Home Improvement Gadgets

Before you start thinking of that next ‘do-it-yourself’ project, you may want to get some new tools first. We found some classic tools that have been upgraded with a bit of technology to help make your project come together a little easier.

Rubbermaid Tough Tools Tool Kit
You may not think that everyday tools like the hammer, the tape measure, and the tool kit, could be improved by high technology. But manufacturers are using new techniques to make even these commonplace items much better than ever. Case in point, the Rubbermaid Tough Tools Tool Kit. For $40 you get an 8-piece tool kit that has the familiar Rubbermaid logo as well as a nice cushy rubber grip for easy use. It comes with a hammer, a tape measure, a level, a needle nose -- everything you need for a full sized tool kit right in an easy to carry canvas bag. www.rubbermaidtoughtools.com

Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio
The next time there’s a blackout you’ll want to have this radio by Grundig, it’s under their Eton line, again for $40 and in addition to running off of batteries it also-- in a pinch --can be operated via hand power. It has a hand crank on the side just like the old World War II radios. This is a great radio to have in an emergency. www.etoncorp.com

Strait-Line Tools
Strait-Line has a new family of high tech measuring tools. Instead of using the standard tape measure they operate with a laser beam. You stand at one side of the room, press a button, and the laser beam bounces off the opposite wall and comes back to give you a digital readout of exactly how large your room is. The family of tools goes from $40 to $60, there’s a stud finder as well as an innovative bubble level that has a special adhesive so you can mount it on a wall, make sure it’s perfectly level and then peel it away without leaving any residue at all. www.strait-line.com

Eureka Toolbox Vac
Finally, Eureka has a great $70 gadget, it is a tool kit with a built in shop vac. Most shop vac’s look like R2D2 -- they take up a lot of space in the room. The Toolbox Vac from Eureka is great because it does dual duty. It’s a full sized tool kit and it has a built in shop vacuum for cleaning up after the mess is done. www.eureka.com