Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[donkmeister]

skwdenyer said:

Fantastic. But then this is real (albeit a one-off)



Nitro-fuelled V8 drill... And before anyone says, I know there are petrol-powered tools used in, for instance, the rail industry.

I notice it's a standard chuck, wonder if the worry/experience is that spinning a rotary impact hammer would result in the engine speed being too variable to run reliably?

[Rustybanger]

sparkythecat said:

Audis5b9 said:

Any recommendations for chainsaw sharpeners?

If you're on Facebook, join a group called "Chainsaw sharpening ONLY".
You won't believe how much there is to know about chainsaw sharpening.

But if you want to get good consistent sharpening results, with minimal effort, buy a Stihl 2 in 1 sharpening guide appropriate for your particular pitch of chain.

This has worked well for my husqv and is very easy to use

[Mr Pointy]

YankeePorker said:

donkmeister said:

Don't forget to use it vertically downwards from time to time. In my experience they tend to get a bit claggy if you use it horizontally a lot. I think it says to prime it vertically anyway.

In a similar vein, mechanical carpenter's pencils with a long thin tube. I had been using the big wodgy pencils for years until I saw a Laura Kampf video where she was using one of these. Ordered one and it's so much more usable. I'm sure some would think "just use a bradawl", but given you will almost certainly need to have a pencil on you anyway why have another tool to reach for? And one that let's face it, you will stab yourself with at some point!

This sort of thing: https://www.toolstation.com/tracer-deep-pencil-mar...

I’m so tempted, but can’t get past the habit of keeping a little golf course pencil behind my ear. Sometimes I don’t realise it’s there until I’m washing my hair in the shower.

It was a sad day when Screwfix stopped putting pencils out.

[dickymint]

Mr Pointy said:

YankeePorker said:

donkmeister said:

Don't forget to use it vertically downwards from time to time. In my experience they tend to get a bit claggy if you use it horizontally a lot. I think it says to prime it vertically anyway.

In a similar vein, mechanical carpenter's pencils with a long thin tube. I had been using the big wodgy pencils for years until I saw a Laura Kampf video where she was using one of these. Ordered one and it's so much more usable. I'm sure some would think "just use a bradawl", but given you will almost certainly need to have a pencil on you anyway why have another tool to reach for? And one that let's face it, you will stab yourself with at some point!

This sort of thing: https://www.toolstation.com/tracer-deep-pencil-mar...

I’m so tempted, but can’t get past the habit of keeping a little golf course pencil behind my ear. Sometimes I don’t realise it’s there until I’m washing my hair in the shower.

It was a sad day when Screwfix stopped putting pencils out.

Used to get mine from the Bookies

[BigBen]

I thought I had had enough of my digits and other limbs so got a few more saws. The first is a somewhat aged Elu bandsaw that I got from Ebay a month or so ago and my mum had kindly be storing. Given it a good clean of 40 years of sawdust and a bit of oil and so far seems good.



Next I have some garden remodelling coming up so I thought this might come in handy. The remodelling is mainly removing what is currently a car park to make more lawn. It seemed being able to cut up the edges would be useful and instinct tells me this is what I need (not a joke, do chip in if I am wrong)

[defblade]

I bought a roll of brake-line spanners a week or so ago for working on the car.

I normally sort my tools into tubs of "types" so spanners in one tub, sockets in another, screwdrivers in another and so on.

But using the new roll, I really enjoyed the sensation of having each size in a labelled pocket instead of having to root through the tub, so much so that I'm looking to treat myself a nice new set of normal combination spanners... in a roll.
(My main sockets are on a rail already, in case you're wondering. I don't have to dig for them. And the 10mm is still there!)

Some sets look very very spendy... is something like this amazon set likely to be ok, or is there a price vs quality champion out there?

(I have never previously worried about the quality of my spanners, and AFAIK all the ones I have are still close enough to spec not to cause problems, but this thread has spoilt me )

[skwdenyer]

defblade said:

I bought a roll of brake-line spanners a week or so ago for working on the car.

I normally sort my tools into tubs of "types" so spanners in one tub, sockets in another, screwdrivers in another and so on.

But using the new roll, I really enjoyed the sensation of having each size in a labelled pocket instead of having to root through the tub, so much so that I'm looking to treat myself a nice new set of normal combination spanners... in a roll.
(My main sockets are on a rail already, in case you're wondering. I don't have to dig for them. And the 10mm is still there!)

Some sets look very very spendy... is something like this amazon set likely to be ok, or is there a price vs quality champion out there?

