Tools you waited too long to acquire

[CWret]

There are 2 tools i should have upgraded long ago but i didn’t realize just how much i hated them until i got the new ones.
- I had a perfectly good Craftsman radial arm saw that i finally replaced with a Makita miter saw. Waaaay overdue.
- i sold my good old reliable compressor for a quiet compressor (same 4cfm size and so far just as reliable). My ears are soooo thankful.

I’m sure there are lots of tools i don’t know i need. Guess that’s part of the fun and a good reason to be a Forum member.

I’d have to agree with @ShawnR “most of his satisfaction comes from the tools he has made”.
Here’s a simple little tool (gismo) i made that works well and puts a smile on my face. (Prelude- I purchased a Blue Demon Dab Pen for feeding TIG filler rod - i gave it away).
I made a TIG filler rod feeder that works well even when wearing heavy welding gloves. Left or right hand is no issue. The wheel is from a kids Meccano set. This is version 2.0. I expect version 2.1 to be more compact and yet a bit easier to hold.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Agreed @Dan Dubeau - some battery powered tools rule! - Stihl has arguably the best gas trimmers and blowers + their chainsaws are imo the best!
Last year i sold both my Stihl trimmer and blower (both were working well at the time) and got EGO’s top of their line (carbon fibre shaft) string trimmer and a 650cfm leaf blower. Both 56 volt. They are awesome. Strongly recommend.
Still have a Stihl chain saw and love it. My Stihl hedge trimmer is hard to start and on it’s way out. When it dies - I’ll be getting another EGO product.
(Used both the blower and trimmer today (Sunday) - they are soooo quiet.)

I've got a couple Stihl saws, from a little ms170, to ms362, and they're awesome and going nowhere, but I might add a battery one now....The fs110 trimmer I bought 2nd hand from a landscape company for $40 13 years ago, and it owes me nothing at this point. I've bought a couple Kombi attachments (hedge trimmer, and pole saw) just for the heads to swap out that I want to adapt to the Makita. Makita uses a spline drive, vs the 5mm square on the Stihl. I should be able to figure something out. Having a battery operated pole saw would be very handy for trail maintenance.

That was the one reason I bough this model Makita vs the others, is that the motor is in the handle end, and it's shaft driven. All the others have the motor down at the business end. I could buy the Makita attachments but I'm sure there is an adapter hiding somewhere in the shop.

 

[CWret]

Here’s another gizmo i made. Was just using it to help clean up my KIRA drill press for painting.

 

[Susquatch]

Here’s another gizmo i made. Was just using it to help clean up my KIRA drill press for painting.

What a GREAT IDEA!

 

[CWret]

Good thing I work with wood as much as metal. This isn’t a custom tool, it’s a stool - but I made it just the same.
A while ago, my Doctor’s nurse called and told me that the Doc wanted we to bring in a stool sample before my medical.

 

[CWret]

While in the shop today i remembered another common place tool that most everyone has and i recently upgraded - a hand held grinder. It has, IMO, the highest DQ of all small power tools. (that’s not Dairy Queen, it’s Danger Quotient).
In the first pic is my 4” Makita, 4.5” DeWalt and 7” DeWalt. The 4” is only good for getting into small places and the 7” is a monster and OMG hang on tight!
On the left, in the next pic, is my 5” Metabo (W12-125 Quick, 1250watts, 11,000rpm) that i got several years ago. Also in that pic (on the right) is the Metabo i got a couple of years ago (WEV11-125, 1100watts, 2,800 to 10,500rpm). Since i got the Metabos the other grinders only gather dust at the back of the bottom shelf. The W12 has nearly as much useful power as the monster Dewalt but it is so much easier to handle that it has a much improved (reduced) DQ over the monster. The WEV is the reason for this post - it is a huge improvement in operator safety with a very low DQ. The variable speed is great! No - correction, the variable speed is awesome! So very easy to control. It also has a soft start. The bigger W12 has a somewhat abrupt start but not nearly as brutal as the big DeWalt. The WEV takes about 1.5 seconds to smoothly get to full speed. The WEV was over $200 (as i recall) but it is by far the safest grinder i have ever used. It’s as easy to control as the baby Makita. The W12 came with their ‘no tools required’ speed nut that makes changing grinding wheels/cut off wheels/flap discs very simple. I mostly use that accessory on the WEV.
In the next pic you can see the speed control on the WEV. Also note the yellow and red electrical tape on the cords. The tape makes it easy to unplugging the correct one when moving to another power outlet.
Newer models also have a electric brake. That would be nice too.
Other manufacturers have similar tools (with variable speed, soft start, speed nut and electric brake) at a bit lower pricing i believe but I’m very happy with my German made Metabos.

 

[CWret]

The paint can (in the pic below) sits near my work bench in clear view. As a remember.
I was using a cut off wheel and it broke. A common occurrence. I put on a new cut off wheel and continued working. In a minute i noticed some paint on my work bench.
Now i use a face shield when grinding. Especially (always) when using a cut off wheel.

