Tools & equipment that are fantastic.

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I was working on my F150 today thinking of a couple great things I bought years ago. One is this Fisher pneumatic lift, $800 delivered. As a teenager I worked at a service station that had a 4 post lift and a Fisher lift exactly like this one. We rarely ever used the 4 post since this is easier. I use 6 jack stands (I know it's overkill).
The other is a portable HF compressor, $90 on sale. I have a large 2 stage shop compressor but again, convenient. I built so many things with it using air nailers, impact wrenches, etc.
Curious what tools/equipment others have that weren't all that expensive at the time that are useful.

 

[Gator6x4]

Had a friend that ran a garage and people would bring there vehicles to him to rotate the tires. He would lift one side of the vehicle up, rotate the tires and go to the next side. It would take him 15-20 minutes to rotate the 4 tires and he was charging 12.00 dollars.

 

[etpm]

Over the years I have bought many tools that were really good deals and very useful. But they were mostly tools related to my job as a machinist. But one tool, that I bought about 20 years ago for 250 bucks has been super useful. A Lincoln SP125+ MIG welder. It came with a full cylinder of gas and a large spool of welding wire. Now I mostly use it with flux core wire because I have another MIG welder that I use with gas.
But even though my other MIG welder is a 300 amp machine and I have 3 whips for it, two 25 foot long Python whips for push/pull welding of either aluminum or steel and one 12 foot regular whip I use for just steel the Lincoln still gets lots of use. For the person who is doing the usual steel fabricating using material 1/4 inch or less and needs to weld stuff the Lincoln SP125+ is a great machine. Both the wire speed and the welding voltage are infinitely adjustable and this is a feature that helps so much when trying to get the weld to be as good as possible. Most machines in this category have just 3 or 4 settings and cannot weld like the Lincoln. I use mine almost always with fluxcore wire. But I will use gas when needed.
I am amazed at how well this little welder works and for how many hours I have used it, and I bought it used! I have a friend with one of these and he hardly uses it. I have been trying to talk him into selling it to me so that I can have one set up for gas and the other for fluxcore.
For general steel fabrication that involves welding this little 125 volt welder can't be beat. And if a person has a big torch, like a weed burner, heavier steel can be welded, even 1/2 inch. It's gotta be plenty hot but it can be done, I've done it and the welds were good. Anyway, I have found this machine to be very useful and great for all sorts of builds and repairs.
Eric

 

[Xfaxman]

I have had this chain come-along for so long that I don't know where I got it or what it cost:

Hooked it to the crane scale to see it's pulling power:

 

[ovrszd]

My latest discovery is Milwaukee cordless tools. I've had DeWalt for 15 years. What an upgrade!!!!! No comparison.

For simplicity. I like this tool. It's used to stretch single strand wire, or barbed wire. I've been so crude as to chain it to the tractor and use it to tighten the wire. Easiest way is with a come along.

 

[BravoXray]

When I decided to do a complete restoration of my '70 Nova, one of the first things I bought was a rotisserie. Doing any kind of body work on it was so easy when you could position it so it is easy to work on. Was worth every penny, and when I'm done with it, hopefully this coming spring or summer, I have a couple of friends that want to buy it for their projects.

 

[4570Man]

My latest discovery is Milwaukee cordless tools. I've had DeWalt for 15 years. What an upgrade!!!!! No comparison.

For simplicity. I like this tool. It's used to stretch single strand wire, or barbed wire. I've been so crude as to chain it to the tractor and use it to tighten the wire. Easiest way is with a come along.

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Are you comparing lithium tools to other lithium battery tools? My Dewalt battery framing nailer sucks and my buddies Milwaukee battery nailer is way better. Milwaukee makes a more capable battery impact but most people aren’t going to pay upwards of 1k for the top end model. Besides those 2 examples I’ve not seen any big difference between the 2.

 

[Hay Dude]

Arguing DeWalt v. Milwaukee?
LOL
Thats like arguing Ford v. Chevy

Brand loyalty is so stupid. Doesn’t anyone understand thats what manufacturers want you to do? They WANT you to be a stooge for them.

 

[Tinhack]

I was working on my F150 today thinking of a couple great things I bought years ago. One is this Fisher pneumatic lift, $800 delivered. As a teenager I worked at a service station that had a 4 post lift and a Fisher lift exactly like this one. We rarely ever used the 4 post since this is easier. I use 6 jack stands (I know it's overkill).

I have two of those lifts. I added a tee to the air inlet on one so I could use both at the same time to lift the whole car. It mostly worked ok but lowering was a toss-up. Sometimes they worked together. Sometimes they didn't. I haven't used them in maybe 15-20 years. They both need new rubber ram seals. The Chinese rubber lasted only a couple of years. I think I got mine at Northern Tools. Same design, different name.

