It's nice turning a wrench on your favorite vehicle but: sooner or later you have'ta do some work on your house or something else.

To that end I have found DeWALT tools to be very good (they are built by B/D). Makita, Milwaukee, are all very respectable tools. Craftsman has it's place. But dollars for donuts I'll take DeWALT. Cordless and cord.

One of the best examples of this is the DeWALT 14.4 cordless sawsall. A friend of mine borrowed it for a while then bought a Craftsman cord version. They had ran my 14.4 for some time and then got stuck with the Craftsman. They hated it (the Craftsman). I also had a Makita cord sawsall and the handiness of the cordless DeWALT still beat it as well as it's ablity to cut.

My latest choice was the DeWALT 1/2 drill driver (cord). It just was easier to use and more powerful than the rest.

Nothing beats having a good tool at the right time.

 

I bought an original Makita 3/8" reversible cordless drill back in the 70's
I have dropped that thing Hundreds of times and it still works to this day.
In Fact, I did use it today.
It has been a part of the installation of hundreds of C.B.Radio's and hundreds of Stereo's.

It has been my one true and loyal tool.

Dennis



Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions As:
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's"


78 F-150 429CJ,Silver
w/Explorer Pkge.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon

 

I'm a fan of Milwaukee power tools, all the ones I have hold up great. I use a 4 1/2" grinder alot and really like the Milwaukee. I tried the others but left it between a Milwaukee or DeWalt when I bought the grinder.

 

I tend to go with Makita or Milwaukee, but have nothing against the rest. My best tool is a 3/4" drive electric impact gun that I bought in a pawn shop for a hundred dollars. It has saved me a LOT of knuckle-busting.

 

Still using my Dad's old Sears electric drill. We have replaced the switch and the cord. This thing is so old, I remember it from when I was a kid ('60's). It has a metal body. This is one killer drill, though I use a cheapo cordless for convenience on light drilling.

INLINE SIX POWER!
300 Cubic Inches of Low RPM Truck Torque! And twin-I-beams too!

 

The one power tool I use all the time is my Black and Decker Power Screw Driver with the removable battery pack(Versapack?). Man, how did I ever get along with out one?

My favorite powertool so far is an Electric Power Impact Wrench(looks like a big hand drill). For years(Over 30) I have been turning bolts and nuts the hard way. Lug nuts are such a piece of cake now. I used to hate rotating my tires and it took me over an hour to do it I think. But now with the impact driver, it takes me maybe 15 minutes to do it. I still hate doing it tho. I Forget the brand but it was a Monkey Ward private brand, made in Japan. But since it was an old one it was all steel and aluminum, none of that plastic crud.

Yes yes, I know, why didn't I get an Air Wrench. Because, I like tools so much and will buy almost anything I think I might need, I was afraid if I got a compressor to drive the air wrench, I would wind up buying a whole new set of airtools. Too scary to think about, plus my wife would probably kill me. It is too hard to hide the compressor and the noise it makes. I can sneak a regular powertool or hand tool into the garage anytime and not be noticed. Air tools advertise themselves.

By the way, my least favorite power tool is my battery powered air compressor. Black and Decker with the Versapac(?) battery pack. It is gutless and runs out of power in as little as one tire. Won't handle anything with a lot of pressure(over 30psi). What a PITA when I need to pump something up. If it hadn't cost me so much I would toss it.

Jim Henderson

 

Gotta say that I'm a Makita guy, very dependable. Nothing wrong with the others, I just stick with what works for me.
-Cope

95 F-150 4x4
4.9L M5OD
Front Truetrac Rear Detroit
3.73 Precision Gears
Warn Premiums
4" Superlift Superunner

 

Air compressor...hands down the most valuable tool you can get. I've had a 5 hp, 30 gal Craftsman for about 10 years and I don't know how I ever lived without it. I've used mine for air tools (impact, ratchet, drill, cut off, etc.), sandblasting, painting, die grinding, cleaning (blower), airing up tires, sheet metal work (flanging/punching), lubrication, winterizing my sprinkler system, you name it. Sure it costs a few bux and you need to "invest" in some special tools to go with it but man, the time, energy and even money it's saved me is great.

