A couple of months ago, I was taking inventory of my workshop.
The idea was to see if I needed to make further donations to the ReStore, but it got me thinking about the tools I use most.
Maybe, if you are starting out or are looking to add on, it might be a help.
My tape measure (I have five, but a 25-footer that locks and unlocks easily is the handiest).
I have five circular saws and a table saw, but I sharpen the teeth of my crosscut saw regularly and prefer to use it.
On the other hand, my chop saw gets a regular workout — on average six or seven times a month, and more when I am on a construction spree.
Five hammers of various weights, right down to a tack hammer. I use all of them only because I forget where I’ve left the last one on a project.
I have several sets of screwdrivers of every known size, right down to the watch set my father used at Benrus’ Waterbury, Connecticut assembly plant in the late 1940s.
You need just one set because unless a lens in my glasses loosens, all I need is the one.
Battery-operated drill drivers are more useful, especially if the drills are sharp and you have one battery charging and one in use.
Oddly enough, although my first was a 12-volt Dewalt and drill/drivers have evolved so much in the last 20 years, I still prefer that 12-volt original and a Dewalt 18-volt model.
I replace the batteries regularly, however.
When you do, bring the used ones to the home center or an authorized collection center for recycling.