I know this article can say more about me than it does about you. After all, when I was growing up, my dad was a heavy equipment mechanic and had a garage full of tools – there wasn’t too much or too little work that he wasn’t fully prepared to do, either under the car or near the house. None of this passed on to me, however, and for much of my adult life my collection of personal tools was dispersed. I had what I thought was the essential, but in recent years, I collected some inexpensive gadgets and tools that proved to be absolutely indispensable. I can’t believe I spent so much time without some of those items. Examine the list and see if there’s anything here that you don’t have in your tool drawer.
What I lose? Let me know in the comments which cheap home tool I forgot to include and I will add it to the list.
Tacklife
A non-contact voltage tester can tell if a circuit is energized without making physical contact. This pen type tester from Tacklife has a probe to insert into the outlets and can detect the current in a wire through the insulation. It is essential if you are rewiring a light receptacle or just installing a smart bell.
Black and Decker
For a long time, I thought it was enough to have a life-size electric drill, as it accommodated screwdriver tips. But it was often too big or awkward for the space in which I was working. This Black and Decker model has a three-position swivel handle to help you dock it anywhere, and the battery holds the charge for up to 18 months in a row, which is useful because you probably don’t need it often.
WeePro
There are few essential home tools that cost less than a better tester like this one from WeePro, but it pays for itself often. This tester can evaluate almost any type of battery in your home, including AAA, AAA, C, D, 9v and button cells. It does not require its own battery – it consumes power from the battery you are testing.
Enbar
We’ve all been there – you drop a screw and it rolls to a practically inaccessible spot behind the table. Armed with a claw or magnet, however, anything that has fallen is totally out of reach. This tool has both – a four-pointed claw and a powerful magnet that can lift up to 1.3 kg. The flexible shaft can reach 24 inches and even includes an LED light to illuminate dark spaces.
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