1. Indicating a horizontal or vertical surface
   Pulling and lifting items
2. Cutting marks into wood
   Breaking through walls

A level helps you to determine if a line is really straight - whether up and down, side to side or diagonally. A level is an essential tool when putting up a mantle over a fireplace, hanging a picture or doing any other jobs where “crooked” won’t be “chic.”

1. Measuring a tire’s air pressure
   Cutting trees and thick bushes
2. Breaking up hard surfaces
   Applying and removing filler material such as putty

Pick up a pickax if your task is breaking up rocky ground or any other hard surfaces. The handle of a pickax is generally made from wood while the head is metal and features one pointed and one chiseled end.

1. Picking up and holding metal objects
   Cutting small woody shrubs and branches
2. Drilling holes to the correct angle and depth
   Cutting and shaping material

A power chisel makes light work of whatever jobs you would normally use a manual woodworking chisel to do. They are typically safe, easy to use and (best of all) they don’t require all that hammering!

1. Smoothing and carving wood
   Cutting wires
2. Loosening and tightening lug nuts
   Removing rust and old paint from metal surfaces

A lug wrench is used for loosening and tightening the lug nuts on a vehicle’s wheels. Lug wrenches are a type of socket wrench, and some lug wrenches (called spider lug wrenches) are built in a cross design with four different-sized sockets – one on each end.

1. Removing a damaged screw
   Turning soil
2. Measuring electrical voltage, current and resistance
   Clearing sink and bathtub drains

A hand cultivator does double duty when you’re hard at work in your garden. Its sharp prongs will help you to turn over the soil in preparation for seed planting and will also help you to dig up and remove pesky weeds.

1. Stripping electrical insulation from wires
   Gripping items while locked in position
2. Lifting heavy objects such as a car
   Sharpening and smoothing material

Mill files are the most common type of file around, perhaps due to their multipurpose uses. They can sharpen flat knife blades of any size, as well as even out the teeth of a handsaw prior to sharpening it.

1. Cutting tiles
   Cleaning glass windows
2. Filing in tight, irregularly shaped spaces
   Pulling nails

The best window washers are designed to give a streak-free shine to architectural glass, whether it is a window or a sliding door, up high or down low. Window washers range from simple car windshield wiper types to the more efficient (and much less messy) vacuuming variety.

1. Making small holes in the ground
   Precise tightening of nuts and bolts
2. Undercutting door jambs and baseboards
   Splitting shingles and timber

A lawn aerator is a handy device to have if you want to keep your lawn looking its very best. The manual rolling lawn aerator will break up the soil, allowing more air and water to penetrate deeper into the ground.

1. Measuring 90- and 45-degree angles
   Cleaning debris from gutters
2. Increasing the reach of a ratchet wrench
   Clearing a blocked toilet

A gutter flusher takes much of the hard work and griminess out of cleaning gutters. They are typically designed long enough to give you sufficient reach, so all you need to do is connect your garden hose and blast away!

1. Applying and spreading mortar or plaster
   Removing rust and old paint from metal surfaces
2. Prying apart boards
   Stripping electrical insulation from wires

A good wire stripper takes all the frustration out of removing electrical insulation from electrical wires. A wire stripper is an indispensable tool for a professional electrician, but homeowners with a knack for “do it yourself” jobs find them pretty handy, too.

1. Loosening and tightening fasteners with hexagonal grooves
   Fastening or holding items together
2. Splitting shingles and timber
   Boring holes in wood

Zip ties may just be the very definition of “multipurpose!” They are put to a myriad of uses aside from their more official use of holding electrical cables in place. They also go by a variety of names, including: cable ties, wire ties, hose ties and zip straps.

1. Gripping items while locked in position
   Holding an item in place
2. Reaching hard-to-reach fasteners
   Cutting trees and thick bushes

A pair of locking pliers (a.k.a. vise grips, mole wrench) contain a sliding pivot which allows its jaws to be locked in place. Locking pliers make it much easier to grasp, turn and pull nuts and bolts.

