Tool Talk

[52-80 19282]

we're all locked up in the house anyway.  let's talk tool.

 

when i was buying a new drill/driver i got seduced by the combo buy with batteries and chargers, i neglected to research further to find a similar unit with swappable chucks/attachments for versatility.

 

i have the fixed version of this with fixed 1/2" chuck.  i wanna swap it for this unit which is identical design and motor, but has eccentric and right angle adapter, AND a rotary hammer attachment.  just need to occasionally do light drilling into masonry. 

 

not sure if the 0.74 ft-lb "impact energy" will cut it, and if its worth flipping my gsr18v-535c on the classified to get this flexiclick version

 

 

https://www.boschtools.com/us/en/boschtools-ocs/18v-drill-drivers-gsr18v-535fcb15-202150-p/

 

 

 

[52-80 19282]

most 18v dedicated impact hammers do 20-30k beats per minute. 

 

this attachment does only does 5k bpm, so maybe its not worth a shit and is just a toy

https://www.boschtools.com/us/en/boschtools-ocs/new-products-gfa18-h-202776-p/

[NorthLoop 14304]

The new album rocks

[davidg 4040]

Toolguyd blog is my goto on tool reviews. 

Here is there review of the 18V Flexiclick system.   https://toolguyd.com/bosch-18v-flexiclick-modular-drill-driver-system/        For full size tools, give me one dedicated to do one job.  A lot of time I'll have one drill with a bit, another with a counter sink, and two drivers with different bits.  

That said, the smaller 12V multi-head unit starts to looks nice for lower performance versions.  I have mainly  20V Dewalt tools but am looking at a Milwaukee M12 right angle impact reach.  If I buy into the M12 system, the M12 multihead looks nice for small, around the house type work.

Here's a recent one comparing the Bosch 12V  Flexclick and the Milwaukee M12 equivalent.    https://toolguyd.com/milwaukee-m12-fuel-cordless-installation-drill-driver-bosch-flexiclick-timeline-032020/

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by davidg

[mr.goodkat 464]

i've heard good things about the milwaukee 18v brushless stuff . but i've never used any . i was hoping with the thread title that there would be tool box porn .

[52-80 19282]

1 hour ago, mr.goodkat said:

i've heard good things about the milwaukee 18v brushless stuff . but i've never used any . i was hoping with the thread title that there would be tool box porn .

I got a bunch of knipex stuff and they're totally worth it

[davidg 4040]

I got this for 20v fan for Christmas and have used it a few times now that it’s warming up.

Runs almost all day on a 5ah battery

[Sam Lin 3566]

Wera, Wiha, Festool for tool porn.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4980]

A good 11 in 1 screw driver, a pair of channel locks, and a crescent wrench are just about all you should need for ordinary stuff. Maybe add a hand drill, a hammer, and a set of files, rasps, and chisels if you want to get fancy with the woodwork.

[AUinHsv 580]

I'll go retro - proud to have my 40 year old Craftsman sockets and wrenches.  Still trying to recover my Dad's 60 year old stuff from brothers garage. No cheap stuff here

[Dbeasy 15240]

One of the greatest decisions ever was to buy a complete array of DeWalt 20V tools. Easy battery swap. Tools work well. Every need covered. Really made a big difference.

[mr.goodkat 464]

15 hours ago, 52-80 said:

I got a bunch of knipex stuff and they're totally worth it

knipex pliers / cutters are the shit without a doubt better than snap on 

[smuggs 9357]

16 hours ago, mr.goodkat said:

i've heard good things about the milwaukee 18v brushless stuff . but i've never used any . i was hoping with the thread title that there would be tool box porn .

I sold my old Dewalt 14.4v drill to one of my employees and bought a Milwaukee M18 impact/drill combo. I love it (especially the impact). Since then I've added the Fuel circular saw and the job site fan similar to the Dewalt posted above. Also bought a little M12 drill on sale as a Christmas gift for my 6 year old boy. He uses the shit out of it to build all sorts of little woodcraft things, which are mostly cut-offs with a hundred screws driven into them.

I want the Hackzall next. Buddy of mine has one with a fillet blade and uses it exclusively for redfish.

