GoKawiilMost people know that Labor Day is one of the best times of the year to buy tools (get it? Labor?), but if you’re a newly minted homeowner or DIY-er, the landscape can be intimidating. When I bought my first home, I owned only two screwdrivers, a pair of pliers, and a hammer; I had no clue what I was in for.
Now that I’ve been a homeowner for 17 years, I agree with WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson that unless you’re a professional tradesperson or really love large projects, you don’t need a garage full of specialty tools. Just the basics will do: a drill, a saw, a set of manual screwdrivers, and a stud finder, for example.
Luckily, early Labor Day deals are pretty decent this year. In fact, after examining all the major sales, I was able to find a rather encyclopedic house-repair kit for any new homeowner or DIY-er for under $375 (minus tax and shipping) with deals from Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart. Any of these would also be great to stash away for a holiday gift.
Here’s what I chose:
Power-Tool Workhorses: Ryobi 4-Tool Kit for $199
Courtesy of Ryobi Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit $249 $199 (20% off) Home Depot
Look, you’re not going to take Ryobi tools to a jobsite or use them to build a house from scratch (a former WIRED editor once deemed them “the Kia of tools”), but if you’re just using them for basic, casual home use, they’ll do the job. Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ batteries (this set comes with one) are fully backward compatible with all Ryobi tools ever made, and this set has a three-year warranty. I live in a DeWalt household, so I don’t have a lot of firsthand experience with Ryobi, but my brother, a contractor, says the brand is great for the average DIY homeowner and offers a much broader range of tools than competitor Bauer from Harbor Freight.
This set packs a ½-inch drill/driver, an impact driver (which WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson said had a profound 'I can't believe I didn't own one sooner' impact on him, though his is Milwaukee), a circular saw, and an LED light. The impact driver packs 1,800 pounds of torque, which is pretty decent for a consumer-level tool. If you need a sander, there's also another kit with a sander plus drill/driver and circular saw, which may be worth a look if this set sells out.
The Hand-Tool Essentials: Workpro 408-Piece Set for $144
Courtesy of Workpro
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