1. Pruning hard-to-reach branches
   Undercutting door jambs and baseboards
2. Drilling holes to the correct angle and depth
   Cutting bushes

A pocket hole jig makes it super easy for you to drill angled holes (also called pocket holes) into a material. Many woodworkers prefer to use pocket holes when joining pieces of an item together, since pocket holes keep the screws neatly out of sight.

1. Pulling nails
   Cutting tiles
2. Measuring a tire’s air pressure
   Measuring 90- and 45-degree angles

Every home repair “do-it-yourselfer” knows that cutting ceramic tile is one of the most daunting jobs to take on – if you don’t have the right tool. A snap tile cutter takes all of the stress and badly broken wasted tiles out of working with ceramic tiles.

1. Measuring electrical voltage, current and resistance
   Picking up and holding metal objects
2. Removing a damaged screw
   Smoothing and carving wood

A stripped-screw remover or screw extractor is a real lifesaver when it comes to removing a rusted screw or one with a damaged head. Your trusty screwdriver simply won’t get the job done, but the right-sized screw extractor most definitely will.

1. Removing damaged or sealed nuts
   Cutting and slicing material
2. Removing tacks and small nails
   Pulling and lifting items

A winch uses a cable wrapped around a spool and turned by a crank (manual) or motor (automatic) to lift and haul objects. It can also provide the required muscle for helping to free a stuck vehicle.

1. Crimping electrical wires and connections
   Prying apart boards
2. Applying and spreading mortar or plaster)
   Precise tightening of nuts and bolts

Trowels come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes to suit the particular job a mason needs to get done. For example, there are different trowels for applying cement, plaster or mortar. Aside from the ones used in masonry work, there are also those designed for use in the garden.

1. Holding an item in place
   Cutting plastic and metal pipes
2. Increasing the reach of a ratchet wrench
   Cutting wires

Also called a G-clamp, the C-clamp’s basic use is for holding a workpiece in place. It gets used in many other ways, however, including providing a firm grip when transporting heavy material.

1. Indicating a horizontal or vertical surface
   Cleaning debris from gutters
2. Clearing a blocked toilet
   Measuring a tire’s air pressure

A tire pressure gauge is a must-have safety tool for every automobile owner, since proper inflation helps tires to perform at their best. It is recommended that you check the air pressure in your tires at least once a month.

1. Increasing the reach of a ratchet wrench
   Stripping electrical insulation from wires
2. Pulling nails
   Applying and removing filler material such as putty

The ratchet extender fits in-between the socket and the wrench so as to increase the reach of the wrench. It’s very useful for getting at nuts and bolts in hard-to-reach areas.

1. Removing tacks and small nails
   Loosening and tightening fasteners with hexagonal grooves
2. Prying apart boards
   Smoothing and carving wood

The adze is somewhat similar to an ax but with some variations in design and use. One major difference is that the head of the adze is set on one side of the handle, whereas the head of an ax goes across the handle.

1. Making holes for planting seeds or seedlings
   Undercutting door jambs and baseboards
2. Crimping electrical wires and connections
   Breaking through walls

Undercut saws are typically used to cut the underside of doors and door jambs to make room for newly laid flooring. For this reason, they are also known as jamb saws or door jamb saws.

1. Removing damaged or sealed nuts
   Clearing sink and bathtub drains
2. Making holes for planting seeds or seedlings
   Picking up and holding metal objects

A heavy duty magnet is great for finding and retrieving metal objects. It functions very well as a stud finder when you need to locate metal studs beneath paint.

1. Splitting shingles and timber
   Reaching hard-to-reach fasteners
2. Pruning hard-to-reach branches
   Making small holes in the ground

Crowfoot wrenches make it easy to reach nuts and bolts tucked into places a typical wrench cannot get in to. They are especially useful when a nut or bolt must be gripped from the side due to insufficient headroom.