 

 

[GottaB 595]

I’ve tried a lot of different power tool brands and Im not a tradesman so my experience is worth squat but I’ll share.

My first were nicad Craftsman tools and when those hit the crapper I had to replace. My first were Makita 12v and 18v drill and impact driver sets. They worked fine but their lineup for 12v was limited and I think they have gone through a battery change since I had a set.

I then got some Rigid 12v and 18v drill and impact driver driver. They were fine but the 12v lineup was limited and the 18v weren’t brushless.

I replaced the 12v with Milwaukee and I’m glad I did.





Lots of options. Easy to use, lightweight and plenty of power for the tasks.

I replaced my Rigid 18v with brushless when they introduced gen5 and then added other tools in the lineup. The fan and blower get the most use but the impact driver and hammer drill and beasts.

[GottaB 595]

I also have a mess of multi-tools and dremels that I use when sanding or cutting woodworking projects.

They are handy and make quick work.

I do have some Bosch stuff and they are very well made. Sander, edge router, another 12v set I keep in the house for quick repairs.






Having owned 5 different 12v sets, I can firmly say the Bosch seem to be the best made (my opinion) and are smaller than the competitor without losing power, but Milwaukee has the best options for around the house and garage. And a 12v is tough enough for any homeowner. I used my rigid set to take apart a playscape I bought off Craigslist and re-assembled it including lag bolts. 12v are serious tools these days, especially brushless.

As for the Bosch multi click system, Milwaukee has one too but I’ve owned something similar in the past.




The individual tools will likely be better than a “do-it-all” system. I usually only used the circular cutter from this set to break down cardboard. I never used the other tools as I had better versions of each tool.

[capnamerca 572]

4 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

One of the greatest decisions ever was to buy a complete array of DeWalt 20V tools. Easy battery swap. Tools work well. Every need covered. Really made a big difference.

This. I will say the new FlexVolt gear seems to be pretty badass. Can run 60V in things like the circsaw, but only 20v elsewhere. I found a bundle with the Circ Saw that included two 60/20v batteries and a charger, I bought another 60/20V, and already had a charger previous. Also have the impact driver, hammer drill, jigsaw and an extra drill-driver. Will soon add the dremel, work light, and sawzall (I have corded versions of all three, but I just don't see the need for my lightweight household tasks).

 

I'll also say that DeWalt isn't what it used to be. For general household use, I really think any of the house-brand brushless 20V+ sets will do you right. GottaB's collection looks awesome. Basically, pick one, and buy all the tools and buy good batteries.

[mr.goodkat 464]

i have the snap on 14.4Li stuff and they are really good only 18v stuff i have is the 1/2 impact and drill . the small snap on stuff are awesome though . my bigger stuff is now outdated and they do not make the 18v nicad now so adapter , rebuild batteries or replace ......furk 

[52-80 19282]

2 hours ago, GottaB said:

 

 

this guy carpents.

[Anastasis 23514]

Recommendations for wrenches and sockets?  Have decided to just replace my hodge podge set. Prefer ratcheting sockets with or without swivel, and US made unless you can convince me otherwise.  Thanks. 

[DCA_HORN 725]

Has craftsman gotten any better since Sears sold it? Also what about snap on? My dandy has some 40 plus year old stuff that is rock solid but what about recent stuff?

[Anastasis 23514]

5 minutes ago, DCA_HORN said:

Has craftsman gotten any better since Sears sold it? Also what about snap on? My dandy has some 40 plus year old stuff that is rock solid but what about recent stuff?

From what I can suss out, there is a USA made Craftsman line and a China/Taiwan line. 

[Mach 1 1677]

45 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Recommendations for wrenches and sockets?  Have decided to just replace my hodge podge set. Prefer ratcheting sockets with or without swivel, and US made unless you can convince me otherwise.  Thanks. 

https://sunextools.com

I have a bunch of their stuff. All excellent.

I have a bunch of great tools, but this piece of shit Husky I bought a long time ago has saved my ass countless times.  Those small nuts/bolts you run across on a car - done.

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by Mach 1

[ss13 1832]

That would drive me crazy just missing the 7/16. 

Edited June 9, 2020 by ss13

[Mach 1 1677]

10 minutes ago, ss13 said:

That would drive me crazy just missing the 7/16. 

