Best new tool or toy

kansashunter

I am in taking a break and thought I would ask this. I recently bought a cordless 4 1/2 inch grinder only because I was buying something else and if I bought another tool they would throw in 2 batteries and it was a good deal so I got the grinder. It has more power than I thought it would and I have used it quite a bit. It is handy to be able to grind or cut something apart where there is no power. If my welder was working I wouldn't have used it as much but I still haven't been able to get it to work. Have you bought anything lately that you like more than you thought you would?

zorba

Yea, believe it or not, a sawzall. This is in the list of "tools my daddy never had", I bought a brand new Craftsman (from Ace hardware), and I use the darn thing all the time. Should have bought one 40 years ago!

kansashunter

Actually that was what I was getting when I bought the grinder. I had a couple of jobs that a cordless Sawzall could save me time and it's been handy but I have only used it for those 2 things so far. 

earlyagain

Im folded up tight. Squeezing pennies and dollars until dead Presidents scream, and ain't buying nothing I don't figure I need. Nothing...

tennmike

Battery powered chain saw and pole saw. They work well for trimming back bushes and sawing down low hanging branches in the yard and around the edge of the woods next to the house. I enjoy the lack of noise, and not having to mix gas and cranking the gas ones. And the battery powered ones are a LOT lighter, too. Makes it easier on me to handle them as I'm not near as strong as I was this time last year.

2Aman

Ok, as a boat mechanic, I like tools as much or more than firearms and using them everyday justifies my spending alot on them. That said here goes recent new purchases that I like.

Milwaukee M12 anything, but just got the little sawzall and absolutely love that thing. Its a lifesaver in a console or hatch my big one wont fit in.

Milwaukee M12 die grinder, this little ass kicker is worth its weight in gold. Being cordless its great when I am working out of the truck away from the shop. Love this thing.

Power Probe 3, was late to the party on this one but couldn't live without it now. Gives you the option to not only check power/ground but also apply both. Awesome for trailer lights, dead shorts, anything 12volt.

I will just stop now but I am constantly buying tools, just like guns. Quality always worth the extra $. 

RugerFan

I bought a Black and Decker 20v cordless sawzall for $20 a while back at Wal-Mart. It has really been handy.

ilove22s

bought a new cordless drill.  I have/had a Makita 9.6 volt but the batteries are not holding a charge.  I may try to send them off to be "replaced", but i also bought a new 18V makita.  I love it. only drawback is that its heavier.  They do make some smaller Ah batteries, but i like to be able to use all day(s) and not worry about recharging.   I used it alot during my re-PEXing.  Also, added a few more outlets in the house and a GFI in the bathroom.  I used it to bore holes through the 2x8s w/o issue.

Also bought an oscillating saw.   Really nice one and used it to cut holes in the lath&plater and sheetrock.  Need to get more blades since some didnt like the lath.  

picked up a mini router and sander combo.  the combo was cheaper than the mini router alone.  Used the mini router just today and love it.  Its smaller and gets into smaller places.  dont know if i will use the sander since i already have a used one.  But never know.

Jayhawker

zorba said:

Yea, believe it or not, a sawzall. This is in the list of "tools my daddy never had", I bought a brand new Craftsman (from Ace hardware), and I use the darn thing all the time. Should have bought one 40 years ago!

Something I learned on the Fire Department.... Sawzall is a tool everybody should have...I have taken the roof of a bunch of cars with one.....I prefer the ones with a cord...batteries are always dead when you need them and a recurring expense replacing them...

zorba

All my tools are corded - my usage model doesn't really jive well with batteries. If I used them every day, and well away from 'tricity, I could certainly see it, but occasional use with plug-ins everywhere? Nope. Saves money and aggravation too!

Another tool I bought recently - and another tool my dad never owned, is an angle grinder. Although it isn't getting the use the SawzAll does, its proving pretty handy. Dad didn't have a lot of tools, particularly power tools, because he could always borrow them from whatever contractor he was working for at the time.

But now dad's passed on, and I'm retired. That means I can't borrow tools from anybody! My son in law turned me onto another tool that I'd never heard of, the oscillating saw. I guess they're fairly new, I hadn't heard of them until a couple of years ago, but BEST THING EVER INVENTED!

jbp-ohio

Not new but most used is my 12V right angle impact.... It's 7-8yo and still holds a good charge. Doing my siding this week I change the battery before I start and drive two boxes of screws. Never ran out before the sun goes down yet....

Justsomedude

All you guys talking about Sawzalls reminded me of a story. I can't remember how long ago it was, but it was some years ago, I took the wife and kids to some park in Ohio that has amusement park style water slides and rides that go down into a huge lake. It was actually a pretty cool setup and alot of fun. When we were there, it became overcast and started to storm with heavy winds in no time flat so everyone was getting out of the water, getting their belongings and heading to their cars. There was only one way in the place, a long road/driveway through the woods to get in or out. I was about the 3rd car in line heading out when I saw that the cars ahead were stopped. Tree down in the road, perfectly across the whole thing. Can't remember the size of the thing except that we weren't budging it free handed without a truck or some other form of leverage. It was myself and a few other guys standing there getting rained on, trying to brainstorm a way to move this damn tree when one of the guys says "I have a Sawzall but it's useless". I asked "why, is the battery dead"? He says "no, it has a metal blade in it". There was a resounding "DUUUUDE" from everyone there getting rained on in our group of geniuses 😆. Long story summed up, we cut it, moved it and everyone made it through. Cordless with today's battery technology is a godsend.

GunNut

Dewalt cordless Impact Driver.  It’s also a great little drill so for a homeowner it’s a great combo tool that I couldn’t live without anymore.