Got an impact wrench for my birthday last week. A 1000w baby. Corded of course. 
Power tools.
- Thread starter Basil
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Torx and square drive are great. I prefer the square drive, but selection is much more limited than torx so I usually wind up using torx.
Mine hooks right up to my shop vac so it's cleaner than doing it by hand.And then cleaning up the ultra-fine dust kicked up by the sander takes three days
I've have my fair share of power tools corded and cordless. Mostly Makita cordless, drill driver, impact, chainsaw, weed wacker. I recently got into Milwaukee for their 15 gauge nailer and eight and a half inch table saw. I wish makita would have made a cordless table saw I would have gotten that instead but the Milwaukee table saw is fantastic. Are we considering pneumatic power, air power? The list just gets longer
This past week, I rolled around on the driveway putting wheel bearings in one of my trucks. This coming week, the same truck is getting a needed drive shaft carrier bearing. I decided I need a 20v ratchet instead of the manual or air I have been using. I saw a local tool buyer yesterday and told him to pickup a 20v 3/8" Dewalt ratchet at the next sale he goes to. He usually saves me about 25% over retail.
When I was in the trade, we used McMaster galvanized square head screws.... they never snap off when you tighten them down. Their variety is excellent. McMaster-Carr - https://www.mcmaster.com/square-drive-self-drilling-screws/ We have good luck with a variety of their screws.
When you are installing kitchen cabinets and have to suck up two stiles.... and the screw snaps, it's a real mess.
When you are installing kitchen cabinets and have to suck up two stiles.... and the screw snaps, it's a real mess.
Yep. Square drive screws and my cordless impact driver. A match made in heaven. Earlier this year I took my shave den down to the studs and used square drive all the way. The RV industry used square drive fasteners years ago.
Last summer I got a free Makita jigsaw. Some contractors near where I work dropped it next to the community garbage bin because it stopped working. On a whim I grabbed it and opened up the housing to check the commutator brushes and sure enough, one was flipped out of position and not making contact. Put it back in the right place, buttoned it up and boom, nearly new jigsaw, hehe.
My small collection of Rockwell 12v and 20v drills. I got a Rockwell 20v impact wrench somewhere too.
Unfortunately, none of these were powerful enough for today's job, of drilling some holes into a walnut stump, even with a new Milwaukee thunderbolt bit (the best drill bits I've ever used). I couldn't find my wired hammer drill. The 12v "3rill" on hammer drill mode worked the best, but took 2 fully charged batteries to drill 8 holes.
Yesterday, I had to put a support bearing in the driveshaft of one of my trucks. There's a 24mm nut that has to come off. It's staked, so turning it while holding a round tube still is difficult if you try to use a ratchet. I have a Dewalt half inch impact. That nut is light work for a heavy impact. It's advertised to have 1200 ft lbs of breakaway torque.
Today I had to cut up scrap lumber to fit in a burn barrel. I used a Dewalt reciprocating saw for the first time. I bought it back in June and hadn't tried it out until today.
Today I had to cut up scrap lumber to fit in a burn barrel. I used a Dewalt reciprocating saw for the first time. I bought it back in June and hadn't tried it out until today.
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Do I have power tools? How much time do you have? 
Yes, mostly Dewalt with a few other brands. I have a pretty even mix of corded and 20v battery powered.
Yes, mostly Dewalt with a few other brands. I have a pretty even mix of corded and 20v battery powered.
I find I usually have the tool to do an ok job on the project at hand, just not the tool to do the perfect job. My goodness but there are a lot of different saws!
I went to the big box store yesterday battery shopping. I found this Dewalt combo with 2 batteries, a charger, and tool bag for what I consider a great price. I already have the drill and driver, but figured I'd leave one set at home and keep a set in the truck I work out of the most.
The set included Dewalts 887 driver like I already have. I love it. Its got 3 speeds and 3 lights compared to the single speed/single light model they often put in a combo.
I used my old 887 and a 2ah battery today to shoot about 3 lbs of 2 1/2" deck screws. At the end of the job the battery fuel gauge was still reading 1 out of 3 bars.
