20 Essential Tools for Your Tool Box

Having a well-equipped tool box is essential for completing projects around the home, whether fixing a leaking pipe, hanging a picture, or working on major home improvements. From all of the best wrenches, to the best hammers, to the best measuring tools, here’s some great info to help you out! All the tools you need for any eventuality should be stored in your tool box so that you are equipped to tackle any project that arises in your home. To ensure your tool box has all the right tools, below is a list of the essential items any handyman needs.

Consider Tool Hire

Although this list informs you of the essential tools you must have in your tool box, there are a number of additional tools you may need that are specific to the job you are doing. If this is the case and you need to use a specific tool as a one-off, without the need for storing it, consider a professional tool hire company. Tool hire is a cost-effective and beneficial way to ensure you have access to the most high-quality tools without the stress of maintaining or storing them.

Don’t Buy All at Once

Remember that there is no need to buy every available tool for your tool box in one single day. You don’t need a complete set of tools immediately, instead you can purchase items over time to help spread out the payments and avoid breaking the bank. Be on the lookout for sales, ask your dad or grandad if they have any tools they would be happy to pass down to you, or ask for gift vouchers to DIY shops for your birthday. Building the perfect tool box full of those essential tools is important but it also takes time.

Keep reading to discover the most essential tools for your tool box and why you need them!

1. Claw Hammer to Drive Nails

Perhaps the most commonly-used tool, the claw hammer is used to drive nails as well as completing demolition jobs. A good quality hammer will last for years and help you complete project easily and with accuracy.

When purchasing a hammer, you want one that provides good balance in your hand, isn’t too heavy, and doesn’t have a wooden handle (as these can break easily). It’s important you make a trip to the hardware store and try out a few hammers for yourself before making a purchase, this will ensure you make the right decision for you instead of making a guess while online shopping.

You can find a great claw hammer on Amazon by clicking here.

2. Flathead Screwdriver

Remember the joy of constructing IKEA furniture, the arguments, the frustrations, not having the right tools? Make the job easier with the addition of a flathead screwdriver in your tool box. The flathead screwdriver is the be-all-and-end-all of screwdrivers and can be used for numerous jobs. Flathead screws have been around for a very long time, so if there’s one type of screwdriver required as an essential for your tool box, it’s the flathead screwdriver!

You can find a great flathead screwdriver on Amazon by clicking here.

3. Tape Measure

Whatever project you are working on at home, it’s likely you will need a tape measure. Whether you’re building a cabinet, measuring the size of a picture to hang on the wall, purchasing a rug for your bedroom, or building a table, a tape measure is essential. What’s more, it’s probably a tool you played with as a kid. We’ve all been there, pulling the tape measure out completely to watch it retract at high-speed and pinch the fingers of the holder. Great fun!

You can find a great tape measure on Amazon by clicking here.

4. The Adjustable Crescent Wrench

When it comes to essential tool box tools, the crescent wrench is a must! This tool will likely see the most action out of all your tools as it is adjustable and can fit to the size of the pipe or material you are working on. If your home is full of different sized nuts and bolts, there is no need to panic-buy 10 different wrenches, instead all you need is a crescent wrench. This bay adjusts to your DIYing needs.

You can find a great adjustable crescent wrench on Amazon by clicking here.

5. Vice Grip Pliers

Pliers are a versatile tool and an absolute must for your tool box. Pliers can be used to lock in place on a wire, pipe, or other material so that it can be moved, twisted, or detached. The vice grip pliers are ideal because they provide a mechanism that allows one-handed release, making them easier to use than most other designs. Pliers are an excellent tool for those little projects around the house and certainly help make projects much easier.

You can find great vice grip pliers on Amazon by clicking here.

6. Electric Drill

Preferably a cordless electric drill, is an essential tool for your tool box. A cordless electric drill trumps a standard electric drill because it reduces safety concerns by eliminating the need for long cords. When choosing a cordless electric drill, it is best to choose one that is lightweight while also providing plenty of power. 12 volts is ideal because it provides enough power to complete those jobs around the house, without the weightiness of most drill products.

You can find a great electric drill on Amazon by clicking here.

7. High-Quality Level

Have you ever spent time hanging a picture on the wall only to step back and discover the frame isn’t straight – is there anything more frustrating? To get a picture hung correctly or a bookcase built accurately, you’re going to need a level. This snazzy little tool is often overlooked but could not be more important for the accuracy of your project, helping you get the job done right the first time and ensuring everything you build is done so in a straight line.

You can find a great level tool on Amazon by clicking here.

