No Tools

[GoPackGo]

I am in my twenties and still renting with my wife, how would I go about DIY if I have no tools and at the same time don't want to spend a lot of money? Is this something where you acquire a standard set of tools over time? I find myself getting in a situation where I want to fix something on my own and I get the part and get back to the house and realize, great I don't have the right tool again.

[GuitarStv]

All of my tools were either hand me downs, or acquired as needed.

Often it's cheaper to buy a large set than an individual tool (like for screwdrivers, socket wrenches, drill bits) so if you need something like a 9/16ths socket buy the whole set and be done with it.  If you aren't likely to need a tool for more than a single job, it may be cheaper to just rent the tool (like say renting a concrete mixer to pour a foundation).

[m8547]

Look for tool libraries in your area. They are cheaper than traditional renting.

You could also see if someone has it on Neighbor Goods. http://neighborgoods.net/

Standard tools depends on what you are doing. There are house building/repair tools, bike tools, car tools, electronics tools, etc. There is some overlap if you are resourceful.

[luigi49]

If you google basic tools you will find out that there is not a lot of tools you need to fix the house.   I spoke to a maintenance guy who is in the trade for 30 years and he said that the tools you need for the house will all fit in a tool bag.   He was right.  I have the tool bag and the fancy tool cabinet with bunch of tools.  I use the tool bag 95% of the time.   Search my post here too.  I posted the basic tools once. 
Good luck

[zolotiyeruki]

I'm like GuitarStv--over the past 11 years of marriage, I've gradually acquired tools as needed.  I do everything from fixing my cars to fixing my house to woodworking to fixing my bike.

Looking back, the most useful tools for me have been:
1)  My Leatherman.  I've carried it for the last 15 years (and carried my dad's for a few years before that, even in high school!), and it has fixed innumerable things.  When I die and go to heaven, I want to see a compilation replay of all the things that tool has fixed.
2)  Metric Combination wrench set--our cars are both Japanese, so metric it is.
3)  Philips screwdrivers.
4)  Screwdriver with interchangeable bits, with LOTS of different sizes.
5)  Channel-lock pliers.  They're like a useful version of an adjustable wrench :)  Also great for hose clamps
6)  Vise-grips.
7)  Socket set with good ratchet(s)--ones that work when you only have a small angle.
8)  A bottle of liquid wrench :)

I acquire tools as I need them, i.e. when I have a project and don't have the right tool.  I rationalize buying the new tool by thinking "I'm saving way more than the cost of the tool by fixing this myself!"

[GoPackGo]

I'm like GuitarStv--over the past 11 years of marriage, I've gradually acquired tools as needed.  I do everything from fixing my cars to fixing my house to woodworking to fixing my bike.

Looking back, the most useful tools for me have been:
1)  My Leatherman.  I've carried it for the last 15 years (and carried my dad's for a few years before that, even in high school!), and it has fixed innumerable things.  When I die and go to heaven, I want to see a compilation replay of all the things that tool has fixed.
2)  Metric Combination wrench set--our cars are both Japanese, so metric it is.
3)  Philips screwdrivers.
4)  Screwdriver with interchangeable bits, with LOTS of different sizes.
5)  Channel-lock pliers.  They're like a useful version of an adjustable wrench :)  Also great for hose clamps
6)  Vise-grips.
7)  Socket set with good ratchet(s)--ones that work when you only have a small angle.
8)  A bottle of liquid wrench :)

I acquire tools as I need them, i.e. when I have a project and don't have the right tool.  I rationalize buying the new tool by thinking "I'm saving way more than the cost of the tool by fixing this myself!"

Thanks for the list.

[rocksinmyhead]

also, for things that you aren't going to beat the shit out of, Harbor Freight is a great source for cheap tools. others here can probably give you a better idea of which tools to go cheap on and which to go quality.

