10 Gift Ideas for the avid DIYer
Hello and welcome to the blog!
The holiday season is upon us, which for many means it’s time to find the perfect gift for the special people in your life. So I thought this would be an excellent time to go over a few of my favorite DIY tools in the hopes of helping you with some gift ideas. Let’s get into it!
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Miter saw
I was gifted this miter saw for my grad school graduation a few years ago, and it is by far my favorite tool. I use it on almost every DIY project. This miter saw has upped my game and made it much easier to complete projects. This is an entry-level miter saw; there are better saws on the market if you have more money to spend. But I can tell you that I haven’t had any problems with this saw. Whoever is gifted this will put it to work, and it will be well worth it! I like that it can cross-cut up to 13 1/4 in, which is a wider range than some of the other budget miter saws.
Cordless drill
My first cordless drill was a Makita. I’ve had it for close to six years now, and it’s still going strong! I also have a Ryobi cordless drill and driver set that I’ve had for about two years. You really can’t go wrong with either brand for a cordless drill.
—Makita 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 1/2 in. Driver-Drill Kit, 3.0Ah
Kreg Jig
Honestly, a Kreg Jig is so easy to use, and it opens up the realms of possibilities to what you can build. I have the Kreg K4 system and I’m really happy with it. There is also the 720Pro system, which looks awesome; I would recommend checking that one out as well. If you’re on a smaller budget, the simple Kreg jig is a great gift to get started with pocket holes.
Brad Nailer
I use a brad nailer for so many projects. I didn’t realize how much I would use it until I got one.
Cordless hot glue gun
I just bought this hot glue gun last year, and it’s such a game-changer. I love that it’s cordless. You don’t have to worry about working near an outlet or pulling out an extension cord. The one downside of it being cordless is that it goes through the battery quickly. I found that using my larger 4.0 Ah Ryobi battery with this glue gun is best. This hot glue gun is much better at keeping the glue hot than a traditional glue gun, helping me complete projects faster.
Laser level
I’ve only used this laser level for one project so far, but I know I will be using it tons in the future. It makes hanging shelves a breeze and it makes you feel professional when you use it. Win-win!
Shop-vac
We have a very old shop vac that has seen better years; it still works, but it’s on the way out, so I bought a new one during Home Depot’s Black Friday sale. I went with the Rigid 16-gallon shop vac. Lots of people recommend a Rigid shop vac for workshops, so I am going to give this one a shot. My husband has the Vacmaster Beast 5-gallon shop vac, mainly for detailing cars, but it’s really powerful and would work well in a small shop.
—Rigid 16 Gal. 5.0-Peak HP NXT Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum with Filter, Hose and Accessories
Cordless tool batteries & chargers
Any cordless tool needs batteries, and you can never really have too many of them. Cordless tool batteries are brand specific, if you know the tool brand the person you are buying for uses, batteries can be a great gift. Since all my tools are Ryobi, I have the 2.0 Ah and 4.0 Ah Ryobi ONE+ batteries. The 2.0 Ah batteries are much lighter than the 4.0 Ah, making them good for tools that might already be a little heavy. The 4.0 Ah batteries are great for tools that go through the smaller battery quickly, like the hot glue gun. Having the option between a 2.0 Ah and 4.0 Ah battery is pretty convenient. I also have the 6 battery charger, I love it! I never need to worry about if my batteries are charged.
—Ryobi ONE+ 18V Lithium-Ion 4.0 Ah Battery
—Ryobi ONE+ 18V Lithium-Ion 2.0 Ah Battery
—Ryobi ONE+ 18V 6-Port Dual Chemistry IntelliPort SUPERCHARGER with USB Port
Tape measure
I never thought it would be so difficult to choose a tape measure or that it really mattered until I used a tape measure that I hated. It was flimsy, hard to read the lines, and didn’t like locking in place. I was on the hunt for the perfect tape measure, and I listed my favorite below. I like it because it is sturdy, the lines are easy to read, and it has two different ways to lock the measuring tape in place.
Stud finder
Before buying a new stud finder last year, I did ALOT of research to find a good one at a decent price point. We had a cheap stud finder that I could never get to work correctly, so I knew it was essential to find the right one before buying. I ended up with the Zircon SuperScan H1 (A1 is the same), and it works perfectly. It found all the studs I needed quickly, without any trouble, definitely worth the buy.