Tools. They are what separate most of us from the animal kingdom. For a species that started off chipping rocks into spearheads, we’ve come a long way. Even post-Neanderthal era, building just about anything revolved around hand (not power) tools. As your manly elders are all too happy to remind you, even today, there are plenty of carpentry and construction projects that a hand tool is best suited for. But that’s not why you’re here.  There are far more tasks in the course of a man’s life in which power tools put hand tools to shame (or, at least make them look slower than Congress passing a budget). Plus, power tools create noise, make dust, and embody our manly DIY-conquer-all spirit.

Here’s a list of four power tool essentials, along with some background, why you need them, and what to look for when you’re tool shopping.

CORDLESS DRILL

A cordless drill is the most essential of essentials when it comes to power tools. Without it, you’ll be looking like an Amish carpenter as you hand-bore holes at a rate of one per hour. Nothing wrong with Amish carpenters by any means, but I’ll beat their suspenders off any day when it comes to drilling holes. With a solid cordless drill, you’ll be able to tackle most drilling tasks from small pilot holes to large holes to run electrical through, and driving fasteners from dainty screws to beefy lag bolts (although you might consider an impact driver if you’re doing much in the way of the latter). Let’s be clear: there’s no such thing as a modern handyman without a cordless drill.

RECIPROCATING SAW

Destruction and demolition have been man’s work for eons. Few practical tools embody the raw destructive force of a reciprocating saw (known more commonly by the Milwaukee Tool brand name Sawzall). The reciprocating saw will cut through most metal and wood like butter. I’ve even cut down trees with one in a pinch. If you’re remodeling, demolishing, or doing plumbing or electrical work, a reciprocating saw will get you through 2x material, pipes, etc. in no time. Just don’t cut through a wall without knowing what’s inside it; a severed live electrical or water line is no fun.  Both electrical and water together is even worse.

OSCILLATING MULTI-TOOL

I won’t call it dainty, but this is definitely the least gritty of our power tool suggestions. You’re not going to wow the ladies strutting into the room with one of these (at least not until they see it in action). If you’re not already familiar with them, an oscillating tool features a long, slender body (which has natural man-appeal), and a head that accepts a variety of attachments for detail sanding, grinding, grout removal, wood cutting, scraping, etc. The beauty of the tool is that the accessory oscillates just enough to make quick work of many small jobs without kicking up a massive dust cloud. It’s the surgical scalpel of your power tool arsenal.

CIRCULAR SAW

When it comes to making quick work of cutting through 2x material or sheet goods, nothing compares to a circular saw. If you find yourself needing to cut a piece of wood once or twice a year, you can stick to a handsaw.  However, if your wood cutting needs are more regular, a circular saw can cut through a stack of wood in two minutes, where a handsaw might have taken ten times that. Keep in mind circ saws cut through skin and bone just as happily as they do wood, so make sure you follow manufacturer safety recommendations when brandishing this tool (and the others in this article for that matter).

Continue reading at The Art of Manliness.