Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[Gompo]

dickymint said:

Oh yes but keep your pinkies out of the way

Cheers.. The traditional Stanley knife is probably the best for me, but it's nice to have something different when there's a few knives floating about on site.

[Dog Star]

ecotec said:

HairyMaclary said:

My Makita 18v Impact Driver.

Oh and my Matika work light, combi drill, hedge trimmer, sander... Great that the battery works on all the Makita stuff.

I need a site radio next

you need the coffee maker!


https://www.makitauk.com/product/dcm501z.html

Woaaaah! I need that! NEEEEED it!

I've got one of those cordless impact screwdrivers - it's amazing, it just piles massive screws through 5 inch posts, Fisher fixings into concrete and brick etc. It's just fab. Got a 1/2" impact jobbie that's good for car work as well.

That coffee maker would go well with my site speaker.

[Watchman]

B17NNS said:

Watchman said:

Can't get my head around the radios for either. The tech is hardly groundbreaking yet they're £200.

I've got the ToughSystem radio. Does sound good and has cracking bass. Doubles as a charger too. But as you say, expensive and not really essential.

Maybe not. But it exists so now I want one. Damn DeWalt if they bring out a bloody coffee maker.

B17NNS said:

V8mate said:

What's the consensus on Milwaukee tools? I'd never heard of them until a year ago, and now they're everywhere.

It's good kit.

My utility knife, bought from a UK website, is coming from the US. So maybe not actually that big over here yet. They are all over YouTube though.

B17NNS said:

CoolHands said:

I bought some knipex spring hose clamp pliers. £53 but worth it.

Knipex are the king of pliers. Their VDE stuff is lovely.

I have just added two different Knipex pliers to my wish list. That’s another £150 my wife will want to beat me for.

[Dog Star]

Watchman said:

I have just added two different Knipex pliers to my wish list. That’s another £150 my wife will want to beat me for.

It's always funny when Mrs DS goes in the garage - it's just full of tools that have miraculously appeared.

One thing to be aware of though - if you don't tell the Mrs what you have been spending, or tell her that £400 socket set or pressure washer "was only £50" you might end up woefully underinsured if your garage gets broken into. I know this from bitter experience.

[V8mate]

Watchman said:

B17NNS said:

V8mate said:

What's the consensus on Milwaukee tools? I'd never heard of them until a year ago, and now they're everywhere.

It's good kit.

My utility knife, bought from a UK website, is coming from the US. So maybe not actually that big over here yet. They are all over YouTube though.

Screwfix has been promoting the brand for the last 12 months. They don't have the knife though

[nyt]

smack said:

My dad is a long time Makita fanboy, and giving me some of his older 18V tools (The old 'my local tool shop has a newer tool I already have, but they sold to me at half price as the box was damaged' excuse - yeah, sure......). So I have ordered some 5A batteries and a charger on a good deal so I can use them, have some high amp batteries for future purchases. I'll pick up smaller battery or two no doubt.

I can see these free power tools are actually cost me a lot of money...

Probably too late, but could you use one of these so that any batteries you buy can be used in Makita's current range.
Li-Ion last longer too.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Makita-18V-Li-ion-batte...

[AC43]

OK so my vote goes to this fellah.

Dug a hole for the new tree last night (and smashed up loads of submerged concrete patio to do so). Realised the site lines from the house meant I'd dug the hole in the wrong place so dug a second one (and had to smash up another section of concrete). Way easier then using a sledghammer.


https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Carbon-Steel-Demol...

[dickymint]

V8mate said:

Watchman said:

B17NNS said:

V8mate said:

What's the consensus on Milwaukee tools? I'd never heard of them until a year ago, and now they're everywhere.

It's good kit.

My utility knife, bought from a UK website, is coming from the US. So maybe not actually that big over here yet. They are all over YouTube though.

Screwfix has been promoting the brand for the last 12 months. They don't have the knife though

I really really really wish I'd not found this..............................

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Milwaukee-4932459763-Shoc...

