Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[MG-Steve]

Another vote for the evolution rage stuff, I have the sliding mitre saw, mostly used for chopping firewood but I recently replaced a staircase and it made short work of the mitre joints and the angled cuts for the spindles took about 10 mins once setup!
I have even cut 6mm mild steel angle iron with it, wasn’t ideal but did 8 cuts with no problem and still using the same original blade.

[Greendubber]

A Harris wallpaper cutting guide for getting a nice straight line at the bottom. Absolute godsend!

[gazzarose]

We bought a Rage one about 10 or so years ago for building exhibition stands twice a year. The stands were only simple free standing decking but it made light work of it. It also got used a lot in my house and other colleagues houses. I found the original blade was getting a bit tired by the the time I did my stair case so I bought a nice fine blade for it and it was infinitely better than I you ever have achieved by hand. We then wanted to make some steel frames in work, so we treated it to a new multi blade, and while a bit scary, it cut through 50mm box section quite happily.

[garylythgoe]

Thanks all!

[alock]

A 7m docapole with gutter cleaning attachment. No more climbing ladders to remove lumps of moss.

[Sheepshanks]

Greendubber said:

A Harris wallpaper cutting guide for getting a nice straight line at the bottom. Absolute godsend!

Got one of those but can't get on with it.


What I did used to have for trimming wallpaper was a sort of offset bar that held a standard razor blade at the end. I have it my head it came from Ikea, but not sure. It went missing a few years ago and I can't find anything like it.

[anonymous-user]

One of those drill driver bit holders that has a retracting slidy cowl over it. I didn't buy it, it came as part of a gift. I only recently discovered what it was for, to give a bit more support and direction to a longer screw when perhaps you can't reach to hold it steady.
Doh! I am an amateur, mind.

[Greendubber]

Sheepshanks said:

Got one of those but can't get on with it.


What I did used to have for trimming wallpaper was a sort of offset bar that held a standard razor blade at the end. I have it my head it came from Ikea, but not sure. It went missing a few years ago and I can't find anything like it.

I have to make sure it's in exactly the right place and have a nice new blade to cut it with, I've cocked it up a few times when I first got it but now I seem to have got the hang of it.

[skwdenyer]

gazzarose said:

We bought a Rage one about 10 or so years ago for building exhibition stands twice a year. The stands were only simple free standing decking but it made light work of it. It also got used a lot in my house and other colleagues houses. I found the original blade was getting a bit tired by the the time I did my stair case so I bought a nice fine blade for it and it was infinitely better than I you ever have achieved by hand. We then wanted to make some steel frames in work, so we treated it to a new multi blade, and while a bit scary, it cut through 50mm box section quite happily.

Another vote for the Evolution Rage mitre saw.
I’ve cut masses of unistrut with the multi purpose blade. Wear googgles when doing that

With any mitre saw, learn how to set it up properly - from the factory then can be up to a degree out of alignment, which buggers up mitre joints...

[Mark Benson]

skwdenyer said:

Another vote for the Evolution Rage mitre saw.
I’ve cut masses of unistrut with the multi purpose blade. Wear googgles when doing that

With any mitre saw, learn how to set it up properly - from the factory then can be up to a degree out of alignment, which buggers up mitre joints...

Simple to understand video for Evolution saw setup here.
Although this is a new saw, the principle and method of adjustment is the same on my older saw.

[allatsea]

Watchman said:

Go on.. what have you ordered?

So,

Hadn't seen the Wera tools, so thought these looked good.....

Wera Bit-Check 30 Impaktor 1 TriTorsion Long Service Life Bits with Impaktor holder, 30pc, 05057690001

Wera 8000 B SB Zyklop Speed Multi-function Ratchet, 3/8" x 199 mm, 05073261001

Then saw the possibility of driving cheaper tools from my Makita batteries, fancied a new detail sander, so......

Ryobi R18PS-0 18V ONE+ Cordless Corner Palm Sander (Body Only)

Badaptor MAK-RYO Makita to Ryobi Battery Adapter

You can never have enough 'knives' so.....

Bessey BESDBKPH A- K Displays, Multi-Colour, 160 mm

Very pleased with them all.

Wera kit and ratchet are very nice.

Ryobi really isn't the quality of makita, but I knew that, adapter works perfectly, but unbalances the tool, not a major issue.

The 'stanley knife' reimagined is great.

All in all a worthwhile afternoon reading the thread and Amazon ordering!

Now, what else do I need......

AaS

[Teddy Lop]

Okay a silly one perhaps but I didn't know they existed till the mrs left one on the fridge



it's a retractable sharpie motherfkers. How many times have I been hanging off a step ladder with a tape in one hand and trying to teeth the lid off a sharpie? The games changed folks.

[dickymint]

Teddy Lop said:

Okay a silly one perhaps but I didn't know they existed till the mrs left one on the fridge



it's a retractable sharpie motherfkers. How many times have I been hanging off a step ladder with a tape in one hand and trying to teeth the lid off a sharpie? The games changed folks.

Brilliant many thanks - my problem is faffing around putting the top back on after using it every time i cut something.

[Jambo85]

Thanks to whoever suggested using a paddle bit in an impact driver! 22mm holes through joists in seconds, with all the woodworking finesse of your average plumber. Superb.

Honestly don’t see me buying another cordless drill.

[Jakg]

Jambo85 said:

Thanks to whoever suggested using a paddle bit in an impact driver! 22mm holes through joists in seconds, with all the woodworking finesse of your average plumber. Superb.

Honestly don’t see me buying another cordless drill.

Be careful - cheap spade bits aren't very strong and if you overdo it an impact driver will happily bend them.

[Teddy Lop]

bristolracer said:

Teddy Lop said:

bristolracer said:

Just remember once you start putting screws in with impact drivers, the only way you will ever get them out again is with an impact driver.
A screwdriver wont ever get them out again .

Have you ever used an impact driver?

Have you ever tried getting floorboards up that have been put down by the average labourer armed with an impact driver?
Oversized screws- check
Screw heads screwed 5mm into the wood -check
Screws put in at an angle- check
You will never get them out armed only with a screwdriver

TBF a plumber might use a hammer to fix the floor down with massive nails to similar effect but its not the equipment at fault - I find impact drivers easier to control as they go superfast then slow right down when torquing up, and being less prone to cam out should leave the the screws more easily removable by the less fortunate, manual tool equipped plebs:P

[guindilias]

And many builders are guilty of hammering in screws as a first fix... if they manage to get them in far enough without bending them, it's either a claw hammer or an impact driver to get them out!

[gtidriver]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

I like my wera version zyklop mini ratchet https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BT0G5UY/ref=cm_sw_r...

I had this in my hand luggage, it got through LHR T5 security just fine, but the security officer at Johannesburg airport, ill call him Mr Thief "confiscated" it as apparently its a multi tool. Im sure that made its way home, i mean straight to the bin for later destruction. Brother in law is immigration officer and said that was fine to carry in hand luggage. Another has been ordered after seeing this post, cheers.

[Doofus]

guindilias said:

And many builders are guilty of hammering in screws as a first fix... if they manage to get them in far enough without bending them, it's either a claw hammer or an impact driver to get them out!

I bought a house in which the previous owner (a 'carpenter') hammered all his screws in as dar ashe could, then bent them over 90 degrees and hammered them flat into the wood and then filled the scar with wood filler.

[allegro]

will be getting some of these tomorrow. Extremely usefully bit of kit for no money!
https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/p/product-recommendation...