Having a well-stocked toolbox is essential to any man, no matter the living situation or field of interest. Whether it’s for fixing a leak, hanging a frame, tightening, or making some small DIY home improvements, you’ll have an easier time completing any task or project with the right tools around.
The catch is putting together the essential pieces in your toolbox can be a daunting task. Visit a hardware store or shop online, and you’d see innumerable options, making it possible to end up purchasing a bunch of items you don’t need.
Don’t fret, though! We’re here to help. We’ve compiled an ultimate list of tools men in their toolbox. Continue reading below, so you only equip your arsenal with ones that you’ll need time and time again and will help tackle a multitude of jobs quickly and efficiently.
1. Safety Goggles
Safety comes first, and you should start by protecting one of the most valuable parts of your body: your eyes. Purchase a reliable pair of safety goggles to avoid any flying debris, objects, or other threats that may reach your eyes. Whether you’re woodworking, using a power drill, a saw, or cutting the lawn, you can work at peace when wearing your protective eyewear. Find one that perfectly fits and is made of solid and sturdy polycarbonate wraparound construction to ensure that you get the best protection for your eyes.
2. Rechargeable Headlamp
Things in your house don’t pick time or places. They can break during the morning, during the day, or in the middle of the night, in both dark and well-lit areas. Ideal for jobs under the car, under the sink, in the basement, or in the attic, a rechargeable headlamp will give you the light you need, shining strong and bright any time of the day. What’s great is that it’s sturdy and stable on your head. There is no more need to hold or bite that flashlight as work on a challenging repair task.
3. Utility Knife
Designed to be lightweight and easy to use, a utility knife is crucial for many simple jobs, repair tasks, or home improvement projects like cutting cords and tape, trimming wood and plastic materials, scraping rust, marking cut lines, and opening packages. It’s one of the tools you’ll commonly use, so get a high-quality that will stay sharp and pointy even with repeated use.
4. Tape Measure
An imperative tool to include in your toolbox, a tape measure will help you live by the adage “measure once, cut once.” You’ll get to use this a lot, from checking if your new couch will fit your front door, installing a TV wall mount, or measuring and cutting wood pieces.
5. Wrench set
A wrench set is needed in plenty of applications. You’ll use it for gripping, turning, fastening, loosening, and tightening objects like nuts and bolts, pipes, and pipe fitting. If you’re lacking space, an adjustable spanner is your best bet. It’s like a complete wrench set rolled into one single tool. You simply need to adjust the grip, and you’re ready to deal with any mechanic or plumbing-related task in the house.
6. Screwdriver set
Many items in your home have screws that you might need to install, remove, tighten, or loosen for inspection, safety, and repairs, such as your furniture, appliances, electronic devices, and even your kids’ toys. With that, It’s one of the indisputable tools every dad should need in his toolbox. Don’t settle for one screwdriver, though. Get an entire set to quickly tackle small tasks inside your home and those big ones in the garage.
7. Hex Key Set
The next item on this list is a set of hex keys. Also called Allen keys or wrenches, these are simple tools you’ll use to drive hexagonal bolts and screws and other matching fasteners. It’s a must-have in a toolbox, given that your bikes, desks, beds, and dressers may need constant tightening from daily use. Furniture often comes with its own set of hex keys for assembly, but it’s good to have a hex key set handy as the provided ones usually and inevitably get lost.
8. Plier set
Another item that shouldn’t miss your toolbox is a plier set consisting of diagonal and long nose pliers used for gripping, stripping, or clipping objects. It’s also a vital tool for locking pipe, wire, and other materials, so you can twist, move, or detach them, depending on the task. You’ll find them useful for many other projects around your home, making any job much easier.
9. Handsaw
If you’re not a fan of DIY or woodworking projects, you may not need to spend money for more powerful saws like circular saws, jigsaws, band saws, or miter saws. Yet, you should have at least a handsaw in your toolbox for precisely cutting plastic, laminate, or wood and carrying out simple projects should the need arise.
10. Hacksaw
Speaking of saws, the other type you should have on hand is a hacksaw. It’s a surprisingly useful tool for cutting steel, aluminum, brass, and copper materials like rods, bars, brackets, tubes, and metal pipes – things that your handsaw won’t cut through.
11. Hammer
Hammer is an ultimate necessity in a man’s toolbox, and you probably know why. Just ensure to get a good quality hammer that will last you years and help you drive nails and complete projects easily and accurately. When purchasing one, it’s best to visit a hardware store to check the weight, grip, and construction and test it out before deciding.
12. Cordless Drill
If you’re always on the go, eliminate the extra time needed when using a handheld screwdriver. Instead, invest in a cordless drill that will provide more speed in completing many jobs like drilling into metal, wood, or plastic, installing drywalls, or hanging shelves. You’ll also love that a cordless drill also has an adjustable torque. You can set the force applied when twisting the drill bit or screw to the amount you’ll just need for the task or certain material.
13. Duct Tape
You might have already heard that duct tape fixes everything. Well, its uses are definitely endless. It’s the quick-fix solution for cars, leaky water pipes, air ducts, clothing, and closing holes! You’ll never know where else they can be handy, so always have a roll of duct tape or two in your toolbox.
14. Level set
Stop relying on your eyeballs or others’ when hanging those paintings, decorations, and other things around the house. You can install or hang anything with pinpoint accuracy through a level set. Have one in your toolset, and say goodbye to those crooked picture frames!
15. Stud Finder
Capping this list is a tool that will also prevent you from doing estimations and guesswork. A stud finder is a device that can help you find the position of studs behind the wall. With that, you’ll never have to rely on instinct alone or do a lot of tapping and reduce the chance of penetrating the incorrect spots on the wall. Moreover, a stud finder is also useful in detecting live, unshielded AC wires, so you won’t accidentally hammer into one.
Which among this list do you already have, and which ones are missing? Go ahead and complete them. You’ll take care of home projects easier and in no time!