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

My four post lift with a sliding jack, my sandblaster, and 80 gallon two stage.

 

Ours would have to be the 80 Gallon Quincy Air Compressor and the TP Tools sand blast cabinet.


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Amen to that! Google & YouTube knows everything (so they say).
The only thing is, I spend WAY to much time on it!

 

4 post lift with the rolling pneumatic scissor jack in the middle & Dewalt Impact drivers . The real game changer though wasnt a tool but rather insulation & heat/ac in the shop. It makes everything easier, hell sometimes even enjoyable...

 

With a new shop, probably the FIRST thing I would reccomend is finding some used pallet racking and putting it across the back wall. The biggest mistake most builders make is not utilizing the space in their shop that is above floor level. Its empty space and it gets a lot of the stuff up out of your way.
Then with it against the back wall, future plans should include a 2 post lift with posts that are close to ceiling height. If you didn't plan ahead, you may need to make an opening by removing a section from one or two trusses. Then once the two post lift is installed, get some I beams and build a crane. Special brackets can be made to attach one end to the pallet racking (double support bar). Another set of brackets for attachment to the lift uprights. Easier to do if it a symetrical lift as the posts are parallel.
If you really want a nice crane, extend the I beams on toward the front of the building and make a support for them. A 4" i beam comes in a 40' length. Have it cut in half and you have 20' as shown below in the pictures. While it's not "one best tool", its a planned succession that will make your shop very handy to work in.






If you notice, all that unused space is full of organized stuff that would have been on the floor. The cantilever beam at the front is counterbalanced and only a foot or so of floor space is lost by building this way. The cantilever gets used a lot. I had to twist my son's arm to put the beam in, as he thought it would look funny........now he loves it. We put an electric HF crane on it and his wife even uses it. Then later we mounted fans on the upright poles which again saved floor space. Putting a couple of larger rings (pipe sections) around the poles will allow mounting tools like bead rollers etc when needed.
Also notice that one section of the pallet racking is a work bench, which again saves money and space.

 

I think my most time saving tool is the 3/8 drive cordless impact driver. I use it for every nut, bolt, and screw where it will fit. It saves SO much time on projects. I'm spoiled to the point where I feel cranky if it won't fit in and I have to turn a wrench back and forth.

 

I`m old fashion, I still like my air tools. Never a dead battery. The one cordless I do use is a battery powered screw gun. Use them everyday. I do have 15 dead(wore out) batteries for the brand of screw gun I do use. And have used 7 of them. For 30 years now. Still using the same impact for 30 years now.

 

I may be a little more old fashioned than that! I don't use them every day, but I still like my hand tools. I don't like air hoses, electric cords, or charging stations and dead batteries laying around.

I will say though, that I have a Milwaukee 1/2" cordless drill that does work pretty good, but just when I need it, you know, dead battery.

I do see a small cordless 1/4" or 3/8" drive ratchet in my future though. Some of these things have made an impression on me lately. I'm making major strides to get up to speed here!

 

Adding my favs. Never seen a tool I didn't like.
Drive over lift that raises car 2 feet has been awesome. Also have pedestal lift for walk under work. Time and back savers for sure. Remember well the days of youth and used a bottle jack per wheel sequence to get on Jack stands before getting a floor jack which at the time were expensive. Also have a few electric hand grinders set up with stone, flap disc and wire cup another time saver and convenience.

 

This tool sped up radiator work a bunch

these are the best for removing spot welds

the best overall time saving tool I used in a collision shop would be a quality spot welder. Have no clue how a decent sized shop can still be drilling and mig welding stuff together today

 

I'm beginning to think I'm NOT the only TOOLAHOLIC on this site .........

 

Just saved a bunch of time using my step drill bit enlarging 30 + holes. With an air drill. Every body needs a step drill bit. Or a few of them.

 

Yours was a '63. By the '80's the mud is thick, like 3/8" in spots. I guess the moulds get older every year and nobody is going to invest today's money in making new. Mike

 

A guy gave me one the other day, as I recall it goes up to 1.5 inches. Haven’t used it yet though. But they are great for sheet metal.

 

Putting my tools on the peg board was, by far, the biggest time saver

 

So many good responses! Some of ours...

• Big ass welding table
• All wrenches on peg board
• Sandblast cabinet
• Multiple die grinders/angle grinders with different attachments on them
• Band Saw
• High quality stepped drill bit
• Finally, and I think the most time saving thing, we put pretty much EVERYTHING on locking casters. Among those things we put on wheels are...
  • Aforementioned welding table with bench vise
  • Both welders
  • New-metal bin
  • Band saw
  • Plasma cutter
  • Table with both metal bending brakes
  • Table with disc grinder, arbor press, second bench vise
  • Multiple sets of caster type bases to move different things (wheel casters for moving a car, wood platform for moving boxes, heavy parts around the shop, furniture dollies)

 

I have like 10 of them. They are my go to drill bit.

 

There are too many tools to mention, I would be hard pressed to give any of them up. That said, I too am not a fan of having to wait for the air compressor to catch up to the task I'm trying to do (be it painting, sandblasting or using any of the other time saving high consumption air tools). After wearing out my second 3 cylinder Eagle brand compressor head, I replaced it with a 7.5hp screw compressor with a built in drier. Lots of air, and quiet enough that I can hear myself think while it's running. I really like it! (The black hose laying on the ground is used for draining any moisture from the tank.)

 

Tools are like your children, hard to name a favorite. I love to buy tools, you can never have too many. To the question my favorite most time saving would be that special tool I bought years ago just in case and the need for it finally comes up and nothing else but that tool could possibly work, that is a great feeling, (if you can find that tool of course). I recently picked up this smoke machine, just waiting for the first oportunity to use it.

 

@Oldb is that for fuel tanks?

 

Its probably for reinstalling the escaped smoke in Lucas wiring.

Chris



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It can be used for a number of things including fuel tanks to find leaks. Most common use is finding vacuum leaks. Or on newer O/T vehicles to look for leaks in the evap systems. Used one at work and had to have one of my own. It will convince you in a hurry that putting a bolt in the end of a vacuum line does not work well.

B

 

I'm in tool procurement mode and paying attention.

 

You guys ever see a long flexible tubular thing they call a "water level"?



Basically, clear flexible tubing, capped and graduated at the ends and filled with fluid. If the hose is long enough, you can check comparative level at two points far away from each other. And you don't need line of sight.

You can make your own. I don't have one, and it wouldn't be the most used tool, but if I ever need to level a frame or chassis... or a house...

 

I first used one of these many years ago when I put a suspended ceiling in a basement. I used this just after realizing that measuring up from the floor was not accurate.

Over the years I built 3 decks with them. Now a laser level costs less than a case of beer.

 

Agreed. Laser levels are great.
But if you can't get line of sight, a water level can do the job.

 

We call that tool a bun-yip. Made and used ours to set the drainage in the yard.


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Could also be used to find TDC?