ByDennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Fifteen carefully selected items will make any home tool kit complete.
Carpenter's hammer: For driving and pulling nails. A 14-ounce claw hammer with a wooden or fiberglass handle is light enough to handle and hefty enough for most hammering jobs.
Screwdrivers: Basic jobs call for a 1/4-inch Phillips-head screwdriver and a 1/4-inch slot (or flat-head) screwdriver. To be prepared for any job, an inexpensive electric screwdriver - about $20 - with interchangeable bits is recommended. Cordless ones are even better.
Pliers: Get a sturdy slip-joint pair with insulated handles for better grip.
Tape measure: An 8-foot tape is plenty for most people, but 25 feet is better. There are even some that glow in the dark.
Adjustable wrenches (or crescent wrenches): These are needed to assemble/dismantle objects held together by nuts and bolts, or for separating threaded pipes. You should have a 6-inch adjustable wrench. A pair of 10-inch pipe wrenches will let you do most plumbing jobs.
Utility knife (razor knife): Simple, easy to use and very sharp. They can cut carpets, drywall, some plastics and cardboard.
Crowbar: Great for taking things apart, like walls.
Hacksaw: If you can have only one saw, this is a good choice. It's small and sharp and can cut through metal, wood or plastic.
Level: An inexpensive "torpedo"-shaped level is very useful.
Putty knife: Useful for filling up holes in walls and for scraping off wallpaper.
Vice-grip pliers: These can be adjusted and locked in place. Excellent for holding things when you need one hand free.
Drill: With the right accessories, this versatile tool can drill, countersink, mix paint, sand, grind, polish, drive nuts, drive screws and pump fluids. A good all-purpose drill for the home owner is the 3/8-inch reversible, variable-speed drill. Get a selection of bits and screwdriver attachments.
Staple gun: Black & Decker makes a great one than inserts small nails.
Allen wrench set: Also called hex keys, or hexagonal wrenches. These are great for putting together or adjusting furniture requiring assembling. Handy for bicycle repairs.
File/rasp: Handy for smoothing rough nails and/or screws on walls and furniture, or for detailed hobby work.
The following are City Mill prices:1. Industrial toolbox, $36
2. Jobmaster level, $10
3. Plunger, $6
4. File, $10
5. Safety goggles, $10
6. 6-piece screwdriver set, $10
7. Wood chisel, $25
8. Black and Decker high-speed VSR drill, $60
9. Tacker staple gun, $20
10. 20-piece high-speed drill set, $30
11. Hacksaw, $12
12. Earplugs, $3.50
13. Surform pocket, $7
14. Utility knife, $5
15. Long-nose pliers, $9
16. Locking curved pliers, $11
17. 1-by-25-inch locking tape measure, $10
18. Putty knife, $5
19. 16-ounce rip hammer, $16
20. 10-inch adjustable crescent wrench, $19
21. 10-inch wrench pipe, $13
22. 7-piece hex key set, $5Total: $332.50