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Awesome thread. I sold off a lot of my tools to finance life after a divorce (and I didnt need tools in an apartment), but am in the process of buying a house and need to build my kit back up. Its been a decade since I went tool shopping, so I am a bit behind on what's new and cool. First and foremost, is the Milwaukee 7 1/4 inch circular saw still the top of the homeowner-grade heap? I never bothered buying a table saw becasue that plus a couple of clamps and a straight board were all I needed for household stuff, including building a couple of mdf cabinets and a new porch. Also, is the tried and true extension ladder still the best workhorse, or have telescoping and multi-section adjustable (Little Giant type) ladders improved to the point that my 6'4 260lb rear end can be comfortable/safe on one?
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May 4, 2015 15:12
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While we're on mower chat, my new house has 1.5 acres that I really don't feel like mowing with a push-behind. Does anyone have recommendations for a ride-on that that is reliable and mows grass well but that doesn't have a whole bunch of wannabe tractor or luxury crap on it? I'm looking for "will mow the grass and start every time I try to start it" far more than "has three cup holders, a heated seat, and can be fitted with a plow blade."
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May 14, 2015 18:34
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Compressor chat: Has anyone replaced the pressure switch on one of the Porter Cable 6 gallon pancake compressors before? Mine's not turning off and is popping the safety valve, and this seems to be the most likely culprit. The compressor unit seems like a pain in the rear end to service since it's basically a plastic monolith attached to the top of the tank, but it clearly can be done since parts are for sale online for it. I'm annoyed because it's only about 5 years old, and hasn't seen tons of use. Tool storage: Now that I've got a workbench set up in my new house, I need a tool chest. I used to have a beautiful craftsman one, but I don't want to spend that much cash right now. I was looking at this husky one, and it's surprisingly solid for $100 (on-line price is higher, weirdly): http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-26-in-6-Drawer-Tool-Chest-and-Rolling-Tool-Cabinet-Set-Black-C-296BF16/203420937. I could eventually see needing a middle set of drawers, but for now, I think that would do just fine. Are there any brands/types to avoid? I know that I want something with ball bearing sliders, since the ones without (like the low-end craftsman ones) are just horrid and feel like they want to drop all of my tools on my toes, but there's a ton of price variability in what is basically a metal chest of drawers. I don't need a closet-sized one for mechanics' tools, just for home stuff, and it's going to sit in one spot in my basement.
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Jul 27, 2015 18:43
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If you're waiting till black Friday anyway, you may just want to pick up whatever tools the have on sale that come with batteries. My DeWalt collection has extra batteries and chargers because I picked up a black friday drill kit with two (or maybe one, i forget) batteries and a charger for $99, and a black friday impact driver for somewhere around $100 too.
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Aug 5, 2015 01:39
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dyne posted:I try to use cordless whenever I can as cords suck. Seconding this. I've got a mix of both, and unless I need it for a heavy-duty job (like pulling out my corded sawzall to demo a porch, for example), my corded stuff generally stays on the shelf. I've got a very similar set to the one Onion Knight posted, and added a black friday drill mostly for the extra batteries and charger, and it's served me well for 10 years. The only corded tool I've used with any regularly since then is my circular saw, but even then, I love the cordless one for little jobs. So I guess it comes down to personal preference? Do you prefer dealing with extension cords and having more power, or do you prefer making sure batteries are charged and having more freedom of movement? As an aside, my dad, brothers, and I literally built a house with a combo of cordless and pneumatic tools, and I can't remember any of us standing around waiting for batteries to charge or wishing we had more power.
