The one thing that you wonder why you didn't buy sooner?

[GeneD14]

FEL on my tractor has been a life changing event!
Honorable mentions:
Power miter saw
MIG welder
Porta Band Saw

 

[Rustyiron]

A grown up excavator.

If you have the property or needs that warrants it.

 

[JasperFrank]

Wish I'd have started buying WD 40 by the gallon much sooner. 45 years of buying the aerosol cans..... what a waste.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

..... what a waste.

I agree. If something comes loose with WD-40 it wasn't stuck to begin with.
But try a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone. That actually works.

 

[JasperFrank]

But try a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone. That actually works." TMK. Yes! This is something I learned HERE from TBN.

 

[scootr]

Forklift. I have a smallish 5k 3stage CAT forklift. Won't ever be without one.
Bobcat Skid Steer. Best dam wheelbarrow ever... this year we put a big old brush hog on the front of it.
It did a job of the 5 ft tall stuff. Best of all when you cutting in front of the tires.

 

[RustyA]

Headlight for handsfree work is a miracle.
Cab tractor for snow removal and road grading in bug season.
Cordless chainsaw, leaf blower and trimmer.

 

[Omega Woods]

Wow, great thread!

My list is very similar to others...Mini Excavator, tractor with FEL, 18v grease gun, 18v air compressor.

Oscillating saw, pocket folding utility knife, four way screwdriver with the bits that flip around, Construction Master Pro calculator, Grip6 belt...

 

[rScotty]

A loader tractor WITH power steering. Now they all have it. There's a reason for that.
But there were decades where they didn't. You could spot heavy equipment operators by the shape of their arms.

Second place goes to battery-powered tools of all kinds.

Third would definitely be the thumb on our backhoe.

Fourth is yet to come, but I'm sure noticing that the 4 post lift got mentioned so often.
BTW, how many lifts are outside? I don't have an inside space for that.

 

[BnRidge]

For years, the way I did things was to find a way. That was partly out of necessity (lack of money), and partly out of philosophy (being poor doesn't mean living poorly). I have a lot of things, and there are those that I wish I'd gotten (or made) sooner, but I didn't buy them. But to your point - my battery Milwaukee drill goes where I go, extreemly useful, should have been done sooner.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Forklift. I have a smallish 5k 3stage CAT forklift. Won't ever be without one.

That small crane I mentioned earlier has a 3-stage Cascade forklift in the front (Unimog HMMH). With 4WD and lockers it is quite useful. But I use pallet forks on the tractors far more often.

Fourth is yet to come, but I'm sure noticing that the 4 post lift got mentioned so often.
BTW, how many lifts are outside? I don't have an inside space for that.

Mine is a cheap one, and not supposed to be outside, but after covering the motor and fluid container to keep water and UV from destroying them, it works great after about 10 years.

I do spray a little lube on things every two years or so. But it's not all that useful during the winter when covered with two feet of snow. Of course, it's black so if I want to use it just shovel some of the snow off of the runners and the sun does the rest.

 

[zzvyb6]

QA loader option + Loader forks. I use them more than a bucket now.

 

[Wagtail]

A reciprocating saw ("sawzall"). I use it so often that I truly wonder why I "didn't buy sooner".

Seeing as I'm 'dedicated' to Makita, that's the one that I purchased. A heavy (weight-wise) one IOT let the tool do the work.

 

[WinterDeere]

Central air conditioning. Spent most of my life without out, until about 13 years ago. Now, I hate myself for not getting it sooner.

 

[Yander]

Wow, great thread!

My list is very similar to others...Mini Excavator, tractor with FEL, 18v grease gun, 18v air compressor.

Oscillating saw, pocket folding utility knife, four way screwdriver with the bits that flip around, Construction Master Pro calculator, Grip6 belt...

Oh, yes, I forgot about my cordless air compressor. My wife also loves it and airs up her own car tires, and helped me air up all of the tires in the barn this year. I wouldn't be without one now.

 

[Omega Woods]

QA loader option + Loader forks. I use them more than a bucket now.

Yep, forgot to list the forks on my list. Can't imagine life without them! Thinking about getting another set for the skid steer...

 

[Omega Woods]

A grown up excavator.
View attachment 805817
If you have the property or needs that warrants it.

I do love my 5 ton mini ex. I'll probably never graduate to one that could wrangle that boulder!

 

[sea2summit]

Man, I have so many things that I consider absolutely essential now. But I’m going to say three things I wish I would have gotten sooner than I did…because I can.

Good pressure washer
Welder
Good air compressor

Told my daughter the other day my wedding gift will probably be a air compressor if her husband doesn’t have one.

 

[Ortimber]

A lathe- I use that thing all the time

 

[Torvy]

Land. I wish we would have started buying land sooner.