The set included Dewalts 887 driver like I already have. I love it. Its got 3 speeds and 3 lights compared to the single speed/single light model they often put in a combo.
I used my old 887 and a 2ah battery today to shoot about 3 lbs of 2 1/2" deck screws. At the end of the job the battery fuel gauge was still reading 1 out of 3 bars.
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I've got a few "power tools." This is my blacksmith/metal fabrication shop. Chainsaws, weed eater, blowers, impact driver/hand drill, reciprocating saw, power washer, power sprayer (weed) are in garage and farm shed. Sold the big tractor and got this garden tractor.
Lots of power tools for various home ownership repairs/upkeep. They vary from Harbor Freight for the seldom used ones to premium brands for frequently used ones like a cordless drill.
I sold off most of mine before a move a few years ago; but since we got a bigger basement I've started replacing a lot. Very random stuff right now; but as I get into woodworking a little; it's starting to flesh out.
Off the top of my head:
Cheap Ryobi bandsaw (One tool I saved... my sister stored it for me through 4 moves)
A vintage (Don't even remember, Pioneer maybe?) tabletop drill press that practically looks homemade because it went through... I'd guess at LEAST two full generations of modifications and repairs. I'm pretty sure it shoots out flames in use. Picked it up for next to nothing when I needed a drillpress for a vehicle repair urgently (my old craftsman standing DP got sold in a move).
Chop/Miter saw... low to mid range brand but not garbage... I wanna say CE maybe?
Warrior Recipro I got for $10 at a harbor freight open box/closeout and have yet to need, but it's there in case I ever do.
3", 4" and 4" belt sanders; two cheapo brands and one midrange pickup. Harbor Freight cheapo (that my sis stored) that they stopped carrying belts for forcing me to buy a second harbor freight cheapo, plus one moderately decent brand.
Craftsman table belt/disc sander. Got used from an estate sale... used for maybe 45 minutes combined use (it ran very rough)... figuring it was a belt that was about to fail... turned out it was two things... first motor weight wasn't sufficient tension for belt drag... there was a set screw that was supposed to fix motor and provide tension that was missing... and two... cheapo worn out plastic gears. After 45 minutes of quite light use (over several weeks)... gears lost all semblance of having teeth and belt instantly melted into them and snapped... been trying to rig up metal gears in place... motor gear no problem... getting the belt pulley gear to stay in place proving a challenge... will eventually drill and tap the thing and use a real screw in place of the little set-tab screw that it came with
Craftsman 6" planer/jointer. Estate sale... currently fixing up.
Craftsman grinder/buffer. Estate sale... think I still need to slap a power cord on it if memory serves.
Dewalt A/C hammer drill
Cheapo warrior 18v cordless drill
a/c Craftsman dremel
a/c Herc die grinder
Vibrating shell cleaner that I bought to try to restore rusty razors with less work based on some very, very, very bad advise right when I started out with straights. Thing has sat for 15+ years (sis stored)... waiting to get put on Facebook marketplace for a reloader to buy off me.
Tombstone stick welder I bought to learn welding on a few years ago... then moved it three times and still waiting on having the time to learn welding. (got a handful of projects already sitting waiting).
Todays pickups:
Delta 18/36 31-250 drum sander
Central Machinery (I think) 2 hp dust collector
I'm sure I'm missing something here; but it'll come to me eventually.
@Hopalong What's the anvil's story?
Off the top of my head:
Cheap Ryobi bandsaw (One tool I saved... my sister stored it for me through 4 moves)
A vintage (Don't even remember, Pioneer maybe?) tabletop drill press that practically looks homemade because it went through... I'd guess at LEAST two full generations of modifications and repairs. I'm pretty sure it shoots out flames in use. Picked it up for next to nothing when I needed a drillpress for a vehicle repair urgently (my old craftsman standing DP got sold in a move).
Chop/Miter saw... low to mid range brand but not garbage... I wanna say CE maybe?
