D.I.Y Equipment
Toolkit Essentials
A hammer is an incredibly versatile tool that can be used in a variety of different ways. Brilliant for basic home repairs, a 16 ounce claw-headed hammer is essential. Perfect for hammering nails into place as well as removing them. The hammer itself is well suited to both delicate and heavy duty jobs due to how well weighted the hammer is.
Whilst the Phillips screws have quickly replaced flathead screws it is good to have both types of screwdrivers in your toolkit.
Flathead screwdrivers are incredibly useful and versatile. Whilst the older fashioned flat head screws are dropping in popularity, there are other uses for this type of screwdriver. Because the tip of the flathead is thinner, and of course flat, it can be used to gently pry things open, as nudging something into or out of place.
The Philips screwdriver has very quickly replaced the Flathead screwdriver. This is because the type of screw you use has a shallow, cross shaped impression that allows for more force to be applied. The shape of the screw and the screwdriver forces the screwdriver out of the screw before any damage to the screwhead can be made.
An adjustable wrench is a great item to have in your toolkit. Most items that aren’t screwed into place are typically held in by a nut or bolt. An adjustable wrench is perfect in this situation as it adjusts to fit to the size of the nut/bolt.
The two types of wrenches you’ll typically find in a toolkit are the crescent wrench and the socket wrench.
The crescent wrench is brilliant due to its sliding jaw. This allows you to use the wrench for a variety of different sized nuts and bolts.
The socket wrench is better suited to larger projects that require more work. This wrench has a ratcheting mechanism that will allow for the user to continually tighten the nut/bolt without having to repeatedly remover the wrench after each turn.
Pliers are another set of incredibly useful tools. When your doing a D.I.Y job, you’ll tend to find that you may need to hold onto something to apply pressure, remove the item or tighten the item. Pliers make this easier, allowing you to apply more pressure and giving you a stronger grip.
There are several types of pliers that you’ll find in a toolkit. The two types of pliers that are more commonly used are needle-nosed pliers and vise grip pliers.
Needle nosed pliers excel at getting into small gaps that you can’t get your fingers into. Perfect for any electrical work you may be doing.
Vice grip pliers are another brilliant addition to anyone’s toolkit. These pliers have an adjustable jaw that can be resized as well as a lever that locks the jaws into place. Perfect for a job that requires you to use a lot of force.
This is one of the most versatile and useful pieces of equipment in the toolkit. Dependent on how powerful the drill it, it is able to drill holes into most places around the house as well as efficiently screw in Philips and Flatheaded screws (with the right attachments).
A drill with around 12-Volts is one of the more versatile models, especially if it is cordless. For more heavy duty jobs you’ll want an 18-Volt drill or a 20-Volt drill. The 18-Volt drill is the best of both worlds. It’s lighter than the 20-Volt drill but has power that is almost equal to the 20-Volt drill.
The Utility Knife can be one of the most valuable additions to you’re toolkit. Handy for many jobs, the Utility Knife is a sharp knife, but also the safest kind as the blade is normally stored in the handle. This making it less likely you’ll cut yourself.
A Swiss Army Knife is also an incredibly useful tool to have. For anyone unfamiliar what a Swiss Army Knife, it is a multi-tool that has a blade and a large variety of other tools inside it E.G. screwdriver, saw, can opener, scissors etc. The blade in the Swiss Army Knife isn’t as sharp as the blades that would normally come with the Utility Knife
As with any D.I.Y Jobs, measurements are incredibly useful and a must. Possibly one of the most used tools on any job, a good tape measure is essential for almost every D.I.Y job!
A tape measure with a locking and retracting mechanism would be one of the best ones to buy. The reason for this being that you can feed out the tape steadily without having to hold it down. The tape can also be retracted at the push of a button.
Some D.I.Y jobs will take place somewhere that doesn’t have very good lighting. This is why a flashlight would be an essential part of you’re toolkit. If you’re working in a dimly lit room or having to look into a dark gap, a flashlight is indispensable and invaluable.
