Q: Hello Youngsters. As I read about all the projects you tackle around your house, I find myself wondering whether you have a gigantic toolbox, or if in fact there are just a small handful of tools that you use on a regular basis. Do you have a few essentials you’d recommend to any DIYer? Are there any tools that you don’t have, but find yourself wishing for? Thanks! -Chris
A: We’ll admit up front that we’re extremely weird about storing our go-to tools. We actually keep many of them in a few of our kitchen drawers. Betcha didn’t see that one coming. Even our installer thought we were crazy when I told him the cabinet base to the left of the stove would be solely devoted to screwdrivers, paint rollers, nails, anchors, sandpaper and other home improvement essentials. But it really works for us and everything is über organized thanks to four whole drawers of sorted-by-theme gadgets and gizmos.
I don’t know why I feel so ashamed to admit it, but our tool drawers really do look like that all the time. I guess I should be proud, but I feel a bit obsessive. It’s just that we’re always doing something around the house so it’s easier to grab things and get to work when we know where they are. Oh and just in case you’re wondering, here’s the per drawer breakdown:
- The top drawer is full of screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, pliers, a box cutter, a tape measure, and more.
- The second drawer is where we keep nails, anchors, screws, hooks, and other hardware-ish items.
- The third drawer is full of sandpaper, caulk, duct tape, plumber’s putty, wood glue, cable ties, putty knives, liquid nails, etc.
- The bottom drawer (which is twice as deep) is where we store tons of painting supplies like brushes, rollers, paint trays, painter’s tape, and stir sticks.
We also previously wrote this post about our all-time favorite tools, but to summarize it we basically can’t live without: a hammer, a crowbar, a flat head screwdriver, a tape measure, a phillips head screwdriver, plumber’s putty, liquid nails, plumber’s tape, a box cutter, an exacto knife, straight razors, channel lock pliers, wrenches of all sizes, needle nosed pliers, a level, a cordless drill, sandpaper, caulk, a caulk gun, spackle, a putty knife, painter’s tape, high quality angled brushes, and an assortment of nails and screws (read way more on that subject right here).
Since then we’ve also tried some heavier artillery on for size (like a rented demolition hammer to rip up our old tile floor, a borrowed wet saw and miter saw from my dad for putting the bathroom back together, and a circular saw along with some pretty great hole cutting bits for our drill).
And I must admit that bigger tools really do make me feel infinitely more manly. In fact I’d be willing to bet that the amount of amps or volts that you have in your hand is directly proportional to your testosterone level, so it’s definitely worth renting, borrowing, or buying something along those lines to truly feel like a home improvement god (even just for a few hours before it’s due back to its rightful owner). And this empowerment perk carries over to the ladies too. Sherry never has a bigger smile on her face than when she’s using some heavy duty tool and telling that wood/tile/drywall who’s boss.
So along the “what tools don’t you have but wish for” vein, I’d never turn down my own miter saw, wet saw, or demolition hammer although I realize that I’d probably have to store these bigger guys in our attic or out in the garage so there’s something nice and simple about renting or borrowing them when we need ’em instead. Oh and items like our sander, our two cordless screwdriver, and a few caulk guns are kept in hidden storage space above our washer and dryer (behind our bamboo blinds) so they’re still on hand but out of sight.
And everyone knows I love my Kreg Jig. That’s probably the one item that I would name my “tool of the year” since it has single-handedly helped me build shelves for the nursery, a two person desk for the office, and even a storage shelf that slides under the desk for organizing our files.
Speaking of specific products and brands, we’re sure there’s more than one way to get ‘er done but here are the companies, and some of the actual products, that we use in our house on a regular basis:
- Stanley makes great screwdrivers, tape measures, crowbars, box cutters and mini sledgehammers
- Craftsman makes great hammers
- Black & Decker makes great cordless drills (we have this one)
- Black & Decker also makes great sanders (we have this one)
- Frog Tape is the best painter’s tape we’ve ever used
- Sherwin William’s stores sell this awesome short handled brush that we love for painting trim
- Purdy brushes and rollers (available at Home Depot & Lowe’s) are great for nearly every other painting project (we love a good 2″ angled brush for cutting in & painting furniture and a nice good quality roller for walls & ceilings).
