Must Haves for the Shop
"What essential tools and items do you need in your workshop? Im here to tell you."
Since I started building about two years ago, I caught on quick to the essentials needed for a shop. So today I'm giving you a breakdown of what helps me function in my shop on a weekly basis.
This review is sponsored by the Home Depot as a part of The Home Depot's Pro-Spective Campaign. There are some affiliate links in this post, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no cost to you. Click Here to read my full disclosure.
Storage and Organization
This is probably one of the most essential things to have in the workshop, especially for me. If you want to keep your shop tidy and organized you must have some kind of storage. Luckily, there are plenty of options out there for storage.
I really enjoy my Husky 28-Drawer Small Part Organizer, Its small enough for me to store on my workbench and organizes all of my smaller pieces such as nuts, bolts, etc. It's lightweight design is both dependable and durable and I love that it is also wall mountable.
Things that would otherwise get lost of not organized well. I really love that the little bins are not attached, so if you want to carry screws around with you , you can just remove the bin from he organizer and then put it back when you are finished with it, and with 28 bins, there is plenty of storage for those small items.
If your looking for something a little larger, something like my 52" Husky Tool Chest and Cabinet Combo would probably be something you are interested in.
In this new day and age, having USB ports is becoming a necessity, and having them in my shop makes working that much better. This tool and chest cabinet combo features two cord strips that gives me so much more mobility in my shop.
The bottom drawers on the chest cabinet are deep and have the ability to hold some of my heavier tools, which helps eliminate room. I don't know if you've ever tried to hang a circular saw on the wall, but its not as easy as any old tool, so having room in my workbench just makes life easier.
I also make good use of the skinny top drawers, with all my drill bits, it's nice to be able to store them all in one place.
Lighting
If your shop is anything like mine, you know that lighting is definitely a must-have. This Milwaukee Light with Flood Mode offers the user 2-lights in 1 for area lighting and tasking lighting. With 2,200-Lumen of output in area mode for illuminating large work areas and 1000-Lumen of flood lighting for task situations there is no application this light cant handle. This light offers up to 18 hours of run time meaning it lasts throughout working on a project and is equipped with a high impact polycarbonate lens to withstand harsh jobsite abuse.
Charging Station
At first, this wasn't obvious, but with all the tools that I have accumulated over the last year, it was clear this was necessary. I have battery chargers from different types of brands and I was getting frustrated with them being all over the place.
So I purchased a long power strip and placed them all in one place. This makes it easier for me to just pop in a battery when its dead without having to waste time looking for the appropriate charger. As you can see I have plenty, and these chargers get the job done.
One of my newest additions to the charging station is the Makita 18-Volt Charger Kit, its protected against overloading, over-discharging and overheating. Like my other chargers its durability works great in the shop.
Air Compressor
Even though I am the cordless queen and love the freedom of cordless tools, I think having an air compressor in the shop is a must. Although I don't use it often, it is nice to have around when I really need it. I have the Ryobi Pancake Compressor and absolutely love it.
Shop Vac
I think most can agree that you need some kind of cleaning solution in the shop, so having a shop vac is a no-brainer. As you can see, I am a big fam of Ridgid Shop Vacs. I have a 16-gallon vac that I use more for dust collection with my planer and then I have a smaller 6-gallon version for picking up dry around the shop.
This smaller Ridgid vac also happens to showcase Ridgid's new vac design. To read the full review on this Ridgid Shop Vac click here.
Miscellaneous Items
The bigger shop items are always obvious, but there are a few tools I use occasionally that are nice to have in the shop as well.
This isn't a tool I use often but it's definitely something I'm glad I have when I need it. This Husky Tube Cutter is designed for pipes 5/8 in. to 2-1/8 in. in diameter. Clean cuts are made on copper, brass, aluminum, etc. I really like the quick adjust feature because it provides the user with fast cutting speeds. It is a heavy duty tubing cutter and a must in my shop. This is a great option if you're looking for a good tube cutter.
Wiss Straight-Cut Aviation Snips
Another tool I use every now and again; Aviation Snipes. Sometimes regular scissors just won't cut it so I use these snips anytime I'm dealing with aluminum sheets. It cuts straight, left and right in light stock and has a comfort grip handle made of rubber for great command and control. It cuts over three miles of CRS in a lifetime and is a great addition to the shop.
Thanks for reading guys! XOXO Ashley
I acknowledge that the Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the THD Pro-Spective Tool Review Program. As a part of the program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purposes of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own. My post complies with the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
