Toolkit Essentials

We’ve teamed up with Bradfords, who believe that everybody should have their own toolkit. For the trade professional or seasoned DIYer, you probably already have an extensive collection of tools. For everybody else, it may be at the bottom of your list of priorities. Buying tools that will stand the test of time is important, but for the cost that this involves, it may be easier to buy tools separately.

Together, we’ve put together a list of the top tools you need to build your own kit. This should be more than enough for a homeowner to safely and confidently carry out any maintenance or repairs that may be necessary.

All the items featured are available to purchase on our website, so whether you’re looking for something to do or you need some inspiration for a last minute gift, have a look at our list of suggestions below;

A claw hammer has three main functions; hammering in nails, pulling up nails and acting as a lever to pry wood apart. When you’re looking for a hammer, it needs to be reasonably heavy to provide more force and a good swing. This 20oz claw hammer (or 566.9g for those of you who use the metric system) is a great place to start.

A staple of any tool kit, an adjustable wrench is designed to provide extra torque when tightening or loosening things. The beauty of an adjustable wrench is that it becomes whatever size you need, and this offering, has an extra wide jaw to ensure all eventualities are covered.

If you ever need carry out any electrical work, an insulated screwdriver is an absolute must. This mains tester also allows you to safely check if there is a live connection to electricity, making it a non-negotiable item for your toolbox.

This is something that all homes should have in case of power outages and tripped fuses. A torch can also be hugely useful when carrying out household maintenance as it allows you to shed some light into the darkest of nooks and crannies.

An essential piece of kit for any home, not just if you’re planning on doing some DIY. Most first aid kit include bandages, plasters, surgical gloves, forceps and an eyewash bath, so you’re covered for most eventualities!

A real toolbox staple, the trusty hand saw has a number of uses when you’re doing DIY. The teeth on this saw are triple ground and impulse hardened, which is ideal for even the toughest of jobs. The best feature is the soft grip handle though, because it allows you to keep working as long as you need without becoming uncomfortable.

A decent knife will enable you to cut and slice through a huge range of things from roofing felt to frayed cables and everything between. The benefit of a retractable knife is that you can safely transport and store it without needing to worry about any accidents.

Used to screw in or remove screws, a screwdriver can be handy to have around – whether you need it for putting together some furniture or you’re looking to replace the batteries on something and need to screw the cover off first. Of the drive types available, we’d recommend a flared tip, a pozidrive and a Phillips head to start your collection.

An essential that really packs a punch, a drill is probably going to be the most costly of your tool kit basics. We suggest getting a decent combi drill. Not only the best way to get the most from your money but its also multi-functional. Usually this will be hammering, impact driving and screwdriving or different combinations of the three options. The Makita DHP482Z combi drill (above) does all of the above, and at a fraction of the cost of buying all the tools separately.

Making sure you’re cutting the right size or that you have enough space is half the battle. This tape measure features metric and imperial measurements so you’ll always know exactly how much room you have to spare.

So there you have our pick of toolkit essentials.