You may think you need an entire arsenal of tools to get a home improvement job done, but you don’t. While some tools are useful, many are just space-hogging, dust-collecting gadgets that will be forgotten in a drawer. Before you shell out your hard-earned cash on the latest ‘essential’ home tool, think about what’s needful.
Here are 11 hyped home tools you can probably live without.
Stud Finder
What a brilliant idea—a stud finder—no more trying to guess where to hang that heavy mirror. In practice, however, many of these devices are more trouble than they’re worth, beeping at random or giving false readings. The fact is, a little knock on the wall or a magnet is often all you really need to know where the studs are hiding without the aggravation of a finicky gadget.
Laser Level
Laser levels can seem like a cool, futuristic way to hang shelves or pictures with perfect precision, but do you really need a glowing red line zipping across your wall? Most home tasks don’t need this much accuracy, and a good ol’ bubble level will do it just fine. And it’s a lot less intimidating, too!
Electric Screwdriver
An electric screwdriver is a tool that tends to gather dust unless you’re building IKEA furniture or doing large projects regularly. For most jobs, a manual screwdriver is just as effective and gives you better control without the hassle of charging batteries. …And let’s be honest, sometimes twisting that wrist is part of the satisfaction!
Drain Snake
You may think a drain snake is a great thing to have around for clogs, but most minor blockages can be cleared with a plunger or drain cleaner. A drain snake is bulky and can damage your pipes if you use it incorrectly, so your DIY solution could end up costing you a call to the plumber anyway. Save the snake for the pros.
Caulking Gun
If you don’t need to seal your windows or redo your bathroom every day, the caulking gun is overkill. Caulk comes in a squeezable tube, and you can just buy it for those occasional touch-ups around the house. It’s easier to work with, it’s less bulky, and it saves you from wrestling with a bulky contraption that ends up spewing too much caulk all over the place.
Circular Saw
The circular saw is one of those tools that sounds impressive, but you have to be moonlighting as a carpenter to use it. Most small cutting tasks can be handled by a jigsaw or handsaw for the average homeowner. Not to mention that circular saws are heavy, loud, and much more dangerous than they need to be for most simple home projects.
Cordless Nail Gun
If you’re not working on major renovations, a cordless nail gun might seem like a game changer, but it’s probably going to live in storage much of the time. A hammer and nails will do just fine for hanging pictures or light carpentry. The cordless nail gun is using a sledgehammer to swat a fly — more effort than it’s worth.
Power Washer
Yes, cleaning dirt off your driveway with a power washer is satisfying, but a power washer is not the cure-all some people think it is. Since you don’t need to use a power washer for regular outdoor cleaning, a hose with a high-pressure nozzle works just as well without taking up the space and hassle of a bulky power washer. Power washers can damage your surfaces if you’re not careful, plus. Proceed with caution!
Wet/Dry Vacuum
It seems like a great multitasker, but it takes up precious garage space. A wet/dry vacuum is another. If you’re not dealing with flood or heavy-duty messes all the time, having a regular vacuum cleaner or a mop will work for most household spills and debris. One tool better suited to serious construction sites than a regular home.
Tile Cutter
Are you thinking of retiling your bathroom? For that one-time project, you might be tempted to grab a tile cutter, but unless you’re moonlighting as a professional tiler, it’s probably not worth the investment. You can get the job done with a manual tile cutter or by renting one for the weekend without buying another bulky item for your collection.
Specialty Wrenches
There appears to be a specialty wrench for every possible situation — from basin wrenches to strap wrenches. Do you really need a drawer full of them, though? For most household work, a good adjustable wrench and a socket set will do. One of those things that seem like you need at the moment, but which then get left in the back of the tool chest, forgotten and unused, are specialty wrenches.
