Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[skwdenyer]

dickymint said:

skwdenyer said:

JuanCarlosFandango said:

Ooh one more. Not really a wish I'd bought sooner" as I don't have much use for them but these are great



Drills with a tap on the side. Or taps with a drill on the end if you prefer.

No more finding what size drill to use or searching for it, just whack it in and have threaded hole.

I can see the appeal, but isn’t there a strong chance of snapping them?

They work well........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=misfp9RHRY0

But I prefer Tek Screws they're even quicker............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFtYVui62hU

Thx.
Big Tek Screw fan here

[untakenname]

Big Tek screws are the bodger's screw of choice when it comes to affixing undertays to cars, better than zip ties but only marginally.

[V8mate]

If any of you use the Ryobi ONE platform, the 5.0Ah battery is at its cheapest price ever on Amazon today

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ryobi-RB18L50-Lithium-5-0...

[Caddyshack]

^ a spread sheet / graph to tell you when to buy something?

[Pheo]

Caddyshack said:

^ a spread sheet / graph to tell you when to buy something?

CamelCamelCamel tracks Amazon prices so essentially yes.

[V8mate]

Pheo said:

Caddyshack said:

^ a spread sheet / graph to tell you when to buy something?

CamelCamelCamel tracks Amazon prices so essentially yes.

Yep, I pop all manner of 'things I'd quite like' into CCC, together with a target price, and let technology do the rest

[mikeiow]

V8mate said:

If any of you use the Ryobi ONE platform, the 5.0Ah battery is at its cheapest price ever on Amazon today

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ryobi-RB18L50-Lithium-5-0...

& cheaper than the 4 and 3Ah ones.....pretty good deal for a genuine battery: might have to 'invest', thanks (for spending my money for me!)

[Accelebrate]

Cheap Makita 3Ah batteries on Amazon at the moment - https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000EDVTQM/

[illmonkey]

Accelebrate said:

Cheap Makita 3Ah batteries on Amazon at the moment - https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000EDVTQM/

Ive wanted an impact wrench for ages but costs put me off. With batteries this cheap, you can get a Makita body for £70, making its under £100, a tad over for 2 batteries.

Or are these cheaper bodies up to nothing? It’d be just undoing my wheel nuts and maybe the odd stubborn nut/bolt.

DTW190 for £70 https://www.fastfix.co.uk/makita-dtw190z-18v-lxt-i...

Edited by illmonkey on Sunday 23 February 17:25

[markcoznottz]

Been stripping some old angle iron using the 'poly strip discs' available on that online shop. The angle grinder sized ones strip rust, scale, and old paint like nothing else. Pity they weren't readily available years ago.

[JuanCarlosFandango]

No snapping from any of the pointless test holes I tapped with my new toy. I'm sure they will have a finite life but so far so good.

CamelCamelCamel is something I should have found sooner.

[loughran]

Accelebrate said:

Cheap Makita 3Ah batteries on Amazon at the moment - https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000EDVTQM/

Thanks !

[darreni]

I’ve spent the weekend putting ikea flat packs together ( not very ph I know) using the Bosch ixo screwdriver - brilliant. So light & easy to use.

[Accelebrate]

illmonkey said:

Ive wanted an impact wrench for ages but costs put me off. With batteries this cheap, you can get a Makita body for £70, making its under £100, a tad over for 2 batteries.

Or are these cheaper bodies up to nothing? It’d be just undoing my wheel nuts and maybe the odd stubborn nut/bolt.

DTW190 for £70 https://www.fastfix.co.uk/makita-dtw190z-18v-lxt-i...

Edited by illmonkey on Sunday 23 February 17:25

I've got one of those. For wheel nuts I really like it. I believe it has more torque in reverse. It will happily remove wheel nuts that I've torqued to 120Nm and I know that if I spin them back on using it and let it hammer a couple of times the nuts will then be close but not past 120Nm when I re-torque them.

However, after watching some videos about how Chinese knock-off Makita tools exist, and aren't as terrible as you'd expect I recently invested a whole £25 in a rip-off Makita DTW285Z:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Replace-For-18V-Makita-...

(Out of stock there, but there are lots of sellers selling the same thing for similar prices, including some in Makita teal if that's your thing)



I'm not sure how long it'll last, but it's brushless, has three torque settings and more power than the DTW190, it's also usefully shorter. I figured it would be good for track days as it won't be the end of the world if it goes missing.

[mercedeslimos]

Accelebrate said:

I've got one of those. For wheel nuts I really like it. I believe it has more torque in reverse. It will happily remove wheel nuts that I've torqued to 120Nm and I know that if I spin them back on using it and let it hammer a couple of times the nuts will then be close but not past 120Nm when I re-torque them.

However, after watching some videos about how Chinese knock-off Makita tools exist, and aren't as terrible as you'd expect I recently invested a whole £25 in a rip-off Makita DTW285Z:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Replace-For-18V-Makita-...

(Out of stock there, but there are lots of sellers selling the same thing for similar prices, including some in Makita teal if that's your thing)



I'm not sure how long it'll last, but it's brushless, has three torque settings and more power than the DTW190, it's also usefully shorter. I figured it would be good for track days as it won't be the end of the world if it goes missing.

If you come across any more that aren't out of stock, that's just what I'm looking for!

[Accelebrate]

This looks like the same thing... https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

[skwdenyer]

Accelebrate said:

This looks like the same thing... https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

Just ordered this; will report back

[DonkeyApple]

gobuddygo said:

Needed to get 2 locking wheel nuts of my Jag as they had rounded off, garage wanted to cut the wheels off!!!!!

How i managed without a Dremel type rotary tool all my life i will never know already used it lots, cut a slot in the locking nut with a diamond cutting disc, smash the head off with a cold chisel and use one of the magic bolt grip removers, job done in an hour for each one.

Highly rated on Amazon and brilliant - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07JLFL6VT/ref...

Bolt grip remover https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000QW6K8I/ref...

I’ve gone for years without a Dremel. Numerous jobs that would have been quicker and simpler with one have come and gone.

The reason I had never bought one was that 20 years ago they were advertised on TV in that really cheap way that tells you the product is junk and for slow witted folk who watch QVC all day.

The other week I used a friend’s Dremel on a quick job and the newer ones are nice, solid tools so when I was recently in B&Q and saw one on the end aisle I grabbed it.

I’ve just finished a job in a few days with the Dremel that would have taken ages and been very fiddly without.

I keep forgetting to buy a proper hacksaw though.

[Accelebrate]

There's a £35 cordless grinder too

[DonkeyApple]

LeadFarmer said:

Stanley Junior Saw Horse

Span two lengths of suitably sized timber between them (using the cut outs), and a sheet of plywood for a mobile workbench.

I’m a great fan of when in need of a solution, opting for the one that may not be the best for the specific job at hand but rather the one that you can see fulfilling multiple roles.

I bought a pair of these when I decided (was instructed) to paint 25 doors white. Managed to negotiate the job down to just the ground floor and while I started the planning stage by penning out the design for a pop up spray booth and all the spray kit I rested on a pair of these as they also work perfectly as table legs for temporary outdoor tables when doing a big bbq or for a craft table for the children etc.