What tools do you wish you bought sooner?
Shown above is an older photo of some of my favorite hand tools. Here’s what they are:
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- Grip-on locking pliers (Channellock branded)
- Craftsman Professional wire strippers (likely made by Stride)
- Channellock adjustable wrench (made by Irega)
- Wiha anti-camout screwdriver
- Irazola (Bahco) ball hex screwdriver
- PB Swiss SwissGrip “household” slotted screwdriver
- Wera Zyklop swivel-head ratchet
The black phosphate Channellock adjustable wrench was one of my first “I should have bought this sooner!” hand tools.
They also make wide-capacity cushion-grip adjustable wrenches, and if I could go back in time, this would have been my first Channellock adjustable. I bought the black phosphate-finished wrench first because of its lower price.
While I’m thinking back… Years ago, I bought a corded Bosch hammer drill. I bought it because needed a drill for use with drill bits, but also for use with 1/4″ shank-mounted polishing and cleaning wheels, and that drill operated at much higher RPMs than other corded drills. After that, our first apartment had masonry walls, and I made good use of the drill to mount shelves and other stuff. I have also used that drill on woodworking projects when my Bosch 18V cordless drill lacked enough power for larger holes in tougher materials.
I still have that drill, although I very rarely use it, and it’s one of the power tools I wish I bought a little earlier too.
While not exactly true to the post topic, I wish I had bought a Bosch 1590 jig saw back when it was available. Instead, I bought a 1587 on sale. It was lower priced than the Bosch 1590, and while it has a tool-free blade change mechanism, it is a very early and clunky design that can be slow to use. But then again, at the time I hadn’t regretted sacrificing some convenience for the much lower price.
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I’m sure I can think of more examples, but the Channellock adjustable wrench was the first to come to mind, and the tool I feel most strongly about. I wish I had bought it sooner.
The Knipex Pliers Wrench might also be fitting, but it was a pricey upgrade, and one I couldn’t have rushed to buy despite wanting to. But the Channellock? I could have bought at least the black phosphate version with the money I spent on a set of 6″ and 10″ Crescent adjustable wrenches.
Buy Now: Channellock Adjustable Wrenches via Amazon
Had I bought my Channellock adjustables sooner, they would have saved me a lot of the earlier frustrations experienced with some lesser quality wrenches.
Which tools do you wish you bought sooner?
Richard Scott Moore
I know you meant wrench….
The black phosphate Channellock SCREWDRIVER was one of my first “I should have bought this sooner!” hand tools.
Stuart
Thank you! *fixed*
Dennis
Milwaukee M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Compact Vacuum. I love that thing for quickly cleaning things up. Plus it’s useful not only in the shop but the rest of the house as well.
peter hammond
I have one as well. Love it!
Hilton
I just wish I had bought QUALITY tools earlier. I have a bunch of cheap crap that was essentially a waste of money.
If I had to pick one tool it would be my Bosch SDS rotary drill. I wish I had known about this before wasting money on plenty of impact drills and complementary masonry drill bits.
RCWARD
Very true
Jason
Same here. Started with a bunch of Kobalt tools due to the value but they did not hold up at all. Now have a mix of brands, but all that hold up well and can do anything I need
Jared
Yep. If I have any regrets about my tool purchases, it’s the money I spent on lousy tools that I ended up replacing.
Matt Hall
Definitely this. When I was younger I bought a lot of junk tools. For the most part they got the job done but I also broke a lot of tools and damaged a lot of fasteners. Eventually I learned quality tools were worth the investment. Late last year I sold a bulk lot of those old tools as they were just taking up too much space. Large box full of everything sold for $20 but easily cost me 10 times that and probably more not to mention the lost time and frustration that often accompanied there use.
Bolt
Impact driver.
Eric
Knipex Pliers Wrenches. These are my go-tos now for unknown bolt sizes, bending, small precision pressing, etc. I thought they were priced too high and I avoided buying for years. Once I got one I immediately understood and bought the rest.
Bosch FlexiClick. This would have saved me endless cabinet/built-in/child furniture stress. At least I have it now.
Wera Chiseldrivers, Hex Plus, Joker wrenches. These are all tools that get me out of binds and avoid situations that would damage other tools or the work.
OEM Tools Ringstop ratcheting wrenches. I find myself frequently needing extra hands, these (and the Jokers) are fantastic at keeping nuts in place in situations where ratchets will not fit.
Yadda
+1 on the Knipex Plier Wrenches – Great tools for working on plumbing where you need to be careful and not mar the nuts.
Jared
I agree. I read about the pliers wrench here and now that I’ve got one, it’s revolutionary. I have the 125mm version in my pocket right now.
JPL
+1 Knipex pliers wrench
Patrick
Same!
Badbot
+1 Knipex pliers wrench. Very useful, super quality.
Carl Sampson
A welder.
Toolfreak
Yeah, this too.
What a difference being able to do your own metal repairs and fabrication is.
Stephen
My cordless impacts – Milwaukee M12 impact driver (2553) and Bosch impact wrench (IWMH182).
