Gift for fixer-upper?
November 19, 2015 10:11 AM   Subscribe

Looking for a practical gift for my boyfriend for the holidays. We bought a 1954 house and we (he) really enjoy fixing it up. What tools, items, etc. make home renovation projects easier and/or more fun?

We have the basics (lawn mower, painting materials, etc.). Most of our renovation projects are fairly cosmetic (painting, replacing bathroom vanities, changing out hardware), but some larger projects might be upcoming.

I'm looking for something in the $40 - $100 range that will serve as a useful gift.

Anything you've discovered and can't live without? Any tools you really enjoy using? Thanks so much!
posted by brynna to Home & Garden (31 answers total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: I've known several folks who were super-excited to have a reason to own a Sawzall/reciprocating saw.
posted by cabingirl at 10:17 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


If you've been using cheap paintbrushes, try a high quality angled sash brush. They make a big difference in both the quality and efficiency of painting. Purdy is a good brand.
posted by Adridne at 10:19 AM on November 19, 2015


nthing a Sawzall. That thing was life-changing.
posted by erst at 10:21 AM on November 19, 2015


Best answer: If you don't already have one, the first tool any homeowner needs is a cordless drill/driver. I love my Makita.

A Dremel rotary tool is a handy thing to have. It's one of those tools where the more you use it, the more uses you find for it. It can be used for stuff around the house as well as for crafts. You can buy a basic kit in that price range.

The Dremel Multi-Max is also handy for small projects.
posted by bondcliff at 10:22 AM on November 19, 2015 [4 favorites]


Nthing bondcliff. I am always finding a new use for my Dremel tool.
posted by advicepig at 10:24 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


I do love having a Sawzall, but I use that once or twice a year, where the Dremel comes out that much in a month.
posted by advicepig at 10:25 AM on November 19, 2015


Was going to say exactly what bondcliff did. Cordless drill if he doesn't have one (I like my Porter-Cable, a bday gift from my wife; I really like that it's lithium ion). Dremel otherwise.
posted by supercres at 10:26 AM on November 19, 2015


A good quality level.

An excellent step stool. Safer than standing on a chair, more convenient than lugging around a ladder. The perfect thing for reaching stuff closer to ceiling height.

A wallpaper removing tool revolutionized my life when I had a fixer.
posted by Michele in California at 10:29 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Nthing the Makita. My husband has the Makita 18V cordless set. We have added to it over the years, now with drill, impact driver, angle grinder, circular saw, sawzall, etc. We have a house and a couple of rentals, and the Makita has been invaluable. I don't think we have a dremel, actually. The sawzall was infinitely useful when we had to use it, but the drill is definitely a more basic item.

Another thing if you're reno-ing and rebuilding is you will need a chop saw. We have a DeWalt double miter saw, and it's great. We bought it used for $150 and had to spend some time squaring it up. But if you get it new, it's probably out of your price range.

But if you already have a saw, you can get a nice finish blade (we prefer Diablo) for it for around $80-$100.

Another thing to consider is a air compressor. We have a Porter Cable one that was $100. It's useful for shooting in framing nails and finish nails. You can also use it to clean other tools (e.g. we use it for our chainsaw).

Also what Michele in California said: Get a nice 4' level. Get the one with the rubber ends, so you're less likely to bump it out of square. And make sure it has adjustable bubbles so that if you do bump it out of square, you can fix it.
posted by ethidda at 10:30 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


My recommendation on the cordless drill/driver is a Milwaukee M12 Fuel (the M18 is even better, but the M12 is plenty of power in my experience, and the tools are cheaper and lighter). Some of it is personal preference, but I greatly prefer the Milwaukee system over Makita or DeWalt. They feel great in my hand, have tons of power, the battery seemingly lasts forever, and they've put up with tons of abuse and still keep going. I love them more than any other tool I have. I have both the impact driver and the drill/driver.

