Must-have tools for your off-grid homestead

04/25/2022 / By Zoey Sky

Stocking up on various tools like safety equipment, power tools and woodworking tools before SHTF ensures that you can maintain your homestead and make repairs to keep everything in good working order.

If you don’t have any of these tools at home, check out the list below and find out which ones will be useful so you can start learning how to use them before disaster strikes. (h/t to PreparednessAdvice.com)

Agricultural tools

These tools will be useful if you have a home garden or farm on your property.

Shovels

Different types of shovels have various primary functions. Invest in a high-quality shovel so it will last long.

Round or pointed digging shovel

A round or pointed shovel is perfect for digging in your garden, especially if the soil is compacted or hard.

Transfer shovel

Transfer shovels are sometimes called square shovels and they are designed to move loose material. You can also use them to level a rough area.

Felling axe

A feeling axe is used to take down trees and section long logs into firewood lengths. If you have a chainsaw, this axe may be unnecessary.

Mattock

The mattock is a digging axe. One end of the head has a short vertical blade, and the other end has a wide blade.

The sharpened cutting edges of a mattock are best for breaking up the roots of trees and bushes or starting trenches in hard or rocky soil.

Pickaxe

A pickaxe is a digging tool that breaks up undisturbed soil. One end of the axe head is pointed and breaks through rocky or clay soil while the other end is a narrow blade shape that can easily cut through the soft ground.

Mechanic’s tools

Invest in mechanic’s tools if you have a car or a generator on your homestead so you can make repairs as needed.

Adjustable wrenches

Adjustable wrenches will fit almost any size of nuts or bolts. These wrenches can also be used for plumbing repairs or adjustments.

Combination wrenches

These wrenches have a box wrench on one end and an open-end wrench on the other. Get a complete set of inch and metric sizes from 1/4 inch to one inch.

Pliers

Make sure your tool kit includes standard, long-handled and needle-nose pliers. Use these pliers for gripping damaged fasteners, wires, pipes or rods.

Screwdrivers

Stock up on nut drivers or screwdriver bits for different sizes of slot head, Phillips, Torx and square drive fasteners. Some of these fasteners have four to six sizes, so get the right ones for your tool kit.

Socket set

A 3/8-inch ratchet and a set of inch and metric sockets are essential. Any mechanical device will have several sizes of nuts and bolts.

If you have large equipment or machinery to work on, a 1/2-inch ratchet and socket sets may come in handy.

Plumbing tools

If your off-grid homestead has plumbing, you need the right tools for repairs.

Pipe cutter

Get a pipe cutter that can handle the type of plumbing your home has. A pipe cutter that can cut copper can also cut PVC.

Pipe wrench

If your home uses PVC plumbing, there are fitting and adapters that get tight and are difficult to tighten or loosen by hand. Get a 12-inch pipe wrench for general-purpose plumbing applications.

Teflon tape

You will need Teflon tape to bind threads and prevent leaks on PVC or copper plumbing.

Saws

You need a good handsaw for many prepping applications such as getting firewood or building furniture.

Bow saw

Bow saws are best for pruning and clearing vegetation. Use a small bow saw for trimming up trees or removing damaged limbs and a larger saw for cutting logs into firewood.

Chainsaw

A good chainsaw is essential if you have trees on your property or are planning to use firewood for warmth or cooking.

Woodworking tools

You will need woodworking tools if you plan to make furniture or fix things around the house.

Carpenter’s hammer

A carpenter’s hammer or claw hammer is the most common hammer style. The steel hammer head can pound in a nail while the claw heel pulls nails out.

Chisels

Invest in a basic set of chisels for adding or adjusting door lock pockets. Use chisels to scrape old paint or gunk off a sticky window or door frame, set hinges in new doors or create a mortise joint for a cabinet drawer.

Circular saw

If you are into woodworking, a circular saw will make many tasks much easier since you can cut faster and straighter with an electric circular saw.

Framing level

Use a framing level to ensure that whatever you’re building is level and square. You’ll also need a level when leveling ground for walks or patios.

Power drill

An electric or battery-operated drill is a good investment if you need to drill holes or drive long screws. Make sure you also have a complete set of drill bits, screwdrivers and nut drivers.

Tape measure

Measure materials accurately with a tape measure.

General purpose tools

These multipurpose tools can be used at home, in your garage or in your work shed.

Buckets

Use buckets to carry water, supplies, trash or tools from one place to another. If your bucket has a lid, you can store almost anything in it.

Food-grade buckets with lids are perfect for storing beans, flour or grain in your food stockpile. You can also store individually packaged items like bags of pasta, baking powder or powdered sugar in their original packaging inside plastic buckets.

Files

Get a set of files for sharpening cutting tools like axes and chisels. Find the appropriate files for the tools you use frequently and learn to sharpen them.

Generator

If you’re getting power tools, invest in a generator. This ensures that you can make repairs even after the power goes out.

If you’re going to use a generator with a limited capacity, choose a propane-fueled unit. Unlike gasoline, propane will not gum up over time. (Related: 15 Tools every prepper needs to make life on a homestead easier after SHTF.)

Ladders

You’ll need a small A-frame ladder if you’re working on interior items and lower exterior tasks. Use a convertible ladder for outdoor work.

Safety equipment

You need safety equipment when working with bladed tools or power tools like a circular saw. Wear safety glasses, protective gloves and hearing protection as needed.

Wheelbarrow

Like a bucket, a wheelbarrow can make it easier to haul tools and supplies from point A to point B.

Invest in quality tools like an axe, woodworking tools, a wheelbarrow and safety gear so you can maintain the tools and appliances on your homestead even after SHTF.

Watch the video below to learn more about five battery-powered hand tools that you may need before SHTF.

This video is from the Tucker Survival channel on Brighteon.com.