5 High-Value Home Depot Hand Tools Worth Adding To Your Collection

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Whether you're a new homeowner finding problem areas that need addressing or a professional woodworker exploring new ways to better manage a shop already filled with equipment, news tools can offer new solutions. Hand tools tend to operate on one of two levels for their owners. Some people prefer to do some, most, or all of their work with a hand tool as their primary implement. Hammering nails into boards instead of using a nailer; turning screws with a screwdriver rather than a drill. There's a powerful feeling of "capable-ness" (perhaps something different from "capability'") that comes from using hand tools in your work.

Hand tools also provide some of the more base functions that users require when handling workloads of all sorts. There's value in an impact wrench, but breaking out your socket set to get the last turn on a bolt allows for an unmistakable knowledge that the fitting is secure. Hand tools provide basic needs and more complex workplace coverage alike. These five tools are worth their weight in gold to a tool user looking for ample functionality and favorable pricing, value, and that all-important feeling of satisfaction with a job done well. I've used each one of these brands and the tool types listed here on numerous occasions and can speak on their value specifically. Each one offers a means of improving your workflow when tackling both small and large improvement tasks.

Everyone needs to start somewhere, and for apartment dwellers, college students, and those just getting into the world of home maintenance a coverall toolkit is just the right medicine. The Stanley 65-Piece Home Toolkit is a fantastic option in this regard. Listed at Home Depot for around $56, you'll get just about every hand tool you might need to tackle any repair job that might come up in a small living space or apartment with limited maintenance requirements. You might want to hang a picture on the wall or find the need to repair equipment like a bicycle or car while in this new living environment. The home toolkit from Stanley features all of these and then some from, and from one of the best hand tool brands. There are Allen keys in the kit, a torpedo level, pliers, screwdrivers, a hammer, and more.

This toolkit is a fantastic starting place for those just launching their own life story. Many people shopping around for new furniture and other essentials for their living space might end up buying one of those Ikea toolkits. These are cheap and feature some of the same coverage areas as this variant. However, as someone who has used both the Ikea kit and others it's important to realize what you're sacrificing. A light hammer that can't drive nails reliably and other cheaply made gear can leave you in a lurch when you need it most.

The Husky 3-Piece Locking Pliers Set is a massively valuable addition to any toolbox. Locking pliers exist as something of a crossover between woodworking clamps and pliers. These tools come in a few different varieties and sizes, so a collection set that goes beyond just a single pair of grips is a great opportunity to enhance your range. This offering from Husky (a Home Depot exclusive brand) is available for roughly $25 and features three common sizes with two separate layouts in the jaws. The smallest of the bunch features a long nose variant that creates additional gripping pressure along and elongated jaw. This is ideal for gripping small or delicate items and when reaching into areas that may be hard to get at. This tool is 6½ inches long, providing a short overall build with enough length left in the tool body to accommodate ample pressure requirements.

The kit also features 7-inch and 10-inch mole grip-style locking pliers to round out the trio. These feature the classic curved beak and provide immense grabbing pressure. Locking pliers are useful in a truly enormous range of functions. I have used both types to turn on and off radiators, as a means to remove the connection nut on a propane tank, and even as a makeshift clamp and drill guide assistant. The use case for these tools is virtually unlimited and a 3-piece set only adds to the value.

A chisel set is something that every renovator and home maintainer must have in their collection. But numerous toolbox additions often come into the picture here. No two chisels are built with the same specific use case in mind, but the DeWalt 4-Piece Chisel Set comes as close as you might find to an all-purpose solution. I have personal experience with these chisels specifically, after giving this exact package to my father-in-law for Christmas a few years ago. The set is available at Home Depot for just under $41, making the investment roughly a $10 per chisel transaction. The set runs from ¼-inch up to 1-inch in quarter-inch increments, giving users good coverage between a fairly large cutting tool and one that's seriously thin for small cutting requirements.

These chisels also feature ergonomic handles with a thumb imprint and slight taper toward the front for easy use and velvety comfort even when performing significant volumes of chiseling cuts. They utilize hardened blades made from carbon steel that enhances durability and keeps the edge sharp for longer. Rounding things out, they are finished off with a strike cap on the back end to help keep the handle intact for longer while using the tool with a hammer. This is a well made chisel with plenty of versatility in its DNA.

A miter saw is a classic power tool, much like the handheld circular saw, but it's largely built on another (hand) tool's format. It may not immediately be clear to those who have never heard of a miter box why this tool might be useful. However, the ability to hand saw cuts at preset angles can really speed up your work process.

The Stanley 14½-Inch Clamping Miter Box comes with a 14-inch saw included so you'll have everything you need to get cutting right away. Where this solution shines is in making minute cuts. If you are already working with a powered miter saw you might want to dimension lumber down to its rough sizes with the tool. Putting down new baseboards, building a new roof layout for an extension or shed, or anything in between requires precise lengths and angles in the build. While a power tool has become the staple here, you'll frequently find that coming back to the saw to shave off an extra half-inch to achieve precise lengths is a major nuisance. Instead of bringing your board back to the saw, having a miter box on hand allows you to quickly zip through these last minute cuts right where your workpiece is so that you can speed up the process. This box features cam pins that allow you to lock your piece in place alongside 90, 45, and 22.5-degree layouts.

If you're having trouble with an electrical device that you rely on or need to change the batteries in a children's toy, a precision screwdriver set should be your first port of call. There are many excellent options on the market, and the best bring a variety of ideal elements over from the standard screwdriver experience. One feature that's common in this arena is a multi-bit screwdriving function borrowed from larger format tools. However, there are other features that can diminish your experience. Some precision screwdrivers are small and delicate, trading additional reach for ease of use. The Husky 23-Piece Ratcheting Precision Screwdriver Set features and ergonomic handle with enough bulk to be comfortable to grab and use while also offering a largely scaled down size that makes tackling screw removal in tight spaces it bits easier.

I've personally used somewhere in the neighborhood of eight or nine precision screwdriver tools. One notable solution came from an Amazon Basics hand tool offering. Like the Husky model, its ergonomic handle is comfortable to use and offers enough girth to maintain a solid grip while fastening a delicate component. This kit starts with a curvier handle, however, improving on things significantly. The magnetic connection to hold bits in place is also a very welcome feature. The tool delivers three ratcheting positions, too. 22 bits, a rotating end cap, and an organizer case round out an excellent precision fastening tool.

Recommendations in this article were made with my many years of experience with these brands, these tool families, and these specific tools. All of these tools offer dynamic usage that provides plenty of job type coverage. Each one can provide significant value when tackling both specific tasks and broader tool use as a result of their versatility. Finally, every tool listed is reasonably priced, too, making them all a good bargain.