Top Tools for the Half-Acre Homestead

In conjunction with a talk Idid at the Bay Area Makers Faire in San Mateo, Calif, and at The Mother Earth News Faire in Puyallup, Washington - titled "The Half-Acre Homestead in the 21st Century" - I picked some time-tested tools that we use in our daily lives. -Lloyd Kahn

Listen to Lloyd's Half-Acre Homestead podcast.

See Lloyd's two articles in The Mother Earth News related to homesteading:

• Coping with Critters
  Protect your home and garden from termites, skunks, gophers, hawks, mice and more
• The Truth About Septic Systems
  Vested interests are making on-site wastewater disposal more costly than it needs to be.

• AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener
  This inexpensive little tool lets you quickly and effectively sharpen knives.
• Ant Bait
• Ant Control (serious infestations)
• Butcher Saw
• Cheese Grater
• Chicken Waterer
• Chef's Choice Cordless Tea Kettle
  For coffee, tea, any hot water needs.
• Crab Pot
• Crab Snare
• Fermenting Crock
• Flour Mill
• Glue Activator
• Gorilla Glue
• Gorilla Super Glue
• Gorilla Tape
• Green Bug Spray
• Hearing Protection
• Honda Generator
• Husqvarna Helmet
• KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Mixer
  The stand mixer design has been around for about 80 years, and the machine is reliable and unbeatable for kneading dough.
• Kiwi Brand Knives
• Makita Variable-Speed Impact Driver with a lithium-ion battery
  This driver has been a game changer for me. It uses both rotation and concussive blows to drive screws, and it’s two to three times as powerful as the familiar driller-driver. The trigger controls the speed.
• Marcato Marga Mulino Roller Grain Mill
  This small, hand-powered Italian roller turns oat groats into rolled oats, and can be set for finer grinds as well.
• Meat Thermometer
• Nail Puller
• Norton Oilstone
• Poultry Shears
• Pry Bar
• Rat Trap
• Refillable Stove/Fire/BBQ Lighters
• Rheem 6-Gallon Point-of-Use Water Heater
  Although I don’t like using electricity for hot water, I installed a 6-gallon Rheem electric hot water heater under the kitchen sink. It uses very little electricity and provides hot water right at the source.
• Roselli Hatchet
• Seventh Generation Soap
• Shaker with Handle
• Silicone Spatula
• Skinning Knife
• Small Nail Puller
• Starbond Glue
• Sticky Ass Glue
• Swiss Army Knife
• Therapy Bands
• Trash Can
• Water Distiller
• Weber Grill
• Wheelbarrow
• Wondermill Grain Mill
  This mill grinds grains quickly and efficiently. We use it to grind wheat and rye for our sourdough bread, make our own cream of rice, and grind oat groats into flour for pancakes and waffles. We’ve had it for about 5 years, using it 3-4 times a week.
• Wyoming Knife
• Yard Cart