Tools Ask about a kit

What each trade carries, belt to tailgate.

Kit checklists for framers, trim carpenters, drywall hands, electricians, plumbers and remodelers. Open a crate, check off what you run, and see what the belt weighs before you strap it on.

Ask about a crew kit

Send the trade, the crew size and the batteries you already run. If we can help, we reply by email.

Pick a crate

The kit list

A tool lives in one of three places. The belt carries what you reach for every minute. The bag comes off the truck with you. The tailgate holds the rest until the job calls for it.

Weights are rounded figures for a typical tool in each class, with a compact battery on cordless tools. Brand names are common examples, not a ranking. Weigh your own.

Framing

Framers work off the belt and the truck. Two bags and a hammer loop on the hips, the saws, guns and levels on the tailgate.

Belt

On you, every minute

Bag

Off the truck with you

Tailgate

Stays in the truck until the job calls for it

Belt 13.4 lbBag 2.8 lb

Hang the belt right

Where a tool rides matters as much as what it weighs. Drawn from behind for a right-handed carpenter; flip it if you work left-handed.

A loaded tool belt, seen from behind A worker's back with the belt on the hip bones, a bag on each hip, a hammer hanging in a loop on the strong-hand side, the middle of the back left clear, and suspenders crossing over the shoulders. Numbers 1 to 5 match the list. 1 2 3 4 5 OFF HAND STRONG HAND
Seen from behind. The numbers match the list.
  1. On the hip bones. Snug enough that full bags don't drag it down. A belt riding low swings with every step and pulls on your back.
  2. Fasteners on the off hand. One hand feeds nails or screws while the other drives. Tape, pencils and square ride on that side too.
  3. Strike and cut on the strong hand. Hammer loop, knife and cat's paw where the working hand finds them without looking.
  4. Keep the middle of your back clear. Nothing hard over the spine, so you can bend, kneel and sit on a plate.
  5. Suspenders once the bags are loaded. They move part of the weight from your hips to your shoulders.

Going up a ladder? Lighten the bags first. A heavy belt pulls you off balance when you reach.

Ask about a crew kit

Setting up a new hire, moving a crew onto one battery platform, or replacing a kit that walked off a job? Tell us the trade, the crew and what you already own.

Requests come to us, the people who publish this site. If we can help, we reply by email. We don't sell tools, so a request is not an order or a quote. We don't sell or hand your details to dealers or brands.

Kit lists here are general guidance. Follow the tool maker's instructions and your jobsite's safety rules.

Crew kit request

Make a tool one of these trades would carry?

Send it for review. The brands page covers how to send one, how we write it up, and the FTC line every review unit carries.

For brands

Words on the list

Battery platform
A maker's battery system. Tools on the same platform share batteries and chargers, so a crew that picks one carries fewer of both.
Cat's paw
A short bar with a sharp, curved claw. Drive the claw under a nail head and lever the nail out.
Hawk
A flat square plate on a handle that holds mud or plaster while you work it.
Milled face
A hammer face cut in a waffle pattern so it grips the nail head. It marks the wood, so it's for framing, not trim.
Non-contact voltage tester
A pen-sized tester that beeps or lights near a live conductor. A quick check before you touch, not a replacement for a meter.
PEX crimp, clamp and expansion
Three ways to join PEX: a copper crimp ring, a stainless cinch clamp, or expanding the pipe over the fitting. Each needs its own tool.
Pliers wrench
Pliers with smooth parallel jaws that adjust like a wrench. They grip nuts and finished fittings without chewing them.
Press fitting
A copper or PEX fitting sealed with a battery press tool and jaws instead of a torch.
Sinker
A coated framing nail with a thin shank and a countersunk head. The 16d sinker is a common wall nail.
True-RMS
A meter that reads AC voltage and current correctly when the waveform isn't a clean sine wave, as on circuits with electronic loads.
Worm drive
A circular saw with the motor behind the blade, driving it through a worm gear. Longer and heavier than a sidewinder.

Questions

Who is Juan?

Juan's Tools is a brand name, not a person. We write and publish the site.

Do you get paid when I buy something?

No. Product names on this site are plain text, none of our links carry an affiliate tag, and we don't sell tools. A tool maker may send us a unit to look at. When one does, the write-up says so at the top.

Steel or titanium framing hammer?

Titanium weighs less and passes less shock back up the handle, and it costs several times as much. Steel is cheaper, easy to replace and does the job for most framers. If your elbow aches by Friday, borrow a titanium hammer for a week before you buy one.

Leather or nylon bags?

Leather holds its shape, so the pockets stay open, and it wears in over time. It's heavier and doesn't like staying wet. Nylon is lighter, dries faster and often comes in pouches you can rearrange.

When do suspenders make sense?

When a loaded belt starts sliding down, or your lower back complains by lunch. Suspenders carry part of the weight on your shoulders. They matter most with full framing bags.

Should a crew run one battery platform?

Usually. Shared batteries and chargers mean fewer dead tools and less to haul. Pick the platform that covers the tools your trade uses most, and check that the specialty tools you need come in it.

Can a tool brand send you something to review?

Yes. The brands page covers how to ask about sending one, how we write it up, and the FTC line every review unit carries.