Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[Baldchap]

RizzoTheRat said:

A while back it took me what felt like minutes to drill a 6mm hole in a concrete slab with my mains powered hammer drill

I borrowed a friends SDS drill to do some more last night. Holy crap I can see why everyone thinks they're so great! It went in to concrete about as easily as my battery drill goes in to wood!

Not really worth buying my own though when I only need to drill half a dozen more holes.

I was talking to a mate who'd had a new door with fancy locks. I like to dabble with lock picking and he made a point of telling me I wouldn't be able to get through his new one. Clearly I'm not about to try as I wouldn't want to break it in any way, but he didn't believe me when I said I'd just cut the door out of the wall with my SDS if I was desperate to get in. But you absolutely could.

The only warning I would give whe using an SDS is where the brick or block you're drilling is already a bit dodgy. The hammer action being an actual piston rather than just a lumpy chuck means it'll do some serious damage and smash the hell out of them.

Anything already cracked or damaged I use the boggo hammer drill as they're much less aggressive.

[Baldchap]

Biggy Stardust said:

In Russia a Man Goes to Buy a Car...

He goes up to the dealer and asks for a car, to which the dealer responds:

'You know there is a 10 year waiting list?'

The man then answers, 'OK,' and after some time he then agreed to buy a car.

So he pays for the car in advance, and just before he leaves he asks the dealer,

'Can I pick the car up in the morning or afternoon?'

'It's 10 years away, what does it matter?'

'The plumber is coming in the morning'.

Replace Russia with post-Brexit Britain.

[shih tzu faced]

RizzoTheRat said:

A while back it took me what felt like minutes to drill a 6mm hole in a concrete slab with my mains powered hammer drill

I borrowed a friends SDS drill to do some more last night. Holy crap I can see why everyone thinks they're so great! It went in to concrete about as easily as my battery drill goes in to wood!

Not really worth buying my own though when I only need to drill half a dozen more holes.

Good drill bits make a massive difference compared to the cheapo ones made of chocolate.

For masonry I really like the Bosch Expert multi material bits. Instantly recognisable by the flutes painted in a light blue colour. Not expensive, and a brand new one should really help with the rest of the job.

They won’t turn a combi drill into an SDS, far from it, but should definitely make the job a bit easier.

[NextSlidePlease]

shih tzu faced said:

RizzoTheRat said:

A while back it took me what felt like minutes to drill a 6mm hole in a concrete slab with my mains powered hammer drill

I borrowed a friends SDS drill to do some more last night. Holy crap I can see why everyone thinks they're so great! It went in to concrete about as easily as my battery drill goes in to wood!

Not really worth buying my own though when I only need to drill half a dozen more holes.

Good drill bits make a massive difference compared to the cheapo ones made of chocolate.

For masonry I really like the Bosch Expert multi material bits. Instantly recognisable by the flutes painted in a light blue colour. Not expensive, and a brand new one should really help with the rest of the job.

They won’t turn a combi drill into an SDS, far from it, but should definitely make the job a bit easier.

OR, you can apply sketchy man maths and go buy an SDS drill, not sure if they are still available but Screwfix did a beast mode titan SDS drill for around 70 quid a few years back and it's exceptional value. I broke up a garage concrete base with one and it just bullied it's way through. I have a few grands worth of Milwaukee M18 kit for work but still pull out the titan for tough jobs. It just keeps on going. I reckon it would survive a nuclear blast.

Edited by NextSlidePlease on Tuesday 14th March 09:20

[Sford]

shih tzu faced said:

Good drill bits make a massive difference compared to the cheapo ones made of chocolate.

For masonry I really like the Bosch Expert multi material bits. Instantly recognisable by the flutes painted in a light blue colour. Not expensive, and a brand new one should really help with the rest of the job.

They won’t turn a combi drill into an SDS, far from it, but should definitely make the job a bit easier.

Second this, I always use those Bosch bits for masonry now as they are so good. Light DIY use the set I've got have lasted ages.