Cordless tire inflator. I have the Ryobi 18V model. It’s gauge isn’t very accurate but the real value is filling air while I walk away. So much easier and convenient than using a bicycle pump or dealing with an air compressor and lines in my small garage.
David
Craftsman Slatis wrench set. I always likes the uniqueness of them.
Andy Reuter
My stationary strip/disc sander. I used to think, “I don’t sand that much stuff. Why should I pay for a tool to save me time on sanding? Just do it by hand!” But then at some point I realized that a powered sander like this is more about precision than about saving time. I use it to fine tune cut bolts, smidge-too-long miters, shapes on decorative pieces, etc. The ability to creep up on a line is critical, especially when you’re a new DIYer.
Scotty.
Toss up between Milwaukie M12 compact inflator and a Hitachi cordless screwdriver I won in a contest.
Tom
Impact Driver for sure. Almost life changing.
I would also say my Bahco ratcheting screwdriver with the built in LED flashlight. It is basically my go-to driver for any household task. Really just a pleasure to use.
Dmitry
What do you use impact driver for?
Andrew
The tool I still do not have, a real hammer drill. Cordless drills with a hammer feature get the job done, just not well. Many holes in concrete later when I finally get one I will say why did I not get it earlier. Agree with regretting buying junk tools from above. Do some of them still work, yea, but part of the work is looking forward to using the tools, and crap tools never make you want to use them.
Wayne R.
When I bought a Metabo corded hammer drill (with a ground-sensor/stop feature), I was somewhat stunned at what a revelation it proved to be. Couldn’t give my earlier hammer drill away fast enough…
And any company that puts a 10′ cord on such a thing (rather than a stumpy 4′ POS), I will always appreciate.
Hilton
No dude, don’t get a hammer drill. Rather invest in a SDS rotary drill with appropriate bits. It’s a complete game changer and the SDS drills are not even that expensive. You can pick one up for around $170 and you’ll want to drill in concrete all day after using one.
Nate Bezanson
Seconded. I picked up the first-gen Ryobi One+ SDS hammer and immediately drilled holes in everything. It’s been obsoleted by one that has a chisel mode and I’m thinking of upgrading just to take one stray piece of mortar off my sidewalk, just for fun.
The cheapie SDS bit sets are fine for starters, you can get like 5 bits for $10 sometimes, and that’ll cover a lot of your tapcon needs or whatever. Then when you have to do big stuff, just swallow the $35-for-one-bit and you’ll have the right tool and it’ll work really well.
Alex ⎈
Hammer drills are a joke. After getting a cordless SDS, I’ll never waste money on a hammer drill again.
ktash
A really good plane, a Veritas block plane. Nirvana! I’ve struggled with $10-$25 garage sale planes for a long time. The Veritas shows me how a plane should be. I reconditioned some of those other planes, but not really enough tuning, since I didn’t know what it should be like. Now that I know, I’ll work on those other planes until they are near that. I may buy a replacement chipbreaker/blade from Veritas for them if I think those are needed. Of course, if someone gives me a fortune, I’ll probably just buy the Veritas or Lie Nielsons.
DannyK
Speed square. Deadblow hammer. Knipex cobra. Pry bars. Painter’s tool. Quality ratcheting screwdriver. Complete set of levels. All the power tools.
Jason
Yes to the speed square. Just recently started to learn how to use one and damn do I wish I had years ago.
Jared
When I bought a pair of Channellock 909 crimping pliers, they changed what I expected from my tools. I wished I knew years earlier and I never would have bought so many cheap pliers and other junky tools.
After using those Channelock crimpers, I bought a set of Channellock waterpump pliers… then a set of Channellock straight-jaw pliers, some side cutters, some precision pliers, concretors pliers and end nippers, some linesman pliers, some needle-nose pliers… I think you get the idea. I went a little crazy because it was so much more enjoyable using a quality tool. I have a very nice collection of blue handled pliers in my main toolbox (and some code-blue handled ones too, which I like even better).
I’m not married to Channellock anymore and have expanded to other brands, but I still like using them. I think my interest in the higher-end tools I own now was sparked by my excitement over how well the Channellocks worked compared to the pliers I owned before (and then cultivated and encouraged by ToolGuyd). If only I’d purchased those 909s years earlier…
Nate Bezanson
The 909 is just a rebrand of the classic T&B WT145C, which has been knocked off a thousand times. The whole WT1xxx series is worth playing with.
Personally I like and trust those, but for 90% of what I’m doing, the vastly lighter-weight Neiko 02037A “compact wire service tool” does the job better and doesn’t even weigh my pocket down in the meantime. Its jaws are almost as wide as the WT series, has both indent and non-indent notches, has better pliers at the tip, and goes for about $14.
I’ll put the 02037A on my “wish I’d bought it sooner” list, for sure!
Jared
I’ll think about adding the Neiko. I appreciate the tip. I’m usually carrying my whole electrical tool bag when I’m working on wiring and it’s not bothersome to carry my 909 in one of the pockets. Having smaller, lighter tools can be nice though and the 909 is heavy enough that sometimes it’s a bit awkward to use one-handed.