My other favorite thing is cheap and seems silly, but it's a magnetic stud finder. It works SO MUCH BETTER than the battery powered ones that it's ridiculous.
posted by primethyme at 10:37 AM on November 19, 2015


Best answer: Seconding a dremel. Also, a really nice pair of work gloves.
posted by gnutron at 10:56 AM on November 19, 2015


Best answer: Makita cordless lithium drill! It fits your hand so nicely and isn't overbuilt or as massive as many of the other brands. It is a beautiful and rugged and practical thing that you'll want to kiss and marry and dance around the living room with. He'll love it, I promise.

Or Dremel.
posted by barnone at 10:58 AM on November 19, 2015


Get a drill, specifically an impact driver and a set of bits that work with it. The smaller 12V size will be more than enough power for 99% of remodeling tasks. Each brand will have their own take on this, so feel free to go with any brand loyalties that exist. Look for bit sets at your local hardware store on the sale racks, brand doesn't matter so much as they are interchangable and will wear out anyways.

The impact design gives it a lot more oomf for its size. Tradeoff is that it is noisy. Every time I use mine, it makes me grin in delight and fasteners tremble in fear. Impact isn't really meant for drilling, but it works fine with both normal drill bits and bigger paddle/forstner bits.
posted by Diddly at 11:13 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


I'm doing a lot of renovation on my 1961 house. Some major items are kind of obvious to want to have: circular saw, Sawzall, jigsaw, and (over your gift budget) a small table saw and a miter saw. But here are a few inexpensive items that I didn't have for a long time, then wondered how I lived without:
A speed square (aka rafting square)
Quick release mini-clamps
Pocket sized level
Heat gun
Multi Meter
Also: worklights (I seem to use the cheap kind with the clamp and reflector the most) and a tool belt.
posted by The Deej at 11:16 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


If he already has a powered drill/screw gun, get him an extra battery that can be charging while he's using the other.

Does he have a complete wrench set? That can mean the difference between getting a job done while retaining some sanity and losing one's wits trying to use an adjustable wrench. A full set doesn't have to be expensive, and it should be in any person's toolkit.
posted by whoiam at 12:00 PM on November 19, 2015


Response by poster: Amazing! I just snooped around the garage and he has a Sawzall and a Mikita lithium drill. No Dremel, though...!
posted by brynna at 12:01 PM on November 19, 2015


Tool box or bag if he is a keep stuff organized sort of guy. I've been buying toolbox for each task or tool and it works great. So for example I have a small tool box for maintaining car batteries. And I have a box that has all my sheet metal tools (crimper, tinsnips, pair of leather gloves). I have a largish size box that has my grinders, pair of gloves, and all the disks. I have a box that has my biscuit joiner plus biscuits, dowels pints and dowels. I've got a tool box that has my air brad nailers plus all my brads.

So you could get him a toolbox with lots of room to hold his battery tools. Dewalt's Tough Sytem has a bunch of different interlocking modules designed to stack and be transported via their custom trolley.
posted by Mitheral at 12:34 PM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Best answer: We just bought a house (next door to a former contractor, so we have comparison...) and the Sawzall and drill have definitely come in handy already. Other things we have bought or crave:

--Oh my god an air compressor: my husband is practically having an affair with this damn thing. You can pump up tires in addition to using power tools. He got a little two-gallon one with 1/4" gauge, and a few days later he got a better air hose as well. Impact tools need at least 3/8" in think.
--He now wants a big tool chest to replace the two or three tool boxes and tackle boxes we have floating around. One review guide
--Shop Vac
--Ratcheting screwdriver with interchangeable bits: yeah, you could use a drill, but this one is simpler.
--Ladder: we got a six-foot stepladder, I think, but you may want an extension ladder. Make sure to get one with a weight limit that can hold a person and the equipment needed.
--Subscription to Popular Mechanics
--Electrical tester/meter

Outdoors: edger (NOT Black & Decker)

Think about setting up a pegboard in the garage or basement. I always do better when everything is right up in front of me. The one we inherited in the garage has orange silhouettes of everything, including a mudflap girl :P
posted by St. Hubbins at 12:46 PM on November 19, 2015


Best answer: I use a Leatherman multitool that I keep in my pocket more than any other tool that I have in my house.

