Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

Author
Discussion

guitarcarfanatic

1,570 posts

134 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2023
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I picked up the 16 inch Ego electric chainsaw and it's amazing - it's the new model with high chain speed and beasts through anything.

bimsb6

8,031 posts

220 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2023
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Bill said:
TimmyMallett said:
tin·ker
[?t??k?]
VERB
tinkering (present participle)
attempt to repair or improve something in a casual or desultory way
"he spent hours tinkering with the car"


fet·tle
[?f?t(?)l]
VERB
fettling (present participle)
trim or clean the rough edges of (a metal casting or a piece of pottery) before firing.


ad·just
[??d??st]
VERB
adjusting (present participle)
alter or move (something) slightly in order to achieve the desired fit, appearance, or result:
"he smoothed his hair and adjusted his tie" · "a single control adjusts the water flow"


fi.ddle
[??d??st]
VERB
fiddling (present participle)
pissing about with something that doesn't need to be messed with, or it will make it worse:
"I wish he'd stop fiddling with that ballcock, he'll only make it worse"

Edited by TimmyMallett on Wednesday 22 March 09:00
Username checks out!!!

All the tools you need for the above:

[IMG]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/LO4AAOSwOgdYoy6T/s-l1600.jpg[/thumb]
Dead blow hammer is missing .

Radec

3,774 posts

46 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2023
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All this talk of SDS drills has made me go and buy this


Do I need it? For the 4 or 5 holes I need to make in brick outside, probably not but it's just over £100 and seems to get good reviews on the net and I already had the battery from my other DeWalt tools so better to have it then struggle with a combi drill when the time comes.

Mars

8,668 posts

213 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2023
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GeneralBanter said:
I recognise these immaculate garages as being places that took the work out of workshop, they’re shops. Does any fettling happen in them?
Fettling being the threshold for real use, tinkering of course being sub fettling and worthy only of cursory respect.

Is it meds time yet?
It's a fair challenge. Although my previous garages have been used to build cars and (probably more complicated and time consuming) keep a TVR alive, the current one exists purely as a workshop where I can build more workshop.

Mars

8,668 posts

213 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2023
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Sebastian Tombs said:
After spending a few days dismantling and cleaning out the carb and trying to persuade this old Stihl 024 to actually run, entirely without success, I nipped to Lidl and bought their little battery powered chainsaw.

My goodness it’s a revelation! It’s light, easy to use, quiet, and one charge of a 4ah battery is sufficient to turn a mature tree into firewood.
I went electric last year and would never go back unless I changed careers (to lumberjack). I use my e-chainsaw for salvaging pieces of downed trees by the side of the road and turning them first into transportable pieces and, once home, firewood. So much less faffing about and so quiet that no-one has challenged me about my nefarious wood thievery.

In fact, I swapped my Husky for a couple of leather sofas.

Bill

52,472 posts

254 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2023
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bimsb6 said:
Dead blow hammer is missing .
No one mentioned fine adjustment... wink

Fastpedeller

3,847 posts

145 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2023
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Bakhodo said:
Apologies if this is a repeat topic but we are at page five hundred and something now!

I have plenty of metric sockets, still happily use my dad's old Hilka ratchet from the 1970s, but really need some decent imperial sockets. Is the Draper 16498 rail-set a good bet at circa £30 (eBay) or can I do better for less?

I can't find many options for just imperial sockets to be honest...
How about wall drive sockets that will handle both metric and imperial? - I'm a stickler for having the correct tool (absolutely detest adjustable), but have found the wall drive 'system' to be very good indeed!

Edited by Fastpedeller on Wednesday 22 March 22:59

p1doc

3,111 posts

183 months

Thursday 23rd March 2023
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Mars said:
I went electric last year and would never go back unless I changed careers (to lumberjack). I use my e-chainsaw for salvaging pieces of downed trees by the side of the road and turning them first into transportable pieces and, once home, firewood. So much less faffing about and so quiet that no-one has challenged me about my nefarious wood thievery.

