The core dozen
Every tool on this list earns its place within the first year of living on your own.
- A 16-ounce claw hammer drives and pulls nails and is light enough to control.
- A number 2 cross-head screwdriver and a quarter-inch flat one fit most household screws, and a multi-bit driver can stand in for both.
- A 25-foot tape measure has a blade stiff enough to span a room alone.
- Slip-joint or tongue-and-groove pliers grip pipes and stuck lids, and needle-nose pliers reach into tight spaces.
- An 8-inch adjustable wrench handles most nuts, supply lines and bicycle bolts.
- A utility knife with spare blades opens boxes, scores drywall and trims caulk.
- A 9-inch torpedo level keeps pictures and shelves honest.
- A set of hex keys in both metric and inch sizes assembles and tightens flat-pack furniture.
- A flexible putty knife spreads filler and scrapes paint.
- A flashlight or a headlamp, stored with the tools, gets more use than anything else.
The second tier
A cordless drill and driver is the first power tool to buy, and a 12-volt model with a set of drill and driver bits does everything an apartment requires. Add a stud finder, a voltage tester, a small handsaw, a stepladder and a plunger as the need arises. Safety glasses and work gloves cost under fifteen dollars together and belong in the bag from the start.
The small stuff
Tools are useless without the consumables. Keep assorted wood screws, wall anchors, picture hooks, duct tape, electrical tape, thread-seal tape for plumbing fittings, wood glue, super glue, a can of lubricating spray, sandpaper in 120 and 220 grit, and a bag of zip ties. Replace each item the week you run out, not the day you need it.
How to buy
Buy mid-priced tools, one at a time if money is tight. Cheap screwdrivers have soft tips that chew up screw heads, and a cheap tape measure kinks within a month. Many hand tools carry a lifetime warranty, which is worth more than a low price. Expect to spend 75 to 125 dollars on the core and another 60 to 120 on a drill. Estate sales are full of old hand tools that are better made than new ones. Store everything in one bag or box, in one place, and put each tool back when the job ends.
Tip Most stripped screws come from the wrong size of driver. The tip should fill the slot completely and should not wobble before you turn it.
