Whether you’re a new homeowner or have been for decades, you are now the Chief Executive Officer in charge of home maintenance. Have a leaky faucet? Did the hot water heater go out? That ceiling fan making an awful noise? You get to fix these things, but that’s okay - we’re about to list your toolkit must-haves.
Cordless Drill & Drill Bits
A cordless, battery-powered drill can be used for a wealth of tasks. Ready to wall-mount your flat screen TV? No problem, you can drive screws into wall studs with your drill. Make sure you also buy a variety of drill bits that way you’re prepared to handle any job. Since it’s cordless, you won’t need to worry about tangled cords and hard-to-reach outlets - just charge it up and go!
Hex / Allen Wrench Set
These small, L-shaped wrenches are ideal for driving bolts and/or screws with hexagonal sockets. An extensive variety of sizes makes this tool a true must-have. You’ll find that they come in handy for furniture assembly, basic plumbing repairs, hanging light fixtures, etc. Hex wrenches are very affordable and should be a staple in every toolkit.
Claw Hammer
This is a hammer with a flat head on one end used for driving nails while the other end is V-shaped to pull nails from surfaces. At one time or another you’ll need to remove pictures, mirrors or artwork from the walls. The claw hammer will easily remove the nails without damaging the nail or the wall surface making this a toolkit necessity.
Level
Think you can do without a level? Trust us, you can’t. Levels have a use, no matter what. Hanging pictures on the wall? You’ll need a level. Installing shelving in the laundry room? You’ll need a level. Putting up mirrors in the bathroom? You’ll need a level. Without one, chances are your hard work will end up hanging crooked.
Tape Measure
This is just as essential as a level. Tape measures that are retractable and lockable are invaluable when it comes to measuring window blinds, furniture, curtains, appliances, etc. We recommend having one that is at least 50-feet as you never know when you’ll need it for something large-scale.
Pliers
Needle-nose pliers are great for small jobs and getting into tight spaces. They’re especially handy for bending and gripping when you’re fingers just can’t do the job. Tongue-and-groove pliers are ideal for turning and/or holding nuts and bolts, gripping irregularly shaped objects, and clamping materials.
Adjustable Crescent Wrench
You’ll want to purchase at least two of these. Adjustable crescent wrenches have jaws that can fit a variety of nut and bolt sizes. Some are even self-adjusting and self-ratcheting, so you can tighten nuts and bolts without removing the wrench to do so. These tools are handy because one tool can fit an assortment of jobs.
The staff at Fischer Lumber will make sure you have all the tools you need for those odd jobs. We have a great selection of power tools, hand tools and hardware. A few of our tools and hardware choices include BOSCH, Stanley Bostitch Tools, Paslode, Ramset, Stabila levels and Stanley Hardware. We encourage you to visit our tools and hardware co-op, Do-it-Best Corp., for the world's largest hardware store online, with over 70,000 items in stock. Order directly through the site and receive your purchase via UPS or ship it for free to our E. Alton store for pick-up.