Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[DocJock]

Powerfile.

Great for dressing my ugly welds and also really useful in my knife-making hobby.

[Accelebrate]

I've had a set of ratcheting spanners for a while, they've been very useful. I recently got a second set that are also flexible - even more useful. I also purchased a flexible ratchet recently and wished I had sooner.

Vibrating multi-tool thing gets used surprisingly frequently. I've been cutting a lot of traps in flooring recently to replace radiator tails and it's great for doing plunge cuts close to skirting.

Clones of SnapOns 'wobble plus' extensions (or the real thing) are great - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ2N7XR3Wc8

I've had a large impact driver for a while and used it a lot, I purchased a compact 12v Bosch Pro recently and it's arguably more useful. Good for squeezing into tight spaces in floors etc. and still plenty powerful.

[sjj84]

dmsims said:

Slightly cheaper alternative

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-erb561srg-700w-...

Would this be suitable for spraying internal doors?

Pleased to see a lot of the tools praised on here I have in my tool kit, I am a bit obsessive about reading reviews and buying the best tools for the job.

[ben5575]

DocJock said:

Powerfile.

Great for dressing my ugly welds and also really useful in my knife-making hobby.

Oo, I like that. Would it strip/sand paint off iron railings etc?

[DocJock]

Yep. You get belts as coarse as 40 grit.

[Ricky146a]

sjj84 said:

Would this be suitable for spraying internal doors?

Pleased to see a lot of the tools praised on here I have in my tool kit, I am a bit obsessive about reading reviews and buying the best tools for the job.

Based on a lot of the reviews on that site, the Erbauer splutters and spits a lot with a lot of overspray so best only for fences etc.
I know that reviews are sometimes based on incorrect setup etc but I would be careful.

[rambo19]

Irwin bolt grippers.
Brilliant for rounded off nuts/bolts.

Top tip;
When you have lossened the stuck bolt with these, do the bolt back up until the bolt gripper is released, or its a git to get the bolt out of the gripper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7tGM8_OtCc

[skilly1]

Screw removal tool for when the head is rounded off. Cheap kit which works brilliantly.

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32815032623.html?pid...

£1.55 !!

[S6PNJ]

skilly1 said:

Screw removal tool for when the head is rounded off. Cheap kit which works brilliantly.

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32815032623.html?pid...

£1.55 !!

eBay - £1.48 (ps bought!)

[skwdenyer]

Ricky146a said:

sjj84 said:

Would this be suitable for spraying internal doors?

Pleased to see a lot of the tools praised on here I have in my tool kit, I am a bit obsessive about reading reviews and buying the best tools for the job.

Based on a lot of the reviews on that site, the Erbauer splutters and spits a lot with a lot of overspray so best only for fences etc.
I know that reviews are sometimes based on incorrect setup etc but I would be careful.

What would you (or anyone else) recommend? I need to spray some emulsion shortly - looking at about 1000 square feet of total coverage. Doesn't have to be perfect (painting-out a workshop), but don't want to have to keep unblocking it. For a variety of reasons, using a roller isn't appropriate in this case. I won't use it often, so don't really want to spend massive amounts of money if I can avoid it.

[psi310398]

skwdenyer said:

Ricky146a said:

sjj84 said:

Would this be suitable for spraying internal doors?

Pleased to see a lot of the tools praised on here I have in my tool kit, I am a bit obsessive about reading reviews and buying the best tools for the job.

Based on a lot of the reviews on that site, the Erbauer splutters and spits a lot with a lot of overspray so best only for fences etc.
I know that reviews are sometimes based on incorrect setup etc but I would be careful.

What would you (or anyone else) recommend? I need to spray some emulsion shortly - looking at about 1000 square feet of total coverage. Doesn't have to be perfect (painting-out a workshop), but don't want to have to keep unblocking it. For a variety of reasons, using a roller isn't appropriate in this case. I won't use it often, so don't really want to spend massive amounts of money if I can avoid it.

Look earlier in the thread for details of the Wagner XVLP system.

[skwdenyer]

psi310398 said:

Look earlier in the thread for details of the Wagner XVLP system.

Thx, will do.

[steve-5snwi]

Crumpet said:

Oh, I forgot this...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baylola-powerful-electric...

Can’t believe I’ve been mixing mortar by hand for years when this was only only £120! More time for drinking coffee and less back ache.

How much will it realistically mix in one go ?

[V8mate]

S6PNJ said:

skilly1 said:

Screw removal tool for when the head is rounded off. Cheap kit which works brilliantly.

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32815032623.html?pid...

£1.55 !!

eBay - £1.48 (ps bought!)

£1.48. Including P&P from the Far East.

>headwobble<


(Be rude not to )

[skwdenyer]

skwdenyer said:

psi310398 said:

Look earlier in the thread for details of the Wagner XVLP system.

Thx, will do.

So... I've been taking a look at the various systems. The sort of things I'm going to need to paint are large-ish areas of internal walls (emulsion) and external walls (masonry paint).

Whilst I do like the look of the Wagner system, it seems that carrying both the paint and the turbine in the hand seems quite chunky? And the whole kit does seem surprisingly expensive.

Another Wagner - the 950 https://www.paintsprayer.co.uk/wagner-universal-sp... - seems to promise everything I'd ever want for covering walls etc, but the reviews aren't stellar...

