I’m a sucker for well done ‘kits’ - when they’re well done. The KC home tool kit caught my eye - The Seasonal - KC Tool - thinking about it for some family that have the absolute shittiest tools and will never invest in anything nicer, but that will never need too many tools too as they call specialists for anything tough. Anyone have thoughts on the included tools? Anything better? Is it worth it over your standard HD beginner kit, or just sexier because its sexy german tools? Cheers.
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I think it’s a good assortment of tools for the average homeowner that just needs to do basic things–at least as far as what kinds of tools it contains. It covers most of the basics and I don’t really see anything extraneous in there. But I also think it’s pretty expensive for just occasional use. Things like the the Stabila level and the Knipex & NWS pliers are top tier but that’s not very important if they’re only being used once every 6 months. And if you did want to spend more for nicer tools I think the money can be better spent. For example, that hammer, the Witte screwdrivers, the tape measure and the utility knife aren’t bad but they’re nothing special either, IMHO you’re really overpaying to pick German brands for those roles. If you picked those tools from less expensive domestic brands then that could free up money to spend elsewhere in the kit. For example maybe you get those items from Husky instead and now you’ve saved enough to add a set of Cobras to the kit.
There’s are a few things I would want to add as a minimum: a flashlight, a putty knife or painter’s 5-in-1 tool, the other type of allen key so you have both standard & metric, and a second tool that can engage nuts–either a larger pair of water pump pliers or an adjustable wrench. The pliers wrench the kit contains is awesome, but it’s a little small and with only one tool like that you can’t tighten a nut-and-bolt. Stout scissors are also a must-have.
Here’s a list I’ve kept saved for a basic homeowner set. I normally recommend store brands like Husky and Kobalt since those are usually not junk, reasonably priced, and easily warranted but of course you could pick fancy brands too.
N-in-1 screwdriver
Basic set of precision screwdrivers or an N-in-1 electronics screwdriver
Claw hammer
Tape measure
Utility knife & blades
Allen wrenches standard and metric; consider the fold-up style
A set of assorted 1/4 hex bits including torx, if you’re looking for German then Wera has many good options.
Torpedo level
Needle nose pliers, something on the larger side, not the tiny little precision ones.
Water pump pliers 10" or 12"–look for a copy of Knipex Cobras, or buy the real deal if your budget allows.
Adjustable wrench 6" or 8", could upgrade to a pliers wrench if you were willing to spend.
Diagonal cutters–stout ones, not the precision kind for electronics work.
3in stiff putty knife or painter’s tool
Stanley Wonder Bar 12in
5/8" or 3/4" chisel–specifically not a fancy one since it will be abused.
Heavy duty workshop scissors, electrician’s or EMT shears
No-contact electrical tester
Flashlight, ideally a headlamp or a magnetic/clip-on work light so you can work hands-free
A folding or take-down Japanese style pull saw, i.e. a Toughbuilt TB-H4-21-2X or similar, Silky Pocketboy or Gomboy, a takedown style Ryoba, etc.
4-in-1 hand file/rasp
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Cheers, thanks for the reasoned response. I agree, its just that I find nice german tools nice, so I feel that others may too haha
I like high-end German tools too, but what I find odd about this set is that half of it feels really nice (the Pliers Wrench, the NWS needle-nose, and the Stabila level) while the rest feels sort of “meh”. The other tools aren’t junk by any means but I think you’re paying a lot for them but not getting much back in return. The Pliers Wrench, for example, is a really high quality tool with a lot of advantages over other designs. They are not cheap but I feel you are getting something for your money when you pay a premium for those. But that hammer, tape, the non-insulated screwdrivers, and utility knife are about as generic as it gets and don’t give the same kind of quality vibe that the Knipex, NWS, & Stabila do.
Totally. I think they’re playing on the set idea, the one stop shop, and the bag… Makes life easier than painstakingly putting everything together, ordering separately, etc.
Yeah, that seems to be what they had in mind. And it’s hard to complain too much, if every single tool in that set were super high end then it might end up costing double or more what it already does. There’s also a bit of logic to it: I think pretty much everybody could appreciate a nice pair of pliers, but a premium hammer is a lot more of a specialty thing. You don’t have to use Knipex pliers very often to appreciate how nice they are, but unless you swing a hammer for a living you probably won’t notice much of a difference between, say, a Vaughn or Estwing vs. a Stiletto or Martinez. They’re striking a balance between an all-out spare-no-expense kit with something that is practical for a casual tool user.
Something else I thought of: A cordless drill/driver is a fantastic thing to have. One of those plus a set of bits would make a very practical gift. If you felt like it you could go for high end brands like Festool or Mafell for the drill and KC tool has a variety of Wera hex bit sets that would go well with it, like one of the Tool-Check, Bit-Check, or Kraftform sets.