{"id":958,"date":"2024-12-23T07:29:44","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T23:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php\/2025\/11\/22\/must-have-tools-for-the-diyer-where-to-start-and-what-to-add-later\/"},"modified":"2025-11-22T14:42:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T06:42:11","slug":"must-have-tools-for-the-diyer-where-to-start-and-what-to-add-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/?p=958","title":{"rendered":"Must-Have Tools for the DIYer {Where to Start and What to Add Later}"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/div>\n

\"Must-Have<\/p>\n

I absolutely love being able to work on DIY projects. \u00a0The ability to save money and know that I did it myself are things that I find so gratifying. \u00a0Having the proper tools for the job makes these projects go so much smoother. \u00a0A friend of mine has been bitten by the DIY bug and has been asking what tools I would recommend that she start with, so I thought it would be the perfect time to share with all of you what tools we have in our garage. \u00a0While every tool has a purpose, there are some that I use on virtually every single project. \u00a0These tools are what I would highly recommend for someone who is just getting started. \u00a0Others are tools that we have that you don\u2019t necessarily need right away, but they are amazing tools to put on your \u201cwant\u201d list. \u00a0Just click on each of the pictures to take you directly to the website where you can gather more information or purchase them. \u00a0I am an affiliate for some of these companies, but these are tools that I truly love and that are in my garage right now.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0Safety should always come first when working with tools, so a pair of safety glasses and hearing protection are a must! \u00a0My favorite ear plugs are these from 3M. \u00a0They\u2019re extremely comfortably, and when I pull them out of my ears, they just hang around my neck for the next time I need them. \u00a0For me, safety glasses not only have to be comfortable, but they have to stay on my head. \u00a0There is nothing more frustrating than bending over to work on something and your glasses constantly fall off! \u00a0My safety glasses are also made by 3M, but I couldn\u2019t find the exact style to share a picture. \u00a0These are very close to what I have though.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t necessarily have to get a huge miter saw when you\u2019re just starting out, but we love our\u00a0RIDGID 12\u2033 compound sliding miter saw. \u00a0When you shop for wood at the home improvement store, the employees can cut your it down for you, but sometimes that is not an option. \u00a0There are times when things need to be cut to fit, which means you can\u2019t cut them at the store ahead of time. \u00a0Other times, the cuts you end up with may not be\u00a0precisely the same, which can also throw a wrench into your project. \u00a0We love this saw and use it almost daily!<\/p>\n

\"product\"\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

A couple of years ago, my husband got me the Kreg Jig K4 Master System for Mother\u2019s Day. \u00a0It may sound like an odd gift choice, but it was what I had been begging for, and I was jumping for joy when he gave it to me. \u00a0I\u2019ve lost count on how many projects were completed with this tool, but it is definitely a tool that you can\u2019t live without if you are planning to start building furniture or other projects.<\/p>\n

\"product\"<\/p>\n

A couple of Christmases ago, I got my husband the Kreg Rip-Cut. \u00a0It was one of those selfish gifts where I knew he would like it, but I also really wanted it too. \u00a0It\u2019s such an awesome tool for ripping down plywood. \u00a0I purchased it on its own, but Kreg now has a really cool\u00a0DIY kit that includes the Rip-Cut, the shelf pin jig, and the R3 pocket hole jig. \u00a0Not only that, but it comes with 10 free sets of plans that you can build using all of these tools. \u00a0When we built our\u00a0media console<\/span>, I bought the shelf pin jig to help us mount our shelves. \u00a0It worked so perfectly and we were able to quickly drill the holes exactly where we needed them. \u00a0The R3 pocket hole jig is perfect for when you are wanting to get started with pocket joinery, but don\u2019t have the budget for a K4 or K5 system just yet. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

