Must-Have Tools for any DIY Toolbox

Having a good DIY toolbox often starts off with a small investment on the part of a new and inexperienced homeowner and eventually over time grows as new projects need to be completed and repairs need to be made and your skill level improves. In this article we have put together a list of tools kits for all the DIY toolkits out there.

And remember that not a DIYer's toolkit is complete until it contains these basic tools.

Beginners DIY Toolbox

First of all it is important to know that you can fix almost anything with a good set of basic hand tools and some duct tape.

The Toolbox

A toolbox (also called tool chest or workbox) varies with the craft of the owner. The purpose of the toolbox is to organize, carry, and protect the owner's tools used for trade, hobby or DIY. Keeping your collection of tools; drivers, screws, and bolts in an easy-to-haul toolbox keeps things organized and clean. The large-capacity plastic box has a single metal latch that closes securely. A separate removable tray is great for assorted fasteners.

Screwdriver Set

A screwdriver is a tool for driving screws and rotating other machine elements with the mating drive system. The screwdriver is made up of a head or tip, which engages with a screw, a mechanism to apply torque by rotating the tip, and some way to position and support the screwdriver. The simple design of screwdrivers makes them the ideal tools to tighten small hardware, install light switches, or to crack open the lids on metal paint cans. A 10-piece set includes all the common slotted and Phillips-head sizes, as well as stubby versions to get into tight spots.

A Hammer

A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. The regular 16-ounce smooth-faced claw hammer has a nice mix of heft and versatility for driving nails into wood to hang your pictures and frames and putting together ready-to-assemble furniture. The curved claw is useful for pulling out the nails that get bent hammering.

Set of Pliers

Pliers are a hand tool used to hold objects firmly, for cutting, bending, or physical compression. Generally, pliers consist of a pair of metal first-class levers joined at a fulcrum positioned closer to one end of the levers, creating short jaws on one side of the fulcrum, and longer handles on the other side. A set of pliers is often used to replace old shower heads and fixtures, to slice wiring and to get a good grip on just about anything else.

Handsaw

In woodworking and carpentry, hand saws, also known as a "panel saw" or a "fish saw", are used to cut pieces of wood into different shapes. This is usually done in order to join the pieces together and create a wooden object. A basic handsaw is a lot less intimidating than a electrical power saw and is a lot faster to set up, a handsaw is good for trimming lumber or molding stock because it cuts on the pull and push strokes.

Adjustable Wrench

An adjustable spanner or adjustable wrench is a spanner (wrench) with a "jaw" of adjustable width, allowing it to be used with different sizes of fastener head (nut, bolt, etc.) rather than just one faster, as with a conventional fixed spanner. You need one to tighten and assemble a large variety of swing sets and appliances as well as almost any plumbing fixtures. A pair of Crescent wrenches with 6- and 10-inch-long handles is best. Opt for the longer handle when you need extra leverage to free a stuck nut; go for the shorter handle when space is tight.

Tape Measure

A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible form of ruler. It consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fiber glass, or metal strip with linear-measurement markings. Keep it on hand to measure anything from the wall area for a paint project to the thickness of lumber at the home center—where you'll learn that a 2x4 is not 2 by 4 inches at all.

Utility Knife

A utility knife (also known as a Stanley knife, boxcutter, X-Acto knife, or by various other names) is a cutting tool used in various trades and crafts for a variety of purposes. You'll be needing this tool again and again to open boxes, sharpen your pencils, mark mortises, and to shave off wood. If you spend a little more money upfront for one with a comfortable rubber-covered handle and built-in blade storage. Then you're more likely to pop in a fresh blade rather than forcing the knife with a dull blade.

Duc Tape or Duck Tape

Duc tape, also called duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. This Adhesive Tape is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape is not. Duct tape is often used for quick fixes around the house, this “super” sticky tape adheres to just about anything and has a thick, woven backing that is thicker than most rolls, yet easy rip to length.

Putty Knife

A putty knife is a specialized tool used when glazing single glazed windows, to work putty around the edges of each pane of glass. An experienced glazer will apply the putty by hand, and then smooth it with the knife. The putty knife is just the tool you need to spread a smidgen of spackling compound, reglaze a window, or scrape off paint or wallpaper. This one has a flexible 2-inch-wide blade

Flashlight

A flashlight (usually called a torch outside North America) is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode (LED). A rechargeable worklight or flashlight that you can leave plugged in, so you won't have to go looking for batteries every time you have to do some work inside a dark space.