Toolkit Essentials
A hammer is an incredibly versatile tool that can be used in a variety of different ways. Brilliant for basic home repairs, a 16 ounce claw-headed hammer is essential. Perfect for hammering nails into place as well as removing them. The hammer itself is well suited to both delicate and heavy duty jobs due to how well weighted the hammer is.
Whilst the Phillips screws have quickly replaced flathead screws it is good to have both types of screwdrivers in your toolkit.
Flathead screwdrivers are incredibly useful and versatile. Whilst the older fashioned flat head screws are dropping in popularity, there are other uses for this type of screwdriver. Because the tip of the flathead is thinner, and of course flat, it can be used to gently pry things open, as nudging something into or out of place.
The Philips screwdriver has very quickly replaced the Flathead screwdriver. This is because the type of screw you use has a shallow, cross shaped impression that allows for more force to be applied. The shape of the screw and the screwdriver forces the screwdriver out of the screw before any damage to the screwhead can be made.
An adjustable wrench is a great item to have in your toolkit. Most items that aren’t screwed into place are typically held in by a nut or bolt. An adjustable wrench is perfect in this situation as it adjusts to fit to the size of the nut/bolt.
The two types of wrenches you’ll typically find in a toolkit are the crescent wrench and the socket wrench.
The crescent wrench is brilliant due to its sliding jaw. This allows you to use the wrench for a variety of different sized nuts and bolts.
The socket wrench is better suited to larger projects that require more work. This wrench has a ratcheting mechanism that will allow for the user to continually tighten the nut/bolt without having to repeatedly remover the wrench after each turn.
Pliers are another set of incredibly useful tools. When your doing a D.I.Y job, you’ll tend to find that you may need to hold onto something to apply pressure, remove the item or tighten the item. Pliers make this easier, allowing you to apply more pressure and giving you a stronger grip.
There are several types of pliers that you’ll find in a toolkit. The two types of pliers that are more commonly used are needle-nosed pliers and vise grip pliers.
Needle nosed pliers excel at getting into small gaps that you can’t get your fingers into. Perfect for any electrical work you may be doing.
Vice grip pliers are another brilliant addition to anyone’s toolkit. These pliers have an adjustable jaw that can be resized as well as a lever that locks the jaws into place. Perfect for a job that requires you to use a lot of force.
This is one of the most versatile and useful pieces of equipment in the toolkit. Dependent on how powerful the drill it, it is able to drill holes into most places around the house as well as efficiently screw in Philips and Flatheaded screws (with the right attachments).
A drill with around 12-Volts is one of the more versatile models, especially if it is cordless. For more heavy duty jobs you’ll want an 18-Volt drill or a 20-Volt drill. The 18-Volt drill is the best of both worlds. It’s lighter than the 20-Volt drill but has power that is almost equal to the 20-Volt drill.
The Utility Knife can be one of the most valuable additions to you’re toolkit. Handy for many jobs, the Utility Knife is a sharp knife, but also the safest kind as the blade is normally stored in the handle. This making it less likely you’ll cut yourself.
A Swiss Army Knife is also an incredibly useful tool to have. For anyone unfamiliar what a Swiss Army Knife, it is a multi-tool that has a blade and a large variety of other tools inside it E.G. screwdriver, saw, can opener, scissors etc. The blade in the Swiss Army Knife isn’t as sharp as the blades that would normally come with the Utility Knife
As with any D.I.Y Jobs, measurements are incredibly useful and a must. Possibly one of the most used tools on any job, a good tape measure is essential for almost every D.I.Y job!
A tape measure with a locking and retracting mechanism would be one of the best ones to buy. The reason for this being that you can feed out the tape steadily without having to hold it down. The tape can also be retracted at the push of a button.
Some D.I.Y jobs will take place somewhere that doesn’t have very good lighting. This is why a flashlight would be an essential part of you’re toolkit. If you’re working in a dimly lit room or having to look into a dark gap, a flashlight is indispensable and invaluable.