Three years ago I didn't own a power tool. I now own seven, and I've formed strong opinions about which ones a beginner actually needs and which are just nice. Here's what I bought, in the order I bought it, and whether each one earned its place.
1. Cordless drill — — KEPT
The first power tool. The right first power tool. I used it almost daily for the first six months. Mine's a basic 18V Ryobi. It does almost everything I need: pre-drilling, driving screws, mixing thinset, light hole-cutting with a paddle bit. If you only ever own one power tool, make it a cordless drill.
Day-30 reflection: I waited too long to buy this. I'd spent two weekends fighting screws with a manual screwdriver. Buying the drill on day one would have saved me about ten hours.
2. Circular saw — 0 — KEPT (after struggle)
Bought this for the kitchen renovation. The first three weekends with it were terrifying. Cuts that should have been straight weren't. Several pieces of trim I had to recut and rebuy. Then somewhere around weekend four something clicked — the right way to clamp the wood, the right speed, the right angle. Now it's the second-most-used tool in the garage.
If you're a beginner, buy the cheap one and accept that you're going to be bad at it for a month. Don't spend $300 on a premium model. Get good with the cheap one first.
3. Jigsaw — — KEPT but rarely used
Bought for curved cuts. I use it maybe four times a year. Worth owning because when you need a jigsaw, nothing else does what it does. But it doesn't justify a frequent-tool budget. Get a basic one.
4. Random orbital sander — — KEPT and worth it
Underrated tool. I almost didn't buy it. I bought it because I was about to refinish the kitchen cabinets and the thought of sanding by hand was unbearable. It saved me probably 20 hours of labour on that project alone.
Day-30: even after the kitchen, I kept reaching for it. Stairs. A coffee table. A door that scraped. The orbital sander does small jobs invisibly that hand sanding makes feel like punishment.
5. Oscillating multi-tool — — RETURNED
Sold to me as the swiss army knife of power tools. I used it three times. Twice it was the wrong tool for the job and I should have used something else. The third time it actually was the right tool. For the price, I should have just borrowed a friend's.
Lesson: if a tool seems versatile in YouTube videos, it's probably good at three specific things and bad at everything else. Borrow before buying.
6. Compound mitre saw — 0 — KEPT but should have rented
I bought this for trim work. It is, no question, the right tool for trim. But I've done two trim projects in two years. I should have rented it for $40 each time and saved myself $140. The tool is now sitting in the garage waiting for the next trim project, which might come, might not.
If you're going to do one big project: rent. If you're going to do trim three or more times a year: buy.
7. Brad nailer — 0 — KEPT and earned it
The tool I most underestimated. I thought I'd use it once for trim. I've used it for picture rails, baseboards, a built-in shelf, mounting a French cleat for a heavy mirror, and tacking down moulding that kept popping. Once you have a brad nailer, you find uses for it.
The decision framework I wish I'd had
- Drill: buy first, day one of homeownership.
- Circular saw: buy when you have a project that needs more than ten cuts.
- Sander: buy if you're doing any refinishing.
- Brad nailer: buy if you're doing any trim.
- Mitre saw: rent first, buy only if you use the rental three times.
- Jigsaw: buy used or borrow.
- Oscillating multi-tool: borrow first. Probably never buy.
The pattern
The tools that earned their place are the ones that do one thing very well and that thing comes up often. The tools that disappointed are the ones marketed as versatile but mediocre at every individual task. If you're a beginner: buy specific tools for specific jobs. Skip the swiss-army-knife products.
