Let’s take a moment to talk about tools you’ll want when you are working on building or woodworking do-it-yourself projects.

You probably already have some things:

  • hammer
  • screw drivers, phillips and flat head
  • basic saw
  • pliers, a must for so many projects
  • clamps – I recommend the kind you can squeeze to tighten such as Irwin Quick-Grip Bar Clamps
  • Tape measure or yard stick
  • pipe wrench and/or crescent wrench
  • T-square
  • level
  • sandpaper

But you’ll quickly discover you need other tools and particularly with wood construction some power tools will serve you well. One set that’s comprehensive and has done well for me personally is the: Factory-Reconditioned Ryobi ZRP841 18-Volt Super Combo Kit
At only $129 and free shipping on Amazon, it’s a deal thats tough to beat. With 18V interchangeable batteries, you’ll have all the power you’ll need to cut and drill and drive virtually any project you need, with driver/drill, circ saw, sawz-all style reciprocating saw, and flashlight.

Other items to think about:

  • Random orbit sander
  • Dremel or similar rotary tool
  • Staple gun
  • Jig saw

When selecting tools it’s important to take quality into account. While the cheapest tool may be perfectly fine for one or two projects, a higher quality tool may provide years of service. Be sure to factor how often you plan to use a tool and your expectations of tool longevity into your value calculations on a new tool purpose. For larger or single-project-use tools, consider borrowing from a friend or renting from a local home warehouse.