Power Tools That Will Pay for Themselves PUT a new tool in the hands of some people, guys especially, and they become giddy at the prospect of all the jobs they can now do. For me, it means one more thing to feel stupid about, and one less excuse to blow off a project that surely could wait another week. Part of me would like to become that other guy, but such a conversion requires a bit of cash and a bigger measure of wisdom. The very basic set of tools I own is good for home repairs and maintenance, and some simple work, like installing shelves or a shower head. But are there other tools - better tools - that would inspire me to chase down ambitious projects instead of fleeing them? I put the question to three home improvement specialists: Gordon Bock, an author of "The Vintage House" (W. W. Norton) and former editor in chief of Old House Journal; Duo Dickinson, an architect and the author of "Staying Put" (Taunton), a manual on home remodeling; and Bob Vila, whose syndicated home improvement series jump-started a genre, and whose videos can now be seen at BobVila.com. What I needed, they told me, was a good set of aspirational tools. But a set like that leans heavily on the power-tools category, and could therefore make your bank account tilt. Though, as Mr. Bock put it, "good tools don't cost - they pay for themselves in improved work and long service." If a set of basic tools (hammer, handsaw, jigsaw, drill, screwdriver, level, tape measure, pliers, Vise-Grips, adjustable wrench and socket wrenches) costs around $150, the next step up costs roughly double that. Nevertheless, within hours of adding the 10 other items they recommended to my workshop, I had taken on a door-modification project that I'd ignored for a full decade, and I completed it in two hours. Had I paid a carpenter for the work, it might have cost as much as buying all of those tools. At Mr. Bock's recommendation, the first item on my list of new tools was an 18-volt cordless drill. "It's almost de rigueur," he said, and the tools have improved in recent years. "It used to be that 24 volts was the sweet spot for a tool with power and durability," Mr. Bock said. But now you can get the same thing in a smaller package. They're just incredible. You can buy one for around $60, but my panelists strongly advised me to get one with a spare battery, so I wouldn't have to worry about losing power midway through a project. Extra rechargeable batteries cost about $30. What's the best way to shop for a drill? Mr. Vila said that most builders and carpenters choose the major brands carried at home improvement specialty stores and local hardware retailers. Bosch, DeWalt, Hitachi, Makita, Skil and Craftsman, he said, are good ones to consider. A battery-powered circular saw is another good thing to have, Mr. Bock said, "especially if you're outside working on a fence or up on a roof, where you don't want to drag a cord." I built a picket fence in August a few years back, and wasted a good bit of arm strength and a few pints of sweat sawing off the tops of posts. Back then, I'd have killed for a cordless circular saw. Like cordless drills, battery-powered circular saws start at around $60 for models with 5 ½-inch blades, which will handle most basic tasks. The least expensive 6 ½-inch models sell for about $100. Mr. Bock's next recommendation was slightly more controversial. He suggested buying the cordless version of a tool I'd long coveted for its destructive potential: a reciprocating saw. Also known by one of its brand names, a Sawzall, it's good for demolition and for cutting through walls. Or body parts, Mr. Dickinson noted. "It's the greatest tool in America, and second only to chainsaws as the most dangerous," he said. "I know my limits," Mr. Dickinson continued. If I'm doing a project at home, it's usually before or after work, when I'm tired, or distracted, and I don't trust myself with anything dangerous. Aside from severing a finger, Mr. Dickinson said, reciprocating saw users might be tempted to blindly cut through a wall containing live wires. Duly spooked, I sought a tiebreaker. Mr. Vila came down on the side of Team Sawzall. Envisioning my next credit-card statement, I felt a good sweat coming on. But Mr. Vila said I could buy a combination cordless kit with a drill and circular and reciprocating saws for $200.