Tools

[Greenman]

What's on your "why didn't I get this ten years ago" list. The kind of tool that changes the way you work?

 

[Kaido]

A simple one - a paint sprayer. I picked up a Graco HV2900 HVLP setup for like $40 refurb on eBay. Lets you paint better & faster with far less effort (indoors, outdoors, wooden patio furniture, etc.). I had no idea you could get one with a little motorized air compressor for so cheap!

 

[Humpy]

Not recent but there are two that immediately come to mind as having a big effect on how we did things.

The first is when the Topcon self-leveling rotary laser became affordable. So easy to single-hand and got used for something new nearly every day during the first few years.

The second is the cordless impact driver. Light and easy on the wrists and way fewer misses/cross shaped dents in the work. Amazing.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Kaido...I bought a paint sprayer last year at Home Depot (Milkwaukee Tools sprayer for $120)... I've not gotten a chance to use it, but am looking forward to it. I've heard they really cut painting time down.

Until I get to try it, I have to say my jack hammer. I bought it cheap on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HD-2200-Wat...?pt=Industrial_Hand_Tools&hash=item35ca4993d8

I busted and removed a 20x20x6" slab and a 12x5x5" slab with it. It wasn't the best jack hammer, but you can't be $150 shipped.

 

[edro]

lithium 18v+ impact driver - Lithium in itself is amazing compared to NiCd or NiMh in terms of runtime, power, chargetime and weight. The impact part is awesome for driving any fastener, be it a drywall screw or 1/2" lag bolt. No wrist torque, fast and powerful.

digital calipers - So much easier to get good accurate measurements without approximating using a ruler or tape measure. The digital part is much easier to read without error than traditional dial calipers.

X-Acto knife - I have always loved them, but the more you have them around, the more uses you find for them. Tools are simply a way to get work done that you cannot do with your hands/body. A small, hard, sharp blade is extremely useful for many things other than cutting. It can get in places our sausage fingers cannot.

Wago Lever Nuts - OMG, where to begin... Basically the best wire nut you have ever used in your entire life. Solid, stranded, 12-28 AWG, 600v, resuable. Nothing else to say.

 

[Scarpozzi]

lithium 18v+ impact driver - Lithium in itself is amazing compared to NiCd or NiMh in terms of runtime, power, chargetime and weight. The impact part is awesome for driving any fastener, be it a drywall screw or 1/2" lag bolt. No wrist torque, fast and powerful.

I agree. The weight differential makes it much easier to handle...especially when working on a ladder. I buy Ryobi impact drivers because of their cost/torque and battery price. You can typically land a drill/impact driver and 2 battery/charger combo for $99 a few times a year....and occasionally other combos when they come up on sale. It's cheaper to buy the combos than the batteries alone and they are just about as good as any of the other impact drivers I've seen. Sadly, I can't say the same about all Ryobi tools.

Along those lines...my Ryobi weedeater + attachments is pretty good too. I've got an 18" hedge trimmer attachment and a brush cutter. I've used the brush cutter to clear a lot of property I've got (steel blade that spins fast and cuts through wood shoots). The hedge trimmer though is the best. I can mow down the large hedges in my front yard and don't have to deal with extension cords. It has enough power to cut through a lot at once and I can trim all my hedges in 20-30 minutes instead of a few hours.

 

[edro]

You can typically land a drill/impact driver and 2 battery/charger combo for $99 a few times a year....and occasionally other combos when they come up on sale. It's cheaper to buy the combos than the batteries alone and they are just about as good as any of the other impact drivers I've seen. Sadly, I can't say the same about all Ryobi tools.

Totally agree.

I bought my Ryobi 18v drill and driver set about 6 years ago and they still go strong. I have done a LOT of work with them (renovated 2 houses, including building a 20x25' deck with tons of lag bolts and deck screws) and dropped both off of ladder numerous times.

I just noticed that a few places are offering the same set for $99 right now.
I thought about buying it just for the 2 batteries that come with it and to have the backups in case mine ever do die.

Link to $99 Home Depot deal

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Porter Cable 382 5" Random Orbit Sander

Although... does a workbench technically count as a tool?

 

[Zivic]

http://www.powerprobe.com/

and

I use the 660 and 950.
http://www.cloreautomotive.com/category.php?id=88

edit:
almost forgot the best tool of all
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...682617&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all

and I'm coming to appreciate a GOOD bench vise that I bought this year.
http://www.wiltontools.com/us/en/p/tradesman-6-1-2-round-channel-vise-with-swivel-base/63201


plasma cutter is another great tool that has save a ton of time
http://victortechnologies.com/thermaldynamics/products/detailProduct.html?prodID=1-1130-1

and band saw:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...Fr-5JIFCs4_jSTw3Fb7ozSGviwfThSe-x0aAt_W8P8HAQ

 

[pauldun170]

Basic Craftsman Impact driver

 

[alkemyst]

A simple one - a paint sprayer. I picked up a Graco HV2900 HVLP setup for like $40 refurb on eBay. Lets you paint better & faster with far less effort (indoors, outdoors, wooden patio furniture, etc.). I had no idea you could get one with a little motorized air compressor for so cheap!