[smack]

ben5575 said:

Best price I found online for Makita battery/chargers deal at the moment.

https://www.ukplanettools.co.uk

paulrockliffe said:

I reckon for most DIY stuff you're better with more smaller batteries - They're lighter. I have same 4s I picked up on Gumtree that are great, but if I was buying new I'd go smaller, I rarely run flat mid-job and when ever I have they charge faster than you can use them in most jobs, so it's no big deal so long as you have spares.

Yes, I know you are right, hence why I'll get smaller batteries down the line, but my evil plan is to get a 36V chainsaw, so I can cut up fallen trees all around us in the forest on the quiet for my log burner, so needing 2 high capacity batteries, and get a reciprocating saw for some upcoming demo work I need to do, and general smaller tree cutting around the property. But I might as well do some forward thinking and have those ready to go when I pick up those new toys.

paulrockliffe said:

Plus if you have more tools you can use more of them at the same time without swapping batteries.

Sounds a bit daft, but if you're screwing wood together it's much quicker if you have two drills and a driver so you're not messing about swapping drill bits - pilot, countersink, screwdriver. Once you start cutting the wood as well you're into 4 batteries.

Not daft! When I am spannering cars, I have duplication and more of ratchets for that exact reason. Plus I have a tool fetish, so I buy a new tool for the most thin logical reason for justification..... Better than a Crack habit I guess.

[dickymint]

smack said:

ben5575 said:

Best price I found online for Makita battery/chargers deal at the moment.

https://www.ukplanettools.co.uk

paulrockliffe said:

I reckon for most DIY stuff you're better with more smaller batteries - They're lighter. I have same 4s I picked up on Gumtree that are great, but if I was buying new I'd go smaller, I rarely run flat mid-job and when ever I have they charge faster than you can use them in most jobs, so it's no big deal so long as you have spares.

Yes, I know you are right, hence why I'll get smaller batteries down the line, but my evil plan is to get a 36V chainsaw, so I can cut up fallen trees all around us in the forest on the quiet for my log burner, so needing 2 high capacity batteries, and get a reciprocating saw for some upcoming demo work I need to do, and general smaller tree cutting around the property. But I might as well do some forward thinking and have those ready to go when I pick up those new toys.

paulrockliffe said:

Plus if you have more tools you can use more of them at the same time without swapping batteries.

Sounds a bit daft, but if you're screwing wood together it's much quicker if you have two drills and a driver so you're not messing about swapping drill bits - pilot, countersink, screwdriver. Once you start cutting the wood as well you're into 4 batteries.

Not daft! When I am spannering cars, I have duplication and more of ratchets for that exact reason. Plus I have a tool fetish, so I buy a new tool for the most thin logical reason for justification..... Better than a Crack habit I guess.

You won’t be cutting many trees/logs with only 2 5ah batteries in one charge. And I would definitely not be going down the smaller battery route - 5ah is minimum in my view and there’s very little in it as regards weight.

Also there are some very good Makita “knock off” batteries out there. I’ve had two 6ah ones for about 30quid each for over a year now (mainly for my twin battery strimmer) very happy with them.

[Alucidnation]

Gompo said:

dickymint said:

Wait!! before you splash your cash take a look at my weapon of choice - love the way you just flick it open..............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9bf5WxVnBE

Had mine over two years and love it. This is the new version with a 45* lock so i'm buying another

Tempted myself, does it fold back down with one hand too? I've had folding 'Stanley' knives before and find it a bit of a pain when I have to use both hands to put it away..

Those things are lethal with the blade change, especially once the slot gets grime and dust in there, as the blade gets difficult to push in and can slice your fingers open if you aren't careful!

Although for DIY use i guess they are ok.


We get the Stanley 10-777 retractable locking knife for our guys but they are almost impossible to find in the uk now.

[dickymint]

Alucidnation said:

Gompo said:

dickymint said:

Wait!! before you splash your cash take a look at my weapon of choice - love the way you just flick it open..............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9bf5WxVnBE

Had mine over two years and love it. This is the new version with a 45* lock so i'm buying another

Tempted myself, does it fold back down with one hand too? I've had folding 'Stanley' knives before and find it a bit of a pain when I have to use both hands to put it away..

