What Hands-on Tools Do You Use Most? Any Go-tos?

Q: Hello Youngsters. As I read about all the projects you tackle around your house, I find myself wondering whether you have a gigantic toolbox, or if in fact there are simply a small handful of tools that you use on a regular basis. Do you have a few essentials you’d recommend to any DIYer? Are there any tools that you do not have, but find yourself wishing for? Thanks! -Chris

A: We will admit up front that we are extremely weird about storing our go-to tools. We in fact keep many of them in a few of our kitchen drawers. Betcha did not see that one coming. Even our installer thought we were crazy when I told him the cabinet base to the left of the stove would be solely devoted to screwdrivers, paint rollers, nails, anchors, sandpaper and other home improvement essentials. But it truly works for us and everything is über organized thanks to four whole drawers of sorted-by-theme gadgets and gizmos.

I do not know why I feel so ashamed to admit it, but our tool drawers truly do look like that all the time. I guess I should be proud, but I feel a bit obsessive. It is simply that we are consistently doing something around the house so it is easier to grab things and get to work when we know where they are. Oh and simply in case you are wondering, here is the per drawer breakdown:

• The top drawer is full of screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, pliers, a box cutter, a tape measure, and more.
• The second drawer is where we keep nails, anchors, screws, hooks, and other hardware-ish items.
• The third drawer is full of sandpaper, caulk, duct tape, plumber’s putty, wood glue, cable ties, putty knives, liquid nails, etc.
• The bottom drawer (which is twice as deep) is where we store tons of painting supplies like brushes, rollers, paint trays, painter’s tape, and stir sticks.

We also previously wrote this post about our all-time go-to tools, but to summarize it we in short cannot live without: a hammer, a crowbar, a flat head screwdriver, a tape measure, a phillips head screwdriver, plumber’s putty, liquid nails, plumber’s tape, a box cutter, an exacto knife, straight razors, channel lock pliers, wrenches of all sizes, needle nosed pliers, a level, a cordless drill, sandpaper, caulk, a caulk gun, spackle, a putty knife, painter’s tape, high quality angled brushes, and an assortment of nails and screws (read way more on that subject right here).

Since then we have also tried some heavier artillery on for size (like a rented demolition hammer to rip up our old tile floor, a borrowed wet saw and miter saw from my dad for putting the bathroom back together, and a circular saw along with some fairly strong hole cutting bits for our drill).

And I must admit that bigger tools truly do make me feel infinitely more manly. In fact I’d be willing to bet that the amount of amps or volts that you have in your hand is directly proportional to your testosterone level, so it is certainly worth renting, borrowing, or buying something along those lines to truly feel like a home improvement god (even simply for a few hours before it is due back to its rightful owner). And this empowerment perk carries over to the ladies too. Sherry never has a bigger smile on her face than when she’s using some heavy duty tool and telling that wood/tile/drywall who is boss.

So along the “what tools do not you have but wish for” vein, I’d never turn down my own miter saw, wet saw, or demolition hammer although I realize that I’d likely have to store these bigger folks in our attic or out in the garage so there is something pleasant and plain about renting or borrowing them when we need ’em instead. Oh and items like our sander, our two cordless screwdriver, and a few caulk guns are kept in hidden storage space above our washer and dryer (behind our bamboo blinds) so they are still on hand but out of sight.

And everyone knows I enjoy my Kreg Jig. That is likely the one item that I would name my “tool of the year” since it has single-handedly helped me build shelves for the nursery, a two person desk for the office, and even a storage shelf that slides under the desk for organizing our files.

Speaking of specific products and brands, we are sure there is more than one way to get ‘er done 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 William’s 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 other painting project (we enjoy a good 2″ angled brush for cutting in & painting furniture and a pleasant good quality roller for walls & ceilings).
• 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 makes a wide range of sandpaper (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 CrackShot spackle (for filling nail holes and all that good stuff)

So there you have an in depth rundown of the tools we have, where we keep ’em, the ones that make me feel the manliest, and the brands and particular products that Sherry and I prefer (none of which paid or perk’d us for this mention, they are simply in fact what we use here at Casa Petersik). As you can see we do not have a bunch of pricey DeWalt things – which is a pleasant reminder that you can spiff 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). Now go forth and build/paint/demo something!

But wait, first we’d enjoy to hear more about your tool sitch. Do you have any life-changing tools that you’d like to share? Any other brands or products that have done you right? Dish that tool time dirt.

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