Tools that make your life easier and add to your cool factor
If you have been following along on The Project Garage Instagram and Facebook accounts, you have most recently seen us work through a kitchen remodel. Now remodels are different than new construction and renos. They are always harder because you have to troubleshoot so much!
Older (sketchy) plumbing
Unknown construction methods by the previous owner(s)
Walls that are less than straight and plumb
Several layers of flooring or wall materials
The list can go on and on.
But the good news is that in every project, you get to try out new tools and figure out which ones make your life easier. Some are worth the money, and some aren't, but let me tell you which ones really saved our bacon on this project.
1) The Viking Arm
Arrrrr (wait....that's a pirate.) No this is not a tool for DIYers or pros who want to take up raiding countries. The Viking Arm is a handheld jack which can lift up to 150 kgs and has micro adjustments so you can level out your work piece perfectly. As you can see in this picture, I used it as a second hand when I was installing my cabinet doors. I have two of them, which is great when you are levelling full size doors etc, but I just find them insanely useful when I'm trying to balance a level, a drill, and a workpiece on my own.
You know what they are also great for? You know when you are messing around with the feet on appliances and the weight of the appliance makes turning the little feet adjustment a task only Superman could accomplish? Well the Viking Arm was a beast for taking the weight of the fridge or stove so you could turn the levelling feet.
During a project, you can get stuck fiddling around with a million things which make the project take way longer and harder, and I found that the Viking Arms were very useful for a ton of things, but mostly when I needed a second hand when I was working solo.
Now, they aren't cheap. On average, they sell for about $259 CDN each, but they are very well made and well worth the investment. I do remember some places like Atlas Tools having deals on these where the second one is discounted if you buy two, but I would start with one, and look at adding a second down the line.
2) The Milwaukee PVC/ABS Shear (see picture at top of blog)
Ok Ok. I love a gadget that actually works. As you get into renovations you will get sucked into buying way too many tools which say they solve some issue you are having, but most of them are really expensive life lessons on what not to buy. I don't want gimmicks, I want real tools with real value.
So for me, the Milwaukee PVC/ABS Shear was a roll of the dice. I mean, is it really worth it to get something that's as specific as this? What does it actually do? It chomps PVC/ABS pipe. That's it. Does it make sense to buy something like this which only has one function?
My answer is this: If you do a decent amount of plumbing, heck yes it's worth it. I have used this tool more times than I can count. Eliminating the repetitive task of using a hacksaw to cut pipe where multiple cuts need to be made for the whole job is a massive time saver.
And I have an issue where I always seem to cut PVC/ABS crooked when I use a hacksaw, so this shear is awesome. 3 seconds and I have a clean and straight cut.
Yes it's a nice to have, not a need to have, but if your plan is to get involved in lots of plumbing projects, it's a great tool to consider. It retails for about $238 for the bare tool, so it makes a lot more sense financially if you already have other Milwaukee tools in the M12 line, but again this is one gadget that I found very helpful and time efficient.
3) The Klein Tool Circuit Breaker Finder
In the words of Jerry Maguire: "You had me at hello."
I honestly wish I had picked one of these up about a decade ago. This nifty tool allows you to plug the transmitter into any outlet, and it sends a signal that the receiver 'wand' can pick up and show you which circuit breaker it belongs to.
Mind blown.
And it actually works! Yes it can sometimes indicate within two breakers, but my god. Isn't it worth it just to eliminate the yelling back and forth....
Was that it??
Nope
What about that??
Nope
It's a massive time saver, especially if you are working solo. And the value of this thing is even greater when you think about the panel being in the basement and you are on a different level of the house. How many times do you want to go up and down the stairs to try and find the right breaker?
This one is worth every penny.
It retails for about $64.99
4) The Oscillating Tool
This tool is in my mind one of the most critical tools you will ever own for renovation and remodel projects. It scrapes, it cuts, it sands. I simply don't want to remember what life was like before the oscillating tool became a part of everyone's tool kits.
Here are a few of the things we used it for on this project alone:
Cutting drywall flush
Removing laminate from the old countertop to access the screws
Cutting wood that obstructed the sink install
Shaving down the sink cavity where the jigsaw left material
Removing old adhesive from the cabinet doors
Cutting off trim
I can't tell you what a critical tool this is to have in your toolbox. And it doesn't matter if it's Dewalt, Bosch, or some other brand. As long as you have something that oscillates, you will be better off in life. I only use the Dewalt because that is the line of tools I use and I have the batteries, so that's the best choice for me.
You do need to invest in a lot of different kind of attachments or blades for the tool, because you will need ones with different functions, and they do wear out frequently. But just look for multi-packs on sale and load up on them when you can. Just remember that different brands sometimes have a different attaching style, so not all blades are compatible, but just be aware of that, make sure the blades will fit your tool, and you will be fine.
Oh, and make sure to get cordless. This tool gets a lot of use in awkward spaces, so you don'y want to be messing with a cord.
The Dewalt Oscillating tool retails for about $150 for the bare tool, so it's not a budget buster by any means. And again.....
Best. Tool. Ever.
Well I hope this has been useful for you. None of these tools are a must have, but they definitely make life easier, they are good quality, and are all massive time savers. As you do more projects, it makes sense to see where you are getting stuck or wasting a lot of time, and then taking the time to find tools to help you solve those problems.
And if you need advice or help selecting tools, reach out to any one of our pros and we can help you find the right tools for whatever job you are tackling.
© Stephanie Paraskevopulos for The Project Garage 2023
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