put that knowledge into action. Remember to read and follow all instructions while buying your tools.
All the tools that we have discussed are only the most important ones that must be kept in every home. So make sure you have them all so that they will help you in your emergencies and save you from many costs.
It’s very important to use tools with safety. So be sure to use protective gloves when using sharp tools.
FAQ: Tools You Must Have At Your Home
Many people do have doubts related to this. Here I am telling you so important questions that are frequently asked.
Q1. What Is The Best Way To Store Tools?
Ans: Tools should never be on the ground. Invest in a quality toolbox to carry your tools around the house or make some proper shelving for tools.
Q2. Which Company Handtools Are Best?
Ans: There are many tool manufacturers but Stanley Black and Decker, DeWalt, Craftsman, and Klein are among the top-selling brands.