In fact, I swapped my Husky for a couple of leather sofas.
i use petrol for cutting down big trees into logs or if tree far away from house then electric for logs to firewood-seems best of both as using peterol overkill and electric pain if 500m away in forest

GeneralBanter

649 posts

14 months

Thursday 23rd March 2023
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Fastpedeller said:
How about wall drive sockets that will handle both metric and imperial? - I'm a stickler for having the correct tool (absolutely detest adjustable), but have found the wall drive 'system' to be very good indeed!

Edited by Fastpedeller on Wednesday 22 March 22:59
Dammit I was looking for a full set like that in 1/2” but already bought a random set which is smaller. I decided to ditch the whitworth sockets and u/j sockets from the 50 socket holder (as I’ve never used them) and fill it with as full a sets of 1/2” 3/8” & 1/4” as I can including long ones.

defblade

7,392 posts

212 months

Thursday 23rd March 2023
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Not anything like the price or power of a lot of stuff on this thread, but I think this counts:
a watch wrench for screw-back watches, with a clamp to hold it still while you work

Six quid, and I'm free from having to go into town to get the jewellers to do it ever again.
Wish I'd bought it sooner!

I even already had the right sized new battery for one of my dead watches smile

wong

1,274 posts

215 months

Thursday 23rd March 2023
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defblade said:
Not anything like the price or power of a lot of stuff on this thread, but I think this counts:
a watch wrench for screw-back watches, with a clamp to hold it still while you work

Six quid, and I'm free from having to go into town to get the jewellers to do it ever again.
Wish I'd bought it sooner!

I even already had the right sized new battery for one of my dead watches smile
Don't use the metal tweezers to hold the new battery - you'll short it. Get some plastic ones.

defblade

7,392 posts

212 months

Thursday 23rd March 2023
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wong said:
Don't use the metal tweezers to hold the new battery - you'll short it. Get some plastic ones.
There was no need, fingers were fine, the batteries aren't that small; I only used the tweezers to flip the old battery out, but good thought if I meet a tiny/fiddly one smile

Big Stevie

594 posts

15 months

Thursday 23rd March 2023
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J6542 said:
Big Stevie said:
Anybody use the Milwaukee Fastback 6 in 1 knife?

The model with the fold out screwdriver, I've been struggling to find a UK supplier with stock.




I been using different fastbacks for a few years, they are great knives. I think ITS have the one you are after in stock.
Thanks, It arrived today. Think I'll be keeping it in my man drawer for odd jobs, opening parcels etc. I immediately put it to use straight out of the box by tightening some kitchen door handles that had worked loose.



TriumphStag3.0V8

3,791 posts

80 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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Fastpedeller said:
Bakhodo said:
Apologies if this is a repeat topic but we are at page five hundred and something now!

I have plenty of metric sockets, still happily use my dad's old Hilka ratchet from the 1970s, but really need some decent imperial sockets. Is the Draper 16498 rail-set a good bet at circa £30 (eBay) or can I do better for less?

I can't find many options for just imperial sockets to be honest...
How about wall drive sockets that will handle both metric and imperial? - I'm a stickler for having the correct tool (absolutely detest adjustable), but have found the wall drive 'system' to be very good indeed!

Edited by Fastpedeller on Wednesday 22 March 22:59
Various imperial socket options on eBay:

Little ones: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/56700816...

Medium ones: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134202354233?mkcid=16&a...

Big ones: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161562448385?mkcid=16&a...

Deep ones: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144626612752?mkcid=16&a...

Mixed imperial/metric sets: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165582386710?mkcid=16&a...

Amazon has some as well.....




darreni

3,759 posts

269 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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Big Stevie said:
J6542 said:
Big Stevie said:
Anybody use the Milwaukee Fastback 6 in 1 knife?

The model with the fold out screwdriver, I've been struggling to find a UK supplier with stock.




I been using different fastbacks for a few years, they are great knives. I think ITS have the one you are after in stock.
Thanks, It arrived today. Think I'll be keeping it in my man drawer for odd jobs, opening parcels etc. I immediately put it to use straight out of the box by tightening some kitchen door handles that had worked loose.


No, no, that’s all wrong. You need a different tool for each job, the fast back is fine for parcels, but you need wera screwdrivers for the door handles.

V12GT

314 posts

89 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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Any views on pruners / small chainsaws? Need to cut back a bunch of branches upto 4" thick, some from a ladder - I have been doing it by hand with a pruning saw and it's very slow.