The other option is an airless sprayer; I realise one can spend very large amounts of money, but something like the Wagner 650W https://www.screwfix.com/p/wagner-625w-airless-pai... seems superficially interesting. The question is whether the benefits (large hopper, apparently-decent finish) outweigh the disadvantages (looks like a bh to clean, and has to be prepped in a specific way for storage lest its internals rust to oblivion).

Expanding the search a bit, I've been looking at something like the Apollo 1500 hvlp, on the basis that if I'm going to carry weight then it might as well be the paint and not the turbine / motor - since I'll be using a lot of paint! Does anyone have any views on that?

All feedback gratefully received. At any one time, I'm going to be wanting to paint, say, a wall 10 ft high x 20 ft long at the minimum (i.e. 200 sq ft coverage). The first project I want to tackle is larger - about 1000 sq ft of total wall / ceiling area. But I'm not a professional decorator, so the usage will be sporadic.

[Mr Pointy]

skwdenyer said:

skwdenyer said:

psi310398 said:

Look earlier in the thread for details of the Wagner XVLP system.

Thx, will do.

All feedback gratefully received. At any one time, I'm going to be wanting to paint, say, a wall 10 ft high x 20 ft long at the minimum (i.e. 200 sq ft coverage). The first project I want to tackle is larger - about 1000 sq ft of total wall / ceiling area. But I'm not a professional decorator, so the usage will be sporadic.

Why don't you look at hiring a sprayer if you only use it occasionally?

https://www.hss.com/hire/c/painting-and-decorating...

[skwdenyer]

Mr Pointy said:

Why don't you look at hiring a sprayer if you only use it occasionally?

https://www.hss.com/hire/c/painting-and-decorating...

Fair point. Looking at the price of these things, it seems that the hire companies are pricing-in a lot of damage / clogging / cleaning / etc. That HSS Airlessco unit is about £1000 to buy new, or can be hired for £200 / day from HSS (I realise weekly rates are better on a per-day basis, but I would never need it for a week). And yes, I realise other hire companies are available.

The equation for cost of time versus cost of hire / purchase doesn't quite stack up at the moment, only because work can't always be planned to start or finish that exactly and the time cost of collection / delivery isn't great either.

My research continues

[dmsims]

skwdenyer said:

The equation for cost of time versus cost of hire / purchase doesn't quite stack up at the moment, only because work can't always be planned to start or finish that exactly and the time cost of collection / delivery isn't great either.

My research continues

https://www.screwfix.com/p/wagner-w500-370w-paint-sprayer-220-240v/2123r

take one for the team!

[guindilias]

A top-handler Makita cordless 36v chainsaw, like I have just bought.
Same price as a horrendous quality petrol chainsaw (My Stihl MS200T cost me £800 at the time and is fantastic), don't expect it to perform nearly as well - but good enough for government work, as they say.
Just over £100, assuming you already have the batteries, which I do. To run my small, but rapidly growing collection of Makita tools.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00M215BO0/r...

Now to get a Ryobi battery adapting bit, and start buying Ryobi tools that I will use about once a year at most, on the same batteries.

[psi310398]

skwdenyer said:

So... I've been taking a look at the various systems. The sort of things I'm going to need to paint are large-ish areas of internal walls (emulsion) and external walls (masonry paint).

Whilst I do like the look of the Wagner system, it seems that carrying both the paint and the turbine in the hand seems quite chunky? And the whole kit does seem surprisingly expensive.

Another Wagner - the 950 https://www.paintsprayer.co.uk/wagner-universal-sp... - seems to promise everything I'd ever want for covering walls etc, but the reviews aren't stellar...

The other option is an airless sprayer; I realise one can spend very large amounts of money, but something like the Wagner 650W https://www.screwfix.com/p/wagner-625w-airless-pai... seems superficially interesting. The question is whether the benefits (large hopper, apparently-decent finish) outweigh the disadvantages (looks like a bh to clean, and has to be prepped in a specific way for storage lest its internals rust to oblivion).

Expanding the search a bit, I've been looking at something like the Apollo 1500 hvlp, on the basis that if I'm going to carry weight then it might as well be the paint and not the turbine / motor - since I'll be using a lot of paint! Does anyone have any views on that?

All feedback gratefully received. At any one time, I'm going to be wanting to paint, say, a wall 10 ft high x 20 ft long at the minimum (i.e. 200 sq ft coverage). The first project I want to tackle is larger - about 1000 sq ft of total wall / ceiling area. But I'm not a professional decorator, so the usage will be sporadic.

I guess you get what you pay for and this is a kit that some professionals have in their armoury as well as the amateurs. It will have limitations but it suits my purposes. I, too, have a lot of walls to paint but not all at one hit. All I can say is that I like it and it was not oversold in my opinion.

I don't find it too heavy to heft around and it is surprisingly ergonomic. I can spray for a long time without getting armache or backache. Certainly far better than rolling or brushing.

The pot lasts well and gives good coverage - remember that you would be spraying if not mist coats, at least thin coats and having to repeat to get the depth of paint. It is just a different way of painting walls. I think the paint not having to travel through long tubes probably helps on the maintenance of an even flow and minimal spluttering.

I find with emulsion that I don't get many splutters if I use a filter to pour the paint into the pot and dilute the paint around 5-10% depending on how runny it is in the first place. It also is very easy and quick to clean.

YMMV, of course.