Farmstead Tool List
Found this on reddit and wanted to give credit where credit is due:
http://www.reddit.com/r/SelfSufficiency/comments/qhk54/farmstead_tool_list/
It was published by a guy who goes by the handle “Independent”
This is a list based on what I once used to use multiple times over the course of a few years to clear land, make a market garden, remodel a house and begin preparing a homestead. Not all is essential, but this gives a good overall representation. Note that nearly all protective gear and nearly all hand tools are considered vital. As much as possible tools are multifunctional. Those that aren’t have no ready substitute. Tool lists don’t normally include clothing and protective gear, but it’s so important that I want to start right out with it. It’s extremely difficult to concentrate on anything else if one is too hot, too cold or wet and cold. And it’s impossible to concentrate if injured, so safety gear is an absolute necessity.
Protective Gear and Clothing
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 I knocked myself out the first day I used a tee-post driver, and have come close in other situations due to extreme exhaustion, carelessness or the whim of the way trees and limbs fell.
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
Lightweight long sleeved shirts and pants for sun protection in summer
Human powered tools:
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)
Fro (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/ a pair of screw type links rated to capacity of chain
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 2)
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 – vital, get/make good quality
Buckets, lugs, totes – 5g buckets, plastic tubs etc., can’t have too many
Hand tools:
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
Powered tools
Chainsaws, 16” bar, med. wt. with gas, oil, bar oil and several spare chains
Chainsaw file sharpening system
Powered Hand Tools
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.
Fully Equipped Kitchen
Pressure Canner, 7qt. Capable minimum
Freezer
Dutch Ovens, cast iron, 5qt and 7qt.
Skillets, cast iron assorted sizes, 10”, 12” and 15”
Kitchen knives, assorted, high quality
Dehydrator
Extremely desirable and useful, but may or may not be technically necessary – YMMV
Utility Trailer, 4×8 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)
Below this line is some stuff that I thought would be more useful than it’s really proved to be. Buyer beware.
Scythes, Sickles, Billhooks, Sling Blades (all completely optional) (tier 2 as long as there’s cheap gas)
Brush Axe (tier 2)
Pick or Pickaxe, (tier 2, optional in most of SE US unless busting concrete)
Digging Bar, 5ft. (tier 2 unless large rocks are a problem or one needs to bust concrete)
Broad Fork (aka U-Bar Digger) (tier 2 at least until the garden is well established)
Machetes, short stout (Ontario), and two-handed w/extended handle, (i.e. Cold Steel) (tier 2)
Earthway Garden Seeder, two wheeled, with discs (tier 2)
Earthway High Wheeled cultivator with plow and stirrup hoe (tier 2)
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