10 Cool Tool Gifts for Fixer Uppers

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It seems like everyone has a home project going on these days, and whether you know someone who is giving a room a facelift or taking on a major remodel, the holidays are the perfect time to gift them the right tool to help in their endeavor. These 10 tools aren't just incredibly cool, they have a wide range of uses. Pick one or two for the DIY-enthusiast on your list, and be sure to add a few to yours as well!

1. Pulverizer

One of the most challenging (and fun) parts of any DIY project is the demolition, and if bustin' stuff up is on your loved one's to-do list, the Stanley FatMax Xtreme55-120 FuBar III will make an excellent gift. This multi-tasker weighs over eight pounds and is balanced perfectly for maximum striking power. Use it to get a start on holiday renovations with its ability to pry, split, bend, and destroy!

2. Oscillating Tool

Designed to make quick work of cutting, scraping, sanding, and more, the oscillator has been on the market for years, originating with the top-of-the-line Fein brand. Most DIY experts keep one in their arsenal, since you can buy almost unlimited attachments for unlimited jobs around the home. For those who are watching pennies, the Dremel MultiMax is a more reasonably priced alternative for handling the same tough jobs of cutting grout and scraping carpet adhesive.

3. Infrared Thermometer

Finding leaks in insulation in your home can be a pain, but with a thermal leak detector (like the one made by Black and Decker), it's so fun — it feels like a game! The handy gadget measures the temperature of surfaces to determine where warm air is escaping; use it on your walls, ceiling, and floors to handle pesky drafts. This tool can also be used for troubleshooting HVAC systems, fridges and freezers, and even car engines!

4. Rechargeable LED Work Light

Most shops have poor lighting, and many work projects take place where there may be no lighting at all. The Cooper Lighting LED130 Might-D-Light 80-LED Cordless Light is extremely portable, featuring a hinged "batwing" design for free-standing without a base. (Or use its magnetic feature to stick it to any metal surface!) Pop in Ni-Mh batteries for quick charging at home or on the go with the included AC/DC charging adapters.

5. Racheting Wrench

For when you can't have all of your tools with you, a handy catch-all like the Black and Decker Ratcheting ReadyWrench could save the day (and lots of space!) It's an affordable solution featuring 16 standard and metric, color-coded socket sizes. The regular handyman will find it useful for a number of odd (and not-so-odd jobs), including furniture assembly, car repairs, and home remodeling.

6. Pocket Driver

While most DIY'ers want a gift that represents power and speed, there are times when something modest is in order. The Bosch Pocket Driver Kit is a small driver that can fit into the nooks and crannies that prevent other drivers from working properly, but it provides enough torque to make fast work of most jobs. The handy LED light helps shine a light on your project, and its 20 clutch settings keep it versatile in ever-changing environments.

7. Pocket Hole Joinery System

For the handy man or woman that has everything, a unique gift like the Kreg Pocket Hole System may be in order. This unique kit lets even beginner carpenters make perfect joints without glue, clamps, and complicated geometric calculations. Just drill a hole at an angle into one workpiece, and connect it to the other piece with a self-tapping screw. Build cabinets in days instead of weeks, and watch your projects get done!

8. Power Strip

What does the average DIY'er wish they had more of? Power! But finding a place to plug everything in can be a challenge. The Stanley PowerSquid allows you to plug five devices into grounded outlets in any position. A three-foot cord and on/off circuit breaker ensures that your workspace is safe, and this flexible alternative to a regular power strip gives even bulky adapter plugs a place to power up.

9. Sharpener

A dull knife blade isn't just cumbersome, it can be downright dangerous! Gift your favorite handyperson the ability to always stay sharp with the PocketPal Mutifunction Sharpener. This tool can handle both standard and serrated edges, making quick work of a lifeless blade. It's the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone wishing to keep their cutting tools in top-notch condition!

10. Multitool

You don't have to be a Boy Scout to follow the motto of "Be Prepared," and giving a gift like the Leatherman Skeletool Multitool ensures that your loved one can be ready for anything. This smaller-than-average multitool weighs less than six ounces and packs the following tools into one slick-looking sheath: pliers, needle-nose pliers, wire cutters, hard-wire cutters, bottle opener, stainless steel blade, and universal bit driver (with bits).

Any tools on your wish list? Any DIYers on your gift list?

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Guest's picture
Tom327cat

As a man who has worked with tools in my hand all my life, I would like to give my thoughts on these choices.
1. Absolutely right!
Deconstruction is often the first step in construction. Finely done, it reduces the amount of work you must do to complete the project. Contrary to what you might think, larger more powerful tools help you to be more delicate by giving you better feel for the amount of pressure you are using. Pry bars are also useful for such construction chores as straitening `warped boards, moving heavy objects small distances and lining up holes.
2.Only if they already have a cordless reciprocating saw.
While an oscillating tool does many things no other tool can do, it is nowhere near as useful as the ol' "sawzall" whic of course is a trademarked name of the Milwaukee corporation, but so much more convenient to say than reciprocating saw that you will often hear people refer to their DeWalt Sawzall.
3.If you live with them just go ahead and buy 2.
After many years of playing "how hot is that" with my hands, this thing is like manna from Heaven, its only downside is that it is just as useful or more so in the kitchen or more so. After you have had it in the shop a while, you might not want to use the same one to help make your food.
4. no work light is complete without a magnet mount.
The sad fact is that anything that is blocked from ambient lighting is usually also in an awkward position, and often buried. A good powerful magnet has often turned an impossible lighting challenge into a simple one.
5. Quality means a lot here.
Wrenches and screwdrivers can make or sometimes literally break a craftsman. NEVER buy a cheap screwdriver set as a gift. As far as ratcheting wrenches are concerned, smooth action and reliability will keep those knuckles from getting busted, and you don't want your mechanic cursing your name while using your gift, now do ya?
6. I have an alternative.
Battery powered screwdrivers can be a bit of a crap shoot, depending on that persons preferred brand and nobody wants a dozen different wall warts taking up receptacles. As an alternative allow me to suggest Klein Tools 32500 11-in-1 Screwdriver/Nut Driver. Having this on your person means never having to worry about what type of screw head you will be seeing. It is the choice of the pros, you would be hard pressed to find an electrician who does not have one of these and at under 20 bucks, it is just about the perfect stocking stuffer for most people.
7. If the have everything, then they already have this.
My alternative wolld be a high quality hole saw set. Sure they might already have one, but the hole saws dull, small parts get lost and all this seems to happen at the worst time. In other words, you can never have enough of these. Buy a set from DeWalt, Greenlee, Milwaukee, or Bosh and you wont go far wrong.
8. If it aint GFCI, don't bother.
Type "GFCI cord reel" into Amazon. Now take a breath, they aint all in the $300 plus range. I think I found mine for $35 and I would quit using corded tools before I gave this up.
9. Consider a gift certificate instead.
Sharpening tools is a hassle, and there are people who specialize in doing it. A professionally sharpened blade cuts much better than one you did yourself. Sure it is a reoccurring cost, but any handyperson is likely to already have one of these, whereas they would really appreciate the excuse to dump this job onto someone else.
10. This is like buying them underwear.
Unless they have been pining away for a high dollar one, you are better off avoiding this, it is way too personal a choice. If you do know what they want, EXACTLY what they want Consider having it engraved, it will be a nice touch, and much appreciated.
As an alternative let me suggest the Klein Tools 11063W Katapult Automatic Wire Stripper and Cutter. they are unlikely to have it, and it makes wiring chores so much easier, that they will thank you for years to come.