New to DIY

[Sarahbee]

Okay, so I'm finally venturing into this world and outting myself as a total newbie to DIY efforts. My goal is to be able to do some simple projects around the house before moving on to the real stuff...I want to be able to put up shelves, help with the cabintry, hang pictures...those sort of projects

First step, as I understand, is to get some tools. Planning to go to Sears to pick some out...thinking one of their companion home owner sets would do the trick. Also planning to get a cordless hand drill. Any tool kit/drill recommendations?

[Interious]

Do you ultimately want to build loudspeakers?

Dave

[Andrew Pratt]

Welcome to the DIY sarah :T

[DarrenT]

Sounds like Sarah mistook this forum for a handy person type DIY forum. This forum focuses on DIY audio, mostly speaker building Sarah, is that what you were after?

[Dennis H]

Hi Sarah,

I think you're on the right track for getting started. With one of the Sears sets and a cordless drill, you'll be able to do lots of stuff around the house. Be sure to get drill bits and screwdriver bits for the cordless drill. Using it as a power screwdriver is one of the best things about owning one.

[Sarahbee]

Sorry if this is the wrong place...I saw the mention of Cabinentry and thought that I'd find some smart DIYers here!

Dennis, any recommendations on what brand to buy at Sears?

[DarrenT]

Sarah, there are sure to be many people who can help you here but you may also want to check www.theoak.com. They are a bunch of great woodworkers who know loads about tools and DIY type stuff. Between here and there you should be set.

My Recommendations:

Well, when at Sears buy Craftsman

Here is a list of must-haves for DIY around the house chores/tasks:
1. A small torpedo level and a 3' level
2. Get a small tool kit with a hammer, pliers, some assorted screw drivers and maybe some wrenches
3. You might consider a laser level if you hang a lot of pictures
4. A small hand saw, make sure it is a crosscut saw for most applications
5. A cordless screwdriver or drill is a must
6. Drill bits and other bits for the drill/cordless screwdriver (philips, standard, hex, torx, etc...)

That should get you started, brands aren't all that important for round the house handywork. If you progress into finer woodworking or carpentry you'll want to start buying tools by reputation/brand. For now I'd just concentrate on getting a decent deal on some starter tools/equipment as I listed above. Craftsman tools are a great start.

[Sarahbee]

Darren, thanks so much for your advice! So, Craftsman is really as good as everyone says?

[DarrenT]

My opinion of craftsman tools isn't all that high but I build furniture and high end cabinetry as a hobby. My tools are quite a bit more expensive than your normal run of the mill tools. Craftsman are a good tool for the home "handyman", they have a good warranty as well. I prefer other brands which cost significantly more because I use the heck outta my tools. This is my opinion as a woodworker... others may disagree.

That said...

Craftsman tools will serve most people well, you'll definately get your money out of them. If/when you decide to buy woodworking machinery and tools such as sanders, circular saws, nailers, tablesaws etc... come back and look me up. I'll give you some recomendations and advice on that. For now you shouldn't much need those except maybe a good palm sander. I'd recommend DeWalt, Bosch, and Porter Cable for those. That will cost you between $100 and $150 though. A bit of an investment for someone just wanting to get started.

Oh, one very handy tool you may already have is a good utility knife. You wouldn't believe all the uses that sucker has.

[cjd]

Craftsman *HAND* tools are still quite good.

Craftsman power tools are almost always made by someone else, and if you buy it under the "other" label you will save money.

For the average homeowner persuing basic projects (putting up shelves = basic: manufacturing cabinetry isn't) Ryobi may have a lot to offer (They also make most of the Craftsman branded tools...). Hitachi has also been putting together some great tools (their cordless drill comes to mind).

I generally go with Porter Cable, Milwaukee, Bosch, DeWalt (OK, I really hope I never buy a DeWalt since the sound drives me nuts and the color is horrid, but that's a stupid reason to not list them), Hitachi. I think the Ridgid tools are usually pretty good. This stuff costs more, but if you use it a lot that cost can work out.

C

[ThomasW]

Something to consider is that many portable power tools are quite heavy (basically designed for men to operate). So regardless of brand, you need to make sure you can operate them comfortably.

The trend in battery powered tools has been toward higher and higher power. So now there are 19V and 24V tools. These are very heavy. A woman should consider the smaller 12V-14V units. Don't bother with the smaller 7V-9V tools these aren't very useful.

[Sarahbee]

Learning a lot today! This will help me to ask better questions when I get to Sears. Most of these brands are available there, right? I think I'll stick with Craftsman when I can and will definitely make sure I can lift tools before buying them!

[ThomasW]

Lowe's and Home Depot have a very good selection of tools. And the people in their tool departments are usually more knowledgable than the salepeople at Sears.

The nice thing about buying at one of the big home center stores is that they usually allow you to return the tool within 30 days if you aren't pleased. I have no idea what Sears policy is these days, since I don't live within 20 miles of one.