Most recently the wife got a nail in her van tire. Instead of having to change to the spare I just aired the tire up and drove it to the local tire shop. 30 min later it was fixed (for free) and back on the road. Try that with a bicycle pump some time!

 

I agree, a compressor is essential. I lost two of 'em while I was on cruise 5 years ago.

I called home from overseas around new years, after we finally pulled in somewhere. -I was asked if I was sitting down...

While I was away someone was working in my garage, and cleaning parts with gasoline.

Yep, the whole shebang burnt up in one great big sorry mess...

I try not to think about it. But I had spray rigs, air tools, spare parts, tools falling out of my pockets, and that's not to even mention the files I had stored in it - including my original birth certificate.

All because I wasn't home to stop an idiot from doing the obvious!
For now, I'm holding off getting another compressor because I have so much stuff already that it's going to be hard to move when I get out of the nav. But the thought keeps coming back over and over -

Hey man, I have a GARAGE again... I can WORK!


I also want a wire-feed welder so bad I can taste it...

 

My favorite power tool is my cordless drill/driver. I have tried all of the brands, but the one I like best is the Panasonic 15.6 volt (yes, you read correctly, Panasonic doesn't just make stereos) I was a carpenter for many years while putting myself through school and found it to be very reliable, lighter in weight than the other brands 18 volt drills and have a longer run time and just as much power. There are some new 24 volt drills out that have more torque and power, but are heavy and are high $$$$. Just my $.02...

Jayson

 

i use my dad's old black and decker drill. use it for everything. now i bought a power grinder, so the drill will have a smaller work load. that drill ahs been through everything and looks like it came from a war, and it still works like new. this thing is about 25 years old or so. man. that thing just won't break no matter what. so i put my vote on black and decker

 

I like the Black & Decker Quantum line of tools. Never had a problem. That reciprocating saw will cut almost anything!

 

An air compressor. Sigh. I keep looking at them and even get to use one now and then. At some point I know I'll hav'ta get one but that means retooling. $$$ But those airtool rachets would make taking a motor out so easy. Next time I pull a motor might be the time to invest.

I have seen the Panasonic cordless drills. I believe they were the first of the heavy duty cordless drills. The downside to the cordless tools is of course the battery packs. When they start going bad - it's almost cheaper to buy the new stuff as a kit then just buying a battery pack.

The points about the old tools with the steel cases are well taken. I really hope I don't drop that new DeWalt from a high height onto a hard surface. But I sure feel safer handling the plastic ones when cutting through walls. The power is off, Yes?

 

Speaking of power drills. I kind of collect old ones. They just seem to wander into my shop, I don't look for them. They are usually inherited from a relative since they know the drill will have a good home and easy work.

I typically tear down all my new found drills and clean and lube them up and re-turn the armature. When I am done they are good as new and probably will live to be passed on to one of my future great grandchildren(I'm still working on my two preteen boys).

I still have my old Black and Decker el cheapo($10 new) power drill I bought back in 1973? I abused that thing so badly. I used it to grind cylinder heads, buff cars, drill thru cement, rasp metal and wood, prime engine oil pumps, oh yeah, I also drilled a lot with it too. It still works good as new but looks well used. It has gone through two cleanup/rebuilds just because I felt like it. I expect this one will be passed on to one of my boys. I am not sure which one will get it since neither of them shows any mechanical inclination. Heck I was turning screws almost before I could walk. What's wrong with kids these days?

Anyway, I have a warm place in my heart for power drills. And a big tub of gear grease.

Jim Henderson

 

I'd say the tool I can't live without right now is my DeWalt sawsall. No more hacksaw to remove old exhaust pipes. I'd like to get an air compressor, as I recently moved to a place with a garage, but if I got one I'd have to have every tool made (ratchet, impact, die grinder, cut off wheel, drill, sandblaster, etc., etc.) Cost a lot of $$$$ that I don't have now. A tool I couldn't live without at my last job was a Milwaukee hand held band saw. Man, that thing got used every day for cutting pipe, threaded rod, angle iron and whatever else I could find to cut with it. Cordless drill would be nice too.