The household subheading (820551) covers tools principally designed for domestic or home-maintenance use, such as small hammers, household screwdrivers, and similar items marketed for consumer use. The general subheading (820559) covers professional or industrial handtools not elsewhere specified. The distinction turns on the tool's principal design and marketing context; a tool sold in consumer retail packaging for home use typically falls under 820551.

A self-contained blow torch or similar torch — where the fuel supply is integral to the handheld unit — is classified under 820560. A torch that connects to a separate external gas cylinder may instead be classified as a gas appliance or burner in another chapter depending on its design. The key criterion is whether the torch is self-contained as a handheld tool.