Warrior Recipro I got for $10 at a harbor freight open box/closeout and have yet to need, but it's there in case I ever do.
3", 4" and 4" belt sanders; two cheapo brands and one midrange pickup. Harbor Freight cheapo (that my sis stored) that they stopped carrying belts for forcing me to buy a second harbor freight cheapo, plus one moderately decent brand.
Craftsman table belt/disc sander. Got used from an estate sale... used for maybe 45 minutes combined use (it ran very rough)... figuring it was a belt that was about to fail... turned out it was two things... first motor weight wasn't sufficient tension for belt drag... there was a set screw that was supposed to fix motor and provide tension that was missing... and two... cheapo worn out plastic gears. After 45 minutes of quite light use (over several weeks)... gears lost all semblance of having teeth and belt instantly melted into them and snapped... been trying to rig up metal gears in place... motor gear no problem... getting the belt pulley gear to stay in place proving a challenge... will eventually drill and tap the thing and use a real screw in place of the little set-tab screw that it came with
Craftsman 6" planer/jointer. Estate sale... currently fixing up.
Craftsman grinder/buffer. Estate sale... think I still need to slap a power cord on it if memory serves.
Dewalt A/C hammer drill
Cheapo warrior 18v cordless drill
a/c Craftsman dremel
a/c Herc die grinder
Vibrating shell cleaner that I bought to try to restore rusty razors with less work based on some very, very, very bad advise right when I started out with straights. Thing has sat for 15+ years (sis stored)... waiting to get put on Facebook marketplace for a reloader to buy off me.
Tombstone stick welder I bought to learn welding on a few years ago... then moved it three times and still waiting on having the time to learn welding. (got a handful of projects already sitting waiting).
Todays pickups:
Delta 18/36 31-250 drum sander
Central Machinery (I think) 2 hp dust collector
I'm sure I'm missing something here; but it'll come to me eventually.
@Hopalong What's the anvil's story?
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I've been collecting anvils for 45 years and have been a farrier all this time. I've got 15 at the moment, some antique collectible, some more modern users. That big anvil in the photo is a 300lb Hay Budden that dates to 1906. The other one is 125lb JHM modern anvil that I've had for about 40 years. I swap out that smaller anvil from time to time, mostly for a SCOTT 105lb tapered heel. I prefer the SCOTT, but had lent it out when this photo was taken. If anyone is in the market for an anvil the SCOTT 105lb is the best anvil on the market today, a real gem.
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And this is a guy's dream thread lol.
I hope when my new shoulder replacement heals up I can actually do something with tools.
I hope when my new shoulder replacement heals up I can actually do something with tools.
Very cool info.
Another thing I'd love to get into if I ever get rich enough to stop working or retire in good enough shape to try it is smithing. Anvil prices always shock me. Any guess as to what that 300lb'er would cost if a similar one were found for sale?
What's the reason for the cost of good/vintage anvils? Are they made of a decent grade of steel to survive the abuse? Is there some other complicated element to their creation? Are they like vintage cast iron pans where the grain of the iron itself has degraded due to modern (faster/cheaper) casting techniques?
I know people say to not even bother trying to use ones like the harbor freight cheap ones that are supposedly either iron or quite low grade steel.
Another thing I'd love to get into if I ever get rich enough to stop working or retire in good enough shape to try it is smithing. Anvil prices always shock me. Any guess as to what that 300lb'er would cost if a similar one were found for sale?
What's the reason for the cost of good/vintage anvils? Are they made of a decent grade of steel to survive the abuse? Is there some other complicated element to their creation? Are they like vintage cast iron pans where the grain of the iron itself has degraded due to modern (faster/cheaper) casting techniques?
I know people say to not even bother trying to use ones like the harbor freight cheap ones that are supposedly either iron or quite low grade steel.
I’m sure @Hopalong has a better idea, but the instructor of a recent blacksmithing class I took told us $3-6 per pound.
Seems like some of you guys might have an interest in anvils. I'll start another thread in this home improvement/tool section so we don't hijack this power tool thread
