Reddit mentions of PORTER-CABLE PCE201 4.3-Amp 1/4-Inch Hex Chuck Impact Driver

Tools: Just buy the cheap shit until you really understand what YOU need. I've been a weekend warrior for 20 years... if a I can do it myself I do it myself. About the only thing I won't touch is the inside of the furnace, AC, garage door springs, and an asphalt driveway. I've gone through a lot of tools... cheap and expensive... 90% of the time those cheap tools do the job just fine and last many years. I have cheap Taiwanese drop-forge tools plenty of people would turn their nose up to but I've used for 10+ years. I've broken plenty of expensive and supposedly high quality tools. Get stuff on sale... don't be afraid of buying used...

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Here's what I'd say are the essentials

• Claw hammer
  
• Hacksaw
  
• Wood saw (manual)
  
• 12" pry bar
  
• 4' pry bar
  
• Level (somewhere between 12 and 48 inches)
  
• Speed square
  
• Mechanical pencil with .9mm lead and a clipboard
  
• Metric socket set 6mm to 18mm
  
• SAE socket set 1/8" to 1"
  
• Socket driver
  
• Socket driver in 3/8" and 1/4"
  
• Driver extension 3" to 5" long
  
• Cordless drill (I despise cordless stuff but this one needs to be cordless) Nothing fancy it just needs to drive screws and do light drilling
  
• More powerful drill that plugs in.... this is the workhorse. Use this for drilling larger holes.
  
• Drill bit index set
  
  • Wood 'spade' bits from 1/8" to 2"
    
  • High Speed Steel bits (the ones you're probably used to seeing typically)
    
• Needle nose pliers (heavy duty ones not the wimpy jeweler ones)
  
• Pliers (highly recommend robogrip pliers... sooo much better)
  
• Screwdrivers
  
  • You don't need a bunch of sizes; just get a few slotted and phillips drivers.
    
  • Get some screw driver bits for your cordless drill
    
• Utility knife (This one I'd recommend getting a middle teir one. The dirt cheap ones really are shit. Get something that is easy to change blades and has a little rubber pad to put your thumb on... you'll know why when you have to use one for more than a minute)
  
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  Maybe noticed I've only mentioned two power tools. Yeah they are awesome but rarely REQUIRED to get a job done. Here's some really 'nice to have' power tools. Again I HIGHLY recommend you get non-cordless versions! They will be cheaper initially and in the long run as you don't have to buy replacement batteries. Usually more powerful than their cordless counterparts. Nothing sucks more than being in the middle of a job and your battery dies. Everyone will say "just get two or three!" Yeah, um, they are not cheap ... or I can grab a cheap extension cord and run the tools all day. I've tried plenty of cordless things in the past... my wife and I hate them for many reasons.
  
  Also you'd be surprised what you can find at your local pawn ship for power tools! Don't be afraid of buying used... just look it over; does it look OK? Ask to test it in the store... does it work OK? It's probably OK and only Black Friday deals will beat the prices. Plus sometimes you get a great score! I got an amazing Senco finishing nailer for $20. Yeah it looks ROUGH but it works GREAT! Who cares what it looks like? It's a $200 tool I got for $20.
  
  
• Sawzall (reciprocating saw)
  
  • Metal and wood blades
    
• Skillsaw (circular saw)
  
• Oscillating multi-tool
  
  • Metal and wood blades
    
• Radial arm saw
  
  • something that will cut at 2x10 easily is a good place to start
    
• Electric Impact Driver
  
  • This is a little confusing because for a long time impact drivers were thought of as the big impact drivers you see for automotive uses. What I'm suggesting are for smaller applications like screws or smaller bolts. It's more akin to a drill but has a light 'hammer drive' to it. Makes driving screws sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much easier. I don't know how many philips heads I've stripped out over the decades. Incredibly infuriating when you're in the middle of a job and have to spend 10 min fucking around with some screw that is now stuck because the damn head is all chewed up even though you were pushing down with all your weight and trying to gently pulse it out. These things are like magic... my wife can sink in a 3" construction screw with ease using this thing where a traditional drill would have failed her. She actually says it's her favorite tool. Plus they are smaller and lighter than your average drill. Here's a link to one I have but anything like this will work.
    https://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-PCE201-4-3-Amp-4-Inch-Impact/dp/B00BD9XO1Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
    
• Air compressor (get one that's powerful enough to run the tools you use)
  
• Pneumatic air nailers
  
  • Framing nailer
    
  • Finishing nailer
    
  • Brad / staple combo nailer
    
  • If you don't want to go the compressor + pneumatic route then you can find electric versions of most pneumatic tools. I have very little experience with their electric counterparts; sorry.
    
• Table saw
  
• Orbital sander
  
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  Bro Tip: Best screw drive types in order of best to worst
  
  
• T25 star: These are soooo amazing for a few reasons but they aren't that common yet. Mostly only find them for large construction screws, decking screws and drywall screws. I hope this gets more popular though because its leaps and bounds better than any other type I've used. I can drive a 3" T25 construction screw one handed and I'm not a strong dude.
  
• #2 square: Not terrible but still prone to stripping out. Very common in drywall and durarock screws. Get this if you can't find T25.
  
• Phillips: Better than slotted... but not by much. Unfortunately VERY common. Very prone to skipping and stripping the screw and the driver bit. Once you do the screw is stuck because there's nothing left for the driver to grip on to. Best bet is to push as HARD as you can. You can't let the drill do the work here; you have to push REALLY fucking hard... and straight... Also a lot of people don't realize how many different sizes there are to phillips (and slotted) drivers / heads. Make sure you're using the driver tip that fits properly into the screw head you're driving.
  
• Slotted: Not only are they prone to everything wrong with phillips but they also are a PITA to keep the driver in the slot. They are overused in all kinds of applications they have no place being; super frustrating. Often best to use a hand tool. I will admit you can generally get a lot more leverage to torque a slotted down than on a phillips but that has rarely paid off for me in any meaningful way.
  
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  That's all general construction / destruction tools. I could go on with what you'd want for plumbing, electrical, drywall, painting, finishing wood, landscaping, etc. etc. I don't want to overwhelm you... anymore =)