One item I have come across which is very useful is a non-contact voltage tester. It can test if there is any active current coming from an outlet, bulb, appliance, etc. without actually touching the item being tested (which could potentially result in you getting shocked). They way they typically work is that you hold a button to turn on the voltage tester and it will beep if it detects voltage and be silent when no voltage is detected.

I use mine often when doing any type of electrical work, it is much easier then having to plug something in or something like that.

You can purchase the voltage tester shown above for roughly $20 on Amazon, see the following link:

Milwaukee 2202-20 Voltage Detector with LED Light

I highly recommend that everyone gets one. Even if you don’t really do electrical work much, it is useful to have one of these to be able to tell if an outlet is receiving power.

The following video provides some tips on using the voltage detector.

An impact driver is relatively new on the home improvement scene. It is essentially an electric drill with an electric hammer component. Due to this impact driver is better and more adept at drilling in screws. Also the impact driver has more torque than a standard electric drill and can screw in screws with a standard electric drill cannot.

However, this additional power comes an a price. The impact driver is typically more expensive than a traditional electric drill and it also more difficult to use.

In my experience, unless you are drilling into a lot of dense material, than a standard electric drill is all you need.

I have never needed any more power than was already found in my Hitachi 18 volt lithium drill.

This drill can be found on Amazon here, and a picture is below: Hitachi DS18DBFL2S 18V Cordless Lithium Ion Brushless High Torque Driver Drill (Includes One 3.0Ah Compact Battery)

If you ever change up your yard, perhaps replace grass with rocks or something similar, you might end up with some sprinkler’s which are no longer needed (and are currently watering rocks or something else which does not need to be watered). Instead of re-routing your sprinkler system, simply cap the sprinklers which are no longer needed.

Below is the Sprinkler cap which was fairly cheap on Amazon and has worked well for me, it can be found on Amazon here:

NDS Universal Pop Up Conversion Kit Cap Off Pop-up Plug (5)

There are a lot of different types of electric saws out there.  Types include table saw, circulars saw, mitre saw, jigsaws, bandsaws and others.  I will focus on the three main types of saws used by a typical DIYer, which are the table saw, the circular saw and the mitre saw and will explain why the mitre saw is the saw of choice.

Table Saw:

A table saw is best for when you need to “rip” a board, meaning you are cutting a board long ways with the grain of the wood.  The downsides with table saws are that they are bulky and are more expense than either a mitre saw or a circular saw.  However, they can be very exact when trying to make a long cut.

Circular Saw:

A circular saw is different in that you push or drag the saw along the wood.  Due to this it can be difficult to make perfectly aligned cuts.  However, of the three saw types it is the usually the cheapest.

Mitre Saw:

A Mitre saw is the easiest to handle of the three types of saw, as it simply involves pulling down on the saw handle, as opposing to pushing the saw through the wood or pushing the wood through the saw.  Also, the mitre saw can make the most exact cuts of the three saws.  I have been able to use the saw to cut 1/8 of an inch off a piece of wood.  Due to ease of use and how versatile it is the Mitre saw is my saw of choice.  I use it 10 times for every one time I use my circular saw (and currently I don’t own a table saw).

Here is a link to the Mitre saw pictured above on Amazon. This is also the Mitre saw which I currently own and would recommend, it has lasted 3+ years. During that time I have had to replace the blade twice.

Hitachi C10FCH2 15-Amp 10-inch Single Bevel Compound Miter Saw with Laser Marker

There are three main types of sanders: Belt sanders, Orbit sanders and Random Orbit Sanders.

Belt Sanders:

This might be what you are most familiar with when you imagine an electric sanders. The positives for this sander are that it is good for sanding large areas due to its size. However, the negatives are that it is not well suited for sanding small areas and can be unwieldy to use. Also, changing and loading the sandpaper can be cumbersome.

Orbit Sander:

An Orbit Sander moves or vibrates in a circular motion. Due to this motion it often leaves a circular pattern in the area in which in has sanded. Also, replacing the sanding paper can be cumbersome, as it often involves cutting sand paper to size and using a clamp mechanism to keep it in place. However, of the three types of electric sanders this one is usually the cheapest. For example, the Orbit Sander shown below is only $25 on Amazon, see the following link: SKIL 7292-02 2.0 Amp 1/4 Sheet Palm Sander with Pressure Control

Random Orbit Sander:

A Random Orbit Sander moves or vibrates in a circular motion while also moving back and forth. This can take a little getting use to when using it but also means that it is less like to leave ring marks in the would being sanded. Also, replacing the sanding paper is very easy, and it usually consists of disks which velcro on to the sanding surface. For these reasons the Random Orbit Sander is my favorite sander. The Random Orbit sander I personally use and would recommend is the Bosch ROS10, a picture of this sander is below and it can be found on Amazon here: Bosch ROS10 120 Volt Random Orbit Sander