In 2018, I built a deck, using a massive box of screws, a slightly knackered corded hammer drill, a philips bit I found in the cupboard when I moved in, a rusty old saw, and some decking I got off Gumtree.
I was sawing everything by hand, trying to keep things straight. Driving screws in with a drill that had only two real speeds, fast, and lightspeed. And the bit kept disappearing into the chuck, as it only held so tightly.
A few years later, I started buying proper powertools, and did another deck. And oh my word…The difference.
Cutting a 2x3 takes seconds with the circular, and the line is actually straight. Driving a 100mm screw is no longer a 5 minute job, now I have an impact driver. And not having to run an extension cord for every little job? A proper perk.
I don’t think I could go back to doing DIY without my new friends. Has anyone else here had a similar revelation after finally buying the right tools for the job?
Yeah, I only buy good tools now. I had a similar experience sawing off some old Ikea shelves to put up as standalone shelves in the kitchen - tried using a handsaw and it was terrible, used a multitool and it was amazing. And when I was in my twenties and bought my first flat, a hammer drill for putting shelves up on my walls – the first time in my life I was able to do this as previously I had always rented and was not permitted under the tenancy agreements. That drill opened up whole new world, it was incredible. Up there among the best purchases I ever made, and as I bought one that a “pro” might use (Makita cordless) with loads of bits, it’s still in semi-regular use now, over a decade later.
I don’t have a circular saw or an impact driver but they’re both on the list. I saw a YouTube video from The Honest Carpenter that had a really insightful line on this: all woodworking is just taking large bits of wood and making smaller bits of wood out of them, and then taking small bits of wood and joining them together to make a different large wooden thing. So the only two tools you really need are a circular saw and an impact driver. I don’t have a circular saw or an impact driver yet - just a multitool and a hammer drill - but I’m always looking for them to come on sale/refurb/second hand so I can add them to my toolkit.
Oh and a set of clamps. So many things are so much easier with clamps!
I got the impact first, then the combi, then the saw. Honestly, the combi gets a lot more use (torque setting on screws is fantastic), but when you have a job that needs the impact, you need it.
I’m also constantly trying to work out what’s worth spending extra for cordless on. The cordless angle grinder for my range is about £75 on offer, whereas toolstation had a basic corded one for £25…No question, for the amount of use I make of it.
The saw on the other hand, battery all the way. Being able to just wander into the garden with it is fantastic.
the natural cheapskate in me has still avoided investing in petrol hedge trimmers and strimmers.
nope, i buy a cheap electric one every year and there are currently 3 broken ones in the garage.
my brain is yet to make the connection.
Every time I take my corded hedge trimmer out, I accidentally turn it into a cordless one at some point.
I think it’s the Adam Savage tool principle that says that you should buy a reasonably priced tool first, then if it fails, you probably used it enough to justify the big one.
I’m in the process of ripping up some rotten decking (previous owner didn’t look after it) and I’m loving me crowbar.
Though every time I break it out I do get a feeling that they’re waiting for me, in the test chamber.
