7 Essential Tools For Moms
As a child, it seemed as though the men were the only ones allowed to touch the power tools. This left many a mom waiting on her husband to finish a household project.
Let’s face it, moms, no one likes to feel helpless. Even worse is to be in the position of continually nagging a loved one to help you with your task when you know how tired and distracted they are with their other responsibilities.
The beauty of feminism is that women are not dependent on men to help them with tasks around the house. It’s always fun to work on a project with your spouse, but when they are working 60 hours or more every week, it is handy to have the equipment and the skills to get the job done.
The first time you buy the parts and hang a shelf by yourself, you’ll unlock a new level of confidence in yourself and a whole new world of interior design.
Here are the tools that will help you unlock that.
Screwdrivers and Sockets
Every item in the house has to be assembled or disassembled at some point. A simple collections of pliers, socket wrenches, hex wrenches, and screwdriver bits are an absolute must.
If these are the only tools in your tool chest, you can do a pretty good job keeping your household from falling apart. And you’ll be surprised at how many times you use those needle nose pliers to retrieve a toy that got stuck in the farthest reaches of some dark crevice.
Hammer
A hammer is such an essential tool that we almost don’t need to include it on the list. It is likely that you already have a good hammer.
If you are looking to buy your first one, you probably don’t want to go with a large framing hammer. Any 12-inch hammer should help you complete most tasks.
Level
No one wants crooked wall hangings and shelves. A good level will help you make sure that you are getting a good, straight job every time.
As you develop your skillset, a level will help ensure that your bigger projects are properly squared from start to finish.
Levels are extremely affordable. However, they can be cumbersome to use. A laser level does not cost much more but can be extremely handy for larger projects.
With a laser level, you can create straight lines for hanging 10-foot long shelving and wall borders. It makes all of the difference in how quickly you can complete a project and is well worth the extra price.
Cordless Drill
A cordless drill is one of those must-have items. Whether you are hanging a TV or assembling a bookcase, your cordless drill will make short work of the everyday household tasks.
When shopping for a cordless drill, consider buying one of the top-branded models such as one made by Dewalt, Bosch or Makita. This ensures that the battery pack is interchangeable with their other tools and allows you to affordably expand your arsenal of tools without buying multiple battery packs.
Tape Measure
Like the hammer, this is one of those handy tools that we hope you already have. However, it’s never too late to buy a good one.
Tape measures are handy since they hold their shape while measuring and marking wood. With a good tape measure, you can move quickly towards getting the job done.
The trickiest thing about your tape measure is choosing a place where the kids won’t find it. This is one tool that they are going to want to play with every chance that they can.
Circular Saw
A circular saw is one of those tools that help you unlock the next level of home repair projects. From cutting studs to the correct length to getting boards ready for your wall art, a circular saw is something that you will use constantly.
Until you get a circular saw, you can get Home Depot and Lowes to help you with basic cuts on lumber you are purchasing from them. The only downside with this is that they don’t provide recuts if you got the measurements wrong.
Having a saw at home allows you to trim the boards as many times as you need to until it is right.
Saw Horses
As you begin cutting longer pieces of wood, you will need a larger work surface to support the lumber safely.
Sawhorses are a handy tool that provides you with a larger working area. As a bonus, you can use your sawhorses with a large piece of plywood for n extra table space at your next garage sale.
Corded or Cordless?
As you shop power tools, one of the first questions that you will run across is whether to go with cordless tools or to take advantage of the huge cost savings you can get by buying only corded tools.
Corded tools have two big advantages. First of all, you can get more power for each dollar spent. If you are looking for the best value, corded tools are the way to go.
The downside with corded tools is that it is very cumbersome to drag the cords out each time you have a project. Cordless tools make each project fun and exciting and make the setup and cleanup processes easier.
With either tool, the key aspect is to disconnect the power source when you are not touching the tool. Kids are extremely curious and will want to explore your workspace. Keeping tools out of their reach is a good start. However, always go the extra step and ensure the power source is disconnected at all times to prevent any accidents!
You don’t have to purchase every tool at once. Get the tools you need for your first project. Tackle that one, and expand from there. Tool review sites like Tool Tally and Consumer Reports can help sort through the confusing options and help you get the best tools for the money.
What is even better, is that after you’ve done a few tasks on your own, you’ll have friends asking you to help them with theirs. There’s nothing more fun than hanging out with your friends and knocking out a small repair project together.
Plus, those completed home project offer unparalleled Instagram and Pinterest credibility.