1. Filing in tight, irregularly shaped spaces
   Stripping electrical insulation from wires
2. Cutting plastic and metal pipes
   Cutting wires

A riffler file is quite often simply called a “riffler.” It is a double-ended small to medium-sized file which is ideal for working in tight spaces. Riffler files come in a variety of shapes and cross-sections to suit the space you are working in.

1. Sharpening and smoothing material
   Fastening or holding items together
2. Measuring 90- and 45-degree angles
   Applying and removing filler material such as putty

One of the primary functions of a combination square is measuring right (90-degree) and 45-degree angles. The “combination” in its name may be due to the fact that this tool can also be used as a ruler, a level and a scriber, as well as a way to find the center of a circular bar.

1. Measuring electrical voltage, current and resistance
   Removing a damaged screw
2. Splitting shingles and timber
   Cleaning glass windows

A shingle froe (or shingle and riving froe) is not the tool to reach for if you want to split a log in half. Just as its name suggests, the shingle froe is best used for splitting shingles off from a log, splitting small boards, or splitting long narrow clapboard.

1. Smoothing and carving wood
   Cutting small woody shrubs and branches
2. Loosening and tightening lug nuts
   Removing tacks and small nails

Billhooks have a long history in farming and forestry, performing pretty much the same functions as a machete. Billhooks are generally sharpened only on the inside of the blade, but double-edged billhooks are also available.

1. Drilling through ice
   Cutting trees and thick bushes
2. Pulling and lifting items
   Picking up and holding metal objects

The hand ice auger or hand spinner is a type of drill. It is used to create holes in ice, usually for fishing. The rotation of the blade causes material to be moved upwards and out of the hole being drilled.

1. Cutting and shaping material
   Cutting bushes
2. Removing damaged or sealed nuts
   Gripping items while locked in position

It’s a good idea to reach for a nut splitter when a nut has become seized onto a bolt or other fastener. It’s a quick, easy and stress-free way to remove the stubborn nut without doing damage to bolt underneath.

1. Boring holes in wood
   Pulling nails
2. Cleaning glass windows
   Reaching hard-to-reach fasteners

The cat’s paw is a type of nail puller which is designed similarly to a crow bar but is generally smaller. Since the cat’s paw has the tendency to damage the wood around the nail it is removing, it is not recommended for use on a finished item.

1. Turning soil
   Indicating a horizontal or vertical surface
2. Lifting heavy objects such as a car
   Loosening and tightening fasteners with hexagonal grooves

The scissor jack is a common tool used to gradually raise a vehicle off the ground. It gets its name from the fact that its mechanism resembles that of a pair of scissors. One advantage of the scissor jack is that it is compact and easy to store when not in use.

1. Holding an item in place
   Clearing a blocked toilet
2. Cleaning debris from gutters
   Cutting trees and thick bushes

A pruning saw is ideal for trimming trees and shrubs which have branches thicker than 1.5 inches in diameter. A pruning saw with a blade which folds into the handle is a good choice if you need to carry it around with you.

1. Fastening or holding items together
   Removing rust and old paint from metal surfaces
2. Measuring 90- and 45-degree angles
   Precise tightening of nuts and bolts

A needle scaler (also called a needlegun scaler) uses compressed air to drive a set of long chisel needles. It makes short work of chipping and removing rust and paint from metal surfaces.

1. Loosening and tightening lug nuts
   Filing in tight, irregularly shaped spaces
2. Applying and spreading mortar or plaster
   Boring holes in wood

Also called a carpenter’s brace, the brace and bit has been around for centuries. In fact, the earliest depiction of a brace and bit is seen in a 1425 painting.

1. Crimping electrical wires and connections
   Lifting heavy objects such as a car
2. Cutting tiles
   Turning soil

A wire crimper connects two pieces of metal by squeezing them together so that one securely holds the other. Although they are sometimes referred to as “crimper pliers,” it is important to remember that ordinary pliers cannot replace wire crimpers if you want to properly crimp connectors together.

1. Cutting marks into wood
   Sharpening and smoothing material
2. Cutting plastic and metal pipes
   Increasing the reach of a ratchet wrench

Considered a true toolbox essential, a hacksaw is a handy tool for when you need to cut metal or plastic pipes. Some hacksaws are adjustable to fit different length blades.

