Tool Drool

[Koogie]

I will say that I have one friend who is an HVAC guy and another who is an industrial plumber. They both use Makita for most of their tools (and a smattering of Bosch who seem to make a lot of specialty items).

Our last contractor used Makita too.

Makita are always out of my (admittedly low) price range.

 

[38Chevy454]

The newer 20v lithium battery tools are are very nice to use. I have some older 18v NiCad that the battery is larger, weighs more and has less capacity than the 20v lithium. I agree the advances in the cordless battery powered tools are making corded nearly obsolete.


If you want more tool discussion, see the www.garagejournal.com forum. More than just tools, but mostly garage related.

 

[homestead]

Keep your cell phone in your pocket when up there.

Hey Siri call 911!

 

[dvalley]

If it wasn't for my tools collection I'd probably be FIRED by now...automotive, machining, welding, fabrication, woodworking...you name it lol

 

[ransil]

I have always used air tools, got a garage full. Last year picked up a 1200ft lb dewalt 20 volt impact, for general stuff it was too big and heave so I picked up a smaller 20 volt dewalt 3/8" 150 or so ft lb impact what it does not remove the big one handles it.

 

[imoldernu]

I can't believe this myself...
I don't even look in the ads any more.
I have just about every tool that I could possibly use... and as an example, just in the ones I have in my garage 82 screwdrivers... plus another $1.000+
Whe we sold our florida place, I left about $1,000+ in miscellaneous tools. At woodhaven, I have another $1,000 to $1500 tools. Each car has a complete tool chest, and there's a set of the simple tools in our kitchen drawers.

Haven't used anything except pliers, wire cutters, hammers, screwdrivers and twice, an electric drill in the past year. (A sad symptom of getting old).

Have ruled out repairing the transmission in my 86 Cadillac. It would have been fun. Besides, all of my drive on jacks are in Woodhaven now, and I won't be back there until mid April.

 

[dvalley]

I can't believe this myself...
I don't even look in the ads any more.
I have just about every tool that I could possibly use... and as an example, just in the ones I have in my garage 82 screwdrivers... plus another $1.000+
Whe we sold our florida place, I left about $1,000+ in miscellaneous tools. At woodhaven, I have another $1,000 to $1500 tools. Each car has a complete tool chest, and there's a set of the simple tools in our kitchen drawers.

Haven't used anything except pliers, wire cutters, hammers, screwdrivers and twice, an electric drill in the past year. (A sad symptom of getting old).

Have ruled out repairing the transmission in my 86 Cadillac. It would have been fun. Besides, all of my drive on jacks are in Woodhaven now, and I won't be back there until mid April.

You're an inspiration and like an uncle most of us never had. I'm basically mid 40s now and in the last 2-3 yrs I've noticed that while I can still lift weights in the gym but in real life if I use the wrong muscles to do the lifting or use muscles that don't get the regular workout I ache for days. One of the things I'm doing to combat that in my garage is to have machines to lift heavy items for me and most things on wheels as much as possible.

If you're ever in SoCal you're welcome to put your Cadillac on the floor lift in my garage, I can do the wrenching and you can supervise and share stories and offer words of wisdom

 

[Walt34]

I'm impressed with these Milwaukee tools. A box of impact sockets arrived today and I was able to play with the impact wrench a bit. I haven't used an impact wrench since I worked in a gas station in high school, and that thing took less than a second to get a lug nut off DW's car. And it's only 3/8" drive! (I only did the one, then used a torque wrench to tighten it.) So I'll keep one of those with appropriate sockets in the truck and the car.

And the 1/2" inch drill really will drill a 1/2" hole in a 2x4 with no strain.

 

[misanman]

Gyroscopic Screwdriver

This is my new favorite tool. It's a gyroscopic screwdriver. You control the screwdriver by rotating your wrist slightly. Rotate slightly right to drive a screw or slightly left to remove one. The amount of wrist movement controls the speed/force applied.

We are replace all our gold fixtures and door hardware so this baby has been a godsend over the last month or two. Almost makes these projects fun!

 

[NgineER]

Love my Milwaukee pro-pex expander tool for plumbing. Never a leaky fitting and you can expand the pex in the open and then put the expanded tube onto the fitting in a tight hard to reach location. Plumbing has never been easier.

 

[Walt34]

Love my Milwaukee pro-pex expander tool for plumbing.

I saw that tool in the listing and wondered what it was. I'd never heard of pro-pex before and had to look it up. It does seem easy to use.

 

[deserat]

Love this tool porn thread!!! My tools are crochet hooks, knitting needles, yarn, books about crocheting and knitting and various oddments of accessories....very bad addiction on my part. I've been good about my yarn diet, though...

As for tools, I did buy myself a fairly decent portable drill/screwdriver - Porter/Cable - used to have a very nice Makita, but the battery died...and it was about 30+ years old...

 

[Texas Proud]

I've had a set of 18v DeWalt tools for 15 years. They just keep on running so can't see upgrading to newer stuff. The nicad batteries are old technology now though. I'm on my second or third set and they are starting to die again. I recently bought an adapter that allows me to use the newer Li-ion 20 volt batteries. And if the old tools die I'll upgrade to some new 20v ones and I'll have some extra batteries!

Those Milwaukee impact wrenches are pretty nice, 1000 ft/lbs of torque! My son is a mechanic and I think that's all he uses at work. I don't think he even uses pneumatic tools much now.

This is some of what I was going to say... the old battery technology is bad... and the batteries still cost a bunch...


