Buyer’s guide Equip yourself with a comprehensive tool set to tackle DIY jobs and furniture repairs in your home

8 OF THE BEST: Tool kits

Equip yourself with a comprehensive tool set to tackle DIY jobs and furniture repairs in your home

What do hanging a picture, replacing a fuse and tightening a loose floorboard all have in common? Well, apart from probably being on your to-do list, they can all be taken care of with a trusty tool kit and some DIY knowhow. If you don’t have a tool kit, or the kit you do have is lacking a few essentials, then read on for our round-up of the best sets around.

Emma Bailey, workshop and body repair buyer at Halfords, has this advice when it comes to buying a tool kit: ‘If you’re just starting out in the world of home or vehicle maintenance, a tool kit is an efficient and cost-effective way to purchase the tools you need to complete the task at hand. A kit will probably also have tools for jobs you might want to take on in the future.’

Consider the types of jobs that you’re likely to face to help you figure out what tools you’ll need in your set. For example, there’ll be a variety of screws used in your home so a kit that has flat-head, Phillips, Pozidriv, Torx and precision screwdrivers will work with almost everything that you’re likely to encounter.

Similarly, pliers come in a range of formats depending on their purpose. Needle- or longnose pliers are intended for more delicate tasks, often in tight spaces (think bending wire or thin metal strips, or even fixing pieces of jewellery); use slip-joint pliers for various mechanical or plumbing tasks (they have an adjustable pivot that lets you increase how far the jaws open to grip wider objects and pipes); crimping pliers will help you strip electrical cables and connect wires; diagonal pliers (also known as wire cutters) are for cutting wires or thin nails and screws; tongue-and-groove pliers are for ‘bigger’ plumbing jobs (they have adjustable jaws, like slip-joint pliers, but with far more range so you can grip and turn bigger pipes and fittings).

‘With a set of screwdrivers, pliers, a hammer, and a tape measure, you can fix almost anything,’ continues Emma. ‘Choose a kit with a compartmentalised storage case or bag to prevent losing any tools’. Keep your tools shipshape by removing any grease and drying them after each use, and prevent rust building up with a regular scrub with wire wool. MAKITA P-90635 118-PIECE TOOL SET, £75, FASTFIX

ESSENTIALS 60-PIECE TOOL KIT, £35, HALFORDS

Protected in a lockable aluminium case, this tool set is an upgrade for amateur DIYers who are looking to take on more plumbing, electrical and building work. Useful tools include a large ratchet screwdriver with 50 screwdriver bits and seven combination wrenches. • Aluminium carry case • 7 combination wrenches • Socket wrench kit with universal joint and ratchet handle • 8-piece hex key set

Jargon buster

Ratchet screwdriver

A screwdriver with a mechanism that allows you to wind the screwdriver back for another turn without releasing it from the screw head or letting go of the handle.

Precision screwdriver

Similar to a standard screwdriver, but with a smaller head and handle to make it easier to work on more intricate items.

Socket wrench

A wrench handle with interchangeable sockets to tighten or loosen nuts and bolts. The handles often feature a rachet mechanism, like rachet screwdrivers, to allow continuous turning without releasing the socket from the nut/bolt.

Socket extension

These are lengths of metal that can be attached to a socket wrench to extend its reach and give extra leverage for turning the socket on seized or stiff nuts and bolts.

Universal joint

Connects to a socket wrench to loosen and allows you to tighten nuts and bolts in difficult-to-reach places where the tool can’t be used in a straight line.

Hex or Allen key

Similar to a screwdriver but used for bolts with a hexagonal ‘slot’ in their heads. Allen keys can be L-shaped, individual tools or straight and folded up in a ‘multi-tool’. Keep your tools in plain sight with this fluorescent accented set. It comes with spanners, pliers, metric sockets in different sizes, a spirit level and a tape measure. • Moulded plastic case • 8 hex keys • Adjustable wrench • 6 precision screwdrivers and 5 screwdrivers

MAGNUSSON 40-PIECE TOOL KIT, £44.99, SCREWFIX

Your household repairs are in the bag with this set, which comes with plenty of storage for the 40 tools included as well as space for your existing ones. Take the hard work out of loosening troublesome screws with the ratchet screwdriver; ensure your DIY efforts are perfectly flat with the torpedo level (a spirit level for tight spaces); and quickly cut plastic pipes and dowelling with the hacksaw. • Durable zip carry bag • 12 screwdrivers plus 1 ratchet screwdriver with bits • Long-nose and diagonal pliers • Adjustable wrench • 8 folding hex keys

23-PIECE TRAVEL TIN SET, £13.95, ANNABEL JAMES

Perfect for beginner DIYers, this tool kit can help out with more basic jobs. Featuring three hex keys, a screwdriver with 11 bits and four sockets. • Metal travel tin • Long-nose pliers • Screwdriver and 11 bits • Tape measure DRAPER 24892 37-PIECE ESSENTIAL HAND TOOL KIT, £40, TOOLSTOP

Tick off the little jobs with this carry case packed with a claw hammer, spirit level, trio of pliers and 23-piece screwdriver and bit set. • Organiser box with tote tray • Magnetic spirit level • 8-piece hex set • Tape measure AMAZON BASICS 65-PIECE TOOL SET, £61.49, AMAZON

Turn nuts and bolts in comfort with the rubbergripped rachet handles. 20 screwdriver bits allow plenty of versatility, though the plastic clips on the case may become loose over time. • Moulded plastic case • Combination spanners and socket wrenches • Universal joints • Long-nose, diagonal and combination pliers

DRAPER RL-TK43 REDLINE 43-PIECE TOOL KIT, £51.95, FFX

Tighten loose fittings, mend furniture and fix leaking taps with this tool kit that comes in a hard-wearing plastic case. • Moulded plastic case • Long-nose, combination and water pump pliers • 5 screwdrivers • Adjustable wrench • Tape measure

256-PIECE PREMIUM TOOL AND SOCKET SET, £99.99, VONHAUS

This all-purpose kit comes in a plastic case with a vast array of hand tools crafted from carbon steel and chrome vanadium to withstand heavy use. • Adjustable wrench, pliers and clamps • 6 combination wrenches and 2 universal joints