1. Making holes for planting seeds or seedlings
   Cutting small woody shrubs and branches
2. Measuring a tire’s air pressure
   Cutting and shaping material

A dibber, dibble or dibbler is quite simple to look at (just a pointed wooden stick) but it’s really very functional. The dibber helps you to quickly make same-sized holes for planting seeds, seedlings and bulbs. Some dibbers have measurements shown on them so you know how deep the hole is that you are making.

1. Breaking up hard surfaces
   Making small holes in the ground
2. Pruning hard-to-reach branches
   Undercutting door jambs and baseboards

Loppers are long-handled scissors used for pruning twigs and branches (up to about 2 inches in diameter). The handles of loppers are typically 2 to 3 feet long.

1. Cutting tiles
   Removing tacks and small nails
2. Filing in tight, irregularly shaped spaces
   Removing rust and old paint from metal surfaces

The tack puller’s V-slot tip is meant for removing tacks, small nails and staples. It often gets called a “tack puller screwdriver” because of the look of its handle and shaft.

1. Cutting and shaping material
   Pulling and lifting items
2. Clearing sink and bathtub drains
   Breaking through walls

When hammering jobs call for some real muscle, then it’s time to reach for your sledgehammer! This large, heavy hammer makes short work of demolition jobs such as knocking out exterior walls.

1. Lifting heavy objects such as a car
   Fastening or holding items together
2. Precise tightening of nuts and bolts
   Making holes for planting seeds or seedlings

A torque wrench provides the precise amount of turning force required to tighten nuts and bolts. It is a crucial tool to have when the safe use of equipment depends on the how tight the fasteners are.

1. Making small holes in the ground
   Cutting small woody shrubs and branches
2. Applying and spreading mortar or plaster
   Cutting wires

Wire cutters are actually a type of pliers known as diagonal pliers. They are also referred to as “dikes,” “side cutters” and “snips.”

1. Turning soil
   Cutting bushes
2. Drilling holes to the correct angle and depth
   Crimping electrical wires and connections

You don’t have to be cutting a path through the jungle to make use of a bush hook. This long-handled tool with a curved blade can easily cut through thick bushes anywhere they’re found.

1. Clearing a blocked toilet
   Loosening and tightening lug nuts
2. Removing a damaged screw
   Cutting marks into wood

Using a closet auger or toilet auger may be the next step to take when a clogged toilet proves too stubborn for your trusty old plunger. The closet auger is a type of drain snake specially designed so that it will not scratch the toilet bowl.

1. Cleaning glass windows
   Pruning hard-to-reach branches
2. Applying and removing filler material such as putty
   Cutting bushes

The versatile putty knife gets put to many uses, such as applying and spreading wood filler, drywall taping compound and other filler material. Putty knives with a stiff, chiseled-edge blade are also suited to scraping away dried putty, paint and other residue.

1. Prying apart boards
   Cutting plastic and metal pipes
2. Indicating a horizontal or vertical surface
   Cleaning debris from gutters

Crowbars go by several names, including jimmy, gooseneck and pry bar. Be careful when you called it a “jimmy,” however, as that name tends to be reserved for using the crowbar for breaking and entering!

1. Sharpening and smoothing material
   Measuring electrical voltage, current and resistance
2. Reaching hard-to-reach fasteners
   Boring holes in wood

The digital multimeter has several advantages over its analog (pointer) relative. These include being self-adjusting and far more accurate. It does, however, have the downside of being more expensive.

1. Breaking up hard surfaces
   Gripping items while locked in position
2. Loosening and tightening fasteners with hexagonal grooves
   Removing damaged or sealed nuts

It’s always a good idea to have a reliable set of Allen keys (a.k.a. hex keys) in your toolbox. You’re sure to come across bolts and screws with hexagonal groves in their heads if you are putting together ready-to-assemble furniture or working on a bicycle. In those cases, a regular screwdriver won’t be of much help.