Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[toasty]

timberman said:

we've got a Nilfisk that is now probably over 10 years old and still going strong, yet if it packed in tomorrow I wouldn't buy another,

I'd get one of these instead

https://www.cleanstore.co.uk/products/Product.asp?... , cheaper ones are available

a better machine all round IMO

Ah well, maybe next time. I plumped for the Nilfisk 180 from the same place.

[GeneralBanter]

’HOW MUCH ???!!!’

My car cost less than that

[stevensdrs]

timberman said:

we've got a Nilfisk that is now probably over 10 years old and still going strong, yet if it packed in tomorrow I wouldn't buy another,

I'd get one of these instead

https://www.cleanstore.co.uk/products/Product.asp?... , cheaper ones are available

a better machine all round IMO

I bought one of these AVA machines direct from the manufacturer website. It was delivered the next day. It is built like a tank and weighs nearly as much as one. It's a brilliant machine for big jobs but might be overkill for most people. I still use a £50 Homebase machine which I fitted a Karcher lance and quick release connector to for washing the car.

[donkmeister]

markiii said:

I have. And I'd definitely buy another. I'd have gone through at least 3 Karcher in the time I've had it

Karcher certainly won the marketing battle for DIY shed pressure washers! I've even heard people use karcher as a generic term for a pressure washer. Amazing, seeing as they're crap.

Replaced mine with a Nilfisk 10 years ago which is still doing well.

[Mars]

I'm confused by these new powered ratchet drivers. I have DeWalt batteries but DeWalt seems to offer a couple of 12V ones as well as an 18V one. The 18V one is 1/2" whereas the 12V ones are 3/8" and 1/4".

Are they expecting customers to buy one of each?

Also, they offer a "sealed head" 18V one which is over double the price of the others, although that one comes with removable anvils but only 1/2" and 3/8" - not a 1/4" one.

How do you choose which one suits? I'd say that I'd rather stick with 18V as I already have the batteries but clearly you can't get 1/4" with 18V.


By the time I had compiled this information (above) I even started questioning why I'd need one at all (surely means I shouldn't even be contributing to this thread).


Any opinions out there?

[skwdenyer]

Mars said:

I'm confused by these new powered ratchet drivers. I have DeWalt batteries but DeWalt seems to offer a couple of 12V ones as well as an 18V one. The 18V one is 1/2" whereas the 12V ones are 3/8" and 1/4".

Are they expecting customers to buy one of each?

Also, they offer a "sealed head" 18V one which is over double the price of the others, although that one comes with removable anvils but only 1/2" and 3/8" - not a 1/4" one.

How do you choose which one suits? I'd say that I'd rather stick with 18V as I already have the batteries but clearly you can't get 1/4" with 18V.


By the time I had compiled this information (above) I even started questioning why I'd need one at all (surely means I shouldn't even be contributing to this thread).


Any opinions out there?

Buy the larger one and use a reducing adapter to get down to 1/4”?

[Mars]

skwdenyer said:

Mars said:

I'm confused by these new powered ratchet drivers. I have DeWalt batteries but DeWalt seems to offer a couple of 12V ones as well as an 18V one. The 18V one is 1/2" whereas the 12V ones are 3/8" and 1/4".

Are they expecting customers to buy one of each?

Also, they offer a "sealed head" 18V one which is over double the price of the others, although that one comes with removable anvils but only 1/2" and 3/8" - not a 1/4" one.

How do you choose which one suits? I'd say that I'd rather stick with 18V as I already have the batteries but clearly you can't get 1/4" with 18V.


By the time I had compiled this information (above) I even started questioning why I'd need one at all (surely means I shouldn't even be contributing to this thread).


Any opinions out there?

Buy the larger one and use a reducing adapter to get down to 1/4”?

Yeah, that's how I usually rock - (d thanks if it is that simple) but I have one question mark left and that's why is the sealed headed one over twice the price of the others? Obviously that's the one I'll end up buying.

[Sway]

Mars said:

Yeah, that's how I usually rock - (d thanks if it is that simple) but I have one question mark left and that's why is the sealed headed one over twice the price of the others? Obviously that's the one I'll end up buying.

No spark for use in controlled environments?

[skwdenyer]

Sway said:

Mars said:

Yeah, that's how I usually rock - (d thanks if it is that simple) but I have one question mark left and that's why is the sealed headed one over twice the price of the others? Obviously that's the one I'll end up buying.

No spark for use in controlled environments?

They’re not intrinsically safe AFAIK. But they’re sealed against solvents and the like that can cause problems with non-sealed alternative. Whether that benefit is worth the price bump is another matter

[anonymous-user]

skwdenyer said:

Sway said:

Mars said:

Yeah, that's how I usually rock - (d thanks if it is that simple) but I have one question mark left and that's why is the sealed headed one over twice the price of the others? Obviously that's the one I'll end up buying.

No spark for use in controlled environments?

They’re not intrinsically safe AFAIK. But they’re sealed against solvents and the like that can cause problems with non-sealed alternative. Whether that benefit is worth the price bump is another matter

Buy the unsealed one and wrap a 10p plastic bag around it.