Overall though, it’s not that the 909 pliers are my absolute most best-loved tool. It’s that they showed me how much better a proper tool can be than the cheap crimper I had before. When I crimp with the 909, the connection is solid and I don’t have to worry the wire will pull out. They also cut really well.
I looked up the WT145C and found this: https://www.specialized.net/wt145c-thomas-betts-manual-ratcheting-crimper-insulated.html
Doesn’t look like the 909 to me – is this the tool you meant? If the 909 is the WT145C replacement, I’m glad Channellock made one that’s >$450 cheaper. 😛
Frank D
110v combo wire strippers, American style.
Stuck it out with an EU one and a box cutter for way too long.
Altan
I look forward not to the past 🙂
1) DeWALT Table Top 60V Flexvolt Tile Cutter
2) DeWALT 60V Flexvolt Domino Joiner
3) DeWALT 20V Biscuit Joiner
4) DeWALT 20V/60V Soldering Tool for plumbing
5) DeWALT 8V Soldering iron
6) DeWALT Larger versions of Toughsystem boxes
7) DeWALT 60V Wall Chaser and 20V Heat Gun are coming already
8) DeWALT 20V Cordless 3″ Mini Bench Grinder
9) DeWALT 8V Rotary tool
10) DeWALT Toughsystem Caddy
11) DeWALT Tougsystem 60V/120V Flexvolt Vacuum Cleaner
12)DeWALT Toughsystem Wheeled Carrier Base
13) DeWALT Toughsystem Power Station with Two 110V and Two 240V outlets Plus Two USB Ports and 10m Extention Wire.
14) DeWALT Site Light collectable in Toughsystem boxes
15) DeWALT Cordless Rebar Cutter
16) DeWALT Cordless Rebar Tier
17) I don’t want to wait until 2020 for these tools, end of 2019 in enough.
18) Should I add more?
19) Should I repeat more?
20) I would also like to see one grade higher cordless tools from DeWALT similar to Festool tools but with the same batteries not a new type of battery.
21) I am hungry now, the rest for later… See you
The What?
What 20/60v soldering tool for plumbing are you speaking of? Has another way to sweat copper been invented besides the flux, torch, and solder method?
Altan
Yes, there is a brand called Antex which makes corded electric tool for soldering in copper pipes and you don’t need a gas torch, I am waiting for DeWALT to make a cordless version of such a tool, I will buy ten of that tool if DeWALT makes it.
fred
I commented before about the Antex tool. We tried their professional model – PP94Q50.
We thought it might be good for tight spots where nearby combustibles were difficult to insulate from the heat of a torch. Ours was a 110V corded version – while I believe the original Antex tool was marketed as a 220V version for use in Europe. We found the tool to be inconvenient to use because of the need to find a place to plug it in. Furthermore the jaws that applied the heat seemed to not always provide enough heat to get the job done. Maybe this was our lack of practice with the tool. But the lack of practice was hampered by the tools plastic components melting/deforming. To be fair this was a 1-tool test by us in 2007 – so maybe they’ve improved – or maybe we should have tried it again.
A cordless version might get around the problem of finding a spot for plugging in. But our take (back in 2007) was that an acetylene tank, hose and plumbers torch was what we would continue to use – with proper precautions – until something better came along – and the Antex tool was not it.
Altan
I remember your comment on this, my aim is to discuss about a cordless version of this tool, hopefully made by DeWALT , does not need to be similar design, can be any design DeWALT prefers, but it should solder copper pipes without a need for gas, if DeWALT will make something like this they should improve the quality and the design that you would not face the same problems that you had with Antex one. I would like to see ( and I would like DeWALT to see) how people would be interested in a tool like this. Maybe they have to use more metal/porcelain/other components if melting/deforming is an issue or cover the tool with partial warranty. We have to be realistic also.
hangovna
Or just step into the 21st century and get a propress tool and press copper. Once you do it you’ll never want to go back to the peasant way of soldering.
Or switch to PEX and install plumbing in 1/4 of the time.
fred
I commented about PEX under the thread about Milwaukee spud wrenches. PEX is indeed looking like the way we’ll be going – but it is still not code-compliant in some locales.
Altan
I don’t trust these press fittings too much, after 10-20 years they can start to lick I think, but solder can survive 50-100 years. Not everything in 21st century works well.
fred
We worked on probably 100 or more Levitt houses that had radiant hot water heat installed in their slab foundations. Sounded like a great idea in the post-WWII era – and it might have been if PEX was available back then. The Levitt builders use of screw-fit galvanized pipe directly “buried” in wet concrete – falls under the category of “what were they thinking.” I suspect that future generations will say that same about some of our “modern” building practices. But perhaps some others will continue to be used into the next century – only time will tell.
Nathan
hmm – I’ll do a few phases.
1) once i had a smooth ratcheting screw driver I don’t know now I lived as a kid without one. Interchangeable bits, in a box, and the device. I used the snot out of the first one I bought and once worn out I bought another that day.
2) related however – ball end hex drivers. I grew up playing with RC cars I only had basic allen keys on a ring when I started.
3) A full set of sockets and wrenches organized in a box. late in college I finally got a full set of tools for working on the car if I needed to. No longer hunting for a size not knowing if it was right. Made a world of difference.
