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

We have had some good tool threads lately. One thing I am always looking at is maximizing my time in the shop. I don't get a lot of shop time, so time is money. I look for things that will make my life easier and speed up the hot rod building process.

I think my biggest time saver has been my 2 post lift. As I get older, I can't seem to roll around on the cold concrete as much as I used to.

I think the next biggest time saver I will buy will be a plasma cutter. The sawzall works ok, but can be violent at times, where I need precision.

So, what is the most time saving tool you have added to the arsenal?

 

Battery powered impact, drill, grinder, impact driver etc.

 

Biggest time and labor saving device i've added in the last 5 yrs has been the kid that wandered into the shop and kinda adopted me. While he can be a 'real tool' at times, he's become invaluable as a parts washer, grinder, panel holder, tool caddy and gopher and anything computer related. Plus the comic relief he provides is off the charts....

 

My best tools, most often used are: battery powered angle grinder (what a convenience!), impact driver, but the #1 is whiteboard. It is so easy to make notes, delete them, prepare timesheets for invoices for customer... I have many, many tools, but these are my favourite.

 

My plasma cutter and Dewalt cordless cut-off saw have both made things a lot easier.

 

http://www.accuratepower.com/Torch/
Probably this. I make a lot of brackets with it. Mike



From 3/4" plate, no grinding

 

After reading these replies, I think it is probably time I bought some cordless tools.

 

Two post lift.

Two post lift.

Two post lift.

I love that thing.

Beyond that, battery powered tools for sure.

 

ear plugs

 

In the late 1950s.
The first, what I'd call a time saver for me, was when I got my self a used Oxy Acetylene set.
Big save on cut, drill an bolt fab.time.

The next big leap in time save, was the Cutoff Bandsaw/that swings up in to a table bandsaw as well, I got that new. That's over 50 years old now,an only needed motor replaced one time.
I still don't own cordless stuff.

 

Cordless tool of any kind

 

4 post lift

 

I would love to have a vertical bandsaw also......

 

The most recent would be the Milwaukee metal shears I got for $20 at a garage sale, and the Roper-Whitney hole punches which sure beats drilled holes.


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The latest equipment/tool I would like to purchase is a Time Machine. I have a lifetime collection, more tools than anyone ever needs, all the air tools, battery type, 4 post lift, Band Saw, Mill, Lathe, welding equipment, etc, etc. I spend more time looking for things, regaining my thoughts (the train leaves the station, but usually doesn't fall off the track yet) Anything I do now takes a ridiculous amount of time including typing here. Getting OLD is a trip, I am thankful to be here to be struggling some to take the trip, everyday is getting to be an adventure, what are we talking about again ? I joke about missing my hair, More So my mind. LOL

 

My overhead crane...........I'm telling you if I had to decide between having a welder and having a crane, it would be a difficult choice. It not only lets me move all kinds of slightly too heavy things, it lets me lift, move, relocate or load things that I would have to get a half dozen people to help me. I can lift car bodies off frames and set them on a dolley and then set the frame on a welding table in just a few minutes.......by myself. As your friends get older its harder to get help when you need it.
I'm telling you my crane gets far more use than my plasma cutter and just as much use as my welder.......and I use my welder a lot. Its those medium heavy things that get moved a lot.
If someone takes the time to find used I beams and make a decent crane, they will love it better than their wife...........

 

Sandblast cabinet. Sure beats grinding and wire brushing rust and paint, and leaves the shop a lot cleaner than the old methods.

 

My first can of kroil lol

 

I would have to vote for the mig welder, seconded by the zip wheel, sure beats the hell outa oxy/ acet I learned with.

 

Best decision I ever made to save fabrication time was to buy more angle grinders! After years of constantly changing from one wheel or another, I bought 3 more angle grinders, and I leave each with a different wheel. One has a cutoff disc, one a flapper disc, one a grinding disc, and one a paint stripper disc. I can't begin to guess how much time I've saved not stopping to swap a wheel during fab work.

 

Well unfortunately I haven’t been able to add it to my arsenal yet but it would be a big enough shop to put all my tools and equipment in. I currently have stuff spread around 4 different locations in 3 different towns. Dragging stuff around all over kinda takes the fun out of the hobby.


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My phone! When i reassemble stuff i've taken apart i can just go back and watch the pics i took before taking it appart, suddenly everything seems to go together much easier

 

By far...the hammer.

 

I bought a used craftsman awhile back. Gave to much for it but it had the 2 speed gearbox for metal and wood. Cleaned it up, adjusted everything, cleaned and packed all the bearings, put cool blocks on it along with new wheel rubbers and since then I've used it twice. Still use the chop saw when possible....

 

Have to say the cordless tools have made things a lot easier/faster.

 

Moriarity, I have got to say that I've seen hundreds of Bridgeports but thats the first sporting pin stripes! Does it ever see chips and cutting oil? Pretty sweet.

 

Over head crane

at work by far to save time and head aches have been my boring bar and mag drill

 

Yep, you can't have too many grinders. And not just the 4/5" electrics, but those angle-head air die grinders too; I use those as much as the electrics. Having at least one large (7/9") grinder is handy also.

I used to have a bandsaw, but after I got a chop saw I never looked back and sold the bandsaw. If you cut much aluminum, a table saw with carbide-tipped blades will make quick work of it (just don't feed it too fast), although a carbide blade on a chop saw works too but will limit the size of the piece you can cut.

Cordless tools? Well, when I was still working I used them almost every day, not having to string cords out saved huge amounts of time. But I've had very poor luck with them in retirement. They're fine as long as you 'exercise' them on a very regular basis, but if they go unused for much time the batteries go south and aren't cheap to replace. And these weren't cheap off-brand cordless either; Makita, DeWalt and Milwaukee all failed inside of a year or two. My corded tools rarely let me down...

 

I wondered the same thing on Moriarity's Bridgeport. I bet his crapper is even painted and stripped!