An angle grinder is one of the most versatile power tools you can own. It can grind, cut, sharpen, strip, and sand. You’re only limited by the many accessories that are available for the 4 1/2″ size. Go and take a look in the power tool section of your local hardware store and you will see what I mean.

I suggest you go to your local hardware store and handle angle grinders from each of the major manufacturers before you buy. The 4.5″ DeWalt fit my hands the best and felt the most balanced. There are larger grinders out there, but this is the most common size for a good reason. The thick body gives you plenty to grip and is heavy enough to keep the grinder steady as you work. You can install the side handle on either the left or right side for comfort and control, or you can leave it off.

While cordless tools have made significant technological advances in just the past decade, I prefer corded tools for a variety of reasons (consistent, reliable power and avoiding planned obsolescence of battery systems are the two big ones.) An angle grinder needs to operate at high RPMs to work effectively and safely. Providing a constant flow of power will ensure you can do this every time.

I have used my angle grinder on a wide range of home improvement projects, but its versatility doesn’t stop there.

If you work on cars, you know it’s only a matter of time until you encounter a seized nut or a bolt head that you have to cut off. There are certain parts that you’re replacing anyway (ball joints, for example) that are far easier to cut off than to remove because of how corroded they tend to be. It’s also nice having the peace of mind knowing that you have a method of last resort to remove the component if all else fails.

My DeWalt angle grinder also sees regular use in my pole barn sharpening lawn mower blades. I have found that an angle grinder with a 60 or 80-grit flap wheel is the fastest and most effective way to sharpen blades. It’s much easier to get a quality edge than with using a bench grinder, as you’re removing less metal with each pass. A flap wheel is less likely to overheat the blade edge, which causes it to become brittle and crack when you inevitably mow over a stick or a rock.

I recently completed my first luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring installation in our cabin/lake house-themed basement. I used Golden Arowana brand “Sandalwood” that I purchased from Costco.

This tool saved me so much time. Sure, you can use a scrap piece of LVP or laminate, but this is far better. The rubber-tip mallet has some heft to it – it doesn’t feel or function like lightweight, cheap plastic.

The real gem in this kit is the pull bar. It is longer and thicker than the bars in other kits I looked at. The pull bar is what you use to join the planks together so that the locking grooves line up perfectly when you tap them down with the mallet. You can also use the pull bar to slide over rows of installed flooring if you need to adjust the space at the end of each run of planks. I was able to successfully tap an entire row over a few tenths of an inch on one side of my basement with this bar.

The manufacturer put a lot of thought into the design of the pull bar. The body is thick enough to stand up to the mallet without bending and has enough heft to get the planks moving, but is still thin enough in the right parts to slip in to tight clearances against the wall if you need to make adjustments.

The kit comes with 40 spacers, which I didn’t end up using for my project because I installed the drywall up half an inch above the basement floor to allow the flooring to expand outward (but underneath the edge of the drywall.)

Infrared temperature guns have become so accurate and affordable, that it doesn’t make sense not to have one. While an HVAC technician might need a top-of-the-line professional unit, 99% of people don’t need the extra options that you’re paying extra for.

I purchased this heat gun to diagnose what appeared to be a coolant system overheating issue on my diesel Kubota zero turn mower. Within seconds, I was able to accurately check the temperature of the upper and lower radiator hoses, the radiator core itself, the thermostat housing, the cylinder head, engine block, and the oil pan.

An infrared heat gun is useful for diagnosing exhaust, brake, wheel bearing, heating, differential, and air conditioning systems on a vehicle. I recently started to hear a slight dragging noise coming from the rear brakes on my daily driver, but I wasn’t able to tell which side it was coming from. I aimed the laser at each rotor and discovered that the driver side brake rotor registered 40 degrees hotter than the passenger side. I quickly and correctly diagnosed the problem as a failing brake caliper – problem solved.

Most people wouldn’t think of an infrared heat gun as a housewarming gift, but what could be more useful than a tool that can do so much to enable first-time homeowners to stay on top of their maintenance?

Here are just a few things I have used this for around the house:

1. Scanning the attic for temperature differences that could reveal inadequate insulation in certain spots.

2. Checking the temperature of the walls around our wood stove to verify that the adhesive that I was planning on using for my Airstone project would be suitable for the application.

3. Recording the temperature of the surface of the soil in various garden beds at different times of the day to determine the best location for different vegetables based on when each bed started to receive late afternoon shade.

4. Checking my fryer’s oil temperature to ensure perfectly golden homemade onion rings.

5. Teaching my kids about how light, heat, and energy are related.