4) cordless drill – first cordless drill I bought was a milwaukee 14.4 device – used it for alot on my first house and other projects. I can’t imagine not having a modern cordless drill today.
5) cordless impact driver. As much as I love my other tools for features I think I get the most use out of my impact driver. the torque range – the speed, compactness, and use of socket adapters. I use it all the time it seems.
6) somewhat distant in that I don’t use it all the time but it’s very very handy. cordless OMT.
Jeffrey Huston
Ratcheting screwdriver is my go to gift for high school grads and new home owners.
JoeM
All of my Trades-Related tools. Every last thing I own tool-wise, related to Trades or Craftwork, I regret not buying sooner. I was 30 when I started buying them. I should have started when I was 18, and gone into Trades and Craftwork on my own, and left that useless Computer degree in the theoretical column.
I’m man enough to admit, this decision has left me in tears on more than one occasion. I should have left the Computer degree, well, diploma really, out of my life. It has gone nowhere for me. It closed more doors than it opened, and if I’d started the big tools earlier, I could have actually done something lucrative with my life.
Biggest. Mistake. Ever.
I love to build and make basically EVERYTHING. Why I ever narrowed myself down to just Computers… I was idiotic, and short-sighted. I regret practically everything I did between age 15 and age 30, and I only turned 37 in January.
Altan
How are you Joe? Calm down man, my wife has got master degree in biology from Kent University and is a receptionist now :))) I heard in some news that in Turkey 7 out of 8 of university graduates are jobless! You are still young and have a lot of time to do something in your life and I believe whatever we learn is useful including computer 🙂 I actually have learnt all about computer from a guy who was graduated from the best university in Iran and his subject was Math for Computer Science, the first day I told him “You are not gonna teach, I will ask questions and you will answer” he laughed a lot for a while but he accepted, that was the best training I have ever had in my life, the most sufficient training I would say. I like to do everything by myself at work as I am too fussy and I can’t be happy with others’ work easily, that made me use a lot of different tools from different trades, I also dig a lot online, I want to have so much information about the tool I am going to use, one day I did see a guy with one arm 2″ shorter than the other, I did not know actually one arm is shorter, his boss bought him a new long sleeve shirt for work and once he wore it we noticed that the shirt does not stand properly on his body, and we started to tell him about this and then he told us that one arm is shorter putting them together forward showing us one is really shorter, he said at the age of 13 he was working with a 9″ grinder cutting rebar and the blade broke and cut his arm, they managed to put that separated arm together but when he grew up more he noticed that arm remained 2″ shorter, this story led me to read about grinders and grinder discs a lot and I noticed all cutting or grinding blades which are made of black resin has an expiry date of 2-3 years from the production date, it is mostly stamped or laser engraved on the metal ring in the middle of the disc, after the expiry date the resin loses its strength and can break easily and can cause injuries. My advise is to have four eyes with a new tool you are going to use. We have a saying says that the scared head is always safe. Sorry Stuart if it was a bit out of the topic… I am here in your blog for ages and just two days ago I noticed you have a lot of movies on youtube, I normally like visual things more but on youtube I have seen a lot of rude comments and I don’t take the discussions on youtube very seriously that is why I started to write here. I am waiting for you to write about Antex soldering tool and a new design for a cordless version, and also E6.3 1/4″ hex shank tool accessories. Please doo not act like DeWALT :))) Thanks
JoeM
Thanks for the concern, Altan. Just seem tired lately. Probably puts me in a bad mood, hoping that isn’t coming through or hurting anyone.
But, listen, I honestly only meant to answer the question “What do you wish you had bought sooner”… and frankly… Everything I own is on that list. I actually had a job at 15 at a Computer Store, and have been building Computers for most of my life, usually just for friends and family, when they wanted something done. I’d tell them what to buy, and where, so they had total control over their budget, and understood what they were getting. Then I’d go to town, building it.
But… that’s really not a life for me. To do all this, I bought a DeWALT 14.4V Old School Drill/Driver. We had 2 9.6V models at the store, and that helped speed up construction and service exponentially. So, by the time I finished College at 21, I was fully equipped to take all my licenses and do Computers… But in 2003, the Computer/eCommerce Bubble burst, and there just weren’t any Computer jobs to be had. I tried reformatting my resume to highlight my hobby skills, which were all Trades-Related, or Trade Craft at times. Didn’t work. Then my student debt hit, and I couldn’t get credit, or pass any background checks because of it. I asked for reference letters from people I had worked for, and they had disappeared off the face of the earth.
So, under that kind of stress, yeah… I’m man enough to admit I shed a few tears. Nothing wrong with that, it’s totally natural under stress like that. But I spent a lot of years after that just trying to figure things out. How to dig myself OUT of the hole I dug, instead of making it deeper. I was 24, maybe 25, when I bought the DeWALT Drill I was going to build my new life on… and DEFINITELY by 25… The trigger died. Got it repaired, and I realized, of the $77 I paid, I probably could have done it myself for $20. Maybe less.
