Have you ever taken one look around your garage and wondered, "What on earth do I need all of this stuff for?" Or how about when you're walking through a hardware store with your head down looking at the nuts and bolts options, wondering if one is better than another? There are so many different pieces of equipment available today that it may seem difficult to determine what you need. The following guide will help you figure out exactly which items are most important to have in your garage without overdoing it.
A workbench is more than just a place to hold your tools, it can also be used as an assembly table. The best garage workbench would not only allow the best space-saving but also be functional. It has adjustable height and width, a durable steel top with an integrated pegboard shelf on one side for holding common toolsets like wrenches or screwdrivers, and a vise for holding items while you work on them. It even comes with a shelf underneath for storing larger items like cordless drills or other power tools. A workbench is the best item you can use to maximize the space in your garage workshop.
You don't just need one wrench or a pair of pliers to tighten all the bolts on your deck chair, for example. You'll need several of them, and they will come in handy more often than you expect. Wrenches are used to tighten or loosen nuts and bolts. On the wrench, there is a size label that tells you how large the nut (or bolt) can be before it doesn't fit on the wrench anymore. So if your deck chair's screws require an M12 screwdriver bit, but all you have is S8 wrenches, then your task of putting together your deck chair will be very difficult.
And don't forget about adjustable wrenches. They're useful for when you need to apply some force on the wrench to get some extra torque on very stubborn nuts or bolts that just won't turn loose even with maximum force applied by the wrench.
An air compressor is used to power tools that use compressed air. The two most common uses are for powering nail guns and spray paint equipment, but many other devices can be powered via an air compressor. This tool fills up your vehicle's tires to allow you to keep driving when one or more of them goes flat. It also doubles as a tire repair kit if the hole isn't too big. This should be amongst the first items you put into your garage workshop. An air compressor can be powered by an electric motor, but you should at least have a bicycle-powered option installed somewhere in your garage, if not both.
A hammer serves many functions, from pounding nails to putting a hole in a wall. If you have any home improvement plans at all, you should include a good hammer in your workshop. There are three common kinds of hammers: claw, ball peen, and sled. The claw is the typical image that comes to mind when thinking about a hammer; it allows you to pry or lift things straight up without bending or warping them.
The ball-peen can be used to both flatten materials and create decorative patterns in softer surfaces, such as metal sheeting; it's good for everything from painting to roofing work. The sled is best for demolishing things like walls and concrete structures (the kind that can be easily broken into manageable pieces).
A socket wrench set is a must for any garage workshop. Everything from taking the tires on and off your car to putting up Christmas lights will require these tools, so make sure you get lots of them. You may want to buy individual pieces or a full set at once, it's your choice. The most useful pieces are probably deep sockets that can reach nuts that are far below the surface of whatever material you're working with, such as under the engine in your car.
Extensions and adapters come in handy too if you don't want to crawl around and find something that fits perfectly. Standard and metric sizes should both be represented; some sets even contain extra pieces like T-handles and hex bits.
A circular saw can be used for a variety of purposes, from cutting wood to removing the metal pan beneath your bathroom sink. Its uses are so wide-ranging that it will probably become one of your go-to tools in the workshop. Choosing between an electric or battery-powered option comes down to how much you intend to use this piece of equipment. The cordless version runs on rechargeable batteries and is excellent for smaller projects, where having a cord get in the way would just get frustrating after a while. The corded option won't run out of juice when in use but may require an extension cord which you'll need to transport with you when taking it from location to location.
A bench vise is similar to some of the other items on this list, in that it takes on many roles. It can be used for anything from holding wood or metal pieces while you work on them to tightening up stubborn bolts and nuts which regular wrenches won't budge, meaning they get replaced with new ones. Making sure your bench vise is attached firmly to the table, so it doesn't move around when you're using it, is also key. You'll come across all kinds of projects that require different ways of moving their jaws, so having the option to alter their position will allow you greater functionality with just one piece of equipment.
Some projects around the house aren't too difficult if you do most of the work by hand. Others, like putting together furniture or hanging things on the wall, are much more difficult. Save yourself some time and energy with a cordless screwdriver. This tool does exactly what you'd think - it holds screws in place while you drive them into whatever material you're working with, so you don't have to worry about dropping them or losing your grip.
Your garage workspace is only as useful as the tools you choose to put in it, so take some time before starting up that next project to make sure your supply of tools is top-notch. Start with the items on this list and see how they make your life as a handyman easier.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here