New Tools??? Necessary tools???

[40_acre_mule]

I hope this is a good forum for the subject...

I have a pretty decent collection of tools, but I never stop shopping. I also never stop learning, so often I find that I need a tool I've never used/had before.

I have felt a need for a torque wrench for some time. But I never got around to buying one until the SECOND time I had a stuck bolt on one of the blades for my finishing mower. (I have a habit of REEAALLLYY torquing down on stuff). DW will testify that I screw the cap down on the jelly jar to about 75 ft/lbs. Anyway, I decided that saving the time it takes to get the finishing mower on the trailer and hauling it down to the dealer to remove the stuck bolt would justify the purchase of the wrench. So, now I can tighten the bolts to the torque specified in the manual. I haven't used the mower yet, so I don't know if the blades are gonna fly off or not. 55 ft/lbs just doesn't seem very tight to me.

After the fight I had with the first stuck bolt, I also decided an impact wrench would be really handy. However, I always thought that required air compressors and hoses and Lord only knows what else. The one big area of tools I haven't invested in is air operated devices.
Imagine my surprise when I spotted an electric impact wrench at the local Orange and White home improvement store. It is made by DeWalt (I have several good tools by them). It ran about $160. I made an impulse purchase. Well, it didn't get the second stuck bolt out (I told ya I like to crank them bolts down), but I tried it on a few other old bolts and they came loose pretty easily.
Then, yesterday, I had to change a tire on my Dodge Ram. The impact wrench worked like a charm. I think I'll keep it.

Fortunately, after years of criticism from DW about how many different kinds of hammers I have, she now sings a different tune. I have finally pulled out just exactly the right obscure tool for some specified purpose to fix something for her often enough, that she started to realize that the phrase "the right tool for the right job" is not just an excuse to buy more tools.

 

[Bird]

Personally, I've never understood how anyone could get buy without an air compressor. For me that would be akin to saying I could get by without a scewdriver, hammer, or pliers. When we were full time RVers, I only carried a 2 gallon, half hp, compressor, so I carried an electric impact wrench. I've owned one Black & Decker and one Craftsman electric impact. They work very well, but are not generally as powerful as most air impacts (there's exceptions to every rule, of course). Anyway, anyone buying an impact wrench of any kind, air or electric, should first look at the manufacturer's rated torque. If 210-250 ft./lbs. is enough (and for many things it is), they're cheap, but if you need more, you pay more.

 

[Harry c]

Check out the Dewalt 18 volt rechargable. Works great.

 

[toolsorbust]

I can relate to not having enough tools. turn me loose in a tool store and im in hog heaven. My problem is that I have any kind of hand tool that you can imagine now all that is left is the big ticket items but give me time I will have em all.
Thats the reason for my handle on here

 

[CATMAN]

You definitely need to step up to the world of air tools. Impacts(3/8";1/2";3/4"), blowguns, tire chuck, 3" cutoff wheels, die grinders with buffing pads or wire wheels or carbide bits, air chisel, nail guns, sanders, 5" buffers,air drills(3/8", 1/2"), etc. I have so many die-grinders now, I don't even need change out accessories/tips any more. I also keep separate 3/8" air drills with 1/8" drill bits just for drilling pilot holes and that is the only task that drill performs(sure is handy). See what your missing!

 

[elkun1]

Was over at a friends shop before Christmas. Changing blades on his bush hog. I was nosing around looking for an air gun when he comes walking over with a 3/4" electric impact. holy bejezooz talk about power not sure how much torque it has but it spun the cutter bolts out like nothing. paid 50 bucks for it at a pawn shop. i offered him 100 but he just laughed.
another thing is a filter wrench that works. spose i have have a dozen different styles that looked good in the store but didn't work as advertised. finally got one from napa that i think i'll keep. Snapon has the neatest parts washer, environmentally clean and all, works good to but how to justify that for a home shop. if only i had lots of extra space in the shop and the cash to spend. The stuff of dreams Ron
come to think about it, i do have room to add on, but am afraid if i mention it to the DW, i'll be DOA..

 

[Still8nn]

There is one tool that sits on the perverbial pedestal above all others that every man "needs" . . . drum roll please . . . It's the bench lathe. It can, however, put a lot of stress on a marriage if you don't have a understanding and forgiving DW. The first day I got it, I didn't come to bed till 2:30AM.
You have been warned!

 

[Bird]

And I'm one who has never owned a lathe and hasn't used one in the last 54 years. But besides the air-compressor and air tools, another one I consider indispensable is the bench grinder. I keep a stone on one end for sharpening things, but on the other end is the wire wheel for tough cleaning jobs, especially rust.

 

[Solo]

Here's a great tool to change sections on your sickle bar mower if they are riveted. Smith Tool - R3030 Rivet Tool

Solo

 

[bjcsc]

Air tools are a must have if you are doing anything on any kind of scale. Some things just plain require them.

Torque wrenches are overrated. Using torque wrenches to tighten mower blades is like playing Russian Roulette. Torque wrenches only have value when the fasteners involved are "like new clean", the threads are in "like new condition", no sealant or loc-tite or anti-seize is applied, and who knows what else. If you're changing your head gasket, clean everything 100% and use a torque wrench. Otherwise...?
And BTW, unless you spent some $$ on the torque wrench, the one you have is a clicking breaker bar.