 

[LenVW]

The paint can (in the pic below) sits near my work bench in clear view. As a remember.
I was using a cut off wheel and it broke. A common occurrence. I put on a new cut off wheel and continued working. In a minute i noticed some paint on my work bench.
Now i use a face shield when grinding. Especially (always) when using a cut off wheel.

As ’hobbyists’ we often use equipment and processes that have risks associated.
Production shops follow strict H&S procedures, guarding and PPE.
A lot of our shops look small, but, the POTENTIAL for accidents is there.

It is up to each of us to ‘play’ safely.

 

[Chicken lights]

The paint can (in the pic below) sits near my work bench in clear view. As a remember.
I was using a cut off wheel and it broke. A common occurrence. I put on a new cut off wheel and continued working. In a minute i noticed some paint on my work bench.
Now i use a face shield when grinding. Especially (always) when using a cut off wheel.

All that JD green ruined

Well, nothing runs like an Oliver I guess

 

[CWret]

Just received my Wixey drill press laser (an hour ago). Looks good - I’ll install it later today. Thanks @Degen for letting us know about this product.

CAUTION!!!
UPS charged me an additional $46.50. It came from SRA Soldering Products in Massachusetts ($7.80 GST, $34.25 Brokerage, $4.45 tax on brokerage).
I’m a Amazon Prime member and often order from Amazon.ca and at checkout if it indicates additional taxes or charges may apply, then i stop and don’t complete the order. No such warning this time! I’ll be letting Amazon know about my displeasure.
I’m not blaming you @kstrauss because i would have looked on Amazon with or without your suggestion. With the usual Busy B delivery charge, Amazon should have been a better deal. But not with this surprise brokerage charge.
(Be careful @Susquatch and @YotaBota if you decide to order one)

Also -FYI: i just noticed (on Amazon.ca) a drill press laser by Centurion at $39.99 + $19.99 delivery. It appears to be all plastic whereas the Wixey is aluminum and plastic.

 

[Susquatch]

(Be careful @Susquatch and @YotaBota if you decide to order one)

No worries. I already ordered, received, and installed mine. I was driving through Toronto on my way to Keswick anyway so I just stopped at Busy Bee and got a few other things too.

Mine works quite well. Generally speaking, I'm happy with it. My drill press has a deep throat so I had to use the full extension of the install kit and that left a wee tiny bit of vertical alignment behind. So it's not perfect. But I wasn't looking for perfection so I'm not disappointed. I've already used it for a few things and I'm very impressed at how quick it makes the job of lining things up.

 

[CWret]

Un f’n believable. OMG. SOB. As a Kubota lover i can hardly believe (I’m fessing up here) that i bought a John Deere tractor this weekend!! Father’s day to boot!!!
What will the neighbours say?But it is awesome and all i could ever hope for in a JD.
To fellow tractor owners: @YotaBota @Dan Dubeau @brent @Chicken lights sorry but i guess i had a senior’s moment.
To @Susquatch - green is green,
orange is still beautiful.

Craig

 

[140mower]

The neighbours will be green with envy.... Orange you glad it wasn't a Case?

 

[Susquatch]

green is green,
orange is still beautiful.

Just so you know, my ATV is a Kubota. It gets along fine with my Deere stuff. It's not orange though. It's camo.

You gunna show us any photos?

 

[CWret]

Sure - here’s a pic of the JD i got yesterday.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Un f’n believable. OMG. SOB. As a Kubota lover i can hardly believe (I’m fessing up here) that i bought a John Deere tractor this weekend!! Father’s day to boot!!!
What will the neighbours say?But it is awesome and all i could ever hope for in a JD.
To fellow tractor owners: @YotaBota @Dan Dubeau @brent @Chicken lights sorry but i guess i had a senior’s moment.
To @Susquatch - green is green,
orange is still beautiful.

Craig

Congrats. No pics?

I just missed out on buying an industrial ford a couple weeks ago. I don't get all sour about missing deals normally, but I really, really wanted that one and it still stings a bit . The search continues

 

[CWret]

Yea @Dan Dubeau - JD pic in post 135 above. You may have missed it since it’s not likely what you might have expected.
Searching deals is fun - just keep on trying.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Yea @Dan Dubeau - JD pic in post 135 above. You may have missed it since it’s not likely what you might have expected.
Searching deals is fun - just keep on trying.

lol, yep, I scolled right past and didn't put 2 and 2 together. I hadn't finished my coffee yet, so forgive me for being a bit braindead.

 

[DPittman]

I just missed out on buying an industrial ford a couple weeks ago

What sort/model of industrial Ford were you looking for? I have an old 4500 that had an extremely abused and hard life and I resurrected, I sure wish I could have owned that tractor brand new as they were built amazingly well and simple. The newer versions (I believe 540's) look even better/nicer yet.

 

[Susquatch]

I don't get all sour about missing deals normally, but I really, really wanted that one and it still stings a bit . The search continues

One of my 3 sons likes to say: "No worries. When one door closes, another one opens."

So ya, no worries! You will find something even better.

Nonetheless I do understand and I feel your sting.....