When it comes to drills and drivers, we have both these RYOBI and RIDGID sets. \u00a0We figure we can never have too many drills, and we use the RIDGID impact driver to screw all of our pocket hole screws into our projects. \u00a0The RYOBI circular saw was something I had been wanting for when I\u2019m using my Rip-Cut. \u00a0I hated using our corded circular saw and having the cord get caught on the end of the wood all of the time. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A brad nailer is also a great tool to have on hand. \u00a0We have a pneumatic nail gun, but dragging the hose around all of the time gets to be a bit frustrating. \u00a0I recently got the RYOBI 18v brad nailer and I love it! \u00a0I\u2019ve used it on so many projects, and it made replacing the baseboards in my bedroom so much nicer. \u00a0I didn\u2019t have to worry about dragging our dirty air hose through the house and inevitably having it come up short. \u00a0I also have the RYOBI Narrow Crown stapler, which is perfect for outdoor trim projects, crates, upholstery, etc.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Your wood projects are going to need to be sanded down when finishing, so a sander is imperative. \u00a0I use this RYOBI 5\u2033 random orbit sander for most of my projects. \u00a0Sometimes a project calls for a belt sander, but most times I use this guy. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t use it all of the time, but our planer has been extremely useful when we\u2019ve needed to plane down wood for our furniture projects. \u00a0It\u2019s compact enough that we can store it in our garage cabinets and not too terribly heavy, so I\u2019m able to lift it myself onto our work bench. \u00a0While this isn\u2019t necessarily in the \u201cmust-have\u201d category, it is definitely something that we are glad we have.<\/p>\n

\"Evolv<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

A table saw is another great tool to have on your list when building your collection. \u00a0This is the tablesaw that we currently have. \u00a0It\u2019s a great starter saw, and when we bought rough lumber to build our media console, it got the job done when we needed to rip down all of the various sized boards. \u00a0We\u2019ve definitely outgrown it though and we\u2019re waiting for the day we can afford our dream saw<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"
\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

The HomeRight Finish Max and Finish Max Pro are my new favorite tools when it comes to painting and staining. \u00a0I have saved countless hours using these sprayers over brushing on paint or stain. \u00a0I get a professional looking finish without the annoying brush strokes. \u00a0Depending on your budget either of these sprayers would be an extremely useful and valuable tool. \u00a0PSST! \u00a0I\u2019m currently hosting a giveaway for a HomeRight Finish Max Pro! \u00a0You can enter for that\u00a0here<\/span>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Jet\"Jet<\/p>\n

Some of the tools we\u2019ve acquired weren\u2019t things we necessarily needed at the time, but they were deals that were too good to pass up. \u00a0My husband was browsing Craigslist one morning and happened upon this amazing find. \u00a0An older gentleman was selling off all of his woodworking tools and he had a Jet dust collector and belt sander like the ones pictured for sale for only $500! \u00a0It seems like a lot of money, but when you consider the fact that you\u2019d spend over $1500 for both of these machines, it was a deal we couldn\u2019t pass up. \u00a0It was a 2 hour drive to pick them up, but well worth it. \u00a0They were in pristine condition and we actually use them more often than I thought. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Other important tools for DIY projects:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Tape measure<\/li>\n
  • Level<\/li>\n
  • Various sizes of clamps and bar clamps (you can never have too many)<\/li>\n
  • Carpenter\u2019s square<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    You don\u2019t have to purchase all of these tools at once in order to get started with DIY projects. \u00a0Slowly building on your collection when your budget allows is a great way to do it. \u00a0It\u2019s what we\u2019ve been doing over the past few years and we\u2019re still doing it. \u00a0There are always tools that we are looking to get. \u00a0Some of them we won\u2019t be ready for until our workshop is built, but if we randomly come across another insane Craigslist deal, we\u2019ll figure out a way to make room in the garage:)<\/p>\n

    I hope you found this list helpful and if you have any questions about what tools to get, where to buy them, etc., I\u2019m always happy to answer to the best of my abilities. \u00a0With Christmas coming up soon, this is a great list to pin now and save for later when you\u2019re shopping the Black Friday deals.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    DISCLOSURE: \u00a0This post contains affiliate links. \u00a0If you purchase a product from one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. \u00a0All opinions of these products are 100% my own.<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I absolutely love being able to work on DIY projects. \u00a0The ability to save money and know that<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=958"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1023,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions\/1023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}