Our list is based on what we’ve actually needed multiple times over the first year to clear land, make a market garden and begin preparing a homestead.

Anything with (tier 2) after it could be considered nice to have, but not essential. Everything else is necessary enough that we’d not want to do without it. Anything with a * in front of it would be considered extremely important just to get started.

Tool lists don’t normally include clothing and protective gear, but it’s so important that we want to start right out with it. It’s extremely difficult to concentrate if one is too hot or too cold. And it’s impossible to concentrate if injured. As much as possible tools are multifunctional. Those that aren’t have no ready substitute.

• *Work gloves for all seasons and conditions
• *Safety Glasses, tinted for use as sunglasses as well as clear or amber – WEAR THEM!
• Hard hat for any activity involving lifting weights over one’s head or cutting trees – this may seem overly cautious, but M. knocked himself out the first day he used a tee-post driver, and has come close in other situations due to extreme exhaustion, carelessness or the whim of the way trees and limbs fall
• *Dust Masks and/or HEPA-filter masks (if working around mold, excessive dust, sawdust, sheetrock dust, toxic fumes etc.)
• *Sturdy Work Boots
• Waterproof Muck Boots, neoprene preferred over PVC
• *Insulated Coveralls and/or insulated bibs
• *Hats for all seasons for sun protection, rain protection and warmth
• Raingear suitable for working in any condition, (i.e., vented and breathable)
• Insulated Farm Chore Coat, abrasion resistant
• Canvas duck cloth or denim pants and jackets for abrasion resistance for cooler weather, and lightweight long sleeved shirts and pants for sun protection in summer
   

• Axes
  -- *Felling Axe, 3.5-4lb, full sized handle
  -- Splitting Maul, 12lb wedge shaped
  -- Kindling Axe or Hatchet, 1.5-1.75 lb. ¾ or ½ sized handle (tier 2)
  -- *Axe sharpening hone
  -- *Mill Bastard sharpening file
  -- Landscape Axe, axe on one side, light cutter mattock on other, (tier 2)
• Sledge Hammer - 8lb.
• Splitting Wedges (tier 2 if using splitting maul)
• Froe (safer alternative to hatchet for splitting kindling)
• Crowbar, large 3ft.
• Timber jack, (a.k.a. Cant Hook Peavey w/stand), Peavey Mfr.
• Chains
   -- 15-20’ log chain with hooks
   -- 10’ high tensile 5/16” chain w/ pair of screw-type links rated to chain capacity
• *Tee-post driver, two handled
• *Post hole digger, clam shell type, fiberglass or steel handled
• *Bypass lopers, 3x geared preferred
• Saws
   -- Bow Saws, 12” & 21” (small one doubles as hacksaw)
   -- Pruning Saws (tier 2)
   -- *Pole Saws, extendable w/ pruner
• Shovels
   -- *Digging, round point, steel or fiberglass handle
   -- Materials Transfer, square point (tier 2)
   -- Garden Spade, rectangular, English style (tier 2)
   -- Trowels, narrow transplanting and wider scoop
   -- Mini-shovel (a.k.a. survival shovel w/fixed blade & 2ft handle)(tier
• Garden Forks
   -- Garden Fork, steel handled
   -- Manure Fork (tier 2)
   -- Pitch Fork (tier 2)
• Mattocks
   -- *5lb. Cutter mattock
   -- one-hand lightweight, short-shafted landscape mattock and cultivator (tier 2)
• Hoes
   -- *Grub Hoe, 4.5” and/or 6”, Bellosotto, heavy duty
   -- *Weeding Hoe, 5-6” lightweight, long handled, sharpened
   -- Common Garden Hoe 6”(tier 2 if using others, tier 1 if it’s the only hoe available)
   -- Rogue Hoe, 6-7” fiberglass handled (tier 2 if have grub hoe, works in lieu of grub hoe and common hoe)
   -- Triangular or Warren Hoe (tier 2 if have weeding hoe)
   -- Scuffle Hoe (tier 2 if have weeding hoe)
• Rakes
   -- *Garden Rake, steel tined bow rake
   -- Landscape Rake, 2-3ft. aluminum head (tier 2)
• Ladders/Stepstool
   -- *6ft. stepladder, fiberglass, heavy duty preferred
   -- 20-24ft. extension ladder, fiberglass, medium duty preferred
   -- 8ft. stepladder, fiberglass medium duty preferred (tier 2)
• Levers and Pullers
   -- Ratcheting cable puller (a.k.a. “Come-A-Long), 1 ton
   -- Hi-Lift Jack
   -- Bottle Jack (tier 2)
   -- Jack Stands – could be blocks of wood
• Tie Downs
   -- Ratcheting, heavy duty
   -- Bungee cords, assorted, 12”, 24”, 36”, 48”
   -- Rope, nylon braided, 25’
• *Wheel Barrows, Garden Carts
• *Buckets, lugs, totes – 5g buckets, plastic tubs etc., can’t have too many
   

