The Right Tools for the Job

“The right tool for the right job.” It’s probably something you heard your grandfather say when he tried to teach you how to fix the lawnmower or build a bookshelf. And you could see he was right. There’s a big difference between struggling to do a household fix with wrong or inadequate tools and doing them smoothly and safely because you’re properly equipped.

Even if you’re not the handy person your grandpa was, if your toolkit has a few basics in it and you observe some important safety rules, you may find that doing home maintenance tasks is easier than you thought.

SAFETY FIRST

Struggling to make a wrong or inadequate tool do a job it wasn’t designed for is a prescription for injury. If you find yourself struggling with a tool, stop and reconsider. Is there a more appropriate tool you should be using? Spending a few dollars to get the right tool and spending a little bit of time learning how to use it properly will take you a long way toward achieving your goals.

What should you have in your toolkit? We have a list for you. But first, here are a few basics to consider:

School yourself. Before you set out on your fix-it adventure, take some time to learn the best way to get from point A to point Z with the job. YouTube is packed with instructional videos, and almost every tool manufacturer’s website has a library of educational materials, diagrams, and step-by-step instructions for using their products effectively and safely.
Keep your tools in good condition. It is a good habit to inspect your tools before and after use, looking for defects that could damage whatever you’re working on or cause an injury. A screwdriver, for instance, with a bent or rounded-over blade will be no good for either driving or removing screws, and it may slip if you try to force it. Instead, repair or replace defective tools promptly.
Use the right-size tool for the job. This might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many fail to heed this advice. Trying to loosen a nut with the wrong-size wrench can leave you with a rounded-over nut and bruised knuckles. Driving a finish nail with a too-heavy framing hammer is probably going to net you a bent nail and a lot of frustration.

Hammers

Is your hammer head appropriate for the job? A walk down your local hardware store’s tool aisle will show you there are multiple specialized hammers for the jobs you’re likely to encounter — mason’s hammers, dead-blow hammers, mallets with rubber or rawhide heads, hammers made specifically for framing or for demolition. Make sure you’re using a hammer of the right weight and composition for the job in front of you.
Wear safety glasses. They’ll protect your eyes from flying chips, nail heads, or scale. This is one of the pieces of safety advice most often neglected, and one that should top your list of musts. You can even get safety glasses with prescription lenses, so you’ll have no excuse not to protect your vision.

Screwdrivers

When is a drill/driver the right choice? These days, battery-powered drill/driver combos can make quick work of making screw holes and driving in or backing out a screw. There are times, though, when power and speed are not useful and in fact may damage what you’re working on. Save the power tool for instances where force and speed are called for.
Use the right size and type of tip for the right size and type of fastener. Anyone who’s ever marred their workpiece because they tried to use too big or too small a screwdriver to sink or loosen a screw knows why this is important. There are multiple types of screw heads you’ll encounter when doing home repairs. It’s a good idea to have on hand a full suite of screwdrivers and driver-bits for your drill/driver. If you’re unsure what kind you need, ask the clerk in your local hardware store for help.
Use vises and clamps. Stable work surfaces are essential to safe and effective drilling and driving. If your workbench isn’t equipped with a solid multi-position vise to keep things steady, it should be. It’s also good to have a selection of clamps on hand to hold things down when a bench-mounted vise isn’t right.

Drill bits

There’s more than one size, and more than one kind. There are drill bits for wood, metal, stone, concrete, and more. Usually, the packaging for the bits will tell you what material they’re made to handle.

Pliers

The “right tool for the right job” is seldom more apt than with pliers. Too many inexperienced would-be mechanics try to substitute a pair of pliers for a wrench, leading to chewed-up nuts, rounded-over bolt heads and frustration because there’s no way to get the tool to grip nuts or bolts securely. Even vise grips — pliers that have spring-actuated clamping jaws — have their limitations. Use wrenches on nuts and bolts, and pliers for more delicate work.
With wire-cutters, one size does not fit all. With these specialized pliers, the tool you reach for will depend on the gauge and type of wire you’re working with. For example, a pair of wire-cutters made for barbed wire fences are most likely not right for cutting coaxial cable. And if you’re working with electrical wire, you need to be sure your tool is properly insulated.

Jacks

Doing some heavy lifting? There are times when nothing but a jack will do. Whether you need to hold a kitchen cabinet in position while you drive a screw or hold a car aloft while you change a flat tire, there are specialized jacks made to help. Make sure the jack you’re using has the proper lifting capacity by checking its capacity plate or label.
Remove the jack’s handle. Once you’ve raised the material you’re working with to the proper elevation, taking the handle off will prevent it from being struck inadvertently, which could cause the tool to release or topple from under the load.
Check for leaks in a hydraulic jack. Not only will a jack that’s leaking hydraulic oil have compromised lifting capacity, oil on the bottom of the tool can make it slippery, rendering it doubly hazardous.

Prybars

Prybars are meant for wedging materials apart. Their form varies widely, depending on what you’re working with, ranging from small tools that you can drop into a pocket to wrecking bars that are nearly as tall as you are, useful when you’re taking down walls.

Work lights

If you can’t see it, you can’t fix it. You needn’t rely on a penlight held between your teeth to illuminate the job you’re doing; there are specialized work lights for that. From overhead shop lights to LED headlamps, a wide variety of light sources can banish the gloom from whatever project you’ve got before you.
Halogen lamps generate a lot of heat as well as light. Make sure you’re using them cautiously. They can quickly melt many construction materials, or even cause a fire, not to mention giving you a nasty burn.<

Staying sharp

The daily grind. Most tools perform well right out of the box, but to get the most out of them for the long haul you need to do regular maintenance. For most hand tools, that means tasks like grinding a new edge on your chisels or sharpening the blades on your hand saws.

Sources: familyhandyman.com; thisoldhouse.com; hsi.com

The information included here was obtained from sources believed to be reliable, however Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company and its employees make no guarantee of results and assume no liability in connection with any training, materials, suggestions, or information provided. It is the user’s responsibility to confirm compliance with any applicable local, state, or federal regulations. Information obtained from or via Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company should not be used as the basis for legal advice and should be confirmed with alternative sources.

09/2024