Image: Wikimedia Commons
Yesterday was windy in Sydney, and when I got home from a day driving around, it was to discover that my side gate had been blown of its hinges, leaving an open passageway for my golden retriever to escape. Fortunately, Simba’s pretty well trained and was sleeping around the other side of the house when we got home, but the situation did mean that I had to ransack the toolbox to fix the gate post-haste.
It wasn’t too easy a job – many of the palings had been knocked off from the impact of falling, and the screws had been ripped right out of the wood, so to fix it I decided to flip the Z-frame and hammer the palings into the other side.
But it was at that point I was struck by how fortunate I was to have everything I needed in my toolbox. Sure, everyone has a hammer, but having nails of the right size was a fluke. The screws for the hinges were also a lucky find in the toolbox, although the ratchet set I used to attach them has been invaluable to me over the years.
It made me think – what tools should be in every handyman’s toolbox. Hammer, drill, screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers are a must, but can you get away without anything else? Is it worth having a collection of nails, screws and bolts sitting in your toolbox for those emergency situations like a blown over gate?
Let us know what essential tools you have in your toolbox, and what tools you think you could do without, in the comments section below.
Nick Broughall is the Australian Editor of TechRadar.com, where he gets to indulge his passion for geekery and the lastest technology. He is also the Editor of EFTM.com.au, where he gets to indulge his passion for manliness, from sampling fine liquor to the joys of growing a beard. It’s a pretty good life, really.
Anker SOLIX has announced the Australian launch and availability of the portable electric cooler, the…
After announcing the new ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X gaming handhelds back…
Samsung has announced a new suite of devices heading to Australia from today, expanding their…
Samsung recently announced the new Galaxy S25 FE ahead of IFA, bringing a new more…
By Bradley Howe, Head of Consumer – SYS BG, ASUS, Australia Australians are at an…
Gaming peripheral manufacturer Corsair has announced the new SABRE v2 PRO Ultralight Wireless Gaming Mouse,…