[jba302]

I'm going to disagree with harbor freight for most hand tools (i have a utility knife from there which hasn't done me wrong yet). I know they have their lifetime warranty going, but I can't justify spending $5 on a piece of garbage xyz knowing full well it will strip,deform, break, etc. way before a hand tool reasonably should.

We have a cheap set (well the wife bought a set before we got married) of tools that are slowly getting all kinds of fucked up now that we own a house so I'm having to replace them with good items piece by piece. Low quality metal for hammers, pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches etc is just going to piss you off when you start stripping bolts and slipping hammer strikes into your fingers.

Just as specific examples, I really like my Estwing claw hammer and Channellock (name brand) 430's. Both were bought after breaking bargain tools.

[GuitarStv]

Utterly un-related post . . .


I've found six screwdrivers, two wrenches, and a pair of pliers on the side of the road biking to work (also picked up a replacement hub cap for my corolla, a couple winter hats, five or six scarves, and a pair of gloves in good shape, milk crates, etc.).  Now, they may not be the best quality tools . . . but if you really want to do this cheap, maybe just put a lot of miles on your bike and the needed tools problem will solve itself.  :P

[rocksinmyhead]

I'm going to disagree with harbor freight for most hand tools (i have a utility knife from there which hasn't done me wrong yet). I know they have their lifetime warranty going, but I can't justify spending $5 on a piece of garbage xyz knowing full well it will strip,deform, break, etc. way before a hand tool reasonably should.

We have a cheap set (well the wife bought a set before we got married) of tools that are slowly getting all kinds of fucked up now that we own a house so I'm having to replace them with good items piece by piece. Low quality metal for hammers, pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches etc is just going to piss you off when you start stripping bolts and slipping hammer strikes into your fingers.

Just as specific examples, I really like my Estwing claw hammer and Channellock (name brand) 430's. Both were bought after breaking bargain tools.

definitely agree it wouldn't be my choice for basic tools you're going to use over and over again for years. just sayin' that maybe if you need something a little weird for a specific task, but borrowing or renting isn't an option, it can be helpful.

[Paul der Krake]

Some stuff can be skimped on... if you're buying a hammer to punch nails in your bathroom cabinet, it doesn't make any difference if it's $3 from harbor freight or $30 with an ergonomic grip and what-have-yous from the top shelf at Lowe's.

I'm going against the tide here but I don't believe it's worth it to buy top quality unless you're making a living off of your tools, and midrange is just fine. How often do you use yours? I'm a pretty DIY guy and aside from screwdrivers and other basics, I use the majority of mine maybe 2-3 times a year. Fix your things before they rust to death and you won't need a $200 socket set.

Like Guitar Steve said, if you're just starting out just grab things from wherever and slowly build your collection. Tools are really not hard to come by.

[eil]

My advice is to buy tools as you need them. Eventually you will have what you need to get most any job done. The exception here is that you often want to buy certain tools as part of a set. For example, if you're starting from scratch, it would be silly to buy one screwdriver, or one wrench, or one drill bit. It's much more cost and time effective to get tools like these these in a set.

But like any DIY endeavour, however, you have to do your research. You can't just ask an internet forum which tools you'll need because we have even less of an idea than you do. Now if you were to ask, "oh hi guys, I want to build a bookshelf. Which tools do I need for this?" then we would be able to offer some specifics.

If you live near a Harbor Freight, they often have great deals. The only caveat I would mention is that you have to do your research here too. Some of their tools work every bit as well as the Snap-On version that costs 10 times as much, some aren't worth the paper their instruction manuals are printed on. Go to the website, read the reviews, inspect carefully before buying. Their hand tools tend to be of decent quality and most have a lifetime guarantee.

I would not even consider renting tools except for certain specialty tools that you'll use once every 5-10 years if you're lucky. (Thing something like a tile cutter.)

[jba302]

Some stuff can be skimped on... if you're buying a hammer to punch nails in your bathroom cabinet, it doesn't make any difference if it's $3 from harbor freight or $30 with an ergonomic grip and what-have-yous from the top shelf at Lowe's.

