Pennywise

Still got a T-Maxx, kyosho nitro mp777 1/8th buggy that's never run as I just liked building it lol, also got a kyosho 1/10th nitro touring car and a tamiya TL01 that was my first ever car. Don't have time for them now, can't be bothered selling them either as the returns are pittiful lol so might as well keep them for when I have kids.

Take a look at RUKO step drills too, they have been amazing quality for me over the years.

Not another Brit........ Welcome from London via Belgium at the moment

The OT-XXL which I bought for £150 3/4yrs ago is now £260 lol, totally priced themselves out of the market, my peli case is far easier to transport around and only cost £160 and I can put it in cargo on a plane.

We've had the same problem in the UK too with government and society dictating that the only route that all children should be looking to is the degree level education, for the best paid jobs etc. so much so that kids that shouldn't ever have gone to university do and come out of the system with some weird and wonderful degree in hamster petting or a more sensible one psychology!,with no real job prospects as the job market is flooded with the same people, then at the same time they look down on the vocational jobs that they now think are below them because they have the degree. Attitudes have definately changed over the years, I started out in the camp of you will do A levels you will go to university and then get a "good" job, then at around 16 I discovered vocational work and saw that people where looking at these types of jobs on a new level as the shortage was so great the guys who where left doing say plumbing and plastering where earning a fortune! And you can't do much more to climb the social ladder quicker than to earn a fortune. So I left my private boarding school and went into becoming an electrican, I'm now a home owner, pretty much can't be made redundant and have skills I can take anywhere. I think I came away with more than most of my friends , as a lot are barristers, solicitors, civil engineers and architects, they earn more than me but socially we are all on the same level now. Though now looking at it I don't want everyone doing what I did otherwise rates will have to drop lol.

Don't mind buying Chinese made as long as it says for example,"built by Hilti in china" , which generally means it's the companies own factory and the manufacturing hasn't been subbed out to a third party who cut cost on the materials etc, the quality control is also overseen by the company as well.

When mine broke I'd just use electrical tape to hold the pusher in lol:) I can be quite cheap sometimes... I use step cutters mostly for anything up to 20mm, for the larger sizes for recessed lights I use the TCT tipped saws that have the large slot in the side for getting the round plug out so really I don't need a quick extract arbor anymore . Though the TCT saws do rip the hell out of plasterboard, I know they're mainly form DF and ply but I can't help using them.

I've tried those ones and the starrett version which they had out a few years back, good idea but the spring would go on the pusher on the release mechanism, plus the pilot bits weren't changeable, that's just me being lazy and not re sharpening them myself lol I've tried the newer starrett quick release arbor too and it gets clogged too easily and binds with the release mechanism shame as the build quality is great just too tight with the machining tolerances for normal site use. http://www.starrett.co.uk/shop/arbors/ulti-mate/

When it comes to hole saws there is only one name http://www.starrett.co.uk http://www.starrett.co.uk/shop/holesaws/

Lol, yes the transporter.. was lovely

Wera

Yes that's the one lol, at the D&M tools fair, I was in love with the festool transporter.

The dewalt boxes look really good, the only problems I have with them are the size and weight before you even put anything in them, I can imagine as soon as I put a few handtools and accessories in there I wouldn't be able to lift them lol. Even the trolley is a bit badly designed for the uk market as the trolley handles are actually wider than a standard door . At the last tool show I went to dewalt had a guy who'd racked out his van they showed me his trolly and he'd actually modded it and ripped the handles and wheels off and reversed them so they're on the inside of the trolley frame, bit of an own goal for the dewalt sales guys who looked a little embarrassed lol.

Festool in general believe it or not are getting cheaper in Europe too, they where taken to court last year or the year before by the European courts for anti competition practices, as they would threaten dealers with the taking their franchise if they started discounting the tools, dealers used to give you consumables instead. Having now been fined €8 million they allow discounting. Maybe it's now filtering over to the states

Shame, they are pretty good, looks like snap on have sown up the market

Teng tools are pretty good I've got a 1/4in set and they have never let me down. http://www.tengtools.com

Bosch have had the quick realise chuck for getting on 7-8yrs now if not longer . Good kit we have it on our 36v SDS at work very well made and literally you can use the chuck as a hammer!

Festool are the way to go, I'm an electrician and even I've got the saw and rail, though sure some of you cabinet makers would cringe at what I do with it lol

In my experience your better off doing research into other manufacturers for each and everyone of your hand tools. Most of the large brands offer generic cheap tools that are just rebranded tat, far better getting individual, quality tools that the particular company is known for producing, estwing hammers, leica lasers, uvex eye protection, 3M dust masks, Stanley for tape measures, teng for mechanics stuff etc. most of the fun in buying tools is doing the research, why make it easy just buying one brand .

It's one of the original saws with ni mh batteries, it was good at the time, really it's just a backup . They don't normally try stuff out with protool it's just they had a separate brand that was only available in certain countries, it's now been totally got rid of and has just been rebranded as festool as it has better worldwide brand recognition. Can't praise the protool enough, that 14.4v Hilti in the background was around 6months old when I got the protool, it hasn't seen the light of day for yrs again it's just a backup lol. You guys do get the rough end of the stick when it comes to new tool realises, probably why I could never live state side lol.

To be honest the panasonic metal saw doesn't get used that much as we have the Hilti 22v metal saw at work and for any proper wood cutting I use the festool. Yes it's a festool quadrive but the original, made by festool under the protool brand, I've had it about 4/5yrs now and it's still going strong, also it's only a 12v version or 10.8v to be precise, very very light but can drive some massive screws they've taken the 12v out of the new festool rebranded range which is slightly annoying.

Try and buy the best I can find then I'm not buying twice hopefully lol. Cheers

Every now and then I like getting everything together for a group shot, so there are no disputes with the insurance company if things go missing . Missing kit Festool t55 saw and rail Festool cxs drill Fein multimaster Hilti VCU 40 vac

Maybe it takes a while for manufacturers to get accreditation for a new product to be sold in the USA. A lot of manufacturers are registered in Europe and so we have BS EN numbers so it's compliant across the whole of Europe immediately. Plus maybe brands don't really bother with the US as brand recognition is often low, other than US "made" products or brands.

I want a new set of super rods for fishing cables. Can't live without them . http://www.super-rod.co.uk/products/rod-kits/mega-set/