[Sford]

NextSlidePlease said:

OR, you can apply sketchy man maths and go buy an SDS drill, not sure if they are still available but Screwfix did a beast mode titan SDS drill for around 70 quid a few years back and it's exceptional value. I broke up a garage concrete base with one and it just bullied it's way through. I have a few grands worth of Milwaukee M18 kit for work but still pull out the titan for tough jobs. It just keeps on going. I reckon it would survive a nuclear blast.

Edited by NextSlidePlease on Tuesday 14th March 09:20

Friend of mine in the trade uses Dewalt but has one of these. He swears by it and when it did eventually give up after the abuse it was still under warranty and he got a new one!

[RizzoTheRat]

shih tzu faced said:

Good drill bits make a massive difference compared to the cheapo ones made of chocolate.

For masonry I really like the Bosch Expert multi material bits. Instantly recognisable by the flutes painted in a light blue colour. Not expensive, and a brand new one should really help with the rest of the job.

They won’t turn a combi drill into an SDS, far from it, but should definitely make the job a bit easier.

I've got decent Bosch masonry bits for my mains hammer drill. It's only a cheapish Wickes own brand drill, but it deals with brickwork and cement no problem. But the ceilings in our current house seem to be reinforced concrete slabs, (nightmare for wifi too, I have 4 mesh nodes in a 3 bed house and thinking about adding a 5th for the top floor). Put a light up last night and have a curtain rail to go up but that should be all I need to do for a while, and have a mate down the road who seems happy to lend me his SDS that he never uses since since moving in to an older house where you can drill in to the walls with a pencil

[bodhi]

Sford said:

shih tzu faced said:

Good drill bits make a massive difference compared to the cheapo ones made of chocolate.

For masonry I really like the Bosch Expert multi material bits. Instantly recognisable by the flutes painted in a light blue colour. Not expensive, and a brand new one should really help with the rest of the job.

They won’t turn a combi drill into an SDS, far from it, but should definitely make the job a bit easier.

Second this, I always use those Bosch bits for masonry now as they are so good. Light DIY use the set I've got have lasted ages.

Aye we've got the set below and it's been brilliant - they can struggle with masonry, however that is more that the chuck in my drill loses grip on the bit itself which is a bit annoying - probably more the drill itself though I would have thought.

https://www.diy.com/departments/bosch-professional...

[beambeam1]

NextSlidePlease said:

It just keeps on going. I reckon it would survive a nuclear blast.

That's why you take it in to the bunker with you. To break back out once given the all clear!

[LunarOne]

After watching a little too much M539 Restorations on Youtube (must watch if you like BMWs and are a spanner-spinner) I'm constantly lusting after one of those Bendpak scissor lifts, despite my garage having a relatively low ceiling height. Anyone got one or a good alternative?

[B'stard Child]

LunarOne said:

After watching a little too much M539 Restorations on Youtube (must watch if you like BMWs and are a spanner-spinner) I'm constantly lusting after one of those Bendpak scissor lifts, despite my garage having a relatively low ceiling height. Anyone got one or a good alternative?

I also have low ceiling height issue - Have a look at poppopbangbangs thread on his Porsche 911 - he has one that looks perfect for my needs and possibly yours

[Byker28i]

Sford said:

NextSlidePlease said:

OR, you can apply sketchy man maths and go buy an SDS drill, not sure if they are still available but Screwfix did a beast mode titan SDS drill for around 70 quid a few years back and it's exceptional value. I broke up a garage concrete base with one and it just bullied it's way through. I have a few grands worth of Milwaukee M18 kit for work but still pull out the titan for tough jobs. It just keeps on going. I reckon it would survive a nuclear blast.

Edited by NextSlidePlease on Tuesday 14th March 09:20

Friend of mine in the trade uses Dewalt but has one of these. He swears by it and when it did eventually give up after the abuse it was still under warranty and he got a new one!

I've got something similar that CDC were selling cheap (£30) about 20 years ago. It's like a mini road drill and there's limited times to use it, but last year we demolished a neighbours large brick wall based planter in minutes.

