DIY Tool Gift Guide 2019

Whether you’re a skilled DIY enthusiast, a bold experimenter, or a collector of cool, quirky items, make sure Santa gets your list early. Here are some nifty new tools you might want to include this year.

Lights and Magnets

Stryker Concepts Flexible Flashlight

A flashlight makes a great simple gift, especially when it’s lightweight, ultra-thin, flexible, and compact. This one has powerful neodymium magnets to adhere it to metal objects, and is available in brightness from 200 to 500 lumens, making it a great addition to car emergency kits and essential camping gear.

Vibelight Portable Magnetic Flashlight

This pocket-sized light has a powerful magnet at the end of an extendable arm, capable of lifting up to two pounds. This handy tool is a fantastic help around the house to retrieve nails and screws that have fallen behind the couch during your other DIY projects, or for gearheads working in tight spaces.

Magnetic Wristband

There’s something about magnets that makes us feel like a kid again. You have to admit, when you add them to something mundane, it becomes a genius innovation. Case in point—this magnetic wristband. Pick up one of these for the DIYer in your life, or for yourself because you deserve it, and gone will be the days of gripping nails between your teeth (unless you’re into that sort of thing). Simply attach a few nails or screws to your wristbands as you walk around the house putting framed artwork on the walls, or doing other small tasks that require metal fasteners.

Drill Attachments

RAK Multifunction Ratchet Wrench Power Drill Adapter

Every self-respecting DIYer has a power drill, and probably a socket wrench, but they may not have this super neat adapter that can fit various shaped objects from hex nuts to eye and lag screws and beyond without taking up more space in an overflowing toolbox. You’ll wonder how you ever did without it.

Cordless Dust Collector

Drilling small holes in drywall, wood, or masonry creates fine dust that has to be cleaned up after the job of is done. With this gadget those days are now gone. Attach it to the wall with the push of a button for dust free drilling, so go on and hang the framed triptych of dogs playing poker Santa gave you for Christmas. Of course, if you’re a renter, don’t forget to patch the holes in the walls before you move out of your unit, lest you be liable for damage that keeps you from getting your security deposit back.

Damaged Screw Extractor Set

It’s a problem even experienced DIYer’s have faced before—the stripped screw. Back in the day, you had to drill the whole thing out, damaging drywall that had to be repaired before you could proceed with work. The bits in this set fit snugly onto the stripped screws to better coax them out of their holes without creating a mess. Genius.

The Sharp Stuff

Cordless Circular Saw

Portability is power! A cordless circular saw will make those repairs on your old fence (or building that new one), a piece of cake. Don’t forget to buy an extra battery pack so you don’t risk powering down in the middle of a big job.

Compact Circular Saw

If you’ve already got a circular saw, you might not think you need a compact version. We beg you to reconsider. These are almost half the weight of a regular circular saw, and provide better sight lines when cutting those eight-foot sheets of wood for various projects. Their lighter weight also makes them more maneuverable, allowing you to make more precise cuts.

Electric Chainsaw

Maybe not for the hardcore homesteaders, but for those of us who suffer the occasional downed limbs in our suburban yards, this is a great alternative to the gas-powered behemoths that we don’t need the rest of the year. They're perfect for seasonal use, lightweight, and ready to go right out of the box.

Reciprocating Saw Blade Set

Perhaps it’s not cute or innovative, but the hardcore handyperson in your life will appreciate your practicality and attention to their needs—these blades always require replacing, especially if they’re getting regular use.

Mini-Bolt Cutter

Mini as in eight inches as opposed to the monsters that normally take up too much space in your toolbox. These are powerful enough to tackle small bolts and rivets instead of risking damage to your wire cutters or giving you tennis elbow when you use your hacksaw.

Other Essentials

Laser Measuring Tool

Finally, a gift for those who are mathematically challenged. Or perhaps for those who simply refuse to put on their glasses to read the notches on a tape measure. This laser tool is compact, and offers continuous measurements of length and area, accurate up to 100 feet. With this tool, you might be able to ditch the old saying, “measure twice, cut once,” although we don’t recommend it.

Folding Compact Workbench

Contractors who travel to their work sites may appreciate this gift, but so will the person in your household in charge of repairs around the house. They fold up nice and tight, and can come with clamps or multipurpose lights, depending on the type you get.

Wall Mount Organizer

Keep those nuts, screws, washers, nails, and other small easily lost items stored all in one place. Consider it the beginning of your New Year’s Resolution to get more organized.

Trim and Panel Removal Tools

If the gearhead in your life is looking to branch into body work or do some minor auto painting, they’ll appreciate this set of tools for accessing interior panels and exterior trim without damaging the vehicle.