Hello, again Casa Davis family! I have been messing around with a few heavy tools for a while now. I slowly purchased them as needed and learned how to operate them through watching many, many, many YouTube videos! However, I realized that sometimes it is easier to learn how to use a tool than it is to decide WHICH ONE TO BUY. There are just so many brands, shapes, and voltages available in the market. As a woman, I did not get “educated” on how to make these decisions, so I relied a lot on things that I found from the internet, reviews, or whatever the store salesperson told me. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t disappointed a few times. Other times, I wasted money on weak tools because I was afraid to spend that extra buck on something better. For this reason, I decided to write this quick and simple guide to help my fellow handywomen decide which tools are really needed for your light-duty design projects and which brands or voltages you should go for.
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed professional nor have I received any certified training to operate these tools. Please read the product user instructions, use protective gear, and handle your tools with care and attention.
Quick list - Just one CLICK away
1) Miter-Saw and Miter Saw Stand
2) Sander
4) Nailer
1) SAW
I asked myself many times if I actually needed a saw and the answer was YES, every time. Having a saw allowed me to diversify my projects. You can do so much more when you have a reliable, powerful tool that cuts wood effortlessly for you. The projects you can accomplish are almost infinite. You can do wall treatments (wall, window, and doors), furniture and shelves, floors installing, and create frames for paintings or wall art. Not to mention the outdoor work you can get done. I’ve seen people build outdoor furniture, planters, and poles for lights with a saw.
There are many types of saws (jigsaw, miter saw, table saw, circular saw, reciprocating saw, and so on). Each of these will do a different type of work. For me a compound miter saw has been GOLD. At the time I bought my miter-saw, I did not have a lot of money to invest in a high-end name-brand miter saw. But now, I found mine to fit my needs and it has been very useful and standing strong for many projects. It does, however, limit me to certain types of work. It is all because the blade only cuts 10 inches long wood, but I can say that so far, I have been pretty happy with the one I got. (I bought my miter saw on Amazon for a great deal during the Christmas week's deals, so maybe it’s worth waiting a few more weeks to see if you get a good deal too)
Miter saw additional note: You might not need this at first but a great accessory to add to your miter saw is a Miter Saw Stand. It makes everything much easier and less scary when using your miter saw. Not to mention that it saves you the backache, in case you are thinking of operating it from the floor.
I have a Universal Miter Saw Stand
2) Sander
Of course, you can sand manually, but do you really want to? Sanding is a messy game. You need to put a lot of pressure at times, and at the same time make sure it hits all spots equally to get even results. Let’s not talk about the dust left behind and the noddle arm that will bother you through the night and days after. Do yourself a favor and get a cheap simple sander. The ones with the dust collector are even better. This 5-inch BLACK+DECKER random orbit sander has served me on so many occasions. It has paid off its low price 3 times already.
I still have a corded drill, but do I ever use it? The answer is NO. It is just not convenient. Honestly, the drill-driver is like peanut butter and jelly, they go together. I regret having bought a drill only. This drill-driver is a MUST in your arsenal of tools. As with most Ryobi tools, it is versatile, lightweight, reliable, holds battery for a very long time, and does light to medium difficulty jobs. (I love that the battery for this tool fits in all other Ryobi tools. I am a big Ryobi fan!)
4) Nailer
This one is not listed at the top of the list, but GIRL won’t you want to have this magical beauty. Say NO MORE to nails and hammers. DO IT SMARTLY and faster with an airstrike nailer. Obviously, there are much fancier nailers out there that are designed for heavy construction work, and etc, but those cost MUCH more, they are powered differently and can handle jobs that include HOLDING a house frame-up. However, the nailer I have is designed for much smaller jobs. I have done wall treatments (shiplap and wainscoting), art frames, shelves, and built wood furniture with it. It is powerful, light, holds battery for a long time, cordless, and GETS THE WORK DONE without complaints.
This is it, wonderful people. I could suggest many other tools that I have or that I wish to have, but the ones listed above are for sure the essentials. Believe me when I say I thoroughly researched the cost-benefit factor.
Hit me up if you have any questions!
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Stay Simple!
Emanuela Davis
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