Fast forward, the 20 Volt Max system came out, and the summer before I turned 30, I bought in with the Compact Hammerdrill/Impact Combo. I turned 30, was given some birthday money, and bought into my own Dremel Rotary tools. From there on… I was building and inventing things, not fixing people’s computers. Everything from sheaths for my tools to sit on my belt (VERY proud of the box sheath I made for my multimeter) right on up to remodeling my desk to rebuild my computer. I realized then… I’m a Maker and Inventor, I’m NOT a Computer Tech. I’ve always been more. But, some family losses, some health problems, and a mental health issue, all reared their ugly heads, and I haven’t been able to work since.
So… What would I have bought SOONER? My Trades’ tools. And I would have gone for an apprenticeship, not a diploma. Then maybe, just MAYBE, I’d regret less of my life. The answer to the thread topic is a very big deal in my life. I have a ton of regrets, including how badly I treated my health while I was younger. Now that I’m not in that “Invincible” time of my life, I’m really not in good condition, mentally, physically, or psychologically. It’s quite a battle to concentrate these days, let alone get things done.
So, yeah… To answer what I should have bought sooner… Pretty much everything since I turned 30… I’d push it back 15 or more years if possible. Trying to change over to the trades, when I’m as ill as I am… that isn’t a pleasant topic. I might as well be 90 years old, if my body is to be believed.
Altan
Hi Joe, I would like to continue this discussion/conversation with you but not here, I don’t want Stuart to send me an attention ” Stick to the topic!” which if he does I would even like it and smile, but if you like we can continue this in emails or on the phone. I don’t know how we can exchange our email addresses.
fred
I started buying tools in the early 1960’s – lots of missteps – some based on “common wisdom” (aka foolishness) at the time.
I bought a top of the line Craftsman RAS as my first stationary saw. When I finally bought the Unisaw – I realized what a mistake the RAS was for what I needed. I should have bought the Unisaw sooner – but I didn’t have the money for it and succumbed to the hype about radial arm saws being an economical alternative do all tool.
I had a benchtop band saw for years – should have bought something like my Laguna earlier.
I bought a wide drum sander – choked a bit on the cost then started using it and thought I should have bought it sooner.
Buying my track saw and domino machine were game changers too. With the track saw if I had waited I might have decided on something other than the Festool TS55 that I bought (its a bit underpowered) – but once using it I realized that I should have had a track saw earlier – and that it was superior in many ways to my Rockwell Porter-Cable trim saw and a straightedge.
With the Domino machine – I procrastinated – waited on the XL (700) machine’s introduction – and with aftermarket add-ons it can do everything the smaller machine can do and more. With it – I wish it had been introduced sooner.
Altan
I would like to ask your opinion about the quality of the tools in 1990-2000, specially about DeWALT powertools compared to the tools they make today, mostly about the durability, I always feel that DeWALT was more close to Festool quality at that time, I mean the gap was less compared to now, I appreciate your opinion as you were using tools since 1960’s. Thanks
fred
I don’t recall buying a lot of Dewalt tools back in that timeframe. They were of course a B&D brand back then – and B&D was positioning them to be their flagship.
I remember us buying some of their biscuit jointers in the 90’s to expand on our Lamellos. We used biscuits for casing work – and the Lamello tools were great but very pricey. The Dewalt was much cheaper – a little sloppier than the Lamello – but held up well and got the job done. I don’t recall that any of the ones we bought failed.
Perhaps its a lament of old age to recall the halcyon days yore as better. In the All in the Family sitcom – Archie Bunker sings; “gee my old LaSalle ran great.” Maybe it did or perhaps we just misremember. I do think that many quality power and hand tools manufactured in an earlier time frame may have been designed to last longer than some tools made today. Perhaps that’s because there was less expectation that the march of technological advancement would quickly obsolete what we were buying. If you buy a cordless tool today – you might think that something significantly better will be available within a short time – so you might want to change out for the new and improved soon after it arrives. That’s especially true in business – if the new tool will make you significantly more productive, safer or in compliance with new regulation. Along with that thought is consumerism that seems driven by price – and seeks low priced goods. In 1990 – we bought from different sources than we do today . Price shopping for tools was more difficult and deep discounting less expected or ubiquitous – so cost-cutting or value-engineering at the expense of quality may have had less appeal for tool manufacturers in 1990 than it does today. I general I think that Dewalt and others have just migrated to where they think their targeted market want them to be. So if we no longer have tools built tank-like as my old Porter Cable “locomotive” sander – and the Canon pocket camera I carry is not of the same build quality as my old Leica M3 – the fault needs to be shared and reflects the proclivities of today’s buyers rather than some fault of the manufacturers.
Altan
I agree. Thanks for your comment.
TonyT
At least not all industrial customers have the throw-away attitude: my company has a significant number of >15 year old machines out there, still working hard. They’ve been upgrade a time or two, and we can’t get some of the replacement parts anymore, but it’s been challenging to get the customers to upgrade to the latest and greatest (which is not only better, but doesn’t contain any obsolete components).
fred
We had several pipe threading machines in our workout centers. Two of them were somewhat ancient Oster machines (kept in good working order thanks to Oster maintaining parts inventory). If there was a choice – the guys would grab one of the Oster’s to truck to a jobsite – rather than a much newer Ridgid or Rothenberger. I think they felt that the Oster ran better.
