It's been a while, but I thought I might update with my list... or partial.
The Makita 10.8/12 V tools are great for tight spaces and on a budget. I have the impact driver, drill, circ saw, recip saw, and vac. The recip saw and impact driver are my favorites. Just be sure to order the Makita replacement blade packs for the recip saw, they aren't on the shelf (around here anyway) but those 80mm blades are really great for getting into tight spaces for framing and so on.
And for
really tight spaces, I love the pro Bosch Multitool. er.. GOP300 I think it's called. The blade quick-change is worth the extra money, I can't imagine using a hex key to change blades with this. Don't buy Bosch replacement blades though, shop around on ebay and try a few out.
I cut with a Festool TS55 saw and guide rail. I'm sure there's cheaper systems that's just as good, but I don't have access to them here. Get the DeWalt clamps for the rail.
The most awesome cordless drill in the world is the Protool PDC18-4. Or the DRC18-4 (I would have gotten that except the PDC was on special). In between this and the cheap Makita kit I can usually load tools up with bits/drivers before I climb up onto/into the roof to get started with repair work.
As far as hand tools go, my carpenter friend gives me tips on hammer technique but didn't tell me which hammer to buy! It makes a difference, I couldn't believe it. A Hart hammer makes me able to actually hit 75mm nails through framing. A Stanley Fatmax is great for bashing on things in general but not for actual nails. Well, you know, YMMV etc....
And, if you're working on/repairing framing, the
Kreg Jig HD (and the matching screws) is worth its weight in gold.