[Mars]

skwdenyer said:

Sway said:

Mars said:

Yeah, that's how I usually rock - (d thanks if it is that simple) but I have one question mark left and that's why is the sealed headed one over twice the price of the others? Obviously that's the one I'll end up buying.

No spark for use in controlled environments?

They’re not intrinsically safe AFAIK. But they’re sealed against solvents and the like that can cause problems with non-sealed alternative. Whether that benefit is worth the price bump is another matter

Ah. Is that it? Thanks for that

[Robb F]

C n C said:

Teddy Lop said:

I have this type, the v can be used on corners/posts etc.

I have the same one, and it has worked well.

£25 from Amazon and for a change not made in China. Made by Kermell Ltd who are based near Birmingham.

skwdenyer said:

I bought these because of this thread and they both did a great job. Never had such a stable set up, so thank you

[Herbs]

https://scribe-tool.com/

worth its weight in gold for me - plenty out there cheaper (and probably the same) but works really well

[MajorMantra]

Herbs said:

https://scribe-tool.com/

worth its weight in gold for me - plenty out there cheaper (and probably the same) but works really well

Was just mulling on the idea of something like this the other day, that's very tempting. Am tempted by the £6 ebay clones, though I'd have to live with the guilt...

[Herbs]

MajorMantra said:

Herbs said:

https://scribe-tool.com/

worth its weight in gold for me - plenty out there cheaper (and probably the same) but works really well

Was just mulling on the idea of something like this the other day, that's very tempting. Am tempted by the £6 ebay clones, though I'd have to live with the guilt...

They look identical so as long as the bearings are semi decent in the wheel then its worth a shout.

I'm in the middle of building a 2.4m floating desk in my office and all of the 3 walls its being fixed to bow, i've built a template that is mm out on all 3 walls, first time using it so consider me impressed.

[ianrb]

Herbs said:

MajorMantra said:

Herbs said:

https://scribe-tool.com/

worth its weight in gold for me - plenty out there cheaper (and probably the same) but works really well

Was just mulling on the idea of something like this the other day, that's very tempting. Am tempted by the £6 ebay clones, though I'd have to live with the guilt...

They look identical so as long as the bearings are semi decent in the wheel then its worth a shout.

I'm in the middle of building a 2.4m floating desk in my office and all of the 3 walls its being fixed to bow, i've built a template that is mm out on all 3 walls, first time using it so consider me impressed.

Had exactly the same problem. Just used a pencil running against the inside of a washer I found on the floor.

[ChevronB19]

ianrb said:

Herbs said:

MajorMantra said:

Herbs said:

https://scribe-tool.com/

worth its weight in gold for me - plenty out there cheaper (and probably the same) but works really well

Was just mulling on the idea of something like this the other day, that's very tempting. Am tempted by the £6 ebay clones, though I'd have to live with the guilt...

They look identical so as long as the bearings are semi decent in the wheel then its worth a shout.

I'm in the middle of building a 2.4m floating desk in my office and all of the 3 walls its being fixed to bow, i've built a template that is mm out on all 3 walls, first time using it so consider me impressed.

Had exactly the same problem. Just used a pencil running against the inside of a washer I found on the floor.

How does that work building a desk into an alcove? Scribe on a piece of scrap wood then transfer to the actual wood?

[Steve_W]

skwdenyer said:

I finally gave in & bought parrot-nosed vice grips.



They are exactly the tool for dealing with spinning anti-roll bar drop links - the hex recesses in the end of the studs are simply not up to the job of freeing old threads.

If I used them more often, I’d have bought the more expensive Facom items (loving their vice grips thanks to this thread), but even in this more agricultural form they’re really very useful.

Interesting - never heard of them and have some very rusty drop links to do on the Shogun.

Did you get the US Pro ones pictured, or a different brand? Prices seem to vary on Amazon (surprise surprise). No idea if US Pro are any good as a brand.

[Herbs]

ChevronB19 said:

ianrb said:

Herbs said:

MajorMantra said:

Herbs said:

https://scribe-tool.com/

worth its weight in gold for me - plenty out there cheaper (and probably the same) but works really well

Was just mulling on the idea of something like this the other day, that's very tempting. Am tempted by the £6 ebay clones, though I'd have to live with the guilt...

They look identical so as long as the bearings are semi decent in the wheel then its worth a shout.

I'm in the middle of building a 2.4m floating desk in my office and all of the 3 walls its being fixed to bow, i've built a template that is mm out on all 3 walls, first time using it so consider me impressed.

Had exactly the same problem. Just used a pencil running against the inside of a washer I found on the floor.

How does that work building a desk into an alcove? Scribe on a piece of scrap wood then transfer to the actual wood?

Yep, I've bought a 40mm kitchen worktop to use as the desk so have one attempt to get it right so I've scribed onto 4 pieces of laminate flooring planks that was just lifted, cut those to create a template and test fit, then connected & braced them together to form a 3 sided template I can transfer to the worktop before cutting.

Edited by Herbs on Wednesday 14th February 12:28

[Car bon]

A couple of other vice grip variations -




I use them for modifying ski boots - along with a heat gun & various bits of shaped wood.