Those things are lethal with the blade change, especially once the slot gets grime and dust in there, as the blade gets difficult to push in and can slice your fingers open if you aren't careful!

Although for DIY use i guess they are ok.


We get the Stanley 10-777 retractable locking knife for our guys but they are almost impossible to find in the uk now.

Never heard of maintenance and cleaning......O wait you’re an electrician

[guindilias]

Dog Star said:

Woaaaah! I need that! NEEEEED it!

I've got one of those cordless impact screwdrivers - it's amazing, it just piles massive screws through 5 inch posts, Fisher fixings into concrete and brick etc. It's just fab. Got a 1/2" impact jobbie that's good for car work as well.

That coffee maker would go well with my site speaker.

You can get an adaptor to make a battery into a usb power pack as well, if your phone runs flat away from home!

[paulrockliffe]

dickymint said:

5ah is minimum in my view and there’s very little in it as regards weight.

I was about to post that the 6aH batteries are twice the weight of the 3s, but I went and checked and you're right. Ignore my previous advice!

Not sure what's happened, but last time I looked you could get smaller batteries that were also lighter. I presume it's the bigger batteries getting lighter and that tech not being passed onto the smaller batteries as surely if they're the same tech they should weigh proportionally less.

My Dad has Dewalt gear (burn the heretic!) and has batteries that are maybe 2Ah and about 15mm thick, they're noticeably lighter than my Makita batteries in use.

[Dog Star]

Makita LXT batteries - I've got about 4 1.5Ah, a 4Ah and a pair of 6Ah. The 6Ah ones I got from Amazon and they are copies, but they've been 100% fine and the pair of them manage to power my lawnmower through the entire front lawn, which is the main thing.

[dickymint]

paulrockliffe said:

dickymint said:

5ah is minimum in my view and there’s very little in it as regards weight.

I was about to post that the 6aH batteries are twice the weight of the 3s, but I went and checked and you're right. Ignore my previous advice!

Not sure what's happened, but last time I looked you could get smaller batteries that were also lighter. I presume it's the bigger batteries getting lighter and that tech not being passed onto the smaller batteries as surely if they're the same tech they should weigh proportionally less.

My Dad has Dewalt gear (burn the heretic!) and has batteries that are maybe 2Ah and about 15mm thick, they're noticeably lighter than my Makita batteries in use.

Also the newer (top of the range) "bodies" are significantly smaller and lighter than before. My Makita impact driver is tiny!

[dickymint]

guindilias said:

Dog Star said:

Woaaaah! I need that! NEEEEED it!

I've got one of those cordless impact screwdrivers - it's amazing, it just piles massive screws through 5 inch posts, Fisher fixings into concrete and brick etc. It's just fab. Got a 1/2" impact jobbie that's good for car work as well.

That coffee maker would go well with my site speaker.

You can get an adaptor to make a battery into a usb power pack as well, if your phone runs flat away from home!

The two 6ah Makita "knock off2 batteries I bought have a USB built in

Edit:



Also note the voltage.....

[herewego]

Dog Star said:

Makita LXT batteries - I've got about 4 1.5Ah, a 4Ah and a pair of 6Ah. The 6Ah ones I got from Amazon and they are copies, but they've been 100% fine and the pair of them manage to power my lawnmower through the entire front lawn, which is the main thing.

I bought two copies, I thought how bad can they be? They both failed at six months, absolute scam.

[dickymint]

herewego said:

Dog Star said:

Makita LXT batteries - I've got about 4 1.5Ah, a 4Ah and a pair of 6Ah. The 6Ah ones I got from Amazon and they are copies, but they've been 100% fine and the pair of them manage to power my lawnmower through the entire front lawn, which is the main thing.

I bought two copies, I thought how bad can they be? They both failed at six months, absolute scam.

Make and model please so that i can avoid...........unless they're the same as mine as my two are (so far) excellent.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

18V stuff is all 20v