To me, the table saw is without doubt the greatest thing in the universe.
But judging from your question, what you really might need right now is books, or at least a book. A classic that covers a huge amount of ground, including the basic homeowner's toolkit, is Reader's Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual. The coverage may be shallow, but it's also broad.
As someone who rehabs houses, these are the tools I could not live without:
- CMS
- circular saw
- punch
- framing sqaure
- chaulk line
- jig saw (saber saw) or rotory tool
- reciprocating saw
- pry bar
- two hammers
- a utility knife.
- caulk gun
- tape measure
- sledge
- sharpie markers
YMMV
No.
I worked many years without a tablesaw, now that I have one, I don't know how I did without. Actually I do, I just did a lot of things differently, probably not as well.
It all depends on what you mean by "fix/re do a few things". If that means repairing doors/windows or inside or outside trim, then get a Crosscut Miter Saw. If its means building new walls, roofs or other framing work then a quality circular saw (Skil/Bosch 77). If it means, "I want to start building kitchen/bath cabinets, then a quality table saw is in your future.
However, first you need to have a shop/garage, complete with solid workbench, saw horses, vise and other assorted tools.
Building your shop, bench storage cabinets and other assorted racks and shelves will give you the desire to learn more. Stick around here, ask lots of questions and don't be shy. Just try Google searching for answers first. (Like, how to build your own workbench plans free) Check in here once you have decided on two or three ideas and ask for advice to help you narrow it down further.
Good luck, make sawdust!
Dave
Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
I remodel houses for a living. here's the short list of things I carry everyday: Power tools: Big a.. radio, drill, Circular saw, recip saw, Jig saw, various nail guns and small air compressor,shop vac In my tool pouch: hammer(s) tape measure, chalk line, knife, speed square, nail set, chisel(s) flat bar(s), cat's paw (nail puller), plumb bob,4-n-1 screwdriver, and one big level I also have a large stash of tools at the shop at my disposal, miter saw, table saw, etc, that I carry when needed. What you are doing largely dictates which tools you'll need, but here are some basics. --dave
You got a lot of good advice already and I will also say that the new series of Black and Decker books for home improvement and repair are excellent and will give you an idea of what tools you need for various projects. A table saw is nice but you can do so much with a circular saw particularly when you have some saw horses, clamps, and something to use for a guide which can be nothing more than a straight piece of board. The metal saw horses that you see at Lowes or HD for $20 are nice and they have adjustable legs.
Having said that I think you are referring to the Ryobi cordless kit of power tools. Their drill is decent but most everything else in the kit is so so from what I have heard, though may be adequate for you, and I strongly suggest that you get a corded circular saw. Makita makes a nice lightweight circular saw and you can get a recon one right now with full warranty from Toolking as shown at the link below for $60. Cordless drills are great but if you are going to be a lot of drilling with spade bits you want a corded drill also. As others mentioned a power miter saw is great but if you are only going to do a few miters for molding, etc a miter box and hand saw will do fine. Since you mention wood I would be sure to look at some power sanders. I can't imagine most anyone not finding a 5 inch random orbit sander to not be useful.
I would suggest that you make a list of these tools and go to your local flea market. Take about $200 and start doing some wheeling and dealing and buy yourself some tools at a bargain. You will probably find your tools at $.25 to $.50 on the dollar. fred
I am going to go in another direction from the great advise others have offered.
Christmas season is coming which means the Sears / K-mart stores will be having hand tools on sale. No longer the best hand tools, but value wise the packages of hand tool sets they put on sale is not a bad price for the quantity of hand tools.
I would recommend:
--set of locking pliers (vice grips),
--set of slip joint pliers (channel lock pliers)
--'complete' set of screw-drivers
-- electrician pliers set (Lineman's, diagonal, needle nose)
--set of adjustable wrenches ("crescent wrenches")
--set of socket wrenches 3/8 drive
--either a socket wrench set 1/4 inch or nut driver set
--METRIC AND ENGLISH sets of Allen wrenches (you need both sets)
--set of open / closed box wrenches
--dry wall tools
And don't forget the tool box.
To be honest, for my home repairs I seem to always need a screw driver, pliers of some sort, a flashlight, pencil and three trips to the hardware store (or home improvement big box) and if I need a power tool, it usually is a drill. Now, home projects, well that is another whole story. Again, for home repair, hand tools (the one you cannot find) a drill and that drill bit that was broken two weeks ago, and a flashlight (the one with the 'good' batteries,) or some special tool that I cannot find, afford, or locate on a Saturday afternoon.
As someone who went through this not that long ago, here's my advice, with regards to saws...
Get a good handheld circular saw, instead of a cheap table saw. Something like a Porter Cable, Dewalt, Makita, etc. With a straight-edge, some clamps, and the circular saw, you can do a lot more of the "honey-do" list than you can do with a table saw. With a circular saw and cordless drill, you can build a deck, as an example, where the table saw is pretty useless.
A compound mitre saw was my next saw purchase.
Then I got a bandsaw, followed eventually with a tablesaw.
Other thoughts:
Another good "early" tool can be a decent router. Get one with plunge capacity, variable speed, and a 1/2" collet.
You can never have enough clamps, or enough variety in clamps.
A drill press (even a small one) can be used for much besides drilling holes. Sanding, buffing, drilling, etc.
When buying things like screwdrivers, drill bits, router bits, wrenches, etc, you don't need to buy the most expensive ones, but the cheapest ones aren't always the value they seem in the store.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.