• Hammer
   -- *Claw hammer, 16oz.
   -- Framing hammer, 22oz. Rip claw
   -- Drilling hammer, (a.k.a. Hand Drill 1-2lb.)
   -- Half hatchet, half hatchet, half hammer Dangerous, but useful (tier 2)
• *Flat Pry bar, cat’s paw nail puller
• *Utility Knife w/200 replacement blades
• Swiss Army Knife
• Screwdrivers
   -- *All-in-one, universal, changeable bit tips
   -- Nut drivers, long hollow shaft
   -- Precision, rotating handle
   -- Bull driver, slotted, large
• Pliers
   -- *Needle nosed pliers
   -- *Channel locks
   -- *Diagonal pliers (wire cutters)
   -- *Wire strippers
   -- Crimping pliers (a.k.a. “Stakon tool”)
   -- Fence Pliers
   -- End nippers (a.k.a. nail pullers/cutters)
   -- *Lineman’s pliers (a.k.a. “Kleins”)
• *Measuring tapes, 25’x1” and 100yd. Nylon reel tape
• Levels - torpedo, *2ft and 4ft.
• Brace & Bits – (old fashioned human powered drill with auger bits)
• Wrenches
   -- *Adjustable
   -- *Open end and box end
   -- Ratcheting
   -- *Pipe wrenches, 12”, 18”
   -- *Socket Set w/ratchet handles
   -- *Allen (hex) and Torx wrenches
• Files and Rasps
   -- *Mill Bastard File
   -- Combination flat/half-round file/rasp
• *Combination sharpening stone, 12”
• Chisels
   -- Wood Chisels, ¼”, ½”, ¾”, 1”
   -- Cold Chisels
   -- Masonry Chisels
• Punches
   -- *Drift punch set
   -- Center punch set (tier 2)
• Scissors and Snips
   -- *All purpose garden and game shears
   -- Tin snips, Aviation style
• Saws
   -- *Carpenter’s
   -- *Hacksaw
• *Multi-meter – capable of accurately and safely reading volts, ohms, amps, both AC/DC
• Grease gun w/lube cartridges
   

• *Chainsaws, 16” bar, med. wt. with gas, oil, bar oil and several spare chains
• *Chainsaw file sharpening system
• *Utility Trailer, 4x8 w/tilt bed preferred (tier 1 if no pickup, tier 2 if pickup truck)
• Tractor, compact diesel 4WD with front end loader, 3pt hitch and implements
   -- Rotary mower attachment (a.k.a. Bush-Hog or Belly Mower)
   -- Bucket for front-end loader
   -- Fork lifts for front-end loader
   -- Auger(s), 3 pt. Hitch, 6” and 8” bits
   -- Scrape Blade or Box Blade
• Tillers
   -- *Rear tined, shaft driven, forward rotation, (not counter rotating!)
   -- PTO driven, tractor pulled (tier 2, but darned nice)
   -- Mini-cultivator (tier 2)
• Weed Trimmers (tier 2)
• Lawn mowers (tier 2)
• Generator (tier 2 if power is available on site, tier 1 until it is available!)
• Air Compressor w/ tools: nailer, impact wrench, ratchet, *tire inflator, etc (tier 2)
   

• *Circular saw, 7.25”
• *Reciprocating saw
• Jig saw
• Mitre saw
• *Electric Drills
   -- *3/8” heavy duty w/full drill bit assortment
   -- ½” industrial drill with hole saw set and auger bits (tier 2)
• *Extension cords, heavy duty, all weather, 50ft and 100ft.