You may be tempted by the aisles of shiny objects in the home improvement store. But what tools do you really need? Which tools do professional contractors actually use, and which do they skip?

Automatic Hammer

Most pros find that a regular hammer is pretty easy and efficient to use. There's no need to spend money on an automatic hammer. An exception might be a person with limited mobility, who might find the tool useful.

Adjustable Wrench

You’d think an adjustable wrench would be pretty useful. According to pro contractors though, an adjustable wrench just doesn’t have the same level of grip as an appropriately sized traditional wrench.

Paint Sprayer

Paint guns are a lot of trouble. Preparing to use one takes as much or more time than it would take to just paint a room with a roller and brush. They constantly get clogged up and they often spray the paint unevenly. Cleanup is a pain, too.

Magnetic Stud Finder

If you’re still using an old magnetic stud finder, toss it. This device works by highlighting instances of metal behind the wall. But in addition to finding screws or nails driven into a stud, they also trigger on wiring or metal pipes. Most pros use modern finders that can detect subtle changes in the electrical or physical properties of the wall.

Paint Can Opener

With so many screwdrivers around at pretty much any jobsite, why would a contractor bother with a separate paint can opener? Flathead screwdrivers do the job just fine.

Paint Edger

Paint edgers typically create a bigger mess than they’re worth. They’re supposed to allow you to paint a clean, crisp edge, but it rarely works out that way. They smudge and smear the paint much of the time. While pros can often paint a clean edge by hand, DIYers ususally have better luck using painter’s tape.