I also buy tools from Sam's Club and Costco. They're cheaper than the home center stores

The best pricing for tools is of course on the 'net'.

[DarrenT]

Good advice from ThomasW, check out the Deopt or Lowes... Costco and Sams Club both usually have good hand tool kits as well.

[BlakeN]

#1 Tool to have is saftey glasses Period! it should be the first tool in the shoping cart. You might also want to grab a dust mask as well.

#2 tool is your local library. In DIY a picture is worth well more then 1000 words and your library should have a DIY book for most home improvement projects. If they don't, Barnes & Noble doesn't charge a browsing fee

For any kind of tool make sure it feels comfortable in your hand. If it doesn't feel right you might not be able to hold onto it and that could be dangerous.

With your drill I would recomend a quick change drill bit set. Something like this http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...cat=Drill+Bits
It makes it easy to go from drill to screw driver quickly.

Also every place from home depot to target will have home repair sets. You might take a look at those. They usualy come with quite a few different tools and in a nice case. This one at target looks pretty decent from the picture http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B0002341XW



Good luck and most importantly have fun.

[Sarahbee]

Blake, that drill bit kit from Sears looks awesome! Looking forward to being a girl with her own power tools

[David Meek]

Amplifying on Phil's post - the #2 thing to purchase is a good set of earphones/earplugs. Oh, amplifying. D'uh. :

That's if you plan on using any power tools other than a drill, screwdriver or small hand-sander. I can attest to the need for them as I suffer with a permanent case of tinnitus (ringing in the ears) caused by too much un-protected time around rock concerts, guns and power tools. This isn't the best thing for people in our hobby, I think you'll agree.

Hey, don't be afraid as far as being a newb to any kind of DIY. We all started out knowing the same amount. . . .

[TimRawson]

Have to agree that Craftsmen power tools aren't so hot, the 'professional' marked ones are ok. A lot of other tools have nice little things about them. Also some have a tool they dominate, like milwaukee on sawz-all's (although p.c. makes a good one too)... I like Dewalt cordless drills the best, have an xrp with a tightening mechanism that ratchets down that extra little tighter - a 14.4 volt with tons of power. I use a lot of Porter cable - belt sander, air nailer, circular saw (many of their drills suck though). I do a lot of DIY home projects... Have dabbled some with sub cabinents. Down the road maybe some main speakers.

[Sarahbee]

Thanks to all again for the great advice I checked on Sears' website and looks like they sell Dewalt drills too, so I can compare in store. I also noticed that there's a cool sale going on with some of their tools where if you buy one, you can get another free with a mail in rebate: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/verti...&vertical=TOOL

Thought this might be of interests to other DIYers

[cjd]

Amplifying on Phil's post - the #2 thing to purchase is a good set of earphones/earplugs. Oh, amplifying. D'uh. :

That's if you plan on using any power tools other than a drill, screwdriver or small hand-sander.

I use them even with the hand sander and drill (particularly corded drill). Our other hobby around here would suffer if our hearing went south! Heck, when I haul out my hammer I haul out the ear protection. Long days, it's small foam ear-plugs and the big over the ear stuff combined.

Those rebates/specials look pretty good if that's the stuff you're needing.

C

[Sarahbee]

Nothing shabby about getting something for free Hope someone picked up a free tool from Sears from that sale!

Your comment also brought a new question to mind...when is it better to have a corded drill vs. a cordless?

[taz13]

Depends how often you intend to use it. Corded weapons need no battery maintanance and are ready to go as soon as plugged in. Batteries need to be charged and conditioned on a regular basis so they stay in working condition.
My reccomendation is to pick up a 3/8" craftsman keyless chuck corded model for your first drill. It will still be working years from now. If you find you use a drill enough after buying, nothing wrong with having both a corded and cordless model. Corded when starting out is normally a better choice and cheaper.

[ThomasW]

For the first 1/2 million years of my DIY life I used a Sears variable speed reversible 3/8" drill.

These days I have several 18V cordless drills and use them for almost everything, but they're heavy and expensive.

[Dennis H]

Corded is a lot lighter if you need lots of power.

[cjd]

Yeah, I have to admit neglecting my cordless. Every so often it's nice to have. My $20 Skil (corded) died (bearings went south) it got so heavily abused, so now it's upgraded hardware and working happily again.

C

[Sarahbee]

Depends how often you intend to use it. Corded weapons need no battery maintanance and are ready to go as soon as plugged in. Batteries need to be charged and conditioned on a regular basis so they stay in working condition.
My reccomendation is to pick up a 3/8" craftsman keyless chuck corded model for your first drill. It will still be working years from now. If you find you use a drill enough after buying, nothing wrong with having both a corded and cordless model. Corded when starting out is normally a better choice and cheaper.

Sounds like a good rec! More Sears tools for me