Rolling is still supposed to be done as a final step.


Also your neighbors will probably hate you using a sprayer outside.

 

[alkemyst]

My tools that are really helpful:

Clamps/Vice

Good work lighting

A band saw as mentioned above (mine was stolen after I tuned the damn thing and got better rollers/blade)

Drill Press

Pressure washer

 

[T9D]

https://chaturbate.com/female-cams/

 

[Humpy]

Rolling is still supposed to be done as a final step.


Also your neighbors will probably hate you using a sprayer outside.

You might be thinking of an airless sprayer. HVLP isn't usually used for stuff that would be rolled. I can't imagine pulling out the roller after laying a nice clear coat on some cabinet doors. One thing they are good at is controlling overspray so using one outdoors would be less of an issue if it wasn't windy.

 

[alkemyst]

When someone talks about using a sprayer outdoors, there will be over spray. HLVP are used for that especially houses. If you are painting your house/walls/etc a roller is a proper final step.

My M3 was covered in latex paint (fortunately easy to remove) when my neighbor painted their house with "professionals".

At a job site, about 400 cars were covered in paint when the building crew painted in a clear but windy day.

Let's just say on a Friday night coming out to see your car all fucked up is pretty tragic.

 

[alkemyst]

Spray gun for paint. Got a nice expensive one from home depot that professional painters use.

And a table saw. Well I still don't have a table saw, but will pick one up soon. Tired of using a skill saw to rip stuff. Don't know why I put that off for the last decade and a half.

what projects are you doing?

 

[Humpy]

When someone talks about using a sprayer outdoors, there will be over spray. HLVP are used for that especially houses. If you are painting your house/walls/etc a roller is a proper final step.

My M3 was covered in latex paint (fortunately easy to remove) when my neighbor painted their house with "professionals".

At a job site, about 400 cars were covered in paint when the building crew painted in a clear but windy day.

Let's just say on a Friday night coming out to see your car all fucked up is pretty tragic.

OK.

Not that it wouldn't eventually get the job done but I still can't picture too many people, if they had a choice, painting a house with an HVLP, even a pressure feed setup. House painters in my world like spraying full strength goop out of 5 gallon buckets with an airless.

 

[Humpy]

Another tool that was a game changer for me was the Stabila level. A reference grade tool that replaced finicky wood levels.

A wooden handle titanium framing hammer is another that comes to mind. All of a sudden my left hand was of use for something.

 

[alkemyst]

OK.

Not that it wouldn't eventually get the job done but I still can't picture too many people, if they had a choice, painting a house with an HVLP, even a pressure feed setup. House painters in my world like spraying full strength goop out of 5 gallon buckets with an airless.

Still over spray in my world.

 

[Greenman]

lithium 18v+ impact driver - Lithium in itself is amazing compared to NiCd or NiMh in terms of runtime, power, chargetime and weight. The impact part is awesome for driving any fastener, be it a drywall screw or 1/2" lag bolt. No wrist torque, fast and powerful.

digital calipers - So much easier to get good accurate measurements without approximating using a ruler or tape measure. The digital part is much easier to read without error than traditional dial calipers.

X-Acto knife - I have always loved them, but the more you have them around, the more uses you find for them. Tools are simply a way to get work done that you cannot do with your hands/body. A small, hard, sharp blade is extremely useful for many things other than cutting. It can get in places our sausage fingers cannot.

Wago Lever Nuts - OMG, where to begin... Basically the best wire nut you have ever used in your entire life. Solid, stranded, 12-28 AWG, 600v, resuable. Nothing else to say.

Those wire nuts look really interesting. Are they much larger than standard wire nuts? I'm thinking box fill might be an issue. Also, do they hold as well as a twist on wire nut? I'm a couple weeks away from rewiring an 1800 foot house that I'm putting a 1200 foot addition on, and I might have to give those a spin.

 

[stormkroe]

Those wire nuts look really interesting. Are they much larger than standard wire nuts? I'm thinking box fill might be an issue. Also, do they hold as well as a twist on wire nut? I'm a couple weeks away from rewiring an 1800 foot house that I'm putting a 1200 foot addition on, and I might have to give those a spin.