Yes, it could be dangerous, but I have a reasonable amount of experience both felling trees and cutting logs, so am aware of the risks. My larger petrol chainsaws are too heavy and would not be safe at any height and unfortunately pruning poles won't do the job either.

I've narrowed my options to a Stihl GTA26, Milwaukee M12 Hatchet and possibly a Makita DUC254. The Stihl looks a bit small and limited in its use, but I like the guard for working at height, Milwaukee/Makita both have a bigger system if I want to (I'm not currently tied into either). The Makita is probably too large and heavy, but is the most versatile. So the Milwaukee might be the compromise?

Stihl: £151 (1 batt) https://www.farmers-equipment.co.uk/product/stihl-...

Milwaukee: £225 (2 batt) https://ffx.co.uk/product/Get/Milwaukee-M12Fhs-602...

Makita: £273 (1 batt) https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita-duc254rt-2...

craigthecoupe

685 posts

203 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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V12GT said:
Any views on pruners / small chainsaws? Need to cut back a bunch of branches upto 4" thick, some from a ladder - I have been doing it by hand with a pruning saw and it's very slow.

Yes, it could be dangerous, but I have a reasonable amount of experience both felling trees and cutting logs, so am aware of the risks. My larger petrol chainsaws are too heavy and would not be safe at any height and unfortunately pruning poles won't do the job either.

I've narrowed my options to a Stihl GTA26, Milwaukee M12 Hatchet and possibly a Makita DUC254. The Stihl looks a bit small and limited in its use, but I like the guard for working at height, Milwaukee/Makita both have a bigger system if I want to (I'm not currently tied into either). The Makita is probably too large and heavy, but is the most versatile. So the Milwaukee might be the compromise?

Stihl: £151 (1 batt) https://www.farmers-equipment.co.uk/product/stihl-...

Milwaukee: £225 (2 batt) https://ffx.co.uk/product/Get/Milwaukee-M12Fhs-602...

Makita: £273 (1 batt) https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita-duc254rt-2...
the makita looks excellent to me. I'm sure if you prepare well, then the makita shouldn't be too bulky, and it will certainly be useful in other applications too.

Bill

52,472 posts

254 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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I just use a reciprocating saw for that kind of thing.

Olds124

102 posts

59 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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Got the stihl as a christmas present for my wife who does a lot of full on gardening. It’s very effective but will take a bit of time to lop a 4” branch and is really best up to about 2” even though the bar is 100mm. It should really be used two handed as it tends to bounce around a bit, meaning the left hand is at risk if just used in the right hand. I have a cheapo hedge trimmer/chainsaw/strimmer combo with a very long extension for doing this sort of pruning rather than using a chainsaw on a ladder, despite having a stihl 009 which is an early version of an arborists one handed chainsaw (as well as other bigger machines).

stevensdrs

3,208 posts

199 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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craigthecoupe said:
V12GT said:
Any views on pruners / small chainsaws? Need to cut back a bunch of branches upto 4" thick, some from a ladder - I have been doing it by hand with a pruning saw and it's very slow.

Yes, it could be dangerous, but I have a reasonable amount of experience both felling trees and cutting logs, so am aware of the risks. My larger petrol chainsaws are too heavy and would not be safe at any height and unfortunately pruning poles won't do the job either.

I've narrowed my options to a Stihl GTA26, Milwaukee M12 Hatchet and possibly a Makita DUC254. The Stihl looks a bit small and limited in its use, but I like the guard for working at height, Milwaukee/Makita both have a bigger system if I want to (I'm not currently tied into either). The Makita is probably too large and heavy, but is the most versatile. So the Milwaukee might be the compromise?

Stihl: £151 (1 batt) https://www.farmers-equipment.co.uk/product/stihl-...

Milwaukee: £225 (2 batt) https://ffx.co.uk/product/Get/Milwaukee-M12Fhs-602...

Makita: £273 (1 batt) https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita-duc254rt-2...
the makita looks excellent to me. I'm sure if you prepare well, then the makita shouldn't be too bulky, and it will certainly be useful in other applications too.
I use a version of these alligator shears for pruning. Much safer than an open chainsaw at height and zero chance of cutting your arm off.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Decker-GKC1000L-QW-...