I am down to two small batteries and one larger one... all the others have died over the years including their replacements..


Will need to look for that adapter and how much the 20v batteries cost... one of the bad things about the nicad is they will be dead when you need to use them... so you have to plan ahead and charge them up..

 

[Bamaman]

I'm one of those guys that doesn't pay to have anything done that I cannot do myself. And with YouTube, there's almost nothing that I cannot do following a 4 minute video.

And to fix and repair "things", tools are required. I was very fortunate to inherit a complete cabinet shop from my grandfather, a master woodworker. When I go into a big tool store, I have almost every item on their shelves and their pegboards.

My problem is that Amazon makes it so easy to buy tools and "stuff". I am building a 24 x 36 foot barn to store my boats in, and a thief cleaned out my truck's back seat of $1000 in almost new tools that I really need.

In looking online, it's obvious that lithium powered tools are taking over the retail market. I've had Bosch, Craftsman, Porter Cable, Black & Decker and Ryobi battery powered tools in the past. My problem is keeping up with the chargers and finding the batteries for a specific tool. Batteries have a way of disappearing. Since I'm not a professional builder/repairman, I'm now switching over to Ryobi tools for the low price and decent performance. I replaced my new Stihl string trimmer this week with a 40 volt Ryobi trimmer, and the charge lasts longer than me--and it's just as strong as gas.

You know you have too many tools when you go into Harbor Freight and seldom spend more than $10 or $15. As I am now of real retirement age, I'm winding down my desire to take on future projects. It's all in defense of my health. I fell off a ladder 11 years ago and broke both legs, so I'm very hesitant to clean anymore gutters.

But the tools are getting better and better all the time.

 

[easysurfer]

Love this tool porn thread!!! My tools are crochet hooks, knitting needles, yarn, books about crocheting and knitting and various oddments of accessories....very bad addiction on my part. I've been good about my yarn diet, though...

As for tools, I did buy myself a fairly decent portable drill/screwdriver - Porter/Cable - used to have a very nice Makita, but the battery died...and it was about 30+ years old...

+1. Gotta have the right tool for the job. No matter what type tool .

 

[JoeWras]

A few days ago, idly perusing the Home Depot web site (yes, a bad idea I know) I stumbled across the Milwaukee tool line of battery powered tools, such as drills, impact wrenches, cordless saws, etc.

I got the drill/driver combo of the Fuel line a little over a year ago. Great purchase. Unbelievable that a portable drill in hammer mode can be so useful for your typical small hole in masonry.

This is also the first use of a driver-only tool. Super useful once you get used to the way it works. Building or repairing a deck? You need it.

I bought a 1/2 inch Harbor Freight impact gun. Just got tired of breaking my back trying to remove tires for brake work. Not planning on getting a ton of use out of it but so far so good.

I "try out" tools from Harbor Freight to see if I need to upgrade. I consider them throw away. Amazingly, they've held up better than expected. I bought my first (and still only) oscillating tool from there (Chicago Electric, of course) about 9 years ago. It was like $30 when everything else was $100 up. I use it all the time and it is still going. Thank you, China.

 

[WestUniversity]

Because of a string of circumstances I have the 20 volt Porter Cable set. I love it. The basic set came with a circular saw, a sawsall, a screwdriver and a work light (also two batteries, a charger and a carrying case/bag).

I’m looking at getting the brad nailer for a project I’m about to start. So far I am thrilled with the tools. They make it so much easier to do things in the garage or yard or around the house...

 

[frank]

I don't have battery powered impact for taking tires off my trailer and car. does anyone have one? what brand and model would you recommend from your own personal use?

 

[Jerry1]

Head on over to Home Depot. They have a spring sale on that includes cordless tools. Maybe not the best price ever, but certainly not full price.

Frank - most brands are good these days. Get a brand that has the tools you want. For me, I chose Ryobi. They have an 18v system that has a lot of tools that use the same battery. I have a charger that keeps six batteries charged. I’ve never ran out of power. I have a blower and trimmer for outdoor work and they work well for my needs. If I was focused only on power hand/shop tools, I’d probably go with Milwaukee but as said, I think they all are good for homeowner use.

 

[H2ODude]

This probably belongs on the "Blow that dough" thread, but I think Festool makes some astoundingly good tools at astoundingly high prices. Only thing I acquired of theirs was their panel saw, which is an incredible way to cut up 4x8 sheets. If any of my other tools die (probably unlikely) I'll likely splurge for the Festool. I notice they use them on This Old House now. Buddy of mine says the only hard Festool price to pay is the first one.

 

[Walt34]

I don't have battery powered impact for taking tires off my trailer and car. does anyone have one? what brand and model would you recommend from your own personal use?

I'm with Jerry1 on this, look over the specs, watch some youtube reviews, and decide which tools you'll likely buy in the future and pick that brand for battery compatibility. There is of course no "standard" battery connector. I chose Milwaukee, but Bosch, Rigid, Ryobi and Dewalt all have their following and detractors. I suspect it is more a "Ford vs. Chevy" type choice than anything else.

But I'm just thrilled with the Milwaukee tools I have and plan to buy a couple more.

 

[easysurfer]

I use tools from 3 brands. Craftsman, Ryobi and Milwaukee. Started out with Sears/Craftsman but found myself going more often to Home Depot and thus Ryobi. The Milwaukee is a used impact wrench kit (2 batteries, charger and impact wrench) specifically to easily remove lug nuts off of my car.