6 Best Tool Sets of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Oct 30, 2024

Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or a new homeowner looking to tackle simple repairs, a reliable tool kit is a must-have.

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Every homeowner should have a tool kit containing all the essentials needed to perform basic repairs and DIY tasks around the house. From hanging pictures and mounting shelves to tightening cabinet hardware and assembling furniture, the right set of tools will allow you to get the job done without shelling out money for a handyman.

Durability, construction quality and variety are the three core factors the Good Housekeeping Institute used to evaluate tool sets. We also teamed up with our partners at Popular Mechanics, who recently completed their own round of tool kit tests. Read on for our top picks to find the best tool set for you.

Through years of tool testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute, Stanley has earned an excellent reputation for quality and reliability, and it shows again here with this 65-piece kit. An excellent combination of value and performance, our experts called it the "Goldilocks of tool sets" — it includes everything needed for most basic tasks, yet also not large enough to be overwhelming or take up tons of storage.

Testers particularly liked the quality of the 16-foot tape measure, which opens and retracts smoothly compared to the tape measures often found in cheaper sets, which have a tendency to stick. The kit's hard-shelled carrying case is compact and lightweight, making it easy to transport from room to room or to toss in the trunk of the car. The set also includes a level, a helpful tool for hanging shelves or installing appliances.

For bigger renovation projects, you may want to invest in a larger set or buy extra tools individually.

For a great bang for your buck, this entry-level tool set from Amazon Basics is a solid, low-priced option for first-time homeowners looking to take on small projects, like hanging shelves or assembling furniture.

At under 6 pounds, the set is very lightweight and it includes all the essentials. However, once you get into larger repairs, you’ll want to upgrade to a more durable kit with heavy-duty tools, such as a 16-ounce hammer, rather than the 12-ounce plastic one Amazon includes in this kit.

"The carrying bag has interior side packets, but the tools are likely to turn into a jumbled mess in there," said Dan DiClerico, who runs the Home Improvement and Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute.

This Black+Decker set is a great option if you're starting from scratch. The 20-volt, variable-speed cordless drill “packs enough power to handle basic household drilling tasks like picture hanging and shelf mounting,” our testing partner at Popular Mechanics found, and it comes with 10 drill bits, allowing you to select the right sized bit for the task at hand.

The set, which weighs only eight pounds, includes a utility knife, pliers, an adjustable wrench, a ratcheting screwdriver, a tape measure, a level and other essentials. It also has a storage bag for portability. However, this set may be too basic for advanced DIYers.

As a brand, Craftsman makes consistently high-quality tools and equipment based on our Lab tests, and this tool set is no different. The 102-piece package comes with low-profile 1/4-in. and 3/8-in. 72-tooth ratchets and an assortment of six-point sockets and drive tool accessories, on top of all the essentials, including screwdrivers, pliers, a hammer, a tape measure and a utility knife. Keep in mind that more tools means the set takes up more storage.

The fiberglass hammer offers an improved grip for increased comfort and its 16-ounce weight means it can take on harder tasks, like driving framing nails into thick lumber. We also like that the hard-sided plastic case has dedicated grooves for each tool. One downside: There’s no electric screwdriver or cordless drill.

This low-priced Apollo 135-piece set has everything you need to tackle routine household maintenance and repairs and small DIY projects. It includes a compact 3.6-volt electric screwdriver with a dual-position design that allows you to convert the tool to a straight-line screwdriver — perfect for accessing hard-to-reach fasteners.

The set also comes with an assortment of picture-hanging hardware, including pins, hooks and nails. That said, this isn’t the best tool set for tackling heavy-duty projects.

This 142-piece set, the largest on our list, is aimed more at auto mechanics, considering it’s missing some essential tools for homeowners — there’s no hammer or tape measure, for example. But to its credit, the drive tools are made from quality steel and finished in high-polish nickel chrome or black chrome.

The set includes a multi driver, 14 standard hex keys, 14 metric hex keys, 10 combination wrenches and two 72-tooth ratchets that only require 5 degrees of swing to operate. The kit comes with a full lifetime warranty.

From rating the best cordless drills and impact wrenches to pressure washers and cordless leaf blowers, the Good Housekeeping Institute tests a wide range of home maintenance and renovation equipment every year. We applied our same rigorous standards to our evaluations of tool kits.

Our hands-on testing involved trying out dozens of tools and attachments from each set. We spent hours assessing their construction quality, durability and handling. We also evaluated how easy each set is to transport. Price and the number of pieces that each set includes also played a role in our evaluations.

A good starter set should contain a hammer, a measuring tape, a screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, a level and needle-nose pliers. Beyond those, nice-to-have tools include a power drill, an electric screwdriver, a pair of tongue-and-groove pliers and a utility knife.

A mechanic's tool set comes with tools that are specifically designed for use in automotive repair and maintenance. These include ratchets, sockets, wrenches, hex keys and pry bars, as well as specialty tools like spark plug sockets and oil filter wrenches. Based on our tests, we recommend the DeWalt 142-Piece Mechanics Tool Kit.

Proper maintenance will extend the life of your tools. Here’s how to keep your gear in good condition:

Clean them after each use. Wipe down tools to remove dirt, oil or debris that can cause corrosion.

Store them properly. Keep tools in a dry place to avoid rust. Use the provided case or toolbox to organize and protect them.

Check them periodically for wear or damage. Replace or repair any tools that are worn out or broken.

Daniel Bortz is a freelance writer who has written about home improvement for more than a decade, including testing-based product reviews across every major category, from outdoor power tools to smart home technology. His work has been published by the New York Times, Washington Post, Consumer Reports, Newsweek, Money magazine and other outlets.

In researching and writing this story, he worked with Dan DiClerico, the Director of Home Improvement and Outdoors at the Good Housekeeping Institute. For more than two decades, he has written about all things home-related, from big-ticket remodeling projects to routine home maintenance. DiClerico has reviewed thousands of consumer products across a wide range of categories, including building materials, fixtures, outdoor power equipment and more.

Daniel Bortz (he/him) is a freelance writer in Arlington, Va who has written about home improvement for more a decade, including product reviews across every major category, from appliances to smart home technology, as well as articles on real estate, personal finance, and more. His work has been published by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Consumer Reports, Newsweek, Money magazine, among others. He’s also a licensed real estate agent who watches way too much HGTV.

Having written thousands of product reviews and how-to articles on all aspects of home ownership, from routine maintenance to major renovations, Dan (he/him) brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his role as the director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. A one-time roofer and a serial remodeler, Dan can often be found keeping house at his restored Brooklyn brownstone, where he lives with his wife and kids.

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