 

[ovrszd]

Are you comparing lithium tools to other lithium battery tools? My Dewalt battery framing nailer sucks and my buddies Milwaukee battery nailer is way better. Milwaukee makes a more capable battery impact but most people aren’t going to pay upwards of 1k for the top end model. Besides those 2 examples I’ve not seen any big difference between the 2.

Yes. Power. Battery life. Features. My Son has a Milwaukee 1/2" impact that is more powerful than my Snap-on 1/2" air impact.

 

[bmg88201]

I’m a dinosaurs and have always avoided battery lawn equipment. But a friend gave me a battery blower and a battery weed-eater. The blower is jam up and jelly tight and has more power than I expected and I use it all the time.

The trimmer, on the other hand, is a joke and is as useless as nipples on a bull.

 

[ovrszd]

Arguing DeWalt v. Milwaukee?
LOL
Thats like arguing Ford v. Chevy

Brand loyalty is so stupid. Doesn’t anyone understand thats what manufacturers want you to do? They WANT you to be a stooge for them.

No one is arguing. No one is being brand loyal. No one is being stupid. No one is being a stooge. Except you maybe.

Put me back on your ignore list please.

 

[Hay Dude]

No one is arguing. No one is being brand loyal. No one is being stupid. No one is being a stooge. Except you maybe.

Put me back on your ignore list please.

That’s debatable, maybe lol
also, I wasnt talking to you. Making a generalization about people who suck up to companies in general.
Don’t be so sensitive. Leave that up to teenage girls.

 

[ovrszd]

I’m a dinosaurs and have always avoided battery lawn equipment. But a friend gave me a battery blower and a battery weed-eater. The blower is jam up and jelly tight and has more power than I expected and I use it all the time.

The trimmer, on the other hand, is a joke and is as useless as nipples on a bull.

My wife uses a Milwaukee weed eater with an 8ah battery. It, as you reference, is jam up and jelly tight.

 

[ovrszd]

I wasnt talking to you. Making a generalization about people who suck up to companies in general.
Don’t be so sensitive. Leave that up to teenage girls.

And you.

Ignore me please.

 

[Hay Dude]

My reply was directed at 4750 man. He’s an intelligent poster and I respect his comments.
I always ignore you, even though you are top poster of the month.

 

[ovrszd]

My reply was directed at 4750 man. He’s an intelligent poster and I respect his comments.
I always ignore you, even though you are top poster of the month.

And I am not an intelligent poster and you have no respect for my posts. So, why are you responding to me now?

Ignore me please.

 

[Hay Dude]

Here’s my dad’s 1962 Black & Decker 8“ circular saw. I still use it for framing work

 

[WinterDeere]

Here’s my dad’s 1962 Black & Decker 8“ circular saw. I still use it for framing work

I have a bin full of these old side-winders, also inherited. Two of them are B&D, one just like yours. I used to cherish them.

Then about 10 years ago someone gave me a brand new Bosch side-winder. I looked at it's all-plastic construction, said "no thanks", and kept using these older metal-bodied saws, while the new one sat on a shelf. Then one day there was some reason I pulled that new saw out to do a job, and after just one day of use, I fell in love with it. More power, less weight better guides, quicker adjustment, quicker stop... win-win-win. Now the old metal saws get relegated to destructive use, like sawing masonry or abrasive blade use.

There are many tools one could name as useful, the trouble most here already own and know them. So, for something a little less common, I bought a pistol-grip 1/4" air impact about 20 years ago, that has been a godsend for working on vintage equipment. This was back before lithium 1/4" impact drivers were common, and it had just the right amount of torque to hammer away at a rusted fastener without shearing the head off, until the fastener would eventually break loose. It was my go-to for anything larger than #6-32 and smaller than 3/8", for many years. If you don't have one, and you find yourself working on a lot of old hardware, consider it.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have a bin full of these old side-winders, also inherited. Two of them are B&D, one just like yours. I used to cherish them.

Then about 10 years ago someone gave me a brand new Bosch side-winder. I looked at it's all-plastic construction, said "no thanks", and kept using these older metal-bodied saws. Until one day there was some reason I pulled that new saw out to do a job, and after just one day of use, I fell in love with it. More power, less weight better guides, quicker adjustment, quicker stop... win-win-win. Now the old metal saws get relegated to destructive use, like sawing masonry or abrasive blade use.

There are many tools one could name as useful, the trouble most here already own and know them. So, for something a little less common, I bought a pistol-grip 1/4" air impact about 20 years ago, that has been a godsend for working on vintage equipment. This was back before lithium 1/4" impact drivers were common, and it had just the right amount of torque to hammer away at a rusted fastener without shearing the head off, until the fastener would eventually break loose. It was my go-to for anything larger than #6-32 and smaller than 3/8", for many years. If you don't have one, and you find yourself working on a lot of old hardware, consider it.

I use worm drive framers since the 90’s. Like them much better. They give you just that little extra reach on a 4x4 sheet of 3/4” plywood
Dad’s saw still used here and there. Mostly remind me of him. He was a great carpenter and mason.