Note: There are links at the bottom of this page corresponding to numbers in the article such as (1), these are products that I have purchased in the past and use on a regular basis. Any affiliate links are marked as such, these do not cost you anything extra but can help support this blog going forward.
I would imagine that everyone has some tools in their home, from a set of screwdrivers, to a hammer, a spanner or even just a penknife. They are all good at their uses and as a general rule, like anything, the more you pay then usually the better the quality. In this post I'm going to cover some of the basics to get started and why they made my life a lot easier.
To get started you're going to need something to keep all your tools together. That's where a toolbox comes into place (1). You should ideally plan how many tools you have/or want to have together before buying so that you don't have to buy more or less than you need. If they aren't going anywhere then you can opt for drawers or shelves with organisers, but I move mine around the house so being together (or at least the ones I use most regular) it helped me massively buying a case.
Secondly I bought a full set of Allen keys (or hex keys) (2) as I always find that whenever I buy anything where one is required and they include them they are always small and fiddly and makes it a lot harder to complete the job. The set I purchased was from a company called Wera who make loads of high quality tools. The set I bought included 9 different sizes, has longer than normal handles, are colour codes to match their colour to size system and comes in a clip to keep them all together. I like to be organised with my tools and their systems make me very happy.
I also bought a screwdriver set from Wera (3) where it includes a case with the handle and a large range of screwdriver head bits as well as a series of socket attachments. The main selling point for me for this set was the ratchet capabilities of the screwdriver handle as well as the functionality it brings by being able to rotate 90 degrees to each side. This means you can get to harder to reach locations (such as inside PC cases with hard to access screws) with ease. I have a standard set of screwdrivers as well for day to day tasks, but I always enjoy using this one the most. Plus is comes with the Wera colour system again for sizes, so that's a few more bonus points. If you need more precision then I would recommend the set from iFixit (4) which includes 64 bits including many for fixing phones and other electronics.
The final tools to discuss in this post are pliers. Pliers come in various shapes and sizes for loads of different purposes. I wanted some robust smaller ones for dealing with my 3D prints post print. Having some smaller ones helps with pulling out support material and any other loose material, or just holding a piece in place whilst gluing smaller pieces together. I bought some long nose pliers (5) for general use, they give very good grip and are perfect for pulling out any material post print. I also bought some side cutters (6) for snipping off any bits I couldn't pull off with the first set and getting into harder to reach spaces. Finally I have some gripping pliers (7) for gripping or pulling out any screws on certain prints. The final note I have on pliers is that like most tools there are always super cheap versions you will find online, the main issue I found was that the ends wouldn't align up perfectly and therefore makes using them a lot harder - always best to check average reviews.
Hopefully this gives a good introduction to a few useful tools to get started with. These are ones that I have bought and use so have linked them all below, of course there are always alternatives. There will be more posts going forward covering other tools.
Affiliate Links
(1): Toolbox (Keter) - I bought this one due to variable compartments, lots of storage and metal clips to ensure they don't break easily. https://amzn.to/35yYspn
(2): Allen Keys (Wera) - https://amzn.to/2K8yMIC
(3): Screwdriver set (Wera) - https://amzn.to/2XC7zRU
(4): Screwdriver set (iFixit) - https://amzn.to/3oFrR8V
(5): Long nose pliers (Engineer) - https://amzn.to/38E5tHg
(6): Side Cutters (Engineer) - https://amzn.to/3nGbaZH
(7): Gripping Pliers (Engineer) - https://amzn.to/2N2lT41
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