(I have never previously worried about the quality of my spanners, and AFAIK all the ones I have are still close enough to spec not to cause problems, but this thread has spoilt me )

I know I probably need to hand in my thread creds, but don't forget rolls are available on their own

[Trustmeimadoctor]

This surely

Wera 05020231001 6003 Joker 11 Set 1 Combination Wrench https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085CSMQJ6

[defblade]

skwdenyer said:

I know I probably need to hand in my thread creds, but don't forget rolls are available on their own

The piece-meal mish-mash way I've accumulated tools over the last, oh, 30 - 35 years means they wouldn't look good as a "set"... (tho I think I could put a set together) ...and obviously, looks are the most important thing here

Trustmeimadoctor said:

This surely

Wera 05020231001 6003 Joker 11 Set 1 Combination Wrench https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085CSMQJ6

Yes, tempting and just about man-maths justifiable/affordable due to unique features; is missing sizes at the bottom end ( a 6 and 7 can be useful... can't recall needing a 9mm, ever?!!)

[outnumbered]

A ladder stand-off. https://www.screwfix.com/p/ladder-stand-off/3571p The same thing is a bit cheaper at B&Q but it was further to drive.

Mrs Outnumbered will be happy as I can now clear out the gutters single-handed, rather than chucking all the ste down on her head while she holds the ladder.

[dickymint]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

This surely

Wera 05020231001 6003 Joker 11 Set 1 Combination Wrench https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085CSMQJ6

Now in my book those are not "Joker" wrenches as they don't have the 'holding plate' to hold the nut/bolt..........





https://www-de.wera.de/en/great-tools/joker/

Or maybe they have the threaded hole so you can buy the plates separately as they do sell them as spares?

[GeneralBanter]

defblade said:

I bought a roll of brake-line spanners a week or so ago for working on the car.

I normally sort my tools into tubs of "types" so spanners in one tub, sockets in another, screwdrivers in another and so on.

But using the new roll, I really enjoyed the sensation of having each size in a labelled pocket instead of having to root through the tub, so much so that I'm looking to treat myself a nice new set of normal combination spanners... in a roll.
(My main sockets are on a rail already, in case you're wondering. I don't have to dig for them. And the 10mm is still there!)

Some sets look very very spendy... is something like this amazon set likely to be ok, or is there a price vs quality champion out there?

(I have never previously worried about the quality of my spanners, and AFAIK all the ones I have are still close enough to spec not to cause problems, but this thread has spoilt me )

I have two identical sets of AF combination spanners as you need two a lot of times, last year bought a great mm roll set up to 32mm it weighs a ton but by goodness the larger sizes have been useful. Just got some AF ultra thin spanners after looking EVERYWHERE for ages - off Amazon and FIVE times they sent me mm instead so FIVE times I had to return them so in the end I gave up, found the manufacturer in the US, and emailed them to explain and they sent me a set free! They’re not the crap stamped/punched type but proper thin forged ones.

[SlimJim16v]

The answer to elusive 10mm tools? This is on its way to me from aliexpress.

[pocketspring]

SlimJim16v said:

The answer to elusive 10mm tools? This is on its way to me from aliexpress.

Go one up and clip it onto an extendable lanyard.

[S6PNJ]

SlimJim16v said:

The answer to elusive 10mm tools? This is on its way to me from aliexpress.

Link please!

[SlimJim16v]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005948452390.h...

[dickymint]

SlimJim16v said:

The answer to elusive 10mm tools? This is on its way to me from aliexpress.

It's a 10mm you should have bought a few spares

[Baldchap]

sparkythecat said:

donkmeister said:

As this thread has become "recommend me tools" to an extent, has anyone bought a cheapy £30-40 torque tester and checked how accurate the calibration is after a period of time?

I know I could test with a weight hanging off the bar but I think I would check cal much more frequently with a simple dial or digital tester. Quoted accuracy is in the +/-2% range, but no idea how true that is or how much they drift.

Not going to buy a £2,000 one from RS either


ETA this is for calibrating my own torque wrenches, then checking them regularly. Not instead of a torque wrench.

<<waits eagerly for the answer to this one>>

Easy to do without specific gear.

https://www.wikihow.com/Calibrate-a-Torque-Wrench

[Craikeybaby]

The question wanted something easier than hanging a weight off the handle...

[hidetheelephants]

Craikeybaby said:

The question wanted something easier than hanging a weight off the handle...

He wants something that doesn't exist; the choice is thousands of £ on a calibration machine or hanging weights off it or using a spring balance to do a quick shadetree calibration check. Torque wrenches do not wander off calibration quickly unless abused, always unwind the adjuster after use.