TonyT
Sometimes you can’t maintain inventory even if you want to. In our case, the critical parts that aren’t available are the motion controller (probably because the DSP they used isn’t available) and light curtain (again, my guess is that one or both of the microcontrollers used isn’t available – the curse of electronics)
We do have some spare motion controllers, but not a lot, and no light curtains. We actually created an upgrade kit to upgrade to a more current light curtain (unfortunately with substantial re-wiring, but the original was pretty funky). The PC’s have been upgraded from XP to Windows 7 to Windows 10.
The best companies create compatible or very close to compatible upgrade paths. When we started, the Siemens Logo! PLC was on its second generation; now they’re on the 7th or 8th, and are still very compatible with the original ones.
Travis
For me the Milwaukee M12 grease gun. Wish I had that for years and years before I pulled the trigger. Also S&K long pattern combination wrenches. So many headaches could have been avoided!
DRT
I second that, on the SK long pattern wrenches. I love mine.
Wayne R.
I replaced a swiped Klein Pump Pliers set with Knipex Alligator pliers – before I realized it was the Knipex Cobra pliers that were a lot better. I do not like the Alligator pliers (they “change” too easily and are fiddly), and I’m still surprised by the lightness of the Cobras. That, to me, was a pretty dramatic upgrade.
And while I will always love my (several pairs of) Klein nines, the NWS pliers I picked up on the Christmas sale are a real pleasure too.
HenrikV
For our prototyping workshop (large graphics/printing industry): ETS EC 150/5 EQ & 150/3 EQ and the Rotex RO 150 sanders. Unbeatable in clean and efficient semi production work.
For my garage workshop : ESAB Caddy Mig C160i (welding machine) and the ”full” Milwaukee M12 lineup…. mixed with various FLEX grinders 🙂
HenrikV
Festool ETC etc
Jkr
1. A good set of drill bits. I entered a new apartment and was sure the walls were really hard to drill with a cheap B&D branded bits, melting bits a lot. When I bought an Alpen set and still use it after 10 years. Turns out the walls were not that hrard to drill
2. A good hammer. After years of crooked nails I bought a voughan and I nails started entering the wall straight.
3. A good cordless hammer drill. Wasted a lot of money on cheap cordless drills and replacing them. Bought a Bosch hammer drill and holes became much easier
4. A good side cutter. Fought cutting cables for years. Then a small 5″ Bahco side cutter shows me there is a better way – cutting was much easier then my cheap 8″ combi pliers. Knipex and NWS are as good or even better. Any would show the light.
5. Bahco adjustable wrench – I didn’t understand how people used adjustable pliers until I bought a Bahco. The cheap ones are unusable.
Stuart
I’m with you about drill bits! The thing about good drill bits is that most individual users need to go through the grief of buying and trying to use junky bits first before they become willing to spend the premium on better ones.
fred
As a teenager I had lost of those drill bits that were thrown in with things like hacksaw blades to add to the “tool count” of hand tool kits. I wondered why folks were passing them on to me for “free”. When I bought my first set of Greenfield drill bits it was an eye opener.
Altan
You made me laugh, good comment on drilling walls, yes, you are right, Alpen multi purpose drill bits are the best you can use to drill in brick and masonry without a need for a SDS drill, comment about hammers was good and made me laugh also, can be a good scenario for a good hammer advertisement.
I am always on the side of good tool accessories and hand tools, sometimes the time I wasted to go and buy a new one to replace a tool accessory at work was three times more expensive than the average quality tool accessory itself, that is why I always go for a good tool accessory and always have spares.
Chris
Probably a high tooth count, quality built ratchet. Never really considered how crummy some other ratchets were until I got my hands on my own snap on ratchets. I can’t pick up a ratchet, or any tool really, without instantly judging it.
However, DIYers don’t have snap on ratchets or other snap on tools unless they were passed down from their father or grandfathers. My point is, just get a really really good ratchet. Personally I will avoid any ratchet held together with one of those retaining rings. They’re just really sloppy.
You’ll thank yourself once you get a quality ratchet. You’ll feel spoiled.
evadman
An electric impact gun that replaced my air impacts. I happened to get a 18v dewalt 1/2″ impact (DW059K I think?) and that changed a ton of how I work. I swapped it out for the 20v DCF889, but want to get the DCF899 due to the much higher torque output.
If you do any automotive work or big lag screws on playsets or such,I recommend getting a impact wrench from your favorite brand.
JeffD
Engineer Neji-saurus RX PZ-59 Screw Pliers
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51IYOZrmaNL.jpg
Jim Felt
Agreed! Plus many of their micro tools.
Lauren
The Diablo pruning blade was purchased after reading about it here and it was a life changer for cutting out all the bushes on my property. I was using bi-metal and wood blades, and the handheld pruning saw before that.
Bruce
M12 Right Angle Impact. I use it all the time, both as an impact driver and as a drill using impact-ready bits. Love it.
Koko The Talking Ape
I think nobody regrets buying high-quality tools. I have often bought low-quality tools, because I couldn’t afford the better tools.