- Sears sells a set of wrenches that we’ve used for years
- Grip Rite (available at Home Depot & Lowe’s) sells nice big boxes of screws, nails, anchors, etc
- 3M makes a wide range of sandpaper (we like low grit versions, like 60-100, for deeper sandings and high grit alternatives, like 200-300, for smoothing things out for a finished look)
- Dap caulk is our favorite brand (we get the white paintable “Premium Indoor/Outdoor Sealant” for most jobs and the “3.0 Advanced Kitchen and Bath Adhesive Caulk” also in white – which isn’t paintable but is ideal for caulking a tub, toilet, or sink).
- We also love Dap CrackShot spackle (for filling nail holes and all that good stuff)
So there you have an in depth rundown of the tools we have, where we keep ’em, the ones that make me feel the manliest, and the brands and particular products that Sherry and I prefer (none of which paid or perk’d us for this mention, they’re just actually what we use here at Casa Petersik). As you can see we don’t have a bunch of expensive DeWalt things – which is a nice reminder that you can spiff up your house without owning a $500 saw (and we also definitely believe in renting and borrowing anything that you can to get the job done). Now go forth and build/paint/demo something!
But wait, first we’d love to hear more about your tool sitch. Do you have any life-changing tools that you’d like to share? Any other brands or products that have done you right? Dish that tool time dirt.
Psst- This post contains affiliate links
liz @ bon temps beignet says
I can’t believe you can store all your tools in such a compact space! Our whole hall closet is crammed with tools and my husband has a huge (5ft tall by 8 feet wide) roll around tool box in the garage.
I have a question that’s a little off topic… how do you keep the kitchen rug clean? We have a runner right in front of our stove and I vacuum it once a week but it still seems to get really dirty.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s jute so it repels stains like a straw broom would. We just vacuum it once a week or so and spot scrub anything like oil or jam that spills with water (or leave an ice cube on it if we’re lazy). Over a year later it’s still in perfect condition!
xo,
s
Amanda@Our HumbleA{Bowe}d says
I wish we had the space to store all of our tools. A fair part of our garage is taken up by a table saw, assorted nail and staple guns and other necessary tools. We are lucky that Ben can borrow some tools from work to do some things. I have my own little toolbox (a cute wooden one) with all of the essentials in our hall closet, though.
Jean says
Thank you for this post. It’s so helpful to me. I recently started organizing one of the very few closets in our house and it’s been really tricky because it’s where we dump all of our tools. We have no organization system for the tools and I’ve been stumped as to how to organize them. But you’ve given me so great ideas. We have a rolling cart with three drawers that has always looked out of place in my son’s bedroom. I think I’m going to repurpose it to store all of the tools tucked away in the closet. Thank you!
Lindsay@Tell'er All About It says
Great post!
My hubs and I love tools and there are a few things that have been absoltuely invaluable to us in doing home renos. We wrote about it awhile back here:
http://tellerallaboutit.wordpress.com/2010/01/25/mens-den-tools/
I’d also love to add that a LASER LEVEL is such an awesome tool!!! We used it to paint stripes in our laundry room:
http://tellerallaboutit.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/earning-our-stripes/
…and hang just about any and every picture in our house. I love mine and use it all the time! They’re actually pretty reasonably priced and I’d recommend it for whenever you have to hang or paint something en masse – makes it much easier.
I’d also add ELECTRIC DRILL to this list. It makes every job so much easier – wall anchors, hanging curtains, hanging pictures, unscrewing/screwing ANYthing…I love mine and can’t live with out!
But then again, maybe I’m just a “tool”. LOL!
xoxo,
Lindsay
Jessica @ How Sweet says
Our tools are all shoved into a corned in our garage. We need to do some major organizing!
Meredith V says
Tape measures. We have them in the car, my purse, the kitchen, the basement… so pretty much everywhere. There is even one on my desk here at work! As we work on rehabbing our house you never know when you are going to find a great deal on furniture or materials.
Renee says
Great post! My husband and I are in the process now of organizing the garage with a workbench and much needed tool storage. It’s amazing you can fit all that in a few kitchen drawers!
Random question for you, how do you store a half-used tube of caulk or liquid nails?