The reason I replaced my shitty hammer was that I broke the handle pulling a nail and the face was starting to warp, so it was slipping strikes. I'm not sure how many broken $3 hammer trade-ins equate to a $25 one time purchase for most people's utility function (one of my friends swears by harbor freight for EVERYTHING), but a couple smashed fingers with a warped face hammer was enough for me.

Though really, agree on the other points. Maybe this is a sore spot because of my recent hammer experience :).

[el Katz]

Garage sales. Estate sales. There's a place to start.

When thinking tools, don't go cheap. There are several reasons:

1. Safety. Fingers don't grow back. Cheap circular saw blades will kick.  A cheap chisel will chip or bend. A cheap circular saw uses bushings, not bearings. Bushings have more runout causing crooked/wavy cuts. Price a sheet of birch plywood and see what a big savings that $29 saw was when you blow a $40 piece of plywood. 
2. Quality of work. Crummy tools produce crummy results. You save money by DIY so why not invest it back into tools. You don't have to buy Festools, but a magnesium base  metal housing Porter Cable circular saw will last forever and is lighter causing less fatigue. I've had mine for 24 years. Paid a hundred bucks for it. Still works perfectly. Just store it properly. In fact, I can still get repair parts for it saving me the cost of replacement. I gave my son my Makita miter box. It's as old as he is (33). Parts are still available. 
3. Waste fewer materials. Stripped screws are not free. There was a time when a box of 100 drywall screws were a dollar. No longer.
4. Buy as you go.

[Emg03063]

Agree with pretty much all of the above, and would add pawn shops as a source of low cost decent quality tools.  I recently bought a cat's paw to pull some nails for $3 from harbor freight, found it ineffective, sharpened it as much as possible on a bench grinder before buying a good one from a pawn shop for $1 that worked 20x better.  YMMV.

[TreeTired]

I bought a Sears Craftsman electric drill when I was in my 20s.  It still works great 35 years later, but it is one-speed, and I recently bought a Black and Decker adjustable/reversible drill for about $29.  A very useful tool - can be used as an electric screwdriver.  I have no problem using a long extension cord.  The cordless drills are much more expensive and require an equally expensive battery pack.

[GoPackGo]

Wow. Thanks for the all the replies. I am definitely not a DIY guy so I will stick towards the mid to lower end of the market. I may have to grab a few tools suggested from all these posts...from my dads overfilled tool collection...

[DirtBoy]

If you have a Harbor Freight near you, how about this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/105-piece-tool-kit-4030.html

$50

Every month I get 25% off any item Harbor freight coupons in the mail, maybe you do to.  Would take it down to $37.50.  That's pretty cheap for a lot of tools.

[RootofGood]

I'll pick up some essentials here and there when lowe's or home depot has a sale.  I live within a 10 minute walk of a harbor freight so I can pick up anything I need infrequently there. 

Almost everything I use regularly is in my medium sized toolbox.  Hammer, wrenches, voltmeter, mirror, spare nails and wire nuts, screwdriver and bit set.  In addition, I have a nice drill and a circular saw.  A hacksaw and a bow saw round out the tool collection.  I have fixed so much shit with under $300 worth of tools.  I've built furniture, repaired cars, and fixed computers and appliances. 

[Thegoblinchief]

I hate Harbor Freight. Yes, it's cheap, but their stuff is just awful. I hate buying temporary crap that will end up in a landfill.

I've had the best luck buying recognizable name brands at Home Depot or Lowes. The only things worth buying in sets are socket and crescent wrenches, but that is almost exclusively for cars. Occasionally had luck at thrift stores.

For the house, I mainly use channel locks, screwdrivers, a drill, utility knife. Cheap drill bits are fine as long as you get a sharpener. Not much else.

Saws of various kinds if I'm building something. Increasingly getting into carpentry, so I'm about to start keeping my eye on Craigslist for big power tools like table saws, etc.