8. Utility Knife and Blades

Having a utility knife in your tool box can make you feel a little bit like Bear Grylls. And that’s because it’s a tool you will use regularly, it will never be found at the bottom of your tool box gathering dust, and it’s ideal for every project imaginable. There are hundreds of tasks the utility knife can carry out and there is nothing more essential for your tool box.

You can find a great utility knife with blades on Amazon by clicking here.

9. Phillips Screwdriver

Otherwise known to the novice as the one that looks like a star. The Phillips screw replaced the flathead, so there are plenty of them around and it’s important you have a good set of quality Phillips screwdrivers in your tool box. It’s likely you will use them on a fairly regular basis!

You can find a great phillips screwdriver on Amazon by clicking here.

10. Try Square

Whether you’re measuring materials to cut them to size or you’re marking lines to cut, you will need to use a try square. Try squares are used for both woodworking and metalworking to mark and measure for accuracy. If there’s a tool you need to ensure your project is going to be accurate and finished how you imagined it, a try square is essential.

You can find a great square tool on Amazon by clicking here.

11. Flashlight

This may seem like an odd item to add to an essential tool box list, but a flashlight is an important addition to your tool collection. Flashlights help you complete projects in dark places, such as lofts. They also help you illuminate tricky-to-see spaces such as behind sinks, pipes, and cabinets. There are many flashlight designs you can choose from but perhaps the most helpful would be one that includes a headband for hands-free use.

You can find a great flashlight on Amazon by clicking here.

You can find a great flashlight with a headband on Amazon by clicking here.

12. Gloves, Goggles, and Earplugs

Accidents can and do happen, even on small DIY home projects. To prevent this, make a habit of wearing protective gloves, goggles, and earplugs. Flying debris and loud noise can be damaging, so ensuring you have the proper protection is incredibly important. These items won’t take up much room in your tool box but they are an essential addition to any project you are working on.

You can find great gloves on Amazon by clicking here.

You can find great goggles on Amazon by clicking here.

You can find great earplugs on Amazon by clicking here.

13. Duct Tape

A quick-fix solution to numerous problems, duct tape is a simple yet effective tool and a quality addition to your tool box. There are various forms of duct tape – some even have waterproof backing!

You can find great duct tape on Amazon by clicking here.

14. High-Quality Scissors

A pair of quality scissors are extremely important as they are an item the majority of DIYers look for on a regular basis. In a case of packaging opening, cutting bandages in emergencies, cutting wire, packets, or rope, scissors could not be more helpful.

You can find high quality scissors on Amazon by clicking here.

15. Handsaw

The handsaw is a very popular tool for homeowners carrying out simple DIY projects as it helps cut decorative items and materials to size. If you’ve never used a handsaw for any projects before, it is definitely recommended because you’ll be amazed how useful and helpful this tool really is!

You can find a great handsaw on Amazon by clicking here.

16. Sandpaper

Sandpaper; the small but mighty tool box addition. Sandpaper helps tidy up a project and add those much-needed finishing touches. Whether you have to smooth down the edges of a cabinet you built, or you want to avoid splinters by sanding a table before varnishing, sandpaper is a great addition to your tool box and extremely helpful. Be sure to buy high-quality sandpaper as it lasts much longer than cheaper versions.

You can find great sandpaper on Amazon by clicking here.

17. Clamps

If you’re working on your home renovations all by yourself, you know the struggle of not having anyone there to help by holding materials in place while you cut. This is where clamps come in. Clamps are ideal for your project and help hold materials in place while you measure or cut. Clamps help keep things in place and are an extremely valuable addition to your tool box.

You can find great clamps on Amazon by clicking here.

18. Nose Pliers

Needle nose pliers are perfect for those tricky jobs, such as re-positioning, bending, or snipping wires. They are the perfect addition to your toolbox and are ideal for those fiddly jobs that require a finer tool with more maneuverability. There is nothing better for completing electrical jobs than needle nose pliers.

You can find great nose pliers on Amazon by clicking here.

19. Allen Keys

Allen keys are a necessity for any toolbox as they are needed for building furniture, unscrewing nuts and bolts, and assembling toys on Christmas Day…the point is, they are a necessary tool that you can’t do without. If you buy a set, you won’t lose them easily like socks in a dryer, and you will have them handy and available for any DIY project you undertake.

You can find great allen keys on Amazon by clicking here.

20. Aviation Snips

When carrying out DIY projects, you will need to cut through a variety of material types. Aviation snips are ideal for cutting through sheets of metal or aluminum and each pair can be colour coded to help you choose the right pair for the job you need to do. What’s more, aviation snips allow you to cut through materials straight, curved, or in any direction you need.