Q: My daughter and her husband just moved into their first house. They’ve got some work to do, and I thought a toolbox would make a nice housewarming gift. I’d like to furnish it with some tools. Any suggestions on what would make a good start-up kit for a do-it-yourselfer?
A: Start with safety glasses, work gloves, a hammer (16 oz.), ratchet/socket set, assorted screwdrivers or a driver with interchangeable bits (Phillips head, flat, etc.), needle-nose and channel-lock pliers, adjustable wrench, torpedo level, tape measure, snips, hex key set, combination square and utility knife. This should get them started, and they can add more specialty tools as he needs them. The list sounds like an expensive investment, but a lot of “combo kits” are available that contain most of these tools for a reasonable price. The drawback to the kits is that the case they come in typically doesn’t allow for adding tools. Most DIY’ers prefer to customize their kits, so a nice, quality toolbox to accompany the tools should make a great gift. And if you’re feeling really generous, everybody needs a good drill/driver and circular saw.
