Whether it's assembling a new piece of IKEA furniture or replacing that flaky light switch, you're going to want to have some tools around the house. Now, you don't have to be like my dad and have every single tool Craftsmen has to offer, but you'll want to have a core few of them around.
We'll take some time in this post looking at a few recommendations. I'm going to skip a few obvious (but still essential) ones like hammers, screwdrivers, and tape measures and instead opt for a couple you might not regularly think about.
(And just to make it even easier on y'all, I'll include pictures of each tool and a link to buy them on Amazon!)
Let's get into it!
1. Voltage Detector
Safety is obviously an important thing for anybody, and if you're paranoid like me about getting electrocuted, this little guy is a must. This little thing detects voltage by sounding off a tone and lighting up if a wire is still hot. No fuss, no muss either: all you have to do is hold the tip of this tool close to the wire you're curious about. No need to hook up anything in a special way. This thing can literally be a lifesaver if you need to replace something like a light switch.
2. Allen Wrenches
Unfortunately, the world isn't as simple as having regular and Phillips-head screws for everything. You will inevitably run into screws with a hexagonal hole on the top. Allen wrenches are here to save the day. In many pieces of furniture (like IKEA furniture), these guys are usually included, but every once in a while, they aren't. In those cases, it's a good idea to have them around. They also come in inch and metric flavors, so be sure to have both on hand!! The Amazon link below includes both
3. Wire Strippers
Changing lighting and light switches are a regular occurrence these days in almost any home, and you're almost always going to have to strip down a wire to hook it up properly. Granted, you can get by stripping a wire with something as simple as a box cutter knife, but it's so much easier just to use a set of wire strippers. Do yourself a favor and get a pair of these for yourselves.
4. Channellock Pliers
You're probably familiar with adjustable crescent wrenches. They're definitely handy little things to have around, but there's a problem with them: they're typically pretty little. Sometimes, you'll run into a giant lug that needs pried off with something bigger. Something a little more hefty. Channellock pliers are definitely the answer here. For an example on how you might use them, I recently used mine to pry off some lugs to replace each of the toilet seats in our house. Without these bad boys, I would have been up a creek!
5. Needle Nose Pliers
Last but certainly not least, we've got the needle nose pliers. There are some things that fingers just cannot do. One of the best use cases for needle nose pliers is coiling a copper wire end around a screw in a new light switch. You can try all you like with your fingers, but I swear you'll be crying if you try to do that. (Trust me, I know from experience!) Needle noses are just super handy for about anything requiring finesse, so they make a super easy recommendation to anybody.
And that's it for this post! Hope you enjoyed the first official "Adulting 101" entry. With tips like these, you'll be a regular handyman (or handywoman!) amongst your family and friends. There will definitely be more of these to come in the future. Stick around and share with a friend!
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