Melissa says
The one tool that we have probably used the most recently is the table saw. My dh has a miter which is great for a lot of things but he really loves his table saw. Our fave brands are Skil, Kobalt, Craftsmen, and Black and Decker. He used his tools to make our daughter some new bookshelves this past weekend.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v83/coleman/36778_1374966932135_1170663074_3089.jpg
Rebekah says
Is this a repeat post? I seem to remember a “where we store our tools” post from some time ago. At least, I remember that photo of your tool drawer.
YoungHouseLove says
Rebekah- We did a big post all about how we store nearly everything in our house so we threw open the drawers and snapped some photos. That’s probably what you’re thinking about!
Renee- We actually picked up caps for a few bucks at Home Depot so they keep stuff fresh. Then we just tuck those tubes (with their caps) on the shelf above the washer and dryer. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
chacha says
We own lots of power tools mostly because the rental fees started to cost as much as just buying the tool and we didn’t have DIY friends nearby. Now ppl borrow our stuff ;o)
Compressor is probably one of the best tools we have – we have used it to install feet and feet of molding, and it’ll be used to install hardwood flooring in our current house (I dropped $200+ renting one from home depot in 2003 – never again).
Circular saw is also extremely useful and good to have. We have used ours to create closet shelving, cut plywood for countertop bases, and trimming down interior doors.
Oh and collapsible saw-horses!!!
Emma says
Growing up, my parents had this white dresser out in the front hallway that held the extra place mats and water bottles (with 4 active girls they needed a drawer for them!) but there were 2 drawers in this dresser reserved exactly for tools. one had the nails and tape and markers and the other had a smaller hammer, tape measure, wire cutters, needle nose pliers, regular pliers, wire, screw drivers (like 3 or 4) and a utility blade.
Now that I own my own house and am doing massive renovating (new bathroom, turning gross finished attic into new bedroom, my dad rebuilt & turned my stairs etc. etc. etc.) I’ve got a whole table set up temporarily filled with tools and nails etc. Eventually, I do actually plan on converting one of my kitchen drawers into a tool drawer. But that’s the next room on the list! :)
My fav tools are putty knife, utility blade, screw driver, some sort of pliers, screw gun and crow bar. With these and some screws, wires, tape or wood, you can do anything!
Kasey at Thrifty Little Blog says
I’ve been really surprised at how many times we’ve used our Dremel since buying it. It was the perfect size to sand down little cracks in a cabinet we refinished and it was super easy to whip out when we needed to cut some plexiglass.
Barbara says
Please, please tell me you have ONE drawer or closet that is messy in your house!! I’m feeling very inadequate right now.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, things definitely get messy. We’re only human! But not our tools… we use them too much to let them get too unorganized.
xo,
s
Laura (youngDCliving) says
That must be really funny when you have people over and they want to cook, and look in your drawers! Actually..they probably are already aware of it…but it still must be amusing.
Thanks for this post, especially the summary of your favorite brands/items, I am tackling a painting project soon, so I really needed this list.
Carmen says
I’ve always had a “tool drawer” in my kitchen. Saves lots of steps out to the garage! The most helpful tool I’ve ever owned is my rechargeable screwdriver which I just couldn’t live without!
Lauren @ chezerbey says
I second the comments about the laser level and compressor. Both have been invaluable for us. I also like that we have a “safety drawer”, for masks, ear protection, goggles, gloves, etc.
Also, for specialty tools that we need for a specific job (like the Paintshaver Pro we used for our exterior), we bought a used version off craigslist and then resold it (for the same price!) when we were done. As long as you can resell it, this eliminates rental fees and you can keep it as long as you need it.
By the way, I’m liking the increase in DIY posts!
Cindy @ The Flipping Couple says
We’re a DeWalt household. The hubs won’t allow any power tools in without that tell-tale yellow on ’em. BUT, because we do more carpentry-type projects, like building our own garage from the ground up, gutting a bathroom and kitchen on our own and finishing the basement, we definitely put the ultra heavy-duty tools through their paces.
I know DeWalt is pricey, but that’s not to say you can’t score a great deal. We bought Nick’s 18V cordless drill for $99 – saving about $150! We also got our compound miter saw on a huge sale, and that definitely paid for itself during the garage build. We never could’ve rented one for 5 months for less than we paid for our own. So my encouragement is to definitely think long-term with your tools! Know what you’re planning to use the tool for (the occasional loose screw vs. building a garage)so that you don’t end up replacing your drill 3 times in a year.
kitliz @ DIYdiva says
18v Compact Drill from Makita – I cannot stress enough how much I love this drill. First one I’ve found where I can hit the trigger and the FW/RV switch at the same time. It’s a lot of power if you’re just hanging pictures or something, but for serious DIY work, it can’t be beat.
