Over the past few weeks, I’ve received several messages on Instagram asking me to share my top favorite tools, so today I’m laying my absolute must have tools out for you, and why they’re my favorite! (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience, which means I receive a small commission if you should purchase an item from one of the links at no additional cost to you.)
If there’s one thing my husband has taught me over the years, it’s that
A few of my favorite tools
1//Ryobi Compound Miter Saw: First up on my list of top 10 tools, is my Ryobi 10″ Sliding Compound miter saw, I’ve had this saw for a little over a year and honestly can’t imagine working on a project without it. This purchase happened by accident, I was assisting my sister at her salon and realized my cord had been cut. I assume it happened at some point by one of the workers at our home, but I was so upset. Having a job to finish I ran to Home Depot and decided on this as an upgrade from my previous saw. One of the biggest advantages over a regular miter saw, a compound miter saw slides back and forth allowing you to cut wider lengths of material.
2//Porter Cable Nail Gun: My husband knows the way to my heart and that is almost always through cool new tools. Last year when I was working on my master closet, I was struggling up high on a ladder nailing trim using my nail gun connected to an air compressor that was on the floor. My husband saw what a pain it was and surprised me with the Porter Cable Cordless Nail Gun. This may be my absolute favorite tool, because I use it so often. Its not too cumbersome and works fast and easy, no more waiting for my air compressor to fill up before starting a job. I typically use this along with 2″ 18 Gage brad nails on trim work and building small wood working projects. (Gage is the thickness of the nail, this particular nail gun only accepts 18G nails).
3//Stalwart 9 Piece Tool Set: Okay I know this set looks a little cheesy, with the pink and all, I purchased a similar set YEARS ago just to have my very own basics, and let me tell you, one of the tools I use the most alongside my nail gun, is my needle nose pliers that came in this set. They are a must have for removing unwanted nails, or nails that just didn’t sink like they were supposed to.
4// Wooster Shortcut: Anyone that knows me well or has been following along for a while knows how much I dislike painting. But using this paintbrush over the past year has changed my life and attitude when it comes to paint projects. If someone bought me a year’s supply of these Wooster Shortcut Paintbrushes I’d be a very happy girl!
5// Kreg Jig: Ahhhh the Kreg Jig! I received this as a mother’s day gift when I began working on my DIY adirondack chairs. I have to be honest, I had always assumed this tool was overrated, but boy was I wrong. This tool allows you to assemble strong joints in wood working projects fast and it’s so easy to use! If you choose to purchase a Kreg Jig, be sure to grab the pocket hole screw set as well, you can thank me later 🙂
6//Ryobi Cordless 2-Tool Combo Kit w/ Drill/Driver, Impact Driver: I’ve had this set for quite some time now. It’s a great value and they get the job done.
7//Ryobi Jig Saw: The jig saw is perfect for small or detailed cuts and works great for cutting curves or beveled cuts. I love that it has different modes depending on what type of material you are using.
8// Ryobi Oscillating Tool: This tool is fairly new to me, but seriously, when I began using it I wondered where it had been all of my life. This tool is perfect for making quick or last minute cuts, or if you need to make a cut in a tight space this is a great tool for you, and there are multiple blades available for the specific job that you need. I’ve used this in trimming back casings or baseboards.
9//Arrow Cordless Staple Gun: This tool is also fairly new to me and I recently put it to use upholstering a quick cornice board. It is so simple to use, no need to apply a lot of pressure, the tool does the work for you.
10//Black and Decker Mouse Palm Sander: I added this palm sander to the list because I think it’s a great tool to have, however I typically use a sanding block on most of my projects.
Bonus: Contour Tool// I purchased this tool recently for cutting flooring around baseboards and architectural bump outs. It works so great by pressing it against the space that you need to cut around, then the spikes contours around it and creates a copy of the area you need to cut out. Next you just trace it on the material and cut it out using your jig saw.
I hope you find this little “favorite tools” guide helpful, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to me :).
