1) Battery Grinder

My battery grinder comes with me to every single job I do, no matter what. It's what I consider part of my “Spartan Set Up”. I use my grinder for everything from cutting to polishing edges, to grinding down floors, and even cutting holes. It's a piece of equipment that helps me to be more efficient, and because it's battery powered it's nice to not have to worry about lugging electrical cords around.

2) Polishing Discs 

My polishing discs are also always with me, they take up such little space and they fit right onto my cordless grinder. I have diamond hand pads but for ease of use and efficiency, I choose the discs 9/10 times. The ones I have range from 60 grit up to 400 and are from Cali-Dad tools.

3) Diamond Hole Bits

Diamond hole bits that have threads to fit on my grinder have reduced the amount of time I need to cut holes in the field by a very large margin. Compared to my old ½” chuck drill bits my diamond core bits are beasts. I've cut through granite that was 1 ½” thick on multiple occasions and the cuts were clean as could be. 

4) Diamond Chamfer Cones

My diamond chamfer cones help to make awkward cuts and radii are a breeze to cut. Around shower valves, weird rounded bathtubs, and toilet flanges are now a breeze to get done. It’s even better that the following day you can come back and use the chamfer cones to dial in cuts around in-floor drains, toilets, and valves. The ones I have are from Cali-Dad and I have both the small one and the large one. I tend to use the larger of the 2 on more occasions, but the little one gets used regularly on more precise radiuses. 

5) Laser Level 

My laser level is another one of my tools that is part of my main kit. I pair this with a telescoping pole with a mount on it to allow me to adjust the laser at different heights to help line up grout joints in a room or shower. No matter the job I use it for layouts, marking out cuts, and keeping my runs as straight as possible. I highly recommend every homeowner, builder, or Diyer to purchase a laser level (preferably a green laser) 

6) Stacktech 

My Stacktech has been a game changer for keeping my tools organized on the job site, as well as in transportation. Stacktech is similar to a pack-out system from Milwaukee, but I chose to go with Toughbuilt. I can fit almost all items I need for a job in my Stacktech, and with new items coming out later this 2024-2025 the organization will only continue to get better. They sell add-ons, like a long-handled tool holder which I use to carry my levels, an electrical cord holder, a paper towel holder, and even a drink holder (which I don't have). 

7) Sigma Snap Cutter 

What I call my baby Sigma is a 14” Sigma snap cutter that comes with me to almost every job that has a tile smaller than 12x24”. I love it because it is so small and compact, but yet can cut any and all tile. It's so smooth when scoring and cracking and has been perfect since the day I bought it. I had one stolen from me and it was the first thing I replaced because of how often I use it.

8) OX pencil 

This has been a relatively new addition to my most used tool selection, but I quickly realized how amazing it is to have on me at all times. It's basically the same thing as a Pica pencil, but I was able to buy it at Lowes with additional leads. I have this permanently attached to the pouch I wear on tile-setting days. This pencil never leaves my side, which is why I use it for everything.

9) Thumper 

Although I seldom have to use this piece of equipment, It's still one of my favorites. It works by vibrating violently, which is transferred to the tile which helps collapse the thinset ridges underneath. I use it on installations with 18x18” tile and up, most recently using it on an installation with 24x48” tile. 

10) Grabos 

By far my favorite tool to mess around with, the Grabo is also seldom used on installations by me. But, attaching them to random flat surfaces and seeing if they can support my body weight (they always can) is a regular occurrence for me. I only use these on tiles that are at least 24x24”. This is because it gets awkward to handle tiles this size and move them around once they are set to a floor or wall.