- With a good set of tools, you can repair a crooked cabinet, hang a shelf or picture frame, tune up your bicycle, or fix a leaky pipe under the sink.
- The Stanley 65-Piece Tool Kit is our top choice because it has only the tools you need and each item is well-made.
One of the best gifts I have ever received was something I didn't even know I needed. Shortly before I left for college, a family friend gave me a basic tool kit, advising me to bring it along with me to school. Over the subsequent four years, I used the screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, measuring tape, and the other essentials in that kit to do everything from repair a broken bed frame in my dorm room, to hang shelves and assemble furniture in an apartment, to work on sets and lighting design for many student film projects.
After college, that very same kit made a cross-country move with me to California, where it remained in service throughout the early years of my working life and my marriage, helping as my wife and I decorated and furnished our first apartment and made the innumerable little repairs and updates that came with renting a charming but decades-old property. While I've lost quite a few items from that kit over the past 16 years, I still have the hammer, level, and needle-nose pliers. The fact that one basic set of tools - a set that probably cost only around $30 and fit into one slender carrying case - served as my only tool kit for so long is pretty remarkable.
We've selected a range of kits that are well priced, thoughtfully curated, and sure to fit the needs of many people. When considering which tool kit is the best match for you, make sure you think about which tools you will likely use the most often, as well as the ones you might never touch. When was the last time you actually found yourself in need of a ratchet set, for example? (If that need arises regularly, maybe look beyond a basic kit!)
Remember, we're looking at elementary kits for a reason: The aim is to arm yourself with everything you'll need for basic projects and repairs, not clutter your home with needless extras. You can always add on specialty tools if the occasion arises, but these kits should save you from realizing mid-project that you're missing one of the basics. Read on to see which kit is best for your needs.
Here are the best basic tool kits you can buy:
- Best basic tool kit overall: Stanley 65-Piece Tool Kit
- Best value tool kit: WorkPro 100-Piece Kitchen Drawer Home Tool Kit
- Best compact tool kit: Cartman General Household 39-Piece Tool Kit
- Best basic tool kit for use on the road: AmazonBasics 65-Piece Home Basic Repair Tool Kit Set With Bag
Updated by Caitlin Petreycik on 1/6/2020. Updated prices, links, and formatting. Added related guides.
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