With the temperature rising and the melted snow uncovering the beating your yard and parked cars took this winter, many homeowners will soon head to the garage and grab the tools they need to make repairs where they deem necessary.

While many people like myself enjoy building, repairing and upgrading damaged appliances, fixtures and cars, most will agree that there is nothing more frustrating than knowing how to repair something, but lacking the proper tools to do so.

We have all been in this situation at least once. Luckily for me, I wasn’t stalled on the side of the road when I realized my car’s thermostat was malfunctioning, but rather in my confines of my own backyard. After I purchased a replacement thermostat from my local auto parts store, I raced to my car, anxious to make repairs. However, when I attempted to unscrew the bolt to get the thermostat detached, I realized I couldn’t transfer enough strength to my socket wrench to loosen the rusty screw. It was during this moment of melancholic depression that I realized the importance of power tools.

In an attempt to save you time and wasted effort, I present you with the five must-have power tools for your garage.

Cordless Drill

A cordless drill can significantly lower the time you spend on a carpentry project. These drills also have a reverse mode, making unscrewing nuts and bolts effortless.

When shopping for cordless drills, be sure to consider purchasing a unit with high voltage. The higher voltage in a cordless drill translates to more torque-spinning strength. More torque-spinning strength means your cordless drill can easily unscrew stubborn or rusty screws, lowering the difficulty when facing corrosion in problematic auto repairs.

Currently, the voltage range for available cordless drills is from 6–8 volts. While an 18-volt cordless drill will surely provide you with the power you need for many projects, you may need the strength of Arnold Schwarzenegger to hold the 10-pound drill in the air for an extended period of time.

Power Miter Saw

A Power miter saw is used to make quick and accurate angled crosscuts to wood or other materials. You can set the degree of the angle to whatever is necessary for your project. Also, the power miter saw is commonly referred to as a chop saw or a drop saw by carpenters.

Many carpenters view the power miter saw as an indispensible power tool because of its stability and accuracy. Also, the built-in blade guards on power miter saws make these saws safer than other power cutters.

Some of the DIY projects that may require the use of power miter saw include:

• Simple desk frame
• Beveled Tray
• End Table

Nail Gun

Nail guns have become the tool of choice for many builders to decrease the time it takes to complete a project. While some nail guns employ compressed air as a source of power, many others use electromagnetism to drive nails into wood or other materials.

While nail guns are the smallest and least expensive power tool on this list, you may actually find yourself using this power tool more often than any other on this list.

Air compressor

Many novice DIY repairmen may be wondering why an air compressor is on a list of must-have power tools. However, air compressors have been used for years by mechanics and carpenters to convert power (from a motor) into kinetic energy, via compressing and pressurizing air, which can be released in quick spurts on command.

This concept makes it fairly easy to transmit power to any air tools with the proper attachments.

Home Depot has 117 air tools to choose from on their website. Some examples of common air tools include:

• Air nailers
• Reversible drill
• Air paint sprayer
• Air applicator-caulk gun
• Air neck saw
• Air epoxy applicator gun

Jigsaw

A power jigsaw is essential for cutting unique designs in metal, wood and other materials. This type of saw is useful for cutting acute edges in materials with up to a 45-degree angle. Moreover, a jigsaw is the go-to tool for carpenters or DIY homeowners who want a power tool that’s both convenient and flexible enough to transfer their creative designs and ideas onto wood or other materials.

Builders and DIY homeowners may be forever indebted to the creators of power tools, as these technological advances have saved numerous people throughout the world invaluable amounts out time on projects and repairs.

What are your favorite power tools? Leave a comment below and join in on the dialogue!

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Posted by:  Carlson Mortgage – a Saint Louis mortgage broker.  Our Home Loan Experts can be reached at (314) 329-7314 seven days a week. Let us be your source for some of the lowest interest rates in St. Louis on conventional, FHA, Veterans (VA), USDA, and HARP 1.0 and 2.0 loans. We have 7 years of experience providing mortgage services that are tailored individually to your unique needs and to your financial situation. We speak English, Spanish and Russian. Call us today!

Original Article can be found here: 5 Must Have Power Tools