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Power Tools & General Tools Recommendations & Advice
- Thread starter Nightglow
- Start date
Soldato
- Joined
- 13 Apr 2013
- Posts
- 15,121
- Location
- La France
What diameter limbs and trunks do you plan to cut?
How often will you be cutting wood are where?
If you’re looking at a battery saw, pay extra for one that has an automatic bar oiler.
Factor in the cost of PPE and have your tree surgeons give you a basic chainsaw safety course. In fact, ask their opinion on saws as they’ve probably run every make and model out there.
So I bought the brushed version of this for my sister about 6months ago as she does a lot of maintenance work outside around the house. So a few weeks ago she put up a 2 rail type of fence thing around our pond to stop the Herren from eating all our fish... We have hard solid concrete slabs going around the pond that a normal battery hammer drill wont go through at all(or takes like 20mins of drilling with basically having to sit on the drill). But this tiny small SDS drill goes through the slabs as if they were made of paper as the first hold she drilled she used a lot of weight on the drill and it went through within 5seconds..
Its astonishing how quick and easy the sds went through the concrete compared to a normal hammer drill.. I really did think that this small sds drill would struggle somewhat with it being so small and spinning at only about 850rpm.. Its a awesome lightweight drill if your drilling through concrete or harder materials and its soooo much lighter and smaller then the normal sds drills you see... A perfect sds drill for a not so strong woman or someone who can only use 1 hand
Its astonishing how quick and easy the sds went through the concrete compared to a normal hammer drill.. I really did think that this small sds drill would struggle somewhat with it being so small and spinning at only about 850rpm.. Its a awesome lightweight drill if your drilling through concrete or harder materials and its soooo much lighter and smaller then the normal sds drills you see... A perfect sds drill for a not so strong woman or someone who can only use 1 hand
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Indeed. I bought a 2Kg class 850W Bosch corded that cranks out 3.2J and goes through the majority of brick and concrete like butter - even with large drill bits (in fact I also did 150mm coring with it on non-hammer mode). Only does something like 900rpm which is good because it doesn't burn the drill bits and proportion drill trigger means you have good control. Main thing with a SDS is to ensure it has a clutch that prevents injury if it gets out of your hand.
It has a problem with some heavy breaking but for about £120 I got an second 15Kg hand breaker that makes mincemeat out of concrete, even reinforced concrete.
I think a small drill in the house, an SDS for anything larger is pretty much all that anyone needs. Possibly an impact driver too.
Yeah thats the best thing about slow rotating drills.. Like my sister has drilled 15+ holes with this small sds drill and the drill bit still looks like new.... But when we used a fast electric hammer drill to drill the concrete slabs years ago, you think its going through but instead its just melting and burning the drill bit away. And back then I thought more speed and power the better, but thats not the case at all... Plus cordless drills are sooo much easier to use and set up, as a corded drill is such a pain to plug in and faff around with extension cords.
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Talking ladders.
Anyone have any thoughts between these 2? Back in the UK i had a set of telescopic ladders, they were fine, but got a little bendy at heights which felt scary and sometimes felt clumsy for opening/closing. Ideal for minimal storage but not many benefits beyond that
I need something around 5.5m (i think - Going to check tonight)
Either got these. 3 piece fairly traditional style
Alternative being these - One of the hinged multi position versions
www.vevor.es
I can see the benefit of having the small scaffold platform on the second options but unsure how often they'd be needed. Equally whatever i buy will be for minimal use. Mainly climbing up onto the roof (single storey) to clean solar panels/check on network cables for cameras
Anyone have any thoughts between these 2? Back in the UK i had a set of telescopic ladders, they were fine, but got a little bendy at heights which felt scary and sometimes felt clumsy for opening/closing. Ideal for minimal storage but not many benefits beyond that
I need something around 5.5m (i think - Going to check tonight)
Either got these. 3 piece fairly traditional style
Alternative being these - One of the hinged multi position versions
Escalera multiusos de aluminio VEVOR – Hasta 150 kg, 5,8 m
Acceda de forma segura y versátil con la escalera multiusos de aluminio VEVOR. Ligera, resistente y con diseño ajustable 7 en 1. ¡Pídala hoy mismo para un fácil almacenamiento!
www.vevor.es
I can see the benefit of having the small scaffold platform on the second options but unsure how often they'd be needed. Equally whatever i buy will be for minimal use. Mainly climbing up onto the roof (single storey) to clean solar panels/check on network cables for cameras
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I have smaller ladders similar to your first set, but they are flimsy and don't feel safe at height.. I 'invested' in a 3 piece proper ally ladder, it's 10 times better... I use both for different purposes, but as I do my own DIY and exterior stuff, it's been invaluable.
