Whether you're maintaining your house, working on your wheels, or doing a quick repair on the lawnmower, you're going to want the right tools. Sometimes, just having the right tools for maintenance can save you a fortune in supplies - for instance, getting a chainsaw sharpening jig, you'll be safer (blunt chainsaw blades can skip) and you won't need to buy a new blade nearly so often.

Having the right spare parts helps, too. It's really frustrating to have to take a trip to the store because you have dozens of nuts and bolts but not the right size for the job you need to do!

A good way to be prepared is to buy your fixings, O-rings and similar supplies in an assortment box. Plenty of e-bay vendors, for example, sell these, and the compartmentalized boxes make neat storage, too. You can get leather working supplies (rivets, press studs) and sewing supplies the same way, and it's really cost-effective.

Some small tools make a big difference. For instance, having a proper paint tin opener will save your spoons and chisels from getting ruined, and keeps the edge of the lid in better condition too. An extractor for broken screws can save you hours of frustration. So can a proper oil change kit with everything you need in the same package.

Once upon a time, screws came in one kind - slotted. Now, there are numerous different types of screw head and you'll need a different screwdriver for each. Or you can get a set of screwdriver heads which all fit the same screwdriver - much easier, as long as you don't lose any of them. With spanners, getting a set with all the sizes you'll need is easier than buying a single tool.

Having a range of types of tape can also be important. Plumber's tape, electrical tape in the right colors, duct tape, aluminum tape, or painters' tape, are all different and have their particular uses. Double-sided scotch tape can be particularly useful, for instance to secure sandpaper to a sanding block or stick. Keep all your tape together on a rope loop or in a toolbox so you always have the right tape for the job.

This is a lot of tools. If you're hiking or off on a bike ride, you might just take the all-in-one - either a Swiss army knife or a Leatherman. Pick the right one, and you'll have all the basic tools you're likely to need for emergency use.

And there is one other tool that is really, really useful in the garage or workshop. You can find the right nut, the right bolt, the right washer - and the nut rolls on the floor, and you spend ages looking for it. That's when you need the little tool no one ever tells you about - a magnet.

As long as the piece you've lost is a ferrous metal (and that includes most, though not quite all, stainless steel), the magnet will find it for you, even in a pile of sawdust.

You can order all these tool-sets and tools from Amazon - but take a look on Vipon first to see what's on discount offer today.

Disclaimer: This blog post comes to you from someone who has just spent half an hour looking for the right spanner to do a job, and three seconds actually doing the job. I bought mine with a great deal on Vipon