Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[R56Cooper]

The Evolution saws have a good reputation considering the price - I have the little fixed mitre one - https://www.screwfix.com/p/evolution-r210cms-210mm...

It's quite light so very handy to grab for little jobs. I've used it for lots of skirting, architraves and boxing in and have been very happy with the results.

Also used it for decking and building raised planters. It will cut 47 * 150mm decking joists, albeit this was right at the limit of its cutting range.

[Arnold Cunningham]

I felt sliding was beneficial (the bosch does that).

I did consider the evolution equivalent - bit more capability than the bosch with a double bevel and a bit cheaper, but also read the reviews that say the sliding mechanism isn't very accurate and a bit wobbly.

[RizzoTheRat]

Carbon Sasquatch said:

It doesn't matter - the Range Rover scissor jack is notoriously 'chocolate' - use it at your peril. Even on firm & level ground it has been known to fold,

It really is an embarrassment that they still fit them. I guess they are assuming that very few owners actually change their own wheels.

Have you ever used one of the old Landrover jacks that slotted in to a hole under the bumper? Always looked scary as hell as you need to lift the thing a good foot or more to get the wheel off the ground, and the bit you insert in to the car folds down rather up so I always had visions of it just rolling forwards and the jack folding underneath.

[Mark Benson]

I have a sliding mitre saw, but if I was looking again I'd be tempted by one of the cutting stations that are available now which use a standard circular saw, for instance: https://www.kregtool.com/shop/cutting/circular-saw...

Or go one step further and buy one of the systems that use a tracksaw, so you can crosscut and cut panels on one table: https://www.kregtool.com/shop/cutting/track-saw-cu...

Just chose Kreg because I remembered they do these systems, there are other manufacturers making similar systems or alternatively lots of Youtube videos on how to make your own.

[anonymous-user]

A good bargain, and £106 with the discount code HAWKTOOLS15. Nylon wheels too:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154820315653?mkcid=16&a...

[Trustmeimadoctor]

What's different between that and the silvery 2.5 ton aluminium jack

the one you link certainly doent seem to have nylon wheels

Edited by Trustmeimadoctor on Monday 27th June 14:47

[akirk]

Mark Benson said:

I have a sliding mitre saw, but if I was looking again I'd be tempted by one of the cutting stations that are available now which use a standard circular saw, for instance: https://www.kregtool.com/shop/cutting/circular-saw...

Or go one step further and buy one of the systems that use a tracksaw, so you can crosscut and cut panels on one table: https://www.kregtool.com/shop/cutting/track-saw-cu...

Just chose Kreg because I remembered they do these systems, there are other manufacturers making similar systems or alternatively lots of Youtube videos on how to make your own.

I have some Kreg stuff and it is okay - but not amazing, very much plastic everywhere! (appreciate you are just using them as an example)
The table is moving in the direction of an MFT such as those sold at huge price by Festool and they are a very useful tool - but I think used very differently than a mitre saw - which is used for very quick cuts I often use mine for repeated cuts to the same length - e.g. set up a stop 70cm from the blade and run some long timber through it 56 times => instant giant jenga set for the garden (made several recently) - the sanding takes ages, but the cutting with a mitre saw takes literally minutes - setting up tracksaws etc. takes a lot longer.

[thebraketester]

V6 Pushfit said:

A good bargain, and £106 with the discount code HAWKTOOLS15. Nylon wheels too:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154820315653?mkcid=16&a...

That's got a real sill chewer on it.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

thebraketester said:

That's got a real sill chewer on it.

that one better


used with one of these

Edited by Trustmeimadoctor on Monday 27th June 14:56

[Dave.]

RizzoTheRat said:

Have you ever used one of the old Landrover jacks that slotted in to a hole under the bumper? Always looked scary as hell as you need to lift the thing a good foot or more to get the wheel off the ground, and the bit you insert in to the car folds down rather up so I always had visions of it just rolling forwards and the jack folding underneath.

Damn that brings back memories!

Coming out to a completely flat tyre and having to change it before school when I was about 14/15.

Also swapped over a full set of wheels on my Defender when I first got it, took me fking hours!

[Dave.]

Slow said:

People dont trust these ones with almost 3 ton of car on them basically.

More recently had the joy of using one of these too, on a completely flat tyre.

Not fun at all, having read quite a bit on the forums previously.

Ironically I’d just bought a 3 tonne jack from SGS (named for its weight, as well as its rating!), but I was out and about so had to use the widow-maker.