Cheers
I've ended up ordering the second ones. I actually think they'll be more flimsy than the first, but returns are free if they turn out rubbish and i suspect they'll be better than the full telescopic ones i had for the previous 7 years. I'll likely never use them in the various positions, and i measured the house last night at 3.8m, so worse case scenario i'm unlikely to do too much damage falling if they fail. Won't be for any extended use, just climbing up and then back down after i'm done on the roof.
I've ended up ordering the second ones. I actually think they'll be more flimsy than the first, but returns are free if they turn out rubbish and i suspect they'll be better than the full telescopic ones i had for the previous 7 years. I'll likely never use them in the various positions, and i measured the house last night at 3.8m, so worse case scenario i'm unlikely to do too much damage falling if they fail. Won't be for any extended use, just climbing up and then back down after i'm done on the roof.
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Soldato
- Joined
- 21 Sep 2020
- Posts
- 6,388
Wera Impaktor bits are the bees knees but they aren't cheap but you can drive in loads of screws before failing.
Wera 05340003001 Bit-Check 10 PZ Impaktor 1 Christmas Set - 10 Pieces - PowerToolMate
The Wera Bit-Check 10 PZ Impaktor 1 Christmas Set provides a compact and convenient selection of Impaktor bits and a magnetic bit holder, ideal for use with com
Wera Bit-Check 30 Impaktor 2, Holder and Bits, PH/PZ/TX/HEX, 30pc - PowerToolMate
1 Impaktor holder with retaining ring and magnet, 29 Impaktor bits. The Impaktor technology offers an above-average service life even under extreme circumstance
Or just pick up a big tub of them from toolstation/screwfix etc and just accept that they're going to snap/break - hence the big tub.
I've been quite impressed with these as a set. Although my DIY has pretty pretty limited since i got them 18 months ago, so long term is hard to properly assess. It's a nice little set for variety though
This post reminds me i need to get some new drill bits. Going to have loads of holes to drill in the new house for various things and it makes sense to get some new bits rather than use my old rusty blunt ones!
This post reminds me i need to get some new drill bits. Going to have loads of holes to drill in the new house for various things and it makes sense to get some new bits rather than use my old rusty blunt ones!
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Something by like this will last a DIYer a lifetime.
www.toolstation.com
If you are having problems, the bits you ar rising are probably not impact rated.
DeWalt Impact Torsion Screwdriver Bits PZ2 x 25mm | Toolstation
• Designed to withstand high torque• Optimised torsion zone maximising bit life and turning force• Supplied in stackable Toughcase Designed to withstand the high forces of today's impact drivers, significantly reducing the instances of failure when fixing large screws in place. Optimised torsion...
If you are having problems, the bits you ar rising are probably not impact rated.
Associate
- Joined
- 5 Aug 2006
- Posts
- 1,222
- Location
- Kent, UK
I have a milwaukee chainsaw, and its great, especially with high output batteries. It does go through them though, e.g. a 12 ah battery last 20 - 30 mins.
If you need a battery chainsaw , given the price of batteries, I'd go with what brand you already have.
If you can manage with a plug in chainsaw , get one of those instead. I have an old oregan chainsaw, I think it's something like 2kw , for about £120.
Also , wear proper safety gear .
I initially started with the Bosch Green range and, over the years bought a few items (Strimmer, Circular Saw and Combi Drill) but found them a little lacking.
Given I didnt have a lot of their stuff, I thought it would be a good time to move to a better range and have started with the Ryobi 18V HP equipment (not their standard 18v stuff). Should be good enough for me (occasional home DIYer) and I feel its a decent price point/quality standard
Bad move or good idea?
