So, what's the greatest tool you've bought.

[Crossy]

A thread started for no reason other than I'm bored watching wood-stain dry (it's no more interesting than watching paint dry, honest). And I've had a beer, so no more power tools today (how's that for an excuse to pack up the gear?).

 

Like many who visit this forum I like a spot of DIY (it is after all the DIY forum), that said I'm not a fan of sorting out a leaking pipe / blocked filter / dead pump at 3AM.

 

Over the years I've bought many tools, some better quality than others, some more useful than others.

 

So what's the greatest tool you've ever bought? No limitations, power, hand, foot, wood-working, metal-working, stone-working, recent purchase or acquired in your youth and still going strong (or long gone and sorely missed). It would be nice it it was available here (so we can buy it) but no restrictions on what you can post.

 

What must-have tool would YOU recommend to other forum members?

 

Obviously I will start the ball rolling.

 

Last year I bought a DeWalt DCF815 cordless impact driver, this little chap:-

 

 

I can honestly say this is the best thing since bread came sliced. This is no puny drill-driver, despite its diminutive stature it will put 4" coach bolts into tropical hardwood (yes, you do need a pilot hole).

 

http://www.toolstop.co.uk/dewalt-dcf815-cordless-impact-driver-who-should-buy-one-today-a1537 

 

Being an impact driver there's very little reaction even when driving big screws, ideal if you're a bit limp wristed (old and puny that is).

 

Barely a weekend passes without my best mate coming out of the tool cupboard (along with his stablemate cordless drill).

 

 

 

[bankruatsteve]

Looks good.  Only 12V?  Perhaps voltage doesn't always relate to power output?  But, I'll bet it costs more than 1200 baht, which is what I paid for a Lazada China-special battery drill.  No specs but that sucker packs a punch although no impact, the batteries last a LONG time (probably past the point I should be charging them), and it's doesn't weigh much more than a large screwdriver.  I have an electric MacTek for boring through anything the bit can handle but that little China drill is so nice to use for the small to medium stuff.  Cheers.

[Lamkyong]

i bought a spirit level  gave it to the brickie  who constructed our perimeter wall  he was very impressed with the results    i see him occasionally  on his bike never without his new possession 

[esprit]

6 minutes ago, Lamkyong said:

i bought a spirit level  gave it to the brickie  who constructed our perimeter wall  he was very impressed with the results    i see him occasionally  on his bike never without his new possession 

I bought one of those for a local builder friend a while back.  He was totally lost with it because it never came with instructions !!!

[Crossy]

Just now, esprit said:

I bought one of those for a local builder friend a while back.  He was totally lost with it because it never came with instructions !!!

 

And you think he would have read them if it had?

 

[eyecatcher]

I think any tool that makes a job easier is the greatest.

 

How many times have you cursed when you dont have the right length of screw or the right tool for the job and you try every other tool in your box and none are up to par and its taken you two hours longer.

 

For me, my favourite has to be the Makita alligator saw. with interchangeable 9 inch cutters you can go through 200mm section hardwood trees posts or cut through a 4x2 steel box section.

and of course its a boys tool, whenever its in my hand I feel like the Terminator. On general sale for circa 6k baht.

 

But i think the greatest tool ever invented is the hammer.

who invented it, I wonder, the cave men??....it certainly beats a screwdriver for banging screws in!

what cant a hammer do? anyone?........the best ever?

 

But my personal close to my heart tool is a tape measure. Yep, I have about 6, and if i lose one I go and buy another. I have a 30m fibron on my desk, a 5m steel in my daily bag, a 5m in my bike, a 7.5m in the car and a 5m steel on the bedside table. I have to have a tape with me at all times.

 

Once a surveyor always a surveyor!

 

 

 

[Peterw42]

The Dewalt cordless hammer drill, and It came with a promotional 100 drill bits and hex bit pack. All the usual putting TVs on the wall, holes in ceiling for down-lights, hanging pictures etc, but the best thing I use it for is, with a sanding disk, removing the dead skin from heels. The girls in the massage shops dont have the heavy duty tools.

A close second would be the pocket screwdriver voltage tester.

[eyecatcher]

7 minutes ago, esprit said:

I bought one of those for a local builder friend a while back.  He was totally lost with it because it never came with instructions !!!

and of course where would he buy a replacement bubble?

[Ahab]

A good chop saw and ladder have been my favorites.

[Lamkyong]

6 minutes ago, eyecatcher said:

and of course where would he buy a replacement bubble?

e bay

[Crossy]

22 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

... but the best thing I use it for is, with a sanding disk, removing the dead skin from heels. The girls in the massage shops dont have the heavy duty tools.

 

So I'm not alone, ok I use the orbital sander :)

 

I did try the Dremel, but the smell of burning flesh alerted SWMBO who then wanted to moisturize and other girly things.

[bluebluewater]

If you can't fix it with a hammer you've got an electrical problem

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, bluebluewater said:

If you can't fix it with a hammer you've got an electrical problem

 

My dad always said the screwdrivers were for taking screws OUT.

 

Google Birmingham screwdriver.

[Crossy]

53 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Looks good.  Only 12V?  Perhaps voltage doesn't always relate to power output?  But, I'll bet it costs more than 1200 baht, which is what I paid for a Lazada China-special battery drill. 

 

Actually, mine is the older 10.8V one, still nearly 150W :)

 

Yes, rather more than 1,200 Baht, I got the kit with two batteries, a fast charger and a torch.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DEWALT-DCF815D2-10-8V-2-0Ah-XR-Li-Ion-Impact-Driver-DCL508-LED-Work-Light-/122032355983?hash=item1c69b1fa8f:g:3qAAAOSwZ1BXdiBH

 

I think it was slightly more than US$250 in MegaHome.

