Technical Most time saving tool you have added to the arsenal?

I agree with the 2 post lift as probably the single tool that promotes the most efficiency of work. Everything goes faster. Projects that used to take weeks now take hours. Couple the lift with some movable screw stands and a trans-jack, and you've got a combination that will allow you to work safely and quickly, while also imposing far less of a physical toll on you. I distinctly remember being a teenager, with my 57 Ford up as high as it could go with jack stands, sliding a 727 Torqueflight under the car, then shimmying myself under there, rolling the transmission onto my chest, and bench-pressing it up into the car and onto the dowel pins. Looking back on it, I honestly don't know how I've managed to live as long as I have.

I would also agree that a nice assortment of cordless tools is a huge time saver. My 1/4" drive DeWalt impact driver is a go-to.

While I can agree that the lift is probably the biggest time-saver, just having lots of tools and the right tools for the job really helps moving things along. Dumb stuff like having a good assortment of wrenches in both 6 and 12 point, swivel sockets, etc., means less time futzing around and more time making progress.

I would also disagree with a plasma cutter being a real time saver. Having one, I find I virtually never use it. It sprays molten steel all over the shop, which I don't love for safety reasons, but also is a crude tool that can be hard to control, and leave the molten hanger on the back-side of the cut that then needs to be addressed by another tool. For almost every cutting job I have, I find myself looking for another tool that seems better suited for the job, whether that be a cut off tool, chop saw, band saw, sawzall, or even a shear.

 

Shop Heat! and a good air compressor.

 

Cordless tools certainly save time. That along with multiple angle grinders and die grinders saves a lot of time when doing any kind of fabricating.

Also, having two beer fridges in the shop can save time when you need another beer.

 

Any and all cordless, esp. impact, grinder and drill. The only corded handheld tool that I have left is my Grandad's Montgomery Ward 1/2" wrist breaker drill. Oh, and a BFH.

 

That's a more recent move I've made. I bought like 4 Drill Master right angle grinders from HF and put discs on that I don't use as often, and that's a dedicated tool that doesn't get changed. I don't use a grinding stone often, usually flap discs, so I keep one on there, as well as shrinking discs.

 

Plasma cutters are useful for cutting 'different' materials like stainless steel, aluminum too thick to shear or where you need a curved cut, plated/galvanized steel, and other non-ferrous metals. Works well for irregular cuts in sheetmetal where another cutting tool may be clumsy. Using a torch guide helps a bunch. It's a useful tool, but not a panacea by any means...

 

I didn’t think of some reply’s but have to agree Bridgeport Mill any lathe ,Roper Whitney hole punch . One thing I didn’t hear is drill press or the Beverly Shear and use mine 80% of the sheet metal cutting I do. The Beverly shear is small cut heavy or light materials and straight or curved.

 

I buy pop rivets by the box of 500 at a time. So an air riveter is the time saver for me.

 

Another handy tool, and if you're doing anything larger than 5/32 with steel rivets pretty much mandatory unless you're a gorilla...

 

And I tried the long handle unit first. Couldn`t budge them. But the air riveter worked like a champ.

 

I invested in the air riveter when I did the belly pan on my travel trailer. 500-1000 rivets was a no go with my hand squeeze.

 

For getting the car done. A walking foot sewing machine.

 

This computer.

 

Portable band saw, auto darkening welding helmet. Most used tool would have to be a DA sander or the mig welder.

 

Did you notice the steering wheel?

 

My new favorite is my Milwaukee cordless Sawzall. I use the hell out of it, so much so that I sold off my big bandsaw. I never used it. The Sawzall does everything it does and doesn't take up all that room. I bought a Plasma cutter to help with mini-tubs and floor work, nah, cut a slot with a cut off wheel and get out the Sawzall. Can't remember the last time I turned on the PC.
My other favorite is my Harbor Freight 12" bench shear. I clamp it on the edge of the workbench and shear out blanks to make brackets, patch pieces, all kinds of stuff. Easier than using the big foot shear.

 

Five gallon bucket of vinegar, a miracle worker against rust.

 

When I read the title, I thought "my 2 post lift hands down" then opened the thread and looks like I'm not the only one. Climbing under a car takes longer the older you get. Only to realize you need a different tool then what you have under there. I just put a transmission in my car with the aid of a transmission jack.... by myself

 

Regarding the lift thing. I use a 2 post lift at work at least 1/2 the week. It’s really hard to get motivated to drag out the jack and stands when I get home to work on my own projects.


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My 1/4” impact driver. Use it to drive or remove screws and bolts and nuts. My air impact stays on the shelf most of the time now, the little 1/4” is surprisingly strong. Only drag out the air for larger stuff now.

 

I guess I am going to have to invest in these cordless tools I keep hearing about. I just have a cordless drill.

 

4X4 ATV. Moving cars around in my shop was a pain. I don't build much but I part out/resell a lot. Pushing in clunkers or dragging out bones was a chore as the shop holds vehicles 3 deep and 3 wide plus dragging one from the back to the dissection area. I was pushing or pulling cars with my truck and a strap or tow bar. not efficient. Got the atv and rigged up a push bumper and now I have gotten to the point I can push a car on the trailer and skip the winch using a third ramp. My trailer is 28' long and I can run the atv to the front so when I get to where something is sitting I can haul out a jack,wheels and tires ,torch,air tank,tools to prep the vehicle for extraction.

 

A lift

 

I have to agree with everyone else on this one. My 1/2” drive cordless has more power than my air. I recently purchased a small 1/4” drive cordless ratchet and it’s a game changer. It had way more break out force than I thought it would and even if you have to break it loose with a wrench or ratchet it’s great for backing it out the rest of the way. Especially in tight spots.


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An air compressor that can actually keep up. Really got tired of waiting for air.
I also have recently added a Bridgeport and lathe but with my current project I haven’t needed to use it much yet.
Next on the list is an AC/DC Tig.

 

I need a 4 post lift now. The 2 post is good for suspension changes etc. but the 4 post is awesome for just popping up on it to change oil and would be nice to checked a loaded suspension for driveshaft angles etc.

 

I can’t believe the number of guys not using the band saw and selling it. It’s my number one tool. Maybe not to save time but makes my brackets better. Same thing for sandblast cabinet, stuff looks better and it’s faster than a wire wheel

 

I bought a nice hypotherm plasma cutter. Just this last Tuesday I blew off leaf spring mounts on an 8” rearend, took less than five minutes.

 

Unfortunately I don't have room for a lift at home, but I use one all day at work so I'm less inclined to do heavy work at home. I don't buy much in the way of tools even though I wrench everyday at work and home on the weekends. My favorite tools at home are the 1/2 cordless Dewalt drill my wife bought me for Christmas about 12-13 years ago, and my 60 gallon compressor that my wife also bought for me a few years before that then proceeded to help me lay the pad for and install. Aside from that my biggest help is my son, now 21 and a fellow enthusiast who has followed me into the field, but a different area so we have different skills.

Devin

 

Trammel bar with screw-in ends, three (3) different rod lengths; Long, Medium & Short. Ends can be swapped to suit any diameter hole. Great for the solo measuring of frame / chassis - lengths and diagonals etc. A bit hard to hold a tape measure over long distance centres.