[Drumroll]

Mark Benson said:

I have a sliding mitre saw, but if I was looking again I'd be tempted by one of the cutting stations that are available now which use a standard circular saw, for instance: https://www.kregtool.com/shop/cutting/circular-saw...



Just chose Kreg because I remembered they do these systems, there are other manufacturers making similar systems or alternatively lots of Youtube videos on how to make your own.

Seems a lot of faff for something that a mitre saw would just do.

[Teddy Lop]

Dave. said:

Slow said:

People dont trust these ones with almost 3 ton of car on them basically.

More recently had the joy of using one of these too, on a completely flat tyre.

Not fun at all, having read quite a bit on the forums previously.

Ironically I’d just bought a 3 tonne jack from SGS (named for its weight, as well as its rating!), but I was out and about so had to use the widow-maker.

Sorry but can someone explain to me what's so ominously dangerous about scissor jacks? Do you think the car is going to spontaneously roll onto its side should the jack fail, crushing the unlucky chap attempting to fit the wheel? Or does your wheel changing technique include a step where you have your head in the wheel arch for a couple of minutes, checking the arch liner for detritus?

Have used them many a time including on transits so 3t+. That said I'm surprised something like a rangie with trick air suspension doesn't have a mode that does the work for you, ie car lifts one corner to max, you simply insert a brace/chock bar, car drops corner lifting wheel off ground, volia!

[gfreeman]

thebraketester said:

That's got a real sill chewer on it.

Hockey puck solves that.

[anonymous-user]

gfreeman said:

Hockey puck solves that.

I wonder if ice hockey supply companies realise the alternative use for their merch...

[anonymous-user]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

What's different between that and the silvery 2.5 ton aluminium jack

the one you link certainly doent seem to have nylon wheels

Edited by Trustmeimadoctor on Monday 27th June 14:47

Apparently so. I'll find out later this week....

[LeadFarmer]

gfreeman said:

Hockey puck solves that.

Not my image, but I use a low profile Halfords trolley jack and a jacking put that is shaped to fit around the cill of my Yeti, so the it lifts on the correct area and doesn't crush a metal seem that is next to the jacking point, something like this..

[Carbon Sasquatch]

Teddy Lop said:

Sorry but can someone explain to me what's so ominously dangerous about scissor jacks? Do you think the car is going to spontaneously roll onto its side should the jack fail, crushing the unlucky chap attempting to fit the wheel? Or does your wheel changing technique include a step where you have your head in the wheel arch for a couple of minutes, checking the arch liner for detritus?

Have used them many a time including on transits so 3t+. That said I'm surprised something like a rangie with trick air suspension doesn't have a mode that does the work for you, ie car lifts one corner to max, you simply insert a brace/chock bar, car drops corner lifting wheel off ground, volia!

The one that Range Rover supply seems to be particularly weak. Likely combined with quite how high you need to jack a Range Rover up to change a wheel. There is some lateral movement as the height increases and there have been a number of reported failures as the jack just folds in half.

[gfreeman]

LeadFarmer said:

Not my image, but I use a low profile Halfords trolley jack and a jacking put that is shaped to fit around the cill of my Yeti, so the it lifts on the correct area and doesn't crush a metal seem that is next to the jacking point, something like this..

Hockey puck £1.85 Amazon

Jacking Pads £8-25.

Some are identical to the hockey puck...

[Mark Benson]

Drumroll said:

Mark Benson said:

I have a sliding mitre saw, but if I was looking again I'd be tempted by one of the cutting stations that are available now which use a standard circular saw, for instance: https://www.kregtool.com/shop/cutting/circular-saw...



Just chose Kreg because I remembered they do these systems, there are other manufacturers making similar systems or alternatively lots of Youtube videos on how to make your own.

Seems a lot of faff for something that a mitre saw would just do.

The cutting stations are a lot cheaper than even a basic chop saw and just as versatile as a decent mitre saw. Better width capacity than a lot of saws too.

The MFTs have a much bigger width capacity and many more uses too, if you have a tracksaw already they're comparable in price to buying a reasonable mitre saw (Evolution, lower end Bosch etc).

I do take the point that a great benefit of the mitre saw is the repeatability, I have mine inset into a bench which has T-track set into it and I can just set a stop to cut multiple lengths quickly but a Festool MFT copy could do the same. I'm certainly tempted to go MFT in the future.