When you are saying you wish you’d bought a tool sooner, you are often saying you wish you’d had money sooner. Which is not a startling proposition.
Wayne R.
This question for me is, “Why’d I delay an upgrade?” For a lot of hand tools, cost wasn’t much of an issue once I realized what I had wasn’t good. That, of course, is somewhat different with big expensive stuff, but the thinking remains.
peter hammond
My cordless Milwaukee table saw and cordless miter saw. I just love them.
Michael Quinlan
Hand tool: Knipex pliers wrench
Power tool: M18 Hole Hawg
glenn
Probably a rafter square. Only bought one last year and after using a bit I don’t know why I didn’t get one years ago.
FixItChuck
I don’t know, but my mechanical engineering degree is paying well off. Day job is telling people how to fix stuff that’s broken (bad design, recalled products, etc.). Weekends are hands on building stuff (honey do list), fixing things, or doing the various trades. Electrical is by far my favorite, drop by a friend place, do some wiring jobs, chit chat and catch up, have a beer or two, and they still cut me a check when it’s all done, great stuff.
Close to same here, turned 39. I keep telling people, doing trade work is a really good paying alternative to college degrees.
Kalos
” keep telling people, doing trade work is a really good paying alternative to college degrees.”
For many people, a time-served apprenticeship is a much better option that most 4yr college degrees. To make a good “professional” living today pretty much requires graduate school after an undergrad non-STEM degree. Only ~30% of all jobs require a bachelor’s degree, so many basic B.A. holders will be disappointed with the careers open to them.
Too bad most industrial companies won’t sponsor structured apprenticeships any more. There should be a law requiring one apprentice for every 5~10 journeymen.
Scoots
Mechanical design is a great field which is a step below a 4 year engineering degree, only 2 year associates but don’t have the large 60-100k debt hanging over your head afterwards (only about 10k). Sure there isn’t quite as much money in it as an engineer or as many job opportunities, but it’s still a pretty solid choice. Beats wrenching on cars or beating your body up in the trades while still satisfying the mechanical aptitude. Then you have mechanical skills and thought processes for all the rest of the trades – plumbing, electrical, framing, roofing, wrenching, etc etc to maintain homes and vehicles yourself and save tons of money doing so.
Kalos
The problem with 2yr diplomas/degrees is that many employers (mine, for example) require a 4yr degree for management or “exempt” positions. However, Mechanical Design is a good hands-on field.
There is such a thing called a 4yr Mechanical Design degree in “Industrial Technology”. These degrees are accredited by ATMAE (atmae.org). They are sort-of like Engineering without the heavy math, but with Management/Supervision courses added. There is also “Mechanical Engineering Technology”, accredited by TAC/ABET (abet.org), which has more math than Industrial Technology, but less than Engineering. Western Michigan University has a very good BSMET program.
clf28264
1. Cordless impact driver
2. Cle-Line twist drills
3. Rotary Hammer
Properly learning SQL and C#, I’m a “Data Scientist” aka an applied statistician and once I abandoned R and learned how to just write functions and code myself my career took off.
MacLean
Knipex pliers and my Kubota tractor.
Toolfreak
I waited WAY too long to buy the Craftsman Professional long-pattern wrenches. I still bought them when they were high quality and made in the USA, but I really should have bought them sooner than I did, given how useful the extra length and leverage were, not to mention the comfort of a smooth handle and how much easier they were to clean than satin finish wrenches.
Bosch 12V Max driver and later the reciprocating saw, drill, impact driver, etc. Just the driver alone was life-changing compared to my old 14.4V NiCd Skil drill. It was small and light but more powerful. I’ll still reach for corded or 18-20V tools when needed, but man, those 12V Li-ion tools were a game changer, and are still great to work with to this day.
NZ_Guest
The Hakko FX888D-???? whatever model soldering station. I had been using the classic Radio Shack type soldering pencils, it was all I knew. But the dinky soldering iron was not up to snuff for task I was dealing with on pinball repair.
I rolled the dice and got an entry level Hakko kit and it was a major step up and really wish I would of invested in one years ago. If you deal with a fair amount of soldiering, reward yourself with a vastly better tool.
Wayne R.
Yeah! Going from crappy soldering stuff to decent (not even going to good or great) is huge.
Jared
Ha. That reminds me of my relatively recent purchase of a solder station. Mine is a Chinese knock-off of some Hakko model. Had relatively good reviews on Amazon with answers to all the posted questions direct from the seller. I needed it because I had to do some circuit board soldering. I had only ever soldered wires before and I was nervous about it – having made a mess of every precision soldering I’d ever attempted before.
Turns out my crappy solder irons were to blame for my previous troubles. With my new station I had no problem with the repair at all. So add this to the list of purchases I should have made sooner too!
Ian McMahon
Agreed for the Hakko. Plus, the high quality interchangeable tips were a game changer.
Using flux is another huge thing for improving wire soldering. Having few sizes of Kester solder is also quite helpful.