Ha, I'm using it.

The great thing about that shitty Husky group is it can be utilized with multiple other tools, just need adapters.

Edited June 9, 2020 by Mach 1

[davidg 4040]

Has craftsman gotten any better since Sears sold it? Also what about snap on? My dandy has some 40 plus year old stuff that is rock solid but what about recent stuff?

Still mostly MiChina. Stanley/BlacknDecker is building a CM factory in DFW to bring a lot of hand tool manufacturing back to the US.

SnapOn is the industry leader but $$$. Not cost effective for home use IMO. Tekton, Gearwrench and Capri are all Tawain, have good warranty policies and is what I’ve been buying lately. I have also bought some older MiA Craftsman off of EBay. Even Harbor Freight has some higher end products (Icon) that get good reviews.

I probably posted above but the Toolguyd blog has lots of good info on tool brands.

https://toolguyd.com/?s=Craftsman

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4980]

Get some ratchet wrenches with a flex head. Looks like this, with a hinge right after the main wrench bit:

Not only do they allow you to get into tight spaces, but you can turn it up 90 degrees and twist it off like a screw driver once you break it loose. The closer to the head of the wrench the hinge is, the better. These things are a game changer for general tooling around. 

[TexasEd 8148]

Who makes a good/durable 3/8" ratchet that won't break the bank.  I have some old ones that are getting loose.  Some are Craftsman so I guess I go to Lowes?

I got a DeWalt combo drill driver set for Father's Day a couple years ago and then learned that you don't usually get the brushless ones in the sets. And some sets labeled brushless only have one tool that is brushless.

[GottaB 595]

I have a few Dewalt ratchet sets and they work well enough for me. They are heavier than my old craftsman set but seem well made.

[davidg 4040]

8 hours ago, TexasEd said:

Who makes a good/durable 3/8" ratchet that won't break the bank.  I have some old ones that are getting loose.  Some are Craftsman so I guess I go to Lowes?

https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-8-Inch-Quick-Release-Ratchet-SRH11108/dp/B07GH9Q9S7?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

[52-80 19282]

13 hours ago, Anastasis said:

Recommendations for wrenches and sockets?  Have decided to just replace my hodge podge set. Prefer ratcheting sockets with or without swivel, and US made unless you can convince me otherwise.  Thanks. 

the internet seems to like Tekton for value

 

buying used/vintage stuff when they were made in the USA is also a good bet

Edited June 9, 2020 by 52-80

[Liteitup 143]

14 hours ago, TexasEd said:

Who makes a good/durable 3/8" ratchet that won't break the bank.  I have some old ones that are getting loose.  Some are Craftsman so I guess I go to Lowes?

I got a DeWalt combo drill driver set for Father's Day a couple years ago and then learned that you don't usually get the brushless ones in the sets. And some sets labeled brushless only have one tool that is brushless.

Believe it or not, this Harbor freight ratchet gets rave reviews on motorcycle forums. I bought it several years ago and use it more often than any other in my box. Cheap too.

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-heavy-duty-composite-ratchet-66313.html

[dcbc 14570]

I got involved with set building at my kids' school the last several years.  These are pro level sets (it's an arts school).  I picked up a little 12 volt Dewalt impact driver several years ago, and that is the greatest tool in my arsenal.  Instinct tells me that the 20 volt is better because it's 8 more.  But I've compared it side by side and it does the job every bit as well from what I can tell.  Everyone needs an impact driver in their life. 

[Dewey 3315]

I've been in Dewalts camp for a long time,  no real loyalty,  they just did a good job of getting their products out there. I will say when they introduced their 20v batteries, game changer. Their 18v wouldn't last long, then they ended up not taking a charge after a time. Dewalts battery game is strong now, so is Milwaukee's.

I work in commercial construction, cordless is very important,  no one wants to drag a cord all over a huge building, working from floor to floor. There are 3 brands you will see in the building, DeWalt, Milwaukee and Makita. All good brands.

And since brushless has hit the scene, most of my arsenal is brushless, save for the reciprocating saw, thing won't die for some reason. 

Have had two guys come to me about their non brushless crapping out, went out and got them brushless.  In a world where they make things not to last, brushless seems to be the exception.