I think you guys have a great theory on renting tools and keeping things simple, but I have to say I use my DeWalt Sliding Miter Saw at least every other day… then again, we are building an entire house with it. ;) To say I’m excessive with tool buying would be an understatement.
Lisa at Motherhood Style says
Great Post! Ever since my second was born I am obsessed with organizing and order. It makes life so much easier when you can quickly find what you need. Just wait until you have to organize toys too! I wish I had an extra room in my house dedicated for toy storage! Can’t wait for those posts!
Rachael says
We are in the process of reorganizing our basement, and I soooo wish we could fit everything in a cabinet! My husband is a bit of a pack rat and has filled up the whole basement with tools (including multiple peg boards!)We are very close to buying that Kreg Jig to make some of Ana’s plans at Knock-Off Wood-I’m glad to see such good reviews on it!
julia says
I have a 22 month old and am wondering if you plan to relocate these items when Clara is mobile or if you plan to get kid-proof locks for the drawers.
Misty says
Speaking of the Kreg Jig, I saw them @ Lowe’s and was keeping it in mind for the Hubs for a future gift. They sell the “big” one you guys have and the smaller set (obviously for like 1/2 the price of the big one). So do you think the big one is worth it? I will have to take a look @ that post again to see all the fun things you can do with it to remind me before I purchase it as well. thx!
YoungHouseLove says
Misty- John actually thinks we have the smaller one and he loves it! But just look at what each set has and figure out what will work best for you and your man. Good luck!
Julia- We definitely plan to babyproof every nook and cranny of our house as Clara grows and gets more mobile. We’re not sure how we’ll go about it, but we plan to learn as we go. Stay tuned for that info as we learn what works for Casa Patersik!
xo,
s
caligurl says
oh NOOOOOO! i have to disagree with you on black and decker… every single black and decker tool we’ve ever owned had broken prematurely! UGH! so we now call it black and crapper…. the only thing that won’t die is hubby’s coffee pot… and we want that to die! lol! hubby likes craftsman (of course) makita, dewalt…
we use dap caulk and purdy brushes, too!
great post, as always!!!!!
Alli says
We have both a table saw and miter saw made by Hitachi and they are wonderful! We also have: A milwaukee drill (lithium-ion batteries, yeah!), Black and decker skil saws (i had one, husband had one when we got married, and we inherited one from another family member…), Delta dust collector from Craigslist. I must say I guess I’m a bit of an elitist, but I refuse to buy anything Ryobi. I’ve never used anything by them that has held up or had the power to finish a job well. Just my two cents. Others may have other opinions of them, but that’s just my experience.
We still need to buy a router and will probably make our own router table from various plans we have. Kreg jig will be coming soon as well! :)
Love your blog!
Annie says
We have a carport-turned-garage, so the storage room at the back is now the tool room. We put the old kitchen cabinets in there, and they store all the little stuff. Then, we made the old countertops into a nifty workbench and movable miter saw stand. As of now we have a Dewalt miter saw (found on craigslist, practically brand new, for 1/2 price!), a circular saw, a jig saw, and a Dewalt cordless drill (a gift), but I’m sure we’ll eventually acquire a table saw too. It might seem excessive, but it’s necessary considering that we’re in the middle of a full-on kitchen + 2 bath renovation, and we already completed some structural repair. Tools help a lot!
Candace says
You know, I’ve grown up always having a screwdriver & tape measurer in the kitchen. Never knew anyone else who did before reading this blog- I am LOVING that there are others out there!!! Now, I have one of those screwdrivers that have 4 interchangeable heads, so it’s the main tool I use. Both are totally useful for tightening a loose chair leg or measuring a window on a whim.
Katie says
I went to S-W last night just for the trim brush you’ve mentioned. We just bought our first house this weekend and this is my first real experience painting so wish us luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Luck!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
Hi!
Great ideas for tool storage, thanks. I think I’m going to show my husband; he’s not the most organized with his tools and I think your ideas will really help.