Altan
Here is the link for DeWALT 20V Cordless Heat Gun, it will be available on July 31st.
https://www.toolnut.com/power-tools/new-power-tools/dewalt-dce530p1-20v-max-heat-gun-5-0ah-kit.html
Altan
Here is the bare tool
https://www.toolnut.com/power-tools/new-power-tools/dewalt-dce530b-20v-max-heat-gun-tool-only.html
Jim Felt
I’ve had the Milwaukee M18 for maybe a couple of years now and it’s pretty handy. But still no match for any of our line voltage versions. They simply ramp up faster and hotter.
Interesting to see how the Dewalt performs.
Altan
I have used DeWALT’s corded ones and they were good, don’t want to go to another platform battery, that is why I did not try the Milwaukee one, was waiting for DeWALT one, they have now 8Ah 20V battery DCB208 which is very compaq compared to Flexvolt batteries, I am sure next model will look similar to the corded ones, another two-three years probably.
Altan
Here is DeWALT 20V 8Ah battery
https://www.toolnut.com/power-tools/new-power-tools/dewalt-dcb208-20v-max-8-0ah-lithium-ion-battery.html
Altan
Here is DeWALT 20V Fencing Stapler
https://www.toolnut.com/power-tools/new-power-tools/dewalt-dcfs950b-20v-max-xr-brushless-9-gauge-fencing-stapler-tool-only.html
Altan
Here is DeWALT 60V In-Line Stud & Joist Drill With E-Clutch System
https://www.toolnut.com/power-tools/new-power-tools/dewalt-dcd470b-60v-max-flexvolt-in-line-stud-joist-drill-with-e-clutch-system-tool-only.html
Altan
Here is DeWALT 60V Max Mixer / Drill With E-Clutch System
https://www.toolnut.com/power-tools/new-power-tools/dewalt-dcd130b-flexvolt-60v-max-mixer-drill-with-e-clutch-system-tool-only.html
Altan
Here is Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Steel Rod Flush-Cutter
https://www.toolnut.com/power-tools/new-power-tools/makita-xcs06zk-18v-lxt-lithium-ion-brushless-cordless-steel-rod-flush-cutter-tool-only.html
Anson maddock
Clamps, clamps, and more clamps.
Making do with single digit numbers of clamps was just foolish. Too many projects occurred with make shift clamps when larger or specialty clamps would have saved precious time and remove the hesitation to do a project because I didn’t have the right tools.
CyberRanger
Dremel. Couldn’t see the point in it. Now I see no end in it’s usefulness
Wayne R.
And for Dremel wire brushes & Scotch Brite wheels, a sack of Chinese cheapies is a pretty good alternative to the “official” Dremel versions.
Been using those a lot…
fred
I’ve been doing duck decoys for years – no fine art – but I like them and the recipients don’t complain (at least not to me) . I used a Dremel 280 (now ancient) for years – until I switched to using a Foredom machine, flex shaft and handpieces For intricate power carving – I should have bought the Foredom setup sooner.
The same goes for my Razertip wood pyrography tools. I had been using some Wall-Lenk wood burning tools (based on a cheap soldering iron) – since I was a kid – about 60 or more years ago. When I discovered the Razertip tools – I was wowed:
https://www.razertip.com/
John Barnhill
I own 4 rental houses. The tool that has relieved the most frustration, is a combo-bag of Klein Tools including the multimeter, non-contact voltage tester, outlet circuit finder and outlet tester.
And because I never know what the next call will be, a friend who is the most knowledgeable person I’ve ever met encouraged me to build tool bags for each job, with screw drivers, torpedo level, tape measure etc in each bag. I have tool bags for plumbing, electrical, painting, drywall, and general carpentry, with a broad array of common fasteners organized into 3 Bosch Boxx’s. oh, and a picture hanging box.
This has worked out extremely well, and I don’t spend any time having to organize my tools before I head out. Just grab a bag and go. The stuff I’ve duplicated isn’t expensive and the convenience outweighs the cost.
Altan
This is a good idea to build a separate toolbox for each job, otherwise you would waste a lot of time to look for tools.
SteveP
Wide jaw adjustables are great for working on old bicycles.
I’ve never really had a wish-I’d-bought-it-sooner moment. I didn’t have an angle grinder for a long time. But even now I only use it once or twice a year.
OTOH, my father bought an electric screwdriver in the early days, and they were crap. I resisted and just used bits in my electric drill, so I skipped that dead end
Robert
Fast cap 3rd hand. $70 for two of them and you can put up a dust barrier, use it for pushing or holding an object, whatever. They say it’s the “employee of the month”, but what employee is always on time, does exactly what you want them to and only costs $35 once? Fast cap 3rd hand, that’s who.
My infomercial is now over.
I generally buy what I need and usually buy what has the best review unless it’s a one time tool, therefore I have Flexvolt, M18, M12 and DeWalt 20v tools. It makes my job more fun and less stressful while also speeding everything up quite a bit.
I would recommend picking an 18v line of tools and start investing into it. Depending on what work you do will determine what brand you get into. I do everything so Milwaukee and DeWalt’s lineups cover everything I need. But Makita has picked up their game and been expanding into further areas as well, though I think of them as concrete tools personally.
sixty6
A large toolbox and tool organizers!!!