Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[JimbobVFR]

Watchman said:

My Amazon wish list could be better described as a DeWalt catalogue.

Mine too. I may be slightly addicted to T-Stak. I've got a 4 high tower so far.

I'd quite like to add a cordless grinder and rattle gun to my collection so the stak could get taller soon.

[Greendubber]

I wish I'd got my 40 quid Screwfix vacuum years ago. Used it for sucking up rubble, water, sanding dust, saw dust, decorating mess etc and it's still going.

Even use it for doing the car and its class, much better than when I trashed the Dyson sucking up plaster dust!

[gareth_r]

An impact ratchet.

Only the cheapo Sealey rather than a Milwaukee or Snap On, and it's a bit of a luxury item, but it was so much easier to remove and refit the sixteen screws that retain the bike's sump.

[darreni]

Watchman said:

And today the "other" anvil turned up so I could compare.

Thoughts: The hog ring makes it harder to push a socket on but easier to remove. The detent pin is the opposite but only just - complaints I've read about having to need to push something thin through the socket hole to release it from the detent pin are unfounded IMO. Perhaps people just need to lube the pin from time to time but this new one works just fine - I can remove the socket with little fuss.

Haven't decided whether to swap the anvils over or leave as-is yet. I'll keep both for when I fancy a change.

Cool, I’ve just bought the hog ring version to change the cv joints on the wife’s a class & a full suspension replacement on my CSL. I’ve not used mine yet, so would be interested to hear how you are getting on with yours.

[Bill]

dickymint said:

Now's the time to turn your attention to the garden - Strimmer, hedge trimmer, leaf blower... even Makita lawnmowers do a good job with twin batteries.

Go on you know you want to

Too late!

[Jakg]

darreni said:

Cool, I’ve just bought the hog ring version to change the cv joints on the wife’s a class & a full suspension replacement on my CSL. I’ve not used mine yet, so would be interested to hear how you are getting on with yours.

After years messing round with cheap but rubbish impact wrenches, and loving (but abusing) my bosch impact driver (but just wishing it was more powerful) I finally shelled out on the Dewalt.

I've only had to use it a couple of times but it's just effortless.

Crusty rear shock bolt that's not been touched in 15 years? No bother.



Only complaint would be it's heavy and large - it's difficult to get into some awkward places. I'm now eyeing up it's smaller brother.

[V40TC]

dead handy and far better than older variant.
found from youtuber:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLFbTVnY1UsqChkPB...

[Watchman]

Jakg said:

darreni said:

Cool, I’ve just bought the hog ring version to change the cv joints on the wife’s a class & a full suspension replacement on my CSL. I’ve not used mine yet, so would be interested to hear how you are getting on with yours.

After years messing round with cheap but rubbish impact wrenches, and loving (but abusing) my bosch impact driver (but just wishing it was more powerful) I finally shelled out on the Dewalt.

I've only had to use it a couple of times but it's just effortless.

Crusty rear shock bolt that's not been touched in 15 years? No bother.



Only complaint would be it's heavy and large - it's difficult to get into some awkward places. I'm now eyeing up it's smaller brother.

As above, it's monstrous. You have to be careful when tightening things - well, I just stop when it's "nipped" and torque properly from there.

But it will undo anything - I mean, it'll no doubt turn the earth backwards if I could find a suitable nut head to apply it to.

Tstak was mentioned too... I have 5 of those big boxes, one smaller one that came with my drill, a parts box with a clear lid, two sets of the 2x drawers, a trolley (big box with wheels and a handle), two castor platforms and a small tough case caddy... but no tough cases yet. I'm kind of hoping you'll be able to buy the small cases and put into them whatever you want rather buying sets of screwdrivers and drills.

Tstak is addictive. You may already know that Tstak fits Stanley boxes too, and Craftsman if you can find it in the UK. I've got mostly DeWalt but the trolley is Stanley - I found it too cheaply advertised so snapped it up. Don't think the vendor understood what it was. DeWalt versions are 70 something quid - I paid 40-odd.

[Kev_Mk3]

some great tool suggestions

[Pat H]

I keep looking at those Knipex 86 03 250 adjustable spanners.

But at the end of the day, can they do anything beyond the decent sets of spanners and sockets that I already have?

[redandwhite]

Watchman said:

In preparation for a road trip into the Arctic circle, I swapped my old wheels and tyres for set of new wheels shod with brand new winter tyres that I've had stored in the garage for a couple of months.

It was hard work. The wheels and tyres are nearly 40Kg each, and I'm unfit. I'm taking a pair of the old wheels/tyres with me as spares but the thought of actually having to change them at the roadside fills me with dread so I stumped up the cash for one of these.



Amazon has the hog ring version some £35 cheaper than the pin-locator version so I ordered the hog ring one and a spare anvil with the pin for £15 and I'll decide which one I prefer when they arrive. I'll likely only ever use it for wheel nuts so whichever variant holds a 17mm impact socket the best will win.

I've also ordered a car charger for DeWalt batteries. Not sure I'll ever need it but I like to have options.

Do you have a link/part number please?

[Watchman]

redandwhite said:

Do you have a link/part number please?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VXN7SH6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_QBWlEbH5TW9EB

[Mark Benson]

Pat H said:

I keep looking at those Knipex 86 03 250 adjustable spanners.

But at the end of the day, can they do anything beyond the decent sets of spanners and sockets that I already have?

Never, ever ask yourself this again.

[Pat H]

Mark Benson said:

Pat H said:

I keep looking at those Knipex 86 03 250 adjustable spanners.

But at the end of the day, can they do anything beyond the decent sets of spanners and sockets that I already have?

Never, ever ask yourself this again.

You are quite right.

I am ashamed of myself.

And I apologise.

It won't happen again.

[bobski1]

Looking for a drill & impact driver set, max budget £200, any recommendations?

[Watchman]

Batteries turned up. Cor, they're quite large. Comparisons:

Original 1.5Ah




New 5Ah




About double the size, double the weight, but over three times the capacity

[Mark Benson]

bobski1 said:

Looking for a drill & impact driver set, max budget £200, any recommendations?

Usual advice is whatever from the Makita/DeWalt/Milwaukee/Bosch Blue twinpacks are on offer and within your budget and Screwfix or Toolstation.

All much as good as one another for similar price points and all will stand up to DIY work pretty well.

[Olas]

My favourite tool is an inspection mirror with a swivel mount, on a telescopic handle. Looking for the bolt you dropped has never been more enjoyable

[Muncher]

I cannot begin to think how many hours will be "wasted" by posting these links but here goes...

There is a YouTube channel called "Essential Craftsman" which features an american contractor and blacksmith who produces lots of really interesting videos about construction, tools, making things, messing around with chainsaws.

He is currently building a house, for no other reason than to produce a whole series of videos explaining every single step in a methodical but easy to follow manner. It's about 60 videos in so far, one or two videos are uploaded each week and they've just got to second floor level.

Anyway, this guy loves his tools, here are a few tool specific videos, check out the rest if you want to consume hundreds of hours of your life!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBLV6MGX31A - 5 problem solving tools

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_f_6QsWutY - top 10 tools

All the rest are here... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzr30osBdTmuFUS8I...

[triple5]

Darn you Muncher, another one to follow