Also, did you guys make the counter top for over your washer and dryer? What did you use and how did you secure it? We want to do the same thing, but we’re debating the correct technique and materials.
Thanks again! Love your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s just a piece of plywood that we painted and poly’d. Then we used one of those grippy rug pads on top of the washer and dryer to hold it in place. It never moves!
xo,
s
Sara says
Not to be rude, but – wasn’t the Kreg jig a perk?
My DH got one around the time you guys did, and he loves it.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sara,
Yes, a few months back Kreg did send us the jig and we got them to cough up another one for a giveaway since we loved it so much and wanted our readers to benefit as well (and we disclosed all of that info in those posts of yore). But Kreg didn’t compensate us for mentioning them in this post, we just decided to call them out along with a lot of our other favorite tools because we’ve loved it so much and have used it a lot more than we initially expected that we would. Hope it helps! And we’re so glad your hubby is loving his jig too!
xo,
s
Emily says
Totally agree with the frog tape and the DAP. We have a similar sander and it works great!
Alicia says
My husband and I have quite an extensive tool box/tool collection. Over 6 years ago we purchased a professional stainless steel tool box from costco ($600 compared to the normal $1,200) and it is kept in pristine condition. Every tool has its place and you know when something is missing because there is a gaping hole staring at you. My favorite heavy duty tool that we own is a biscuit joiner! Although, we assembled our mantle (built it from scratch ourselves) with out one using drills and dowels…it was pretty interesting. However, I do have an 18 inch deep red oak mantle that is the envy of the neighborhood!
Snickrsnack Katie says
I have a big toolbox for all my tools – I guess I feel really macho (and I am a girl – but don’t us gals like to feel macho once in a while?) lugging around my toolbox. I also like having everything right there at my disposal when I need it and don’t have to run back to the kitchen for what I need. I do like what you have going on and it looks OH so organized! I think I just like to stick with the tried and true mega-toolbox. :-)
I think you should change the name of this website to Casa Petersik dot com. That is very catchy. :)
Carole says
My dad gave me a set of tools when I left for grad school. My fav. is a wide-handled screwdriver, with multiple bits that fold up from the handle. You just rotate the handle so that the slot lines up with the type you want and flip it up, easy peasy!
My mom always had her own set of tools in the kitchen. We used to tease her about her tiny ‘lady’s hammer’, but now I’ve learned that a small hammer is much better for jobs like hanging photos (less heavy, and less likely to injure yourself or the wall!)
Patti says
Funny that you post this topic today, my husband was saying just last night that growing up, he never understood why his father kept the garage such a mess with tools and such everywhere (he was a plumber) and now, lo and behold many years later, my husband is the same way! He has every tool under the sun and could build a house from scratch but absolutely ZERO organizational skills. Thanks for the tip about the trim paint brush, painting the dining room soon and could use all the help I can get.
Pam @diy Design Fanatic says
3 car garage, baby! (and a basement)The 3rd bay is for all my husband’s tools, which he has just about every one they make!
He’s always checking the markdown table at the big box stores at least once a week & of course, craigslist!
I also keep a screwdriver and a tape measure in the kitchen and upstairs in the craft room, I keep another screwdriver, tape measure hammer, etc. in my island work table. And, the back of his car has tools, as well for his job. We are well stocked everywhere!
Homestead says
Completely and totally ass-vice…. but when the time comes to baby-proof these drawers…. consider just dropping a yardstick down through all the handles. Probably you can come up with something prettier but it doesn’t mark up the cabinet and it is easy to remove for drawers you use a lot.
Tia says
Just had to chime in that I bought the brush you guys recommended as well, and it was AWESOME! Totally made me wonder why I’d always been using blue tape. Doing it by hand with the right brush was so much easier and it came out so much better.
Carol N. says
Well, we have two sets of a lot of the smaller tools…one for the hubs and one for me. Mind is upstairs in my sewing and crafts room and his are in the basement. It works out better that way for each of us to have our own things like hammers, measuring tapes, screwdrivers, etc.
We love, love, love our DeWalt compound miter saw! It was actually a gift to me from hubby one year and I use it to make frames and things for my needlework. And we have used it to put up crown molding in the house and a host of other things. We also have a nail gun and a paint sprayer which we love but don’t use as often. Got to love those big power tools!
