Technical What "New" tool has impressed you ?

Does that use the same drums as the Eastwood unit, and is it cheaper? The Eastwood is around $200.

 

I bought the Mastercool version ($300 with some shopping) and it beats the manual flaring tools every which way. Fast, simple, and a perfect flare every time. A tool that actually lived up to it's advertising.

 

No, it uses its own drums.

 

I like my Evolution chop saw

 

I'm not sure if you were referring to my post, but the Nebo Slyde is not a cheap LED light. It is well made and tough. I have dropped it multiple times on my concrete garage floor with no damage. It has served me well

 

That neat little invention, the Phillips head screw pretty much made slot screwdrivers obsolete since the thirtys.
I replace slotted screws any chance I get with Phillips head but I do keep a couple of slot screwdrivers around for prying tools.

 

Over the years, I have purchased several of the head mounted LED lights, and every time my friends see me using it, they whine and snivel until I end up giving them mine. I don't mind parting with them, because they are inexpensive, and every new generation of these lights gets brighter.
I have an excellent DeWalt portable drill, and the batteries are also good for the vacuum cleaner. I like this small vacuum cleaner, because it has an actual cleanable air filter that allows the machine to be used for much longer than any other portable I have owned.
The rest of my battery powered tools, are 18 volt Canadian Tire Mastercraft, which I would say is the equivalent of a mid range tool. I have a drill, sawzall, light, and circular saw, that I have been using for years.
I go through the battery packs myself, and just replace the dead cells. This system works great.
I have some lithium ion powered tools, and the batteries have not been trouble free. I think the problem is that I have not been using them enough to keep the batteries working properly.
I have both good and cheap hand tools, so that if I have to bend or use a tool to destruction, I don't mind sacrificing the cheap wrenches.
Bob

 

If working with plastic a Hutchins orbital line sander is hard to beat imo..

https://www.amazon.com/Hutchins-3800-Orbital-Action-Sander/dp/B000GBKCFG

Wiring an entire car squeeze type wire strippers, my mac work pretty well

https://www.mactools.com/en-us/Plie...1195aff/Self-Adjusting-Wire-Crimper-Strippers

And another vote for mastercool hydraulic brake line flairing,, thought it was impossible till I bought mine..

 

I have a Makita drum sander, and I love how well it works for stripping rust down to bare metal. I wish it had a vacuum attachment for the dust.
Bob

 

Not a traditional tool (like some guys on here ) but cool, I recently purchased a plasma cutter and I am still learning how to use it. Last night I was cutting some boxing plates for my 41 PU project and I gave the plasma a whirl. I am learning that you need a non metallic guide to steady your hand so in this case I grabbed a short piece of 2X4 and simply held it in place with my hand while I made the cut.


I didn't take pictures of the second one (sort of like having kids, always pictures of the first one, second one not so much) but number two turned out even better (also like having kids). A quick pass across the grinder to put a bevel in it for welding and I was done. That cut took about 4 seconds. Serious time saver.

I plan to make up some patterns (holes, curves, rectangles and so on) out of 1/4" MDL or similar that my carpenter brother in law has lying around and keep them for future use.

 

If you look on Ebay you can buy boxes of small Torx screws......they are the best. I have stripped my share of phillips and then had to drill them out.

 

If you have ever degreed a cam, this tool is the best. Makes the job easy and less stressful. It goes right into the lifter bore, your dial indicator goes into the other end. I can dial in a cam much quicker. This is a comp cams unit.

 

Right you are on the Torx screws, I tend to forget because I get "religious" when the mention of slot head screws comes up.
I use Torx too when needed but my general purpose screw is the phillips head.
It's those cheap offshore screws that HD and Lowes sells that strip, especially when seating them with power, as I use a regular electric drill and it has no torque settings.
I won't turn this into a rant about cordless drills/drivers because the boss would want to bump it to the Garage Journal and I'm only an occasional "lurker" on GJ.

 

I don't know if it's"new," but when I needed to pull the 263 out of my '53 Buick, a ratcheting box wrench was the best tool ever for getting the top two bellhousing bolts in and out!

 

As one other mentioned, my power probe is my "most valuable" tool. Test light, volt meter, portable ground/power source all in 1. I dont know electrical that well, and therefore hate it. It makes diagnosis so much easier for me.

 

I was walking through a Sears store one day with one of my sons and he asked how much a sawzall costsand I said to him nothing if you are in the trades.

He looked at me and said how can it cost nothing
.
I explained to him that the Milwaukee Sawzall I purchased in the mid 80's is the same one I use today. Yes I have replaced the switches and cords over the years but this same tool that helped me build over a 100 new homes over the years not to mention hundreds of kitchen remodeling jobs and other projects.

I said to my son do you have any idea how many tens of thousands of dollars that one tool as made me over the past 34 years!
The original price I believe was around $90.00 bucks so if you are in the trades everyday out working these will make you a small fortune over the years you own and take care of them.

Jimbo

 

Other than an old John Holmes flic..... my belt sander from Harbor Freight with a washing machine motor attached is an impressive tool !
It will make a tooth pick out of a 2X4 in nothing flat!
Regular store bought tool would be my old DeWalt battery powered drill!
Had it for years and it NEVER lets me down.
6sally6

 

The best thing I've run across is a DeWalt DCF682 Gyroscopic inline screwdriver. The really neat thing is that it turns the direction you turn the tool. The more you turn it the faster it goes.

It has a spring loaded system for whatever tool you put in the thing--screwdriver bits, drill bits, dremel stuff and more.

 

Steve, I bought the same brand! It’s one of my favorite tools. It also does fuel lines. Worth EVERY penny.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Hear a lot of critiqie about the Drill Doctor, but I bought the deluxe one when Orchard Supply went out, my Drill Dr. was sale priced from $80 down to 29.95.
I sharpened every bit I had (60 years worth!, I have a LOT)
Very impressed, just take your time.

 

When I'm "screwing around" nothing beats a Robertson. Henry Ford wanted to use them under liscence but Robertson said no and insisted or supplying them. Ford said no, too bad for Henry.
One tool a bought years ago at Sears was their little hand shear. Used that a lot and now I don't know where to buy replacement blades!

 

I like my Drill Doctor as well.

 

^^^^^^ Me, too !

 

After using a time sert for repairing plug threads in my Triumph Bonnie, I am sold on the product and will use the kit and have thought about replacing good threads in every alloy head I own.

Every flare I have made with this Eastwood tool has worked, every time and worth every penny.

 

Cotter pin transmorgofier, no, hand held electric cutoff wheels the deal. Cotter pin transmorgofier = Diagonal pliers

 

The only problem with this flare tool is you have to put it in a vice to use. The Mastercool uses the same style flaring tooling but being hydraulic you can use it in place on the car in a lot of cases.

 

I am intrigued. Do you have a picture?
Bob

 

My choice among other tools that I like is the Drill Doctor.......over the years it has save me a fortune in dull drills.
Phil

 

one tool I thought was pretty cool was the shrinking disc for shrinking metal.
had a car where someone somewhere at sometime must have put something heavy on the roof. it squished down, then someone popped it back up. more than one "expert" told me I would have to skim coat the whole roof with mud because of the stretched parts around the edge. the shrinking disc made them all disappear. used no mud at all.

a simple idea but pure genius.