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Aug 18, 2015 15:12
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Mr. Mambold posted:He could do youtubes of different saws with meat and why they're a bad idea? "Now take this cordless DeWalt jigsaw, for example. You're in the field and have brought down a 12 point buck.... Your butcher uses a barely-modified bandsaw for a LOT of his work: http://www.webstaurantstore.com/18-1-2-x-70-1-2-floor-model-vertical-band-saw-with-98-blade-2-hp-220v/915B34.html
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Sep 17, 2015 22:10
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Anyone have an opinion on a roofing hammer? I need to re-do a shed roof this weekend, and while I've done a house roof before with a shovel, a crowbar, a chalk line, and a framing hammer, this one is a barn-style roof, so I'm going to be doing it all from a ladder and want the most efficient/helpful tool to do it. I'm looking at the Stanley Fat Max (http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-54-02...=roofing+hammer), which seems like a good combo of "not completely crap" and "not a $100 tool for professional roofers" but I'm wondering if any of you have favorites. I'm willing to spend up to $50, but since my lifetime average is about one roof per decade, I'd rather spend less than more.
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Sep 23, 2015 20:29
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Josh Lyman posted:I wanted to get a 25' tape measure and ended up getting a 26'/8m Stanley LeverLock because some inane part of me thinks I might need metric someday. Day later edit to avoid double posting: I'm looking for a new circular saw to replace my 80s vintage Milwaukee that has seen better days. Is the extra torque and control of a worm drive saw worth the extra weight and price increase? I've always used a sidewinder, but the layout and additional power of a worm drive seems pretty appealing. stealie72 fucked around with this message at 16:58 on Nov 25, 2015 |
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Nov 25, 2015 04:53
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Cpt.Wacky posted:Is compactness when storing or transportability important? If so then that style is good. Otherwise you should save some money and make your own out of wood, like the super sturdy woodgears design. Yeah, unless you really want them to fold and/or be portable, you can make about a dozen 2x4 ones for the price of a pair of those. And do stuff like run your circular saw right through them while cutting on them because fuckit. I vastly underestimated how useful that last feature was until I moved from the metal folding kind to home made wood ones.
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Dec 30, 2015 02:09
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I've got the 6 gallon version and the pressure shutoff switch died after a few years of not-terribly-frequent use. Didn't stop me from buying another refurb one on woot to replace it, though. I can definitely verify that its blow-out safety valve works just fine.
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Jan 29, 2016 20:00
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Motronic posted:I absolutely love the Hansen trays. I would hate them if I didn't have the drawer space (they take a lot). So I think the recommendation depends on your use case/what space you have.
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Feb 23, 2016 05:28
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Splizwarf posted:Clearly your cars are far too new.
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Feb 23, 2016 06:13
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Rotten Cookies posted:Plus, free tools is free tools.
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Mar 7, 2016 20:10
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Walked posted:This is true. But already ordered the impact driver. I personally use spade bits and an impact driver whenever I'm going through joists for plumbing/wiring not only because it's more compact, but because it won't get bogged down. This gets critical for old houses where the wood can be super hard. As a bonus, it seems like this setup makes much coarser sawdust, which falls straight down and doesn't get on everything.
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May 26, 2016 22:09
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Sagebrush posted:Running without the proper premix would certainly blow the engine up in an hour or less though. 
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Jun 7, 2016 15:29
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Crotch Fruit posted:just wondering if anyone knows if the color coding is for more just looks. Edit: Tying these two threads together, why doesn't someone make a striped, or purple, or polka dot, or neon green, or whatever container for two cycle mix gas? You'd think there would be a standard for that too. stealie72 fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Jun 7, 2016 |
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Jun 7, 2016 20:35
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wormil posted:Best budget saw IMO is Hitachi. Stretch your budget a little and get the 12".
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Jun 13, 2016 18:10
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sharkytm posted:Just FYI, those are JIS screws, which don't cam out
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Jul 19, 2016 23:24
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uwaeve posted:Plus there's no luxury like having the drill to do pilot holes and then grab the impact driver to buzz poo poo in.
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Jul 31, 2016 01:22
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Tim Thomas posted:Place compressor in one place, buy 100ft 3/8" air hose, problem solved.
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Aug 10, 2016 03:47
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Platystemon posted:This one weird trick neighbors HATE!
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Aug 10, 2016 04:33
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I've got a Remington from home depot that I am very happily surprised with. Its not a Stihl (I've used three different models of high-end Stihls, and they are bombproof), but it was cheap and runs/cuts fine.
