Power DrillA long time ago, I told my wife that I wanted one of those cool looking Dewalt power drills. She ended up buying me just that and for several years, that Dewalt drill stayed in my home office unopened! Truth be told, I had no desire to do any manual labor or install shelves. Eventually I got bored with my other hobbies and started hanging out at home improvement stores. I decided to actually open the Dewalt case and my journey into the world of power tools really began. This is what I found in regards to what I like about power tools. Your journey may be different and you may form an opinion that varies from what I have written below. Again, it is all about learning and of course safety. Take your time and be careful always.

Investing In A Brand

The most common power tool that everyone can use is your basic power drill. Making holes is a lot easier when you have a power drill and a basic drill is useful for every home improvement project. Drills come in a wide variety of models and kits. Before committing to any one drill, think about what you will need in the future. Pick a brand that is in your price range and there are many brands from the big pro brands like Milwaukee, to the home improvement store brands that Menards and Lowes have, to Dewalt who has so many models that they cover the spectrum for both do-it-yourself people to construction pros.

The reason that I advise to pick a brand, is because, the manufacturers really make their money off the batteries they sell. You will find a ton of great deals on a drill combo kit, but they say you want to buy a saw from a different manufacturer, well you will have to invest in batteries for that too. It is best to pick a brand and try to save, by not having to invest in different batteries.

Next, you will want to consider Volts and battery capacity. Most brands have a less powerful, more compact line of power tools that fall into the 12volt range. The regular lines are in the 18-20volt range or higher. If you see yourself buying more power tools, I would recommend going with the higher volt range line. You never know if you will buy an impact wrench or saw just cause you need to. Battery capacity or size is how long the battery will last. The bigger the size of the battery the more it will last. A great add-on that comes in handy are work lights. When the power is out in your house, bigger capacity batteries and a handy light are a lifesaver.

The Right Tool

Having the right tool for the task at hand makes all the difference. For example, I read a few books on making your own work bench and I thought, that is a great idea. I can make my own work bench from wood at Menards and it will be exactly the same as what is in the book. Then you get deeper into the project, and you find out that to make your own work bench, you need a router, you need a table saw, you need a sander, etc. Yes, you can make your own work bench, but you need to have all these tools! Here is a list of what tools to possibly include in your combo kit or later when you need them:

Hammer Drill
You will need a hammer drill or what I call the big drill if you are going to drill into concrete or build a deck. For those types of jobs, you do need the bigger drill.

Impact Driver
If you are buying a kit, then it will come with an impact driver. I find myself using a driver more often than I thought I would. It makes assembling furniture so easy. Depending on the brand and model, the lower priced drivers will not have multiple speeds or auto-mode. I noticed that for some models, there is a switch to change the speed mode and for others, it will have an auto-mode feature. The more speeds the more versatile the driver is.

Circular Saw
A good circular saw will save you time and makes projects so much easier. I have both a smaller size saw and the standard 7 and quarter size one. The smaller size one is easier to use for most jobs and a bit lighter. However, Makita has full size circular saws that are incredibly light, if weight is the main concern.

Reciprocating Saw
My goto tool for yard work and tearing down a shed is the reciprocating saw. Smaller ones are great for trimming bushes and light tree work, while your bigger ones are great at cutting down bigger tree limbs and tearing down walls. I find them safer than chain saws and easier to work with as well. You don’t need to adjust chains, just replace the blade and you are good to go.

Impact Wrench
If you are a Sunday mechanic, you will appreciate a cordless impact wrench. Only recently have power tools been able to do the work of some air powered tools. The impact wrench helps me untighten my oil plug, where before I use to struggle getting it off all the time.

Work Light
This is a nice to have. You already have batteries, so a work light is a no brainer. They are great for working in your garage without great lighting or anywhere where you need a spotlight.

And More
You can get more tools to add to your collection like sanders, routers, grinders,… but all those are just more specialized and you will probably get them anyway.