* I apologize in advance if this is not in the right place! It's been a while since I've been on here and I am interested in girls and guys responses.

I recently have moved out of my home (into a dorm), but I find myself continually coming back to my parents and asking to borrow tools! I think my main problem is that I am not sure what kind of tools to buy myself! I know I need a hammer and some nails, but other than that, I am clueless.

Should I go out and try to find a very basic tool kit, or would it be too many tools for a teenage girl (who rarely uses any tools...)? Does anyone know of a VERY basic (and cheap, poor college student here) tool kit? Or should I go ahead and make my own by just purchasing the items I need? If so, what should I get?

One more note- I do not have my own car and probably will not for at least another year, so car-related tools are unnecessary.

Help! I am LOST when it comes to this kind of thing. Thanks for any advice!!

Ashley

I have found over the years that the only things I find absolutely essential are a good hammer, a decent collection of different sizes of nails, wall hooks, screws etc., and a few Phillips-head screwdrivers in varying sizes. Very, very occasionally I might need a wrench or a pair of pliers, but I don't know that I would have needed them when I lived in a dorm.

Multi-tools are also very handy. I actually just got this set for Christmas: www.comparestoreprices.co.uk . . . So maybe you could look into something like that?

Something else to remember is that you get what you pay for with tools. If you buy cheap screwdrivers, the ends will break off soon enough. My dad got me a basic toolkit one Christmas, which had a hammer, screwdriver with 4 different ends you can attach, a spirit level, measuring tape, a big stapler, pair of pliers and some nails... I think that's it. I've used the hammer and screwdrivers quite a bit and the measuring tape... actually, I've used everything quite a lot. And my boyfriend uses my tools more than he uses his own

Here's what I'd buy as a starter set...

the basics:
a cheap screwdriver set (yes, you get what you pay for, but if you use them infrequently, it's kinda pointless to spend the extra money. As long as you only use them as a screwdriver and not as a pry bar, the cheap ones should be fine.)
medium sized crescent wrench
claw hammer
measuring tape
pliers
electric drill & a set of drill bits
level
pack of assorted sandpaper
electrical tape
wd-40

Optionals:
needle nose pliers
wire cutters
ratchet & socket set (metric & imperial units)
wrench set (metric & imperial units)
precision screwdriver set
hex wrench set
plumber's tape
hand saw
hack saw

I have this kit and it's perfectly adequate for my needs.



I use the little cordless drill quite a lot, as well as the hammer, the level, the pliers, the screwdriver...and it's cheap too!

Here are a couple things you could use in the place:
www.homedepot.com . . .

www.homedepot.com . . .

www.homedepot.com . . .

Or from Lowes
www.lowes.com . . .|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Tool%2BSets_4294927325_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1

www.lowes.com . . .|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Cordless%2BDrills_4294857547_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1%26Va%3Dtrue

www.lowes.com . . .|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Drill%2BBit%2BSets_4294857552_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1%26page%3D3


That is the basic stuff for the tool kit. Now Panic hit on some good things as well, but here are my suggestions.

Duct & Electrical Tape (Duct tape fixes everything), flashlight and this to patch the little holes when you're done.
www.lowes.com:80/pd_297407-325-380138_4294864808_4294937087_?productId=3031296&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Drywall%2BMaterials_4294864808_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1%26Va%3Dtrue

The one thing about Megan's kit: make sure it's a quality brand before you go buying a kit, particularly a kit marketed at women. I've seen a lot of these kits that are marketed at women have really cheaply made things because they're simply a "novely" kit (YAY GIRLS CAN HAVE THIS STUFF TOO BUT WE KNOW THEY WON'T REALLY USE IT). If you really want a kit with bright colored or "girly" handles and whatnot, I would do a little research in the brand or at the very least ask a sales associate what they think of the quality.

That said, I would love to have that pink set she linked if it were Craftsman or some other brand I knew I could trust! It's got pretty much everything that panic listed, and having it come in it's own case like that is handy: you know where everything is with just a quick look, and it's obvious if you've forgotten to put something back.

Also, I think it's nice to have a flashlight like a mini maglite in your tool kit. Sometimes you need it specifically when you're working with tools, but also if you keep it in your toolkit, you always know where to find a flashlight when you need one.