Being an effective DIYer is not an easy task for most people, if you have a passion for home improvement then you’re in the minority. There are many types of power tools required to handle the different kinds of maintenance jobs that you might find yourself facing as a home owner, and although they don’t come cheap, they certainly make life a lot easier.
Hand tools have their place and are always going to be useful but there are always going to be occasions where a power tool is necessary, tools like a power drill and sander are absolute must haves for even the most casual fixer upper.
Points to Consider
There are a few key points to bear in mind as you look to stock up your toolbox with power tools:
1) Value
This is one of the most important factors, if not the most important factor to consider when deciding on which power tool to buy. It’s likely that you’ll simply equate higher cost with improved functionality and quality, but there’s a bit more to achieving good value for money than just this.
Of course you should consider your budget when considering the value of a power tool, it’s no good spending beyond your means as you’ll only be cheating yourself out of pocket. Besides this a more expensive power tool is likely to offer more extravagant features, but you should weigh up your initial investment over the long run. If you’re going to be using the tool day in day out for years on end, then it would be wise to opt for a more expensive and robustly built tool, however taking the same approach when you’ll only be using the tool once or twice per year wouldn’t provide you with the best return on your investment.
2) Ergonomics
The ergonomic features of a power tool are critical, particularly as far as the comfort of the grip is concerned, and the overall weight of the tool – particularly important when working for extended periods of time. A well designed power tool also offers a greater level of inherent safety features in its design, so much so that you’ll feel more confident when using it deploying it. For a tool to be successful in this way there should be no awkwardness in the way you must handle or operate it, it should be as comfortable and as near intuitive to use as possible.
3) Durability
Durability is a critical factor when making a purchase depending on the frequency of application. At the very least it can be troublesome and frustrating to keep repairing or replacing a tool that breaks down often, and at worst it can be a safety concern if a tool is unpredictable or breaks during use.
4) Precision
Many home renovation tasks need high levels of precision which more often than not can only be achieved with a high quality power tool. If you are particular with the end results of your efforts you’ll want powerful precision tools that give full satisfaction at the end of the day. In some cases precision quality might not be so important, in the case of a sander for example, but in other cases such as drilling accurate, clean holes, a decent drill is a must have.
5) Functionality
In simple terms a power tool must perform according to its design; otherwise, it is a mistake to purchase it. The range of functionalities available in a power tools must fit your requirements to handle the tasks you need it for. For instance, whilst a hammer drill might be great for drilling through masonry, if all you need to do is drill screws in the wall, then a drill driver is all you need.