My list of Must Have Tools (that I can think of in the next two minutes outside of regular tools that nearly everyone has like screwdrivers, socket sets, hammers, wood saws, etc.)

• 
  4 1/2" angle grinder

• High quality cordless drill

• High quality 1/2" drill

• Oxy/Acet Rig

• Drill press

• Bench Vise

• Bench Grinder

• Quality Full Set of Metric/Standard Taps & Dies

• Drill Bit Sharpener

• Variable Speed Recip Saw

• 4-ton come-a-long

• Welder

 

[sodamo]

Ahhhh, tools.
In making our decisions to move to Hawaii, one of my first was tools. Would it be cheaper to ship them or replace them? Well, as you guys know, new tools cost $$$, so once that decision was made, now there was room in the container for other stuff. I still had to buy more though. Metal chop saw, 12 inch sliding compound miter, several more rechargeables (I really dislike extension cords). I guess the real coup was the nice tablesaw, planer, joiner, drill press that I got because we are building our own cabinets.
Interestingly, a young (28) nephew is visiting and helping out a bit. I kinda get a kick watching him as he gets exposed to tools he's never seen before. Today I had to explain that my left/right metal snips didn't mean you had to be left or right handed.
As for the DW - several times a week I'll sincerely remark, "Thanks for letting me have the right tools for the job". Can you guess who encourages me when I start suggesting I "need" something That lathe, hmmmm - could be a stretch.

David

 

[toolsorbust]

I tried to sneak the lathe in but it was kinda hard to its a 18" x 72" and weighs 9k 13' long. but its in the shop and it aint going anywhere.: You cant have too many tools!

 

[chinawall]

I have a battery operated one from Canadian Tire. Not completely satisfied even though I paid ove $200.

 

[westbrooklawn]

I think bjcsc did very good with the list he provided. The one thing I don't have on his list is a drill bit sharpener. Can anyone recommend a good one that will sharpen up to 1/2" bits? I've looked at the "Drill Doctor", but was not that impressed, and it seemed replacement stones were costly. I wish I could develop the skill to hand sharpen on a bench grinder, but haven't been too lucky trying that either.

Any recommendations?

 

[Solo]

I think bjcsc did very good with the list he provided. The one thing I don't have on his list is a drill bit sharpener. Can anyone recommend a good one that will sharpen up to 1/2" bits? I've looked at the "Drill Doctor", but was not that impressed, and it seemed replacement stones were costly. I wish I could develop the skill to hand sharpen on a bench grinder, but haven't been too lucky trying that either.

Any recommendations?

Were you looking at the old model Drill Doctor or the new model? I have the new model 750 it is different from the older model, the newer seems to be more user friendly. We have the older model at work I can never seem to sharpen anything with it. The same size bit at home, works perfectly.

Solo

 

[canoetrpr]

Any thoughts on how big (expensive) a compressor one needs to run an impact wrench occasionally?

When I look at the requirements on an impact wrench 7-8 CFM, I can't seem to find compressors / air tanks for less than 7-800 bucks which is wwwwwaaaaay out of my league.

Sure would be nice to have an air compressor around here.

 

[Bird]

I don't know which impact wrenches you've been looking at, but in the half inch impacts, some very good ones use 4 to 6 CFM and compressors that put out that volume can be had for half the amount you quoted. In fact, this compressor from Northern Tool is what I've been using for a little over 2 years, and so far, quite happy with it. And you can certainly find cheaper ones. You might also keep in mind that the amount of air specified for an impact is the amount to keep it running at full power. You can certainly use an impact wrench with a smaller compressor, but you'll have a short burst of power, which is frequently enough to break loose a nut or bolt, then much less power as it continues to turn. My first half inch impact, many years ago, was a cheap Harbor Freight impact and I used it with a 10 gallon, one hp compressor. It would remove most (but not all) lug nuts.

 

[Botabill]

I have a battery operated one from Canadian Tire. Not completely satisfied even though I paid ove $200.

In my opinion Canadian Tire sells a lot of garbage. Our Brothers in the USA complain about Harbour Freight. In Canada we have Canadian Tire. I'm not sure which is worse. I've taken about half the stuff back I bought them because it broke. I have even had a tool with rechargable batteries from them catch fire while recharging. To their credit though they do refund without question. I suppose they're used to having crap bought back.

 

[ScottAR]

My cheapie craftsman compressor ($300 ish 25 gallon?) runs my impact just fine.
For my uses at least, the impact only runs a few seconds a bolt/nut. I never have to take off more that 7-8 bolts before stopping to change tasks, move somthing, or stop and ponder. I think even if it used 10 cfm I could function with it for the short periods I use it.

Somthing constant like a sprayer or sander would need a bigger compressor like the upright 60-80 gallon models.

 

[wushaw]

I have an old 22gal Sanborn compressor that ran my airtools for many years just fine.
I still have the 22gal and a 30 gal oilless Craftsman that was given to me, I absolutely hate that noisy *** Craftsman but it makes more pressure and bigger tank so I live with it till I can afford what I want....80 gal two stage 7.5hp IR