i have 5 chins and ordering stuff online (while convenient) would have gotten pretty expensive! I had the chins before i had my boyfriend (haha! he always knows I'd pick them over him!) and i was able to make some ledges all by myself with just a drill I bought at Walmart LOL i had no idea what i was shopping for but the one I put in the cart worked well enough to make holes in the pine for the hanger bolts.
i cant give you models or brands, but i think the most important thing would be a drill. i think the one I got was about 30 or 40 dollars... not too bad. When my boyfriend came into the picture, he made things a little easier because he has a jigsaw. Most hardware stores will cut any wood for you, but we've found it's easier to bring it home and make precise measurements and cut it ourselves.
menards was the easiest and most consistent place for us to find PINE to use for ledges and hidey houses. but it's kind of a pain to get it cut there (their saw is out in the lumber yard outside and some menards will claim that they cant measure it for you when they cut). but if you bring your own measuring tape and marker, mark it where you want it cut and you can get it done. Lowes has their saw inside and has workers everywhere, making it very easy to get wood cut. They dont always have the largest selection of pine, so they dont always have exactly what we need. (same with home depot). so the moral of the story is, if you are patient LOL you can get it cut at Menards without having a saw at home!
i really really really think that making your own ledges (& houses) is a LOT easier than most people think it is. give it a try, you might surprise yourself.