 

[bankruatsteve]

Gotta say the cordless drill is a great thing to have.  Here's a link to the one I bought (if anyone interested) and it's been almost a constant companion ever since:

 

http://www.lazada.co.th/hisattel-cordless-driver-drill-12v-1313114.html?utm_source=Orderconfirmation&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=LineItem

 

Years ago I bought a Boesch (sp?) cordless,  It cost over 4500 baht, weighed a ton, and wasn't even impact.  The workers on my house loved it and it got lots of use - until the batteries wouldn't charge and I found out "not supported" any more.  Grrr.  

 

 

[Kwasaki]

Has to be tools for me that made me my living early on.

angle grinder, drill & nibbler.

[ajarngreg]

 

 For AC and DC. 

[chickenslegs]

The best 250 baht I ever spent on a tool.

2 x sizes of flat blade, 2 x sizes of crosshead, 2 x common sizes of nut driven screwhead. Everything stays in the one piece (no small pieces to carry around separately) and tough "Stanley" quality.

I keep one in a kitchen drawer, one in each of my toolboxes and one in the shed.

[Crossy]

Just now, chickenslegs said:

I keep one in a kitchen drawer, one in each of my toolboxes and one in the shed.

 

"Kitchen drawer" implies that your good lady has access to it. I love my wife very much, but allowing her to use tools (particularly power tools) is just too risky.

 

[impulse]

The tool that I pull out more than any other is a cheap-o Chinese 6" digital caliper.  I never spend more than $20 for them because I'm invariably giving them away to buddies and family who marvel at how useful they are for measuring screws, taps, drillbits and other odds and ends.  I've never had one fail on me before I either gave it away or left it behind somewhere.

[DrDave]

Dewalt 12" single bevel miter saw. Sells for about 200 - 250USD (more when I bought it).

Extremely precise and rugged. I had mine for about 8 years (using the same blade!) and was not happy about having to sell it before moving permanently to Thailand (110V USA model).

 

Also an old cordless Chinese 18V drill driver from Harbor Freight. Lots of power, and very rugged. I dropped it from the top of an 8 foot ladder onto tile/concrete several times, and it still worked perfectly. Harbor Freight can be hit or miss on their tool quality, but this one was a winner. 

[bankruatsteve]

Gotta put in the DMM.  Years ago it was analog but still worked the same.  I think I may have built my own analog multi-meter 58 years ago as a "Heath Kit".  In any case, that's how long I have been using them and wouldn't/couldn't do without.

[Phuket Man]

I bought a "no name" electric drill about 13 years ago in Samui.

They told me to use it once and throw it away.

The Wife's brother in law is still using it today.

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, DrDave said:

Dewalt 12" single bevel miter saw. Sells for about 200 - 250USD (more when I bought it).

 

I have the Stanley 10" one (some of us like yellow tools). It's on its second blade after someone (no not I) tried to cut Conwood with it.

 

https://www.homepro.co.th/product/1035571

 

[Crossy]

6 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Gotta put in the DMM.  Years ago it was analog but still worked the same.  I think I may have built my own analog multi-meter 58 years ago as a "Heath Kit".  In any case, that's how long I have been using them and wouldn't/couldn't do without.

 

Lord, I bought HeathKit stuff when I was an apprentice.

 

And they're still about https://www.heathkit.com/#

 

More stuff from our era http://www.heathkit-museum.com/

 

Not HeathKit, but did anyone else build a Texan? http://www.angelfire.com/sd/paulkemble/sound8h.html

 

 

[bankruatsteve]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Lord, I bought HeathKit stuff when I was an apprentice.

 

And they're still about https://www.heathkit.com/#

 

More stuff from our era http://www.heathkit-museum.com/

 

Not HeathKit, but did anyone else build a Texan? http://www.angelfire.com/sd/paulkemble/sound8h.html

 

 

Crossy, over the years I have built 100's of HeathKits.  Radios, TV's, garage door openers, door bells, cruise control, timer light... I could go on.  It was fun and most of all informative.  Good to see they are still active.

[Crossy]

As much as I agree with it, I've hidden an off-topic post about Donald (no, not Donald Duck).

 

[DrDave]

7 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Lord, I bought HeathKit stuff when I was an apprentice.

 

And they're still about https://www.heathkit.com/#

 

More stuff from our era http://www.heathkit-museum.com/

 

Not HeathKit, but did anyone else build a Texan? http://www.angelfire.com/sd/paulkemble/sound8h.html

 

 

Sorry for wandering slightly OT here, but Heathkit brings back a lot of memories.

 

I recall that they made (in kit form) the first digital FM tuner that was generally available in the US. I think it was priced somewhere between $350-$500 - this was the early 1970s, when new cars could be bought for $2,000.

 

Was always jealous of a guy I knew in high school - his dad was the editor of one of the "popular xxx" magazines, and Heathkit (and others) were always sending him free product to review in the magazine.

[bankruatsteve]

6 minutes ago, Crossy said:

As much as I agree with it, I've hidden an off-topic post about Donald (no, not Donald Duck).

 

As with nameless Donald, you seem to have the knack for inspiring a topic.  A great moderator and person.  Cheers.

[CGW]

Dremel - comes in incredibly handy for a lot of jobs wouldn't be able to tackle otherwise, for some jobs its not really the ideal tool, but can still get it done.