A record of Go-to Hands-on Tools

Here it is, the much requested post about our go-to Hands-on tools for all of you folks who are asking Santa for something tool-ish this year (or trying to figure out what to buy a handy guy or gal in your life). None of the items in this list paid us or perked us for the mentions, they are simply in fact the tools that we use and enjoy on the regular. So without further ado, let us chat about the things that assist us get ‘er done….

We previously wrote this post about a few things that we fairly much cannot live without (any of which would make strong gifts/stocking stuffers), so here is a swift summary since we’d be remiss to leave them out:

• a hammer
• a crowbar
• a flat head screwdriver
• a phillips head screwdriver
• a tape measure
• plumber’s putty
• a hack saw
• a drywall saw
• clamps
• liquid nails
• plumber’s tape
• a box cutter

• an exacto knife
• straight razors
• channel lock pliers (these are our Hands-on MVPS, they come in handy for all sorts of things, even stripped screws and rusted pipes)
• wrenches of all sizes
• needle nosed pliers
• a level
• sandpaper
• caulk
• a caulk gun
• spackle
• a putty knife
• painter’s tape
• high quality rollers (they are labeled for smooth or textured surfaces – so pick the right one for your walls)
• mini foam rollers (strong for painting furniture and even cabinet doors)
• paint trays and drop cloths
• high quality angled brushes (here is my go-to paint brush ever)
• an assortment of nails and screws

If you have any questions about the items mentioned above, you can read way more on those specific small-ish tools right here. And for a breakdown of the items in the photo above, there is this post. And I’d say if you are staring at the screen saying “I cannot ask for/buy all of that stuff!” a cute gift idea might be grouping things that go together for a common project, like:

• a level
• a hammer
• some picture nails and anchors and screws
• some spackle and a putty knife (for filling in any mistakes along the way)

Or you could toss together a cute painting kit with:

• rollers
• brushes
• painter’s tape
• paint trays
• a drop cloth (heck you could even wrap everything up in the drop cloth and tie it sweetly with twine)

But now let us move on to the bigger guns – for anyone hoping to give (or receive) something with a little more power. Over the years we have tried some heavier artillery on for size…

… and let us simply say that power tools have a way of making us permasmile in that I-am-handy-hear-me-roar kinda way. So here are a few of our go-to staples (along with a swift bit about what we have used them for):

• • • a miter saw (pleasant for cutting crown molding and baseboard – but also for cutting fairly much any board less than 8″ wide – it makes swift, clean cuts, both angled or straight)
    • a wet saw (excellent for doing backsplash or bathroom tile – and even cutting patio pavers)
    • a table saw (strong for tackling large boards or planks of wood – especially when you need long straight cuts)
    • a reciprocating saw (pleasant for cutting out old dead bushes – it is sort of like a mini chainsaw)
    • a jigsaw (good for smaller, not perfectly straight cuts, like demo-ing out the built-in around our old fridge)
    • an electric sander (excellent for refinishing furniture or smoothing any wood you are using to build something from scratch)
    • a cordless drill and drill bit set (for drilling holes or screwing nearly anything together)
    • a Kreg Jig (for making pocket holes to create tight joints when doing any sort of wood working like building furniture or making shelves)
    • a demolition hammer (for demo-ing out nasty old tile stuck in metal mesh and mortar like we did in our first house’s bathroom – we in fact rented one at a home improvement store, which is a pleasant way to save money if you will not use something quite frequently – plus you do not have to store it)

So any of those folks would make for a strong gift. After all, a new bathroom/desk/wall o’ frames/kitchen/anything else you can make with those tools is right up there with any other “big” gift – at least according to Hands-on junkies like us. As for where we store everything, we have three large drawers in our kitchen full of small tools and paint supplies (right now sitting in our sunroom because we have yet to put the kitchen back together/reorganize) and we keep most of the big things (like the miter saw) in the basement.

Speaking of specific products and brands, we are sure there is more than one way to tick things off the ol’ to-do list, but here are the companies and some of the actual products that we use in our house on a regular basis:

• • • Stanley makes strong screwdrivers, tape measures, crowbars, box cutters, and mini sledgehammers
    • Craftsman makes strong hammers
    • Black & Decker makes strong cordless drills (we have this one)
    • Black & Decker also makes strong sanders (we have this one)
    • Frog Tape is the best painter’s tape we have ever used
    • Sherwin Williams stores sell this excellent short handled brush that we enjoy for painting trim
    • Purdy brushes and rollers (available at Home Depot & Lowe’s) are strong for nearly every painting project (we enjoy a good 2″ angled brush for cutting in & painting furniture and a pleasant good quality roller for walls & ceilings)
    • We have a Skilsaw table saw and a Skilsaw reciprocating saw
    • We got our wet saw at The Tile Shop
    • Our miter saw is made by Craftsman
    • Sears sells a set of wrenches that we have used for years
    • Grip Rite (available at Home Depot & Lowe’s) sells pleasant big boxes of screws, nails, anchors, etc
    • 3M sandpaper comes in a pleasant wide range (we like low grit versions, like 60-100, for deeper sandings and high grit alternatives, like 200-300, for smoothing things out for a wrapped up look)
    • Dap Caulk is our go-to brand (we get the white paintable “Premium Indoor/Outdoor Sealant” for most jobs and the “3.0 Advanced Kitchen and Bath Adhesive Caulk” also in white – which is not paintable but is ideal for caulking a tub, toilet, or sink).
    • We also enjoy Dap Fast ‘N Final Lightweight Spackle (for filling holes and all that good stuff – more on that here)

As you can see, we do not have a bunch of pricey DeWalt things – which is a pleasant reminder that you can gussy up your house without owning a $500 saw (and we also certainly believe in renting and borrowing anything that you can to get the job done). We do not want this crazy exhaustive list to sound defeating, so remember that we began fixing up our first house five years ago with a hammer, a screwdriver, and a paint brush. Das it. So we do not recommend trying to grab all of this stuff at once (ack, that would be crazytown). Simply think about what projects you might have on your priority list and grab one or two things as you can afford them to make things easier as you go.

Anyway, I hope Santa (or someone else) brings you everything on your list this year! Assuming you were good. If not… well, perhaps there are crafts you can do with coal? Oh and we’d enjoy to hear more about your take on which tools get the most use at your house. Do you have any life-changing ones that you cannot live without? Are there certain brands or products that have been especially helpful?

Psst- Once again for the people in the back: no items/companies in this post paid or perked us for the mention, we simply genuinely enjoy these tools and hoped to share ’em with anyone in need of some holiday handy-ness. Oh and we announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it is you.

Update: You can check out all of our go-to holiday decor finds here – many of which are under $15!