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i'm just a girl: handyman tools every girl should have at home
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items You do not need a garage full of tools or a Home Depot employee badge. These are the basic handyman tools I'd keep at home so I can hang things, tighten things, measure things, fix little annoying stuff, and at least know what's going on before I cal...
This is the tool that makes you feel like you suddenly know what you're doing. Hanging shelves, assembling furniture, putting in screws, this handles a lot of the little house stuff. This kit comes with the battery and charger already included, so yo...
BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX Cordless Drill/Driver Kit
The drill is only useful if you have the little pieces that actually make it do things. This set covers your phillips and flathead bits, drill bits, and nut drivers, so you're not stuck mid-project realizing you own the tool but not the piece you nee...
CRAFTSMAN Drill Bit Set 60 Pieces, Impact Driver and Screwdriver Bit Set , Includes Nut Drivers (CMAF1260)
For the tiny jobs where pulling out the drill feels dramatic. One handle, a bunch of bits, and you're not digging through a drawer looking for the right screwdriver.
Klein Tools 32500HDRT KNECT Ratcheting Screwdriver, Multi-Bit Screwdriver/Nut Driver, Impact Rated 11-in-1 Tool with Phillips, Slotted, Square and Torx Tips
For hanging things, pulling nails back out when you changed your mind, and occasionally hitting something because that is genuinely the solution.
STANLEY STHT0-51309 16oz Fiberglass Curved Claw Hammer, 450g
For when something has a nut or bolt and you're tired of staring at it like it personally offended you.
Crescent 8" Adjustable Black Oxide Wrench | Bagged, Home Improvement, Garage, and Mechanic Hand Tools
Good for gripping, turning, or holding onto something round or stripped that your fingers just can't handle alone.
Channellock Slip-Joint Pliers 424 - Straight Jaw Tongue & Groove, Hardened Steel - 4.5 In
For grabbing small stuff in tight spots, like a screw that rolled behind the fridge or a wire you need to bend just right.
Channellock 317 8-Inch Long Nose Pliers with Side Cutter
This locks onto something and holds it there so you have both hands free. Good for when you need a third hand.
Irwin Tools IRWIN VISE-GRIP Locking Pliers, Fast Release, Curved Jaw with Wire Cutter, 10-Inch (IRHT82578)
For all the little bolts on furniture, bike parts, and appliances that use those tiny six-sided screws instead of regular ones.
CRAFTSMAN Hex Key Allen Wrench Set with Ball-End, SAE/MM, 20 Piece (CMHT26020)
A small set like this covers most nuts and bolts you'll run into around the house. You don't need the giant mechanic version.
WORKPRO 39-Piece Drive CR-V Socket Set(1/4" & 3/8") | Metric & SAE, Quick-Release Ratchet Wrench, Extension Bar, Spinner Handle & Adapter, Compact, Automotive Repair
Get the 25 footer, not the little 12ft one. This is for measuring furniture, doorways, windows, and figuring out if that couch will actually fit before you buy it or drag it up the stairs.
Stanley PowerLock 25-Foot Tape Measure
Small enough to keep in a junk drawer, but it tells you if that shelf or picture frame is actually straight instead of just eyeballing it and hoping.
WORKPRO 9-Inch Torpedo Level, Magnetic
Before you drill into a wall to hang shelves or a TV, use this to find the actual stud instead of guessing and hoping you hit wood.
Zircon StudSensor A100 Stud Finder with Live Wire Detection
Touch this to an outlet or wire before you touch it with your hand. It beeps and lights up if there's live power, which is the whole point.
Klein Tools NCVT1P Non-Contact Voltage Tester
For opening boxes, cutting drywall, trimming carpet edges, whatever. Comes with two so you're not digging through a drawer looking for the one you lost.
Stanley Utility Knife, 2-Pack
Comes in a few sizes so you can patch a nail hole or scrape old caulk without buying one knife for every random job.
WORKPRO 4-Piece Stainless Steel Putty Knife Set
For sealing gaps around your tub, sink, or windows so water and drafts stop getting in. Squeeze the trigger slow, it's not a race.
Newborn Octogun 208D Drip-Free Caulk Gun
This is the one for gently tapping things into place, like flooring, tile, or furniture pieces, without leaving dents or marks the way a regular hammer would. Great for when something just needs a little persuasion, not full force.
Edward Tools Rubber Mallet Hammer, 16 oz
This is the flat metal bar you reach for to pop off baseboards, pull nails, open stuck paint cans, or pry two things apart without wrecking either one. Not glamorous, but it saves you from using a butter knife and regretting it.
STANLEY Wonder Bar II Pry Bar, 7 in
This is the little telescoping wand with a magnet on the end for grabbing screws, nails, and washers that roll under the couch or fall into places your fingers can't reach. Cheap, small, and weirdly satisfying to use.
CRAFTSMAN Magnetic Pickup Tool
This is the pair I'd keep by the door for anything that could scrape, pinch, or splinter your hands, moving furniture, yard work, assembling stuff, digging through the garage. Cute nails stay intact, hands stay unscathed.
DEWALT DPG781 Performance Mechanic Work Glove
Get all this stuff a home so it's not scattered across three junk drawers. This two-bag set keeps the little things little and the big things together, so when something breaks you're not digging through your whole closet to find a screwdriver.
CRAFTSMAN 13" and 18" Zippered Tool Bag Combo