Filling up your toolbax (Part 2)

For the next installment of the necessary tools we feature the following (remember, recommended brands looks like this)

- Cordless Drill - This is something you'll use for drilling pilot holes, driving screws into things, making holes in stuff you want to, etc. It is really a MUST HAVE, one thing to remember when looking is that you need to buy a drill for what you're going to use it for. If you're a contractor you need a heavy duty contractor grade tool. If you're a Joe/Jane homeowner/renter the you need a lot less. The important differences between contractor and homeowner grade are:
> Minutes of usage per charge (contractor grade batteries last longer per charge)
> Chuck (what holes drill bits) - on the contractor grade, you will typically see a ratcheting
chuck which allows a tighter grip with less effort on the bits. This is a nice feature but might
not be worth $100+ to you
> Drill speed/power - an 18 volt DeWalt will go faster and provide more torque than an 18 volt
Ryobi

The first thing to look at is how much power do I really need??? I would not advise getting anything under a 12 volt as it would restrict your use to go lower (and there are few if any left offering 7.2 and 9.6 drills anymore). The only exception to this is the Makita 9.6 Volt (~$100.00), this is a powerful, lightweight, compact tool that you will be happy with. If you want to spend a little less then look at Black and Decker, Ryobi, and Skil.

If you think you're going to need a lot of power go with an 18 volt - but remember it will be heavy and large. If you're going to be hanging pictures, putting up shelves, and doing small projects get a 12 volt. The important thing to remember is these tips are for the average person. If you like to do a lot of home improvement projects and/or bigger jobs then a DeWalt/Makita/Bosch tool would be better for you. Hope this helps.

To Be continued....... (only 1 more installment)

Filling up your toolbox (Part 1)

When you live on your own a basic tool set is a necessity. The basic items you need and the recommended brands to purchase are:

- Screwdrivers - You want to get a set of varying sizes of Phillips and Flat Heat (aka slot/slotted) Husky/Kobalt/Craftsman.

- Hammer - A 16 oz claw (smooth face) hammer with a fiberglass handle is ideal brand is unimportant.

- Crescent (aka adjustable) Wrench(s) - if you only get 1, get an 8"; but ideal is a set made by Crescent that is a 6" and 10" for around $20. Crescent/Klein

- Groove lock/Groove joint pliers - these are commonly known as Channel Locks (which is a brand) and are like a cross between a wrench and pliers. You want to get a 10" pair or larger or a 3 piece set with small medium and large (6", 8-10", 12-14"). Crescent

To Be Continued....

Why Blog?

I have always bad mouthed blogs and said they were dumb and said that anybody with something good enough to share would actually be published. I held fast by this position even when my wife started a blog - I'm sure she loved that.

So why am I writing? I've learned a lot of things over the years from my Father, Grandfather, Uncles, Friends, Trial and Error, Good Luck/Guess, Schooling, etc on Doing Man Stuff and there is a lot of people out there who were not able to pick up these tools. So I want to share these things.

Now you might ask yourself, What is Doing Man Stuff? I would tell you, doing man stuff is everything from making a perfect burger (from gound beef to on the table) to sharpening knives to home/car repairs to mixing drinks to selecting tools for your tool box/chest. I will share my accumulated wisdom and hopefully help people out Doing Man Stuff