Yes, unfortunately, it's the thought that counts. But no,husbands, that does not mean if your wife gives you a paint scraperfor Christmas, you should retaliate by giving her a Weight Watcherscookbook.
Likewise, wives, if your husband gives you a funny-looking toolthat has a flat, six-inch, half-moon blade with a handle on it,exchange it right away. It's called a "joint knife" and it means hewants you to dry wall something.
You don't want to get involved.
There are, however, any number of good and practical giftsappropriate - and fairly inoffensive - for the new homeowner orunhandy handyman on your Christmas list.
Some are fairly economical, others seem outrageously expensive.
"But the thing to remember is that a tool is something you aregoing to have for the rest of your life," says Roy Barnhart, senioreditor of Practical Homeowner magazine based in Fairfield, Conn.
"If you're going to buy, you should buy quality tools. They aregoing to be safer, work better and last longer than cheaper tools."
In the February issue of Practical Homeowner, Barnhart, whobrags he hasn't had a professional repairman in his home in years or- more importantly - hasn't paid a professional repairman's bill inyears, will be giving readers a rundown of about $2,500 worth ofbasic tools the average homeowner shouldn't be without.
For Christmas, however, he suggests this starter kit for thehomeowner who, well, has nothing. It takes more than that to pick upthese little items, but Barnhart says the prices he gives are retailand can be reduced by 30 to 40 percent if shoppers watch for sales orshop by catalog.
His list: A metal tape measure, 25 feet long and one-inch wide. About $23. A combination square good for marking 45- and 90-degree angles.It's also good for making sure things are square, and can be used todraw straight lines. $9. A level. Get one that is about 24 inches - long enough for accuratemeasurement but short enough to fit between the jambs of a door. $15. A 16-ounce, curved graphite fiberglass handled hammer. "Woodhandles break too easily, steel handles transmit too much shock."$25. A nail puller. "Look for one that grabs easy with the leastamount of danger to wood." $10. Nail set. You need 1/32, 2/32 and 3/32 heads. $6. Staple gun. "I prefer a mechanical one. I'd prefer not to be tiedto a cord. But women might like a power assist, and there arecordless battery-powered ones available." $25. A six-piece screwdriver set. "Buy quality here. They last a wholelifetime so they're worth it." $21. A utility knife. "I like the quick change kind where the spareblades pop out of the handle." $6.50. A hack saw and a decent hand saw. "Get one that's advertised as`fast cutting.' It's a new tooth configuration for short, fastcutting." $14 each. Wood chisels. Set of four, ranging from quarter-inch heads toone-inch. (Wood chisels are good for fitting doors and a variety ofother carpentry tasks.) $50. Glass cutter. "Pays for itself the first time you use it." $3.50. Locking pliers. 10-inch vise grip. $12. Chain nose pliers. "And remember, the rubber coating on the grip isnice, but it's not designed for electrical safety so don't grab a hotwire with them and think you'll be protected." $18. Six- and 10-inch adjustable wrenches. $14 and $19, respectively. A 15-piece combination socket wrench set, quarter-inch tothree-quarter inch. "Before you buy a set though, look around (bothhouse and car) and try to figure out if you need a metric set or anEnglish set. Usually, you end up needing both." $45. End cutting pliers. Nippers that are used as nail pullers or to cutoff the head of nail that you can't drive flush to the surface. $22. A three-eighth inch drill-screwdriver. Should be variable speed,reversible and with clutch settings. $250. You might get an extrabattery pack, which also is extra. 29-piece of drill twist bits, indexed. (That means it comes in acase with the right size hole for every bit.) $120. Five-piece set of masonry bits. Good for drilling concrete blockand ceramic tile. $10. Magnetic bit holder and inserts. The magnet keeps metal screws onthe end of the bit so they won't fall off. $35. Portable circular saw. 12 or 13 amps, don't bother looking athorsepower ratings. Some new ones out cut angles below 45 degrees."Don't get a cheap saw. Think about this. If a pro wants anexpensive circular saw because of the safety features and power ithas, then shouldn't the average person need them even more than thepro does?" $225. Safety glasses. $12. Electrical current tester. "A cheap device that could keep you fromgetting zapped." $2.50. Respirator. "If you are at all concerned about dust or paint spray,spend the money for a respirator that fits right. It looks like agas mask, but it has a dual filter system with cartridges on eitherside, replaceable filters and several straps to hold it securely onyour head. Those little paper masks with the Halloween-mask elasticband really don't give you much protection." $30. Work gloves. Leather. $15. Extension cord. 50 feet long and rated for 15 amps. $50. Putty knife. Inch and a quarter blade. Good for wood filling, drywall repair, scraping and a variety of other things. $5. Caulking gun. Open body design. $3.25. 24-foot, flat-step, Type-2 commercial aluminum extension ladder."It should be long enough to reach the peak of your roof." $149. 6-foot aluminum stepladder. $30. A good toolbox. Divided trays, large enough to hold a collection oftools, plus room for expansion. "I hate to go to the basement forone tool, the garage for another and the kitchen drawer for another.It should be big enough to keep them all in one place."
Barnhart also has a few words of caution for tool shoppers:Don't be tricked into buying multipurpose "gimmick" tools. "Onewrench may do the work of 50, but it may not do the job nearly aswell as the right wrench."
He also shrugs off "how to" books and the various home repairmanuals that always are available around Christmas.
"Generally when you buy products to do a tiling job, or forhanging a light or laying a floor, the manufacturer will do a prettygood job of supplying information on how that product should beused," Barnhart said.
"Books may tell you one thing, but directions on the package aregoing to be product-specific. It's almost always a good idea to justgo with what the instructions say."
One other thing.
According to the hand tool institute, some 76,000 accidents thatrequire some kind of emergency treatment occur every year with handtools. It's always a good idea to make sure you are using the righttool for the right job.
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