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Aug 14, 2016 04:10
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Tool fight time: I've already got the usual power tool kit (multiple drills/drivers, sawzall, oscillating cutter, circular saws, angle grinder, compressor/nailers, sanders, etc), and I'm wondering which would be the more useful next tool: a router/table, or a jigsaw. I'm not doing any fancy woodwork, but I'm a step above weekend warrior homeowner maintenance. I do things like make custom wall shelves and things like that, but nothing that would be confused with fine woodworking. This came up because I'm looking to hang some old fancy windows on the wall, and it would be nice to have a router so that I could use keyhole hangers instead of alligators. But a few weeks ago I wished I had a jigsaw because I had to make some not-straight, not-a-circle cuts in wood. I'll eventually own both, but which is overall more useful, a jigsaw or a router?
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Sep 12, 2016 13:55
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B-Nasty posted:Another thing to consider might be price. Since a jigsaw isn't a frequent/heavy use tool, I think you're fine with a <$40 model. I personally use one of the "orange and blacks" (corded), and for my limited use, I've never had any issues. There's probably no need to drop $200+ on a yellow/blue/red cordless model for a tool that will probably be used for 5 minutes then put back on the shelf for a few weeks.
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Sep 13, 2016 21:52
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Battered Cankles posted:It will suck less if you use an extra length of 1 1/4 vac hose.
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Oct 5, 2016 16:45
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Mr. Mambold posted:Don't use an electric sander, idiot. Use what the pros use, what's already been suggested- a pole block sander. Oh, and if I had to do it again, I would have just hired someone to do a skim coat. gently caress sanding 90 year old horsehair plaster. Guess it could have been worse, it could have been 60 year old asbestos fiber plaster.
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Oct 7, 2016 00:07
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Just got this guy for $25 as an open box deal at Lowes because somebody managed to lose its nut. Luckily I'm 95% positive that the one off my cordless will fit, and if not, it's a $5 replacement part. https://www.boschtools.com/us/en/boschtools-ocs/angle-grinders-ag40-85p-46786-p/ So excited to actually have some power in my grinder. The cordless dewalt was nice for small jobs, but went through batteries like you wouldn't believe for anything major. Wire brushing the rust off 4-5 feet of a basketball hoop's post took 3 batteries.
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Oct 19, 2016 14:32
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Falco posted:Amazon has a Dewalt 20V Brushless Compact Drill and Impact combo kit for $189. I haven't been following these deals very closely, but for brushless it seems like a pretty good deal. Just stashing some 18V batteries for posterity is the cheaper option (and besides, who doesn't like owning 10 drills since it's cheaper to buy a drill with two batteries and a charger on black friday than two batteries regularly), but if there's a huge improvement in the newer tools, it's worth the marginal cost for new tools. Also, my OMT sits on the shelf a lot more than other tools. But when it gets used, it's undeniably the best tool for the job.
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Nov 10, 2016 20:09
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Whelp, that answers that. Battery stockpiling will continue.
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Nov 10, 2016 22:06
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If you're not looking for a universe of tools, the dewalts are pretty bombproof, and it seems like 90% of contractors use their drills/drivers. But as said above, they do not have the sheer number of specialty tools that Milwaukee/riobi has.
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Nov 23, 2016 16:15
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Iv'e got this one. It's fine for what it is, and for $100 is a pretty good deal just for the compressor alone. That airhose looks like hot garbage, though (thin and shiny are usually not a great combo in rubber-coated things), so you'll probably end up buying another one anyway. It not going to give you a ton of air, but for nailers, it's fine. 6 gal at 2.6 CFM isn't poo poo for anything needing constant air. I use it to blow off dust when I'm refinishing things and I can get about 10 seconds using the little blower attachment before the compressor kicks back on and stays on till I'm done. For what it's worth, I'm on my second one. The shut-off switch died on my first one after a few years and it was going to be such a pain in the rear end to replace that spending $130 on a new one was preferable. My next compressor will be a decent-sized one from California Air Tools, though.
