A post from an earlier blog, Handy Dandy Man
Flashlight. Two schools of thought here: get one that you can set down and shine where you need it, great if your under sinks, etc. or one that you can hold in your teeth. Or do what I've done and get a few - one for each occasion.
Circuit Tester. If you plan to do electrical work, this is a must. You can get a simple two-pronged tester that you stick into an outlet to see if the outlet is hot or not for about $2-$3. Of course, I prefer something more like the Fluke 1-AC11 Volt Alert. This great little tester can sense a live line even through the wire insulation. Just touch the tip to a wire, outlet, etc. and it will alert you to a live line. Great for trying to figure out which wires are live when you have a bundle of lines.
Hacksaw. Essential for cutting metal plumbing pipes and cutting any kind of metal rod or channel. What matters more here is the blade you use. I prefer Lenox brand blades for my hacksaws.
Adjustable Utility Knife. There are many out there: ergonomically designed, quick blade changing features, etc. A good one will run you about $4-$6. No need to go nuts here. Just make sure it's decent quality and that your blades are very good. Dull or cheap blades won't cut, just adding to your frustration and the likely-hood you might have an accident with the knife. ALWAYS cut away from your body.
File and Rasp. I keep what's called a 4-in-hand 10" rasp that is flat on one side and rounded on the other- rough on one end and finer on the other. I may not use it often, but it's good to have around when you need to take off "just a little bit."
Awl. Great for starting screws, marking drill holes, and starting drill holes so the bit won't slide. Also good for digging at or chipping things when necessary.
Torpedo Level. At the very least, you should have torpedo level for being certain that pictures hang evenly, etc. I have 4 levels: * A torpedo level * 2' level * 4' level * Line level Buying tip: Spend the extra money to buy the aluminum level. Plastic levels can warp and twist, causing thelevel to become useless.
Try Square. Any time you need to draw a straight line that is square or to check square on a piece that has been cut, or to be certain a corner is square, you'll want to have a try square. If you have the budget, a framing square can be valuable as well.
Miter Box and Miter Saw. If you plan to do any mitered cuts- baseboard, corner round, any molding, or picture frames, etc., then a miterbox and a good miter saw is important to have. You don't need anything incredibly expensive, but solidly built with a decent saw.
Caulk Gun/Caulk. I use a hex-rod caulk gun with a tip cutter and a hole puncher. I also keep a tube or two of latex-based caulk with silicone in both white and clear, and several tubes of Liquid Nails on hand.
Collection of Fasteners. This includes some 6d nails, 1-1/4" coarse drywall screws, 2" x #10 pan-head metal screws, tacks, 4d brads, and a few 1/4" lag screws. I also have an assortment of #8-32 and #10-24 screws.
I recommend an assortment of drywall anchors. If you can find them, Toggler makes an assortment that I highly recommend.
Picture Hanging Hardware. My favorite is harware by OOK.
Duct Tape. If you can't fix it with duct tape, it can't be fixed. ;) Keep a roll on hand. Again, don't be tempted to buy the cheap stuff. If you can get it, Duck brand is good stuff.
Electrical Tape. A must for electrical work.
Teflon Tape (Plumbing). It's necessary to tape any joint where water will be running under pressure. This stuff is very inexpensive ($.50), so keep a roll or two on hand at all times.
A keyhole saw
3/8" Socket wrench and ratchet set.
Oh, and uh, a Toolbox. Make sure you get one large enough to accomodate all your tools. You may want to consider a tote of sorts in which you can carry a subset of your tools- just the ones you need for a particular job.
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