Amanda @fromparriswithlove says
Thanks for the info. My fiance has more tools than I can name, which can be handy. We also store a lot of our ‘needed often’ tools in kitchen drawes. We have one cabinet with some bigger often used items such as our level, and painting supplies.
I think the tool I would just love to have would be a nail gun. I can think of about 100 projects on my to-do list that I could use it for. (Biggest one being redoing the sun room, and the pool deck.)
Maggie Rose says
I’m the tool nut in our house – I always want to wander down the tool aisles at Home Depot while Ryan taps his foot. But he did get me an electric sander for my birthday :) Thanks for gathering all this info into one post – will definitely help for my Christmas list! Next up is to figure out how we can store stuff more effectively, because we definitely don’t have any extra kitchen drawers!
Eileen says
We’ve had our house for about 5 years, and I’ve done very basic DIY ever since then (painting, fixing screens, light plumbing, etc). This past year though, I’ve been itching to do more heavy work, but really didn’t want to pay retail for equipment I didn’t know I’d use more than 3-5 times a year. That’s when I started frequently scanning Craigslist for power tools. Hardly used equipment for a fraction of the price. It takes patience to find the good stuff, but I think it’s definitely worth the wait.
Jennifer says
I love the laundry room did you do a post on that yet?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jennifer,
Yup, we did this post with some info a while back but we’ve been meaning to do another post with more updated info. Stay tuned…
xo,
s
Gayle says
The majority of my home projects have been on the exterior (yard/landscaping) so far, so I’ve had the need to collect only the bare-bones basics for interior work.
1. As stated above, an electric drill/screwdriver with an assortment kit of bits. I have plaster walls, so pilot holes for EVERYTHING is required…even for hanging a simple little no-big-deal bobbly-boo.
2. I have a rechargeable (Black & Decker I think) small screwdriver…think for casual light use…not “power tool-grade”. This is great for quick screw tightening, decor projects in places where the power tool is just too powerful & fast. This is my go-to screwdriver. It’s light and equivalent to an hand tool in the event the battery dies.
3. I work in the construction industry, and it’s most common for contractors to use rechargeable battery-operated tools. For the DIY-er, I highly recommend power tools that plug into the wall. It’s no big deal to run a cord. You never have to delay your project and motivation for a couple hours if you find the batteries died. There is more power behind corded tools. Wanted to share this because when I was considering my first power tools, I stewed forever over battery versus corded, and so glad a thousand times over I went with corded.
Brenda says
Sherry, you feeling ok? I love John’s post as much as yours, just my anal nature noticing I guess.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m feeling just fine, thanks for asking! We actually write posts a bit ahead of time so I’m busy prepping lots of posts for next week- and it’s actually a special week for YHL so stay tuned…
xo,
s
Heather S says
We keep our tools in a kitchen drawer too! Or, shall I say, I do. My husband always tries to put them in the garage and I pull them out again. I’ve given in a little… like “his” hammer (mine is the perfect size) and all of his wrenches and drill bits live on his work bench. But the screwdrivers, pliers, and nails & screws are in the drawer.
Never thought to keep painting supplies in there, but I might have had we had the room!
Lindsay@Tell'er All About It says
“special week” means ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!
HAPPY THREE YEARS, GUYS!!!!!!! Just celebrated my three year last week, so CONGRATS!!!!!!
xoxo,
Lindsay
Ok,…..maybe that was a little too excited… ;-)
Paige says
Oooh, we have a screwdriver that changes from a flat head to a phillips! It has two sizes for each type. I would tell you what brand it is, but I just went to look for it in the closet and it’s not there. Whoops!
Bethany S says
The best present I ever gave myself… was giving my husband a table saw for his birthday. We found it on craigslist for s steal! My ‘honey-build’ list is less of a chore now, and I get to design all kinds of stuff for him to build! Win win!
http://mrssywassink.blogspot.com/
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
some of my hubby’s fave tools are Craftsman tools. He also LOVES his DeWalt cordless drill; I swear he has that thing out almost every weekend!
Amanda @ Out of Square says
My husband is definitely the tool person around our house and his latest fav is the Bosch I-Driver.
http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=PS10-2A
It has a 90 degree articulating head which lets you use it everyone! My husband builds custom cabinetry so anytime he needs to screw something inside a cabinet or drawer that normally a drill couldn’t reach, he grabs this puppy! It can work any where!