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Dec 9, 2016 18:42
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If you insert them correctly (watch this: https://youtu.be/8vHP8K3BsrA) even the cheapest foamies offer enough protection, and you dont have to worry about masks, muffs, and goggles banging around your face.
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Dec 13, 2016 13:25
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OSU_Matthew posted:That's what I thought too when replacing my pc pancake compressor, which was just barely limping along, but I'm glad I did--huge quality of life improvement. I barely used the old one because it was excessively loud and the safety valve popped at a low psi draining the tank if left unattended, just a real piece of garbage.
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Dec 19, 2016 15:22
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Mr. Mambold posted:Sell a few more pints of blood and get a 5" Porter Cable. Mine's gone through 2 pads and a cord now. It's about 20 years old. This. Have had my porter cable for a decade plus and it's utterly fantastic. I routinely use it to refinish furniture the hard way and generally abuse the hell out of it, and it never complains. On the other end, got a $30 B&D jigsaw for xmas and took it for a test drive on a pinewood derby blank yesterday and it was. . . not terrible. At all. Thanks to whoever in here recommended just going with the cheap one for the couple times a year I'd use it.
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Dec 27, 2016 17:18
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Just be sure to close your bottle when you're done, because I have yet to see air hose/fittings that don't leak a little. Sometimes leading to the dog barking at 2AM because the compressor kicked on in the garage. Edit for breaking news: Not that Crafstman has been anything but crappy this millennium, but Sears is selling the brand to B&D: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/01/05/sears-kmart-stanley-black-decker-craftsman/96191312/ stealie72 fucked around with this message at 16:01 on Jan 5, 2017 |
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Jan 5, 2017 15:01
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Other way around. DeWalt has been owned by B&D since 1960.
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Jan 5, 2017 21:03
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Makes sense. Having different names for your economy line and your fancier line is like Marketing 101. For what its worth, I got my kids a toolbox full of fairly cheap Stanley stuff (B&D's merged owner) so I wouldn't be pissed when they inevitably lost things and they're honestly not terrible tools. Miles better than Champion or whatever dollar bin crap is out there for not much more cash. stealie72 fucked around with this message at 21:37 on Jan 5, 2017 |
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Jan 5, 2017 21:34
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Not sure about a single piece of 2x4, but I recently had to take down a 35-ish foot pine that was also leaning the wrong way (toward the neighbors and the electric wires). Hammered three pieces of rebar into the lawn at an angle, tied an old climbing rope about 25 feet up the trunk (as high as I could go on my ladder), attached the rope to a heavy-duty cam strap and then pulled on it as hard as I could and wove the cam strap through the three pieces of rebar like winding string through your fingers to spread the load a bit. Cammed it down till it was good and tight, since climbing rope has a fair amount of elasticity, and cut away. Tree fell just where I wanted it to and fell with maybe 1 inch of wood left to get through between the relief cut (which was pretty oversize to encourage it to fall that way) and the felling cut. Going to do the exact same thing next summer to the lovely tree that is still standing next to where that one was.
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Jan 18, 2017 21:57
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Motronic posted:Please please please please stop using chrome sockets on an impact. Time passes and I successfully use them for a while. My 12mm chrome socket while using my impact driver on a stubborn brake mount: "BANG" Me: OWWWW! Ordered an impact set.
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Feb 28, 2017 02:07
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 15:30 |
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I installed siding one summer in college (in the 90s before cheap compound miter saws were everywhere) and we had this commercially-made mutant cousin of a black and decker workmate that was designed to turn a circular saw into a ghetto table saw. I can't remember how it dealt with the trigger issue, but I wouldn't be surprised if zip ties were involved. It had a switch on the leg that you plugged the saw into, almost like a real table saw. Using it for anything other than quick cross cuts on siding would have sucked, but it wasn't awful, and let a bunch of college chucklefucks make decent cuts.
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Mar 21, 2017 15:49
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