[Whoozit]

Pistol clamps that reverse to become spreaders. I had some years ago which vanished. Every time I was doing a project and priced them up, they seemed expensive. I then had to waste time jury-rigging some positive tension.

Just picked a pair of 18 inchers from Amazon for £25. Bargain.

[Ardennes1944]

Table saws, talk to me please.

Is it really necessary to spend 320quid + on one to have a half decent full width fence that you dont need to align/measure each time?

There was an Excel table saw that I had been planning to buy but has been discontinued and the newer model doesnt have any reviews yet.

Im only a DIYer but i dont understand how anything below an Evolution Rage 5s is deemed poor.

Ideally I would spent 150-200 but if I have to spend 350ish then I would probably just wait and get a Dewalt one when I next see it on offer.

[LunarOne]

Ardennes1944 said:

Table saws, talk to me please.

I wonder how many table saws there are with mouths or fingers. The number of those who also have accounts on PH must be vanishingly small. Judging some of the posters on PH, I don't think lack of a brain is an obstacle though...

[Sford]

Ardennes1944 said:

Table saws, talk to me please.

Is it really necessary to spend 320quid + on one to have a half decent full width fence that you dont need to align/measure each time?

There was an Excel table saw that I had been planning to buy but has been discontinued and the newer model doesnt have any reviews yet.

Im only a DIYer but i dont understand how anything below an Evolution Rage 5s is deemed poor.

Ideally I would spent 150-200 but if I have to spend 350ish then I would probably just wait and get a Dewalt one when I next see it on offer.

I have the Titan one from screwfix and for the minimal use it's had, it has been sufficient. I broke the handle off of the fence that tightens it down (dropped it) so had to replace it. Other than that, setting it up is key. First think I did was make a sled for it though. I've used it to put straight edges on some planks that I made a table with (basically jointing) and also cutting down strips of wood when making shelving. It does take up a lot of space and makes a lot of dust so factor that in when setting one up. If I had a better workshop that wasn't also the housing for my car then this would be less of an issue.

[benp1]

I have that Titan SDS drill from Screwfix. It is indeed very good, although it's also bloody heavy. Definitely a two handed drill

[guitarcarfanatic]

Ardennes1944 said:

Table saws, talk to me please.

Is it really necessary to spend 320quid + on one to have a half decent full width fence that you dont need to align/measure each time?

There was an Excel table saw that I had been planning to buy but has been discontinued and the newer model doesnt have any reviews yet.

Im only a DIYer but i dont understand how anything below an Evolution Rage 5s is deemed poor.

Ideally I would spent 150-200 but if I have to spend 350ish then I would probably just wait and get a Dewalt one when I next see it on offer.

I think so - for a portable (job site) one, the Dewalt seems like the best in terms of fence. I had a cheap Evolution one (£180) and it was crap - took up too much space, fence was awful, zero dust collection and noisy.

[heisthegaffer]

Sford said:

shih tzu faced said:

Good drill bits make a massive difference compared to the cheapo ones made of chocolate.

For masonry I really like the Bosch Expert multi material bits. Instantly recognisable by the flutes painted in a light blue colour. Not expensive, and a brand new one should really help with the rest of the job.

They won’t turn a combi drill into an SDS, far from it, but should definitely make the job a bit easier.

Second this, I always use those Bosch bits for masonry now as they are so good. Light DIY use the set I've got have lasted ages.

I agree, the blue bosch bits are brilliant.

[markiii]

Baldchap said:

Biggy Stardust said:

In Russia a Man Goes to Buy a Car...

He goes up to the dealer and asks for a car, to which the dealer responds:

'You know there is a 10 year waiting list?'

The man then answers, 'OK,' and after some time he then agreed to buy a car.

So he pays for the car in advance, and just before he leaves he asks the dealer,


'Can I pick the car up in the morning or afternoon?'

'It's 10 years away, what does it matter?'

'The plumber is coming in the morning'.

Replace Russia with post-Brexit Britain.

Replace Brexit with covid