Toolbox Essentials for Every Tradesperson

Apr 09, 2020

While different trades require different equipment, there are some essentials that all trades men and women need to have in their toolbox. As you are already aware, most jobs require a lot of prep beforehand and you don’t know when you might need to cut something away or sand something down, for example.

Whilst we know that many of you will already have most of these handy tools in your kit, we wanted to provide a useful checklist to help you assess your inventory and ensure that your equipment is up to date and in good working order for 2020.

Tape Measure

There’s no tradesman in the world that hasn’t needed to measure a work area. An extendable tape measure is indispensable and should be carried with you at all times. If yours is looking a bit run down, you may wish to replace it with a newer model.

Claw Hammer

You don’t just want a decent hammer to drive in nails, you need a good strong claw to remove old nails too. While a nail gun can be more efficient, for quick jobs it’s good to have a claw hammer to hand just when you need it.

Handsaw and Hacksaw

Cutting tools are a staple of trades men and women in all manner of construction professions. The hacksaw is particularly useful because you can change the blade and cut practically anything, even metal.

Spirit Level

The only way to get a straight line is to use a spirit level. Our advice is to invest in both short and long ones so that you can cover small and large spaces. There are all sorts of gadgets available on the market to do this such as laser pointers, but the traditional methods using a non-battery powered spirit level still seem to be the top choice for those working in the industry and also equally for many who carry out DIY at home.

Combination Pliers

You never know when you are going to need a pair of pliers. They’re great for loosening nuts, bending metal, stripping wires and a whole host of other awkward jobs. They come in all different sizes so it may even be useful to have a couple of pairs for different types of tricky tasks.

Extension Cable

If you have equipment that needs to plug into a socket, an extension cable is a must for your tool collection. Get the longest cable you can so you don’t find yourself searching around for a socket, extendable cables with a reel are often the most handy for both use and storage.

Screwdriver Set

No toolbox is complete without a set of screwdrivers. Most drills come with attachments for screws, but a manual set always comes in useful, not least for getting the tops off of tins.

Pencils

It may sound simple but there are going to be plenty of occasions when you need to mark a spot. It’s best to keep a few pencils with you at all times because you’re more likely to leave this tool behind than any other when you finish work. You can also purchase a ‘deep pencil marker’ to help you reach those difficult to get to spots.

Trimming Knife

A sharp, scalpel-like blade always comes in useful whether you want to cut off a stray strip of plastic or cut a piece of carpet. A good one will come with safety features and a holster to keep it on your person for when you need it.

Health & Safety Equipment

Health & safety is paramount to everything we do in the construction industry. Every job comes with risks, no matter how big or small and in most cases, you may turn up to a site and face unforeseen challenges that get in the way of you completing your work. It is good practice to ensure that you always carry good quality safety gear to protect you at work and that it is maintained or replaced after continued use.

Cleaning Equipment

The last thing you want to do when completing or pausing a job, is to upset your customer by leaving a mess behind. By carrying at least basic cleaning products with you such as blue roll, cleaning spray, bin bags and sponges, you can ensure that you are able to tidy up after yourself and not leave mess behind that could be hazardous.

You also need to think of maintaining the cleanliness of things on a site where you have access to toilets or where your workers will need to wash and protect their hands, so other cleaning products related to health and safety can also be acquired and are sensible to have with you or on site at all times.

If you are a tradesperson in the South of England and you’re searching for a reliable builder’s merchant, check out the range from Strutka today. We also have a unique opening time of 6.30am at all of our stores across the country and you can also call our customer service team to place trade orders for delivery directly to your site or job. Find out more about our trade accounts and request a catalogue today.