You should try some of these, I can't believe how great they work. I wish I would have had them back when I lived in Missouri, it's the most one-size-fits-all wirenut I've ever used. They easily hold more than the 3 #10s on the specsheet, I use about 60,000 of them per year.

Edit:
Also, this is the most helpful cheap hand tool 'upgrade' I've come across for a long time. Not only is the size great for control, but that pry blade on the butt is awesome for many things. The most helpful for me is splitting open thick wire insulation when stripping big cable (ESPECIALLY in the cold).

 

[edro]

Those wire nuts look really interesting. Are they much larger than standard wire nuts? I'm thinking box fill might be an issue. Also, do they hold as well as a twist on wire nut? I'm a couple weeks away from rewiring an 1800 foot house that I'm putting a 1200 foot addition on, and I might have to give those a spin.

No, size is not an issue. There are probably YouTube video reviews on them is you want to see them in a hand.
They are great for testing and lab work where you are constantly changing connections.
Companies are starting to use them in product going out to consumers because it is easy to fix mistakes in production and easy for field replacement of components for service men.

They use Wago's cage clamp technology, which is very strong. As strong as a perfectly made pre-twist, maybe not, but more than sufficient and it doesn't weaken over time and it not affected by vibration.

Strip length is always ~3/8", no matter how many conductors you use, unlike twist connectors where you have to strip extra long and pretwist, then cut to length.

They are more pricey than regular wire nuts, but in volume they can be had for about $0.20ea for the 3 pole. Amazon has them, but they are a little more expensive there (shop around for best price and pack size).

Everyone I personally know in the engineering industry loves them and uses them as much as possible, me included.

 

[alkemyst]

No, size is not an issue. There are probably YouTube video reviews on them is you want to see them in a hand.
They are great for testing and lab work where you are constantly changing connections.
Companies are starting to use them in product going out to consumers because it is easy to fix mistakes in production and easy for field replacement of components for service men.

They use Wago's cage clamp technology, which is very strong. As strong as a perfectly made pre-twist, maybe not, but more than sufficient and it doesn't weaken over time and it not affected by vibration.

Strip length is always ~3/8", no matter how many conductors you use, unlike twist connectors where you have to strip extra long and pretwist, then cut to length.

They are more pricey than regular wire nuts, but in volume they can be had for about $0.20ea for the 3 pole. Amazon has them, but they are a little more expensive there (shop around for best price and pack size).

Everyone I personally know in the engineering industry loves them and uses them as much as possible, me included.

I have used these and they work very good. I was concerned at first when I picked them up (I grabbed the wrong box off the shelf). I am just a homeowner, but seemed to work better than the standard Ideal I use.

Some really cool connectors to use are terminal blocks, [edit]Wago http://www.newark.com/wago/222-413/...RGg2Dffp|pcrid|53816209341|plid|&CMP=KNC-GPLA. You put two to three wires in and each is clamped down. I used them for some fans and it was easy to pre-attach the block to the existing wires from the ceiling and then just insert my fan wires into it. I used them on my outside lights too. I don't know if these are at HD/Lowes, an electrician down the street stopped by and offered them and told me some of the problems the previous homeowner left for me (most I knew) like all the interior recepticles, switches and breaker box he left exposed outside with 220V/40+ amps....

 

[edro]

I have used these and they work very good. I was concerned at first when I picked them up (I grabbed the wrong box off the shelf). I am just a homeowner, but seemed to work better than the standard Ideal I use.

Some really cool connectors to use are terminal blocks, [edit]Wago http://www.newark.com/wago/222-413/...RGg2Dffp|pcrid|53816209341|plid|&CMP=KNC-GPLA. You put two to three wires in and each is clamped down. I used them for some fans and it was easy to pre-attach the block to the existing wires from the ceiling and then just insert my fan wires into it. I used them on my outside lights too. I don't know if these are at HD/Lowes, an electrician down the street stopped by and offered them and told me some of the problems the previous homeowner left for me (most I knew) like all the interior recepticles, switches and breaker box he left exposed outside with 220V/40+ amps....

Yeah, those are called Lever Nuts (Wago 222 series).
That is what I was talking about to begin with.

 

[alkemyst]

Yeah, those are called Lever Nuts (Wago 222 series).
That is what I was talking about to begin with.

Ahh, I am not a pro just know a lot about crap from my dad actually teaching me how to adjust valves on a car when I was all of 5 years old.

I find myself paying pros and then going back and re-doing their work now more than not .

I finally found an EPIC A/C guy, he has gotten so many gremlins out of my setup (due to that same previous homeowner that owned this house since it was built in 1969).

Those wiring nuts should be included with ceiling fan kits instead of the crappy nuts they include. It would probably add all of about $1 tops to most fans.