Given I didnt have a lot of their stuff, I thought it would be a good time to move to a better range and have started with the Ryobi 18V HP equipment (not their standard 18v stuff). Should be good enough for me (occasional home DIYer) and I feel its a decent price point/quality standard
Bad move or good idea?
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Soldato
- Joined
- 14 Nov 2002
- Posts
- 7,847
- Location
- Under the Hill
I think power tools are a mixed bag. For example, I have a mixture of Dewalt, Milwauke and Ego. So far I have had issues with Dewalt drills (3 separate seized chucks and one that would randomly change direction!) and my EGO mower has given up after 7 years, although it seems to be an electrical issue that may be repairable. My chain saw, strimmer, hedge trimmer leaf blower, strimmer from Ego have all been rock solid. From Dewalt my impact, circular saw and multitool have been excellent.
I will say, the quality of my Milwauke drill and disc cutter are higher than Dewalt stuff I have had. Is it worth the premium, I am not sure, but time wasted on faulty equipment does have a cost to some extent.
I will say, the quality of my Milwauke drill and disc cutter are higher than Dewalt stuff I have had. Is it worth the premium, I am not sure, but time wasted on faulty equipment does have a cost to some extent.
Albeit this is very late, but i've got the 41 bar version. It's actually not too bad and i've used it to clean our old patio with moderate success. Certainly not a replacement for a plug in version, but for portability and sticking in the car to clean bikes etc it's a lot better than a lot of the other options which are only ~20 bar. More something to compliment having a plug in one rather than replacing it.
Well after the mrs killed the old Dyson (I could hear the arching in the motor from the loo, the smell hung around for a couple of days!) when vacuum sealing up the summer clothes, she settled on a corded Vax pet upright. Will try that out tomorrow when doing the house clean. It also splits for the stairs so that's going to be easier.
We have a small wet vax spot vacuum that did a great job so far so I think that's why we went with with a Vax. Also the vacuum is designed to handle long hair, so you can pull the head apart to clean it, unlike the old Dyson.
After the house clean pros and cons:
+ very light weight
+ power cord longer than the dyson
+ carpet brush its powered by a separate motor as the base can detach for carrying when doing the stairs
+ has LED lights on the carpet brush so you can see debris
+ small carpet head gets into corners that the Dyson couldn't, especially as the body steers really nicely.
+ has two vortexes and you can empty/clean both
+ main brush can be disassembled to remove hair in one turn, making it really easy to remove long hair.
+ small turbine powered brush head for stair/uppulstry its great and more powerful than I was expecting
- the small turbine powered brush head is very loud. however it's not the main brush for the carpets so ok.
- waste bin is smaller but does last an entire house clean in one session.
- smaller main brush head can mean more time on large carpet floors but for most houses that have thing to move/vacuum around the smaller more manoeuvrable head is better for us.
So far it's been pretty decent but as always that is the case for the first use. Let's see after 6 months.
We have a small wet vax spot vacuum that did a great job so far so I think that's why we went with with a Vax. Also the vacuum is designed to handle long hair, so you can pull the head apart to clean it, unlike the old Dyson.
After the house clean pros and cons:
+ very light weight
+ power cord longer than the dyson
+ carpet brush its powered by a separate motor as the base can detach for carrying when doing the stairs
+ has LED lights on the carpet brush so you can see debris
+ small carpet head gets into corners that the Dyson couldn't, especially as the body steers really nicely.
+ has two vortexes and you can empty/clean both
+ main brush can be disassembled to remove hair in one turn, making it really easy to remove long hair.
+ small turbine powered brush head for stair/uppulstry its great and more powerful than I was expecting
- the small turbine powered brush head is very loud. however it's not the main brush for the carpets so ok.
- waste bin is smaller but does last an entire house clean in one session.
- smaller main brush head can mean more time on large carpet floors but for most houses that have thing to move/vacuum around the smaller more manoeuvrable head is better for us.
So far it's been pretty decent but as always that is the case for the first use. Let's see after 6 months.
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