Three out of four ain't bad

A while back, I wrote about my four must-have power tools. Santa Claus must have been reading because he came through on three of the four this year.

OK, so it was actually my parents (my dad) and in-laws who came through. And so what if I specifically asked for a circular saw and a Dremel? The cordless drill was a surprise, though. A pleasant one at that.

My dad must have been psychic when he picked the compact 12-volt Ryobi off the shelf. See, between the time I answered "A Dremel" to my mom's annual what-do-you-want-for-Christmas question, the battery on my 18-volt Craftsman all but went kaput. Lately, I've been able to get about 10 minutes out of it (including non-drilling time) before running out of juice. I've had it for 10-plus years, so I have no complaints. Well, one complaint: the exorbitant cost of a replacement battery. The Ryobi comes with TWO batteries, so I'm hoping to get 20 years out of it. Incidentally, it's the only one of my new "friends" I've had occasion to use - so far.

I can't wait to use the Ryobi circular saw and the Dremel, and I'm very happy to have them in my tool arsenal. To be honest, though, now that I have the Dremel, I'm a little intimidated by it. So many attachments, so many possibilities. I'll have to play around with it on some scrap lumber (of which I have LOADS) a bit before I use it. As for the palm sander (the fourth item on my list), I can easily make due with my Corner Cat for a while longer.

How did Santa do on your wish list?

My four must-have power tools

Because the article on essential tools for homeowners lacked any mention of them, I thought I'd come up with my own list of essential power tools. So here they are (in no particular order):

1. Cordless drill. I can't tell you how often I use my Craftsman cordless around my home. I used to have an electric screwdriver, but when the battery went DOA, I just started using my drill. My trusty drill has helped me frame walls, hang drywall, bolt bookshelves to the wall (I do have a climbing toddler, you know) and much, much more.

2. Circular saw. Even though, sadly, this is one power tool I don't have, I often run into situations where I could really use one. In fact, power saws have been a major hole in my tool collection. The only one I had (until last Christmas, when my dad gave me a jigsaw) was the (cheap) chop saw I bought to cut baseboard. When I finally have the time to jump back into home improvement, a circular saw will be joining the family. And based on past experience, it will be cordless because I'd definitely find a way to cut through a cord.

3. Palm sander. My Corner Cat is another of my loyal and reliable friends. If you do any painting or refinishing, this is a great tool to have. Not only that, but if you're no wiz with a power saw, you can use it to sand off those splintered ends that a less-than-perfect cut will leave.

4. Dremel rotary tool. The WD-40 of the power tool world, this tool does it all - and has since 1945. With dozens (if not hundreds) of bits and attachments available, you can use this handy palm-sized wonder for everything - carving, engraving, sanding, cutting, cleaning, polishing and so much more. I'm ashamed to say that this is also conspicuously absent from my arsenal. And I'm not quite sure how I've overlooked it for so many years.

That's my short, very sweet, list. In my experience, with these four power tools, you can fix, build or improve just about anything around the house. Sure, I'm missing two of them, but remember this old parental saying: Do as I say, not as I do.

I'd love to hear what you have to say.