Do you have the essential tools for your home?

Hammer? Check. Screwdriver? Check. Middleweight 12-volt cordless drill with two battery packs and one-hour charger? Ummmm ...

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When the editors of Eagan, Minn.-based Family Handyman magazine helped update the Reader's Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual, they added a list of tools they felt were integral to any garage or workroom. Family Handyman's executive editor, Spike Carlsen, helped narrow down "The Indispensable Dozen" to include a 25-foot tape measure, a chalk line, a 24-inch level, a utility knife, an adjustable wrench, an angle square, a pry bar, a noncontact voltage tester and a circular saw.

Mr. Carlsen said the list is intended for novice do-it-yourselfers, and, like a medicine cabinet, it's open to personalization. The editors even hedged their bets and acknowledged basic pliers as a possible 13th inclusion.

"If you asked 10 different homeowners or carpenters to come up with their top 12 (tools), you'd have 10 different lists," he said. "These are for things like hanging mini blinds, putting up gutters or putting in a new mailbox post; the kinds of things you do on the weekend. The indispensable 13 didn't sound as good, either."

Some of the tools on the list, such as the hammer, are no-brainers, and few people will be surprised by the inclusion of a wrench, but Mr. Carlsen said the book's editors wanted to get the attention of novice builders to direct them to a list of safety gear noted on the same page. After all, goggles, ear plugs and dust masks are just as integral to major projects as every screw, bolt or nail.

Jeff Henry, the assistant manager of The Home Depot on Bobby Jones Expressway, said that when he was the store's hardware department manager, most customer questions revolved around power tools, particularly the issue of voltage. Hanging pictures or blinds requires a light-duty drill in the 9.6- to 12-volt range, whereas building a deck will need 12 volts or higher.

"As you go up on voltage, you get more run time and more torque, which is important if you're trying for instance, to put a screw into a deck," he said. "If you're doing anything heavy duty, you should look for a two-speed gear box. You can use the first gear for actually running the screws in, and the second gear for drilling pilot holes."

After you've determined how much torque you need, the next step is to assess sticker prices and warranties. One reason power tools are difficult to choose is that they've changed a lot. Mr. Henry said the best drill available when he started 18 years ago was a measly 9.6 volts and was used primarily by professional contractors. As more powerful models became available, weekend warriors clamored for the kind of voltage previously geared toward the pros.

"When the 14.4 came out, then the homeowner needed the 12, and when the 18 came out, the homeowner needed the 14.4. It's like you're not doing that much more work," he said, laughing.

Mr. Henry said it's not enough to just have a lot of torque; the trend now is to have a set of tools that all work off the same battery, making it more economical. Ryobi Tools, for instance, offers a combo that includes an 18-volt reciprocating saw, a cordless drill, a trim saw, a cordless drill and a flashlight for $169.

One thing that both Mr. Carlsen and Mr. Henry agree hasn't changed is the importance of using the best quality tools, even if it means renting them.

"My dad told me the cheapest tool is the best one you can afford," Mr. Henry said. "If you can get the better drill, buy the better drill, because you'll be replacing the cheap drill three or four times."

Mr. Carlsen added that price is a good barometer for choosing a tool but that you still should pay attention to your own comfort. A steel hammer might be more expensive than a wooden one, but if the vibrations it generates hurt your arm, it's not the best choice.

Choosing between one that's wooden, steel or fiberglass is a lot like choosing between a Macintosh and a Microsoft computer. A little bit of research goes a long way toward figuring out the best deal..

"You've just got to ask the guys (at the store) and read around a bit," he said. "A lot of it is personal opinion; you can get three different kinds of hammers, but it's all about 'What feels good in my hand?'"

Reach Patrick Verel at (706) 823-3332 or patrick.verel@augustachronicle.com.