You're on a ladder and you're patching a hole or something, and you discover there's a staple in the wall. You pull out the Leatherman and pull the staple, and finish the job without having to go search for pliers or climb down the ladder. You get to one end of the house to work on repainting a wall, and it turns out you need to take a light switch plate off, use the screwdriver on your Leatherman. etc etc etc Ultimate convenience!
posted by gregr at 1:09 PM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


I went for years without a sander, and once I got one I felt like kicking myself for not getting it sooner. Anything you paint or refinish in any way can use a bit of sanding first, and this saves so much elbow grease. I like this little one, super easy to use, can get right into small corners. I have named it Beloved Sander.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:56 PM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Best answer: A portable work table with vise is big in my family. They are sturdy work surfaces, have a vise that's like an extra set of hands and they fold flat for storage. I only know the Black & Decker models but other manufacturers are making them now. It looks like the Keter one folds in to a case.

Extremely handy and durable when things need to be held upright while something sets/dries. Holds wood in place firmly while you saw it. Handy for miter cuts.
posted by readery at 2:18 PM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


A vise!!! Best tool I've bought in at least ten years, how did I ever get by without one?
posted by Confess, Fletch at 3:26 PM on November 19, 2015


ooo what about a router. You could use it to make all customized crown molding, chair rails, door frames, etc etc. You can even get $30 bits for small gift giving occasions . Ours has come in handy when redoing our window frames in our 1929 house, as no big box stores carry anything close to the kind of design we like.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 3:30 PM on November 19, 2015


When I moved into my house, I bought the $3.99 combination square at the hardware store, got it home, and found out it wasn't square. So then I bought a Starrett brand square. Mo' betta'. $87 at MSC. $95 at Amazon.
posted by Bruce H. at 4:14 PM on November 19, 2015


This was me three years ago when I bought my fixer upper. A good hammer is very nice. I like the Dead On brand, but any high end hammer really works out a lot nicer. I also like the Fastcap Accuscribe, a little too much plastic for me, but it is more than nice enough to make up for the feel. I also like drywall screw sets. When hanging drywall, they make a huge difference. Nice sandpaper is also great. There are some good sets that have lots of grits for every purpose. For mixing joint compound, mortar, and other thick liquids, a drill powered mixing bit is wonderful. Bosch just released a new corded hammer drill that I am listing over, but my old Bosch hammer drill will probably never die. Sorry for no links, iPhone problems.
posted by Nackt at 6:11 PM on November 19, 2015


I'll second the router and clamps.

A nice headlamp seems to perpetually come in handy.

If the next big project involves installing trim, you could consider a miter saw or compressor and finish nailer.
posted by slidell at 7:37 PM on November 19, 2015


If he's got any destroying to do, he might like a FatMax Functional Utility Bar. Great for general home demolition.
posted by guy72277 at 6:41 AM on November 20, 2015


Best answer: Having a lot of consumables around always feels luxurious to me. So, as stocking stuffers, here are some options:

Super Glue
Duct Tape
Masking Tape
1" Screws
2" Screws
Small Finishing Nails (brads)
Zip Ties (all sizes, and lots of them)
Shop Rags
Sandpaper (various grits)
Drillbits
Phillips Head bits for power drill/impact wrench
Wood Glue
Great Stuff (foam insulation)
Caulking
Saw Blades
Pencils/Sharpies
posted by craven_morhead at 8:27 AM on November 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


Best answer: If he doesn't already have one, a Black & Decker WorkMate (or equivalent.) Ubiquitous, definitely not used by pros (in my experience) but very useful around the house for the weekend warrior.
posted by clvrmnky at 1:08 PM on November 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


Even though I don't have one, I'm going to second clvrmnky's Workmate recommendation!

I REALLY wish I had those on my radar a year ago when I started my remodeling projects! I remember seeing ads for them all the time, years ago, but I had completely forgotten they exist.

(Ordering one soon.)
posted by The Deej at 1:29 PM on November 20, 2015


Response by poster: Got the Dremel, thanks all!
posted by brynna at 2:09 PM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]


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