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Todd the Tinkerer

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Posts posted by Todd the Tinkerer

  1. Stay away from porter cable orbital 5" sanders

    in All others not listed

    Posted

    Though I would share this with ya . if you are on the market for a orbital sander I highly suggest you stay away from porter cable . my experience has been nothing but bad with them , have fixed a lot they vibrate like its nobobies business the bottom have likes to move on its own . just trying to save you guys a lot of problems . if you use a sander a lot or everyday I wouldn't even think about getting one. Just my 2¢ personally I own 7 old 5" makita orbital sanders that I fixed up [emoji6] 

    20170109_085432.jpg

    20170109_085439.jpg


    Thanks for the heads up


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  6. What tools did you buy today?

    in Power Tools

    Posted

    Don't get me wrong, Snap-On (and the other trucks for that matter) have some great tools. They produce top quality stuff that's designed to make a living with. I admire quality tools, and the trucks deliver that (pun intended) but what gets me is the insane mark-up on rebranded items. I don't mind paying top money for a top quality tool, but I do mind paying 200% more for a Snap-On branded set of something made by Lisle, when I can buy the same Lisle made set, with a different label on the box for pennies on the dollar. It's shameless. I get it, trucks offer convienance and easy credit, and nobody is holding a gun to anyone's head, but it's borderline exploitation of uninformed consumers. 

     

    Tool trucks aren't the only ones that do this, it's capitalism, but as an informed consumer advocate I'm not going to pretend it isn't happening. 

     

    As for hand tool reviews, there's a reason you don't see a lot of them. For starters, many hand tool manufacturers aren't very open to having their tools reviewed. Some are really cool and feel the same passion for their stuff that we do. One of the coolest guys I ever dealt with was the guy at EZ RED. His grandfather started the company and he has a real passion for it. Awesome dude to talk to. A lot of companies won't even respond to your emails. There's various reasons for it, but you can look at the blogs and see what companies have a presence and determine what ones are willing to work with you and what one's aren't. Blogs and forums are the ultimate tool of the informed tool user, but some companies prefer for you to focus entirely on the things they tell you to focus on and have no interest in a 3rd party perspective.  

     

    Some companies, understandably, only put out new release stuff. This is no big deal with the ever evolving power tool world, but things change at a slower pace in the hand tool world. This typically means it's hard to keep a good flow of tools to write about.  

     

    Another reason you don't see many hand tool reviews is that (and this is going to sound different than I mean it) most people don't possess the ability to make them interesting enough to read. Anybody can write a page about a power tool by throwing in features and specs, etc, etc, but it takes a special person to write an article of any length about a hammer or a screwdriver without being extremely boring. That's why a lot of the hand tool articles you do see are basically news articles. 

     

    Then there's the simple economics of it. Hand tools just don't generate enough traffic to keep the lights on. Comprehensive blogs like TIA are not cheap to operate. There is an extraordinary amount of time and money required to keep a high quality site like this running and hand tools aren't going to cut it. It doesn't matter to me, I don't make a living doing this, and Dan & Eric liked to keep diverse content, but most blogs just don't mess with hand tools much for that reason. 

     

    I do feel good enough to start writing again, and I have a bunch of new stuff I could write about. Maybe I'll get in gear and get going.

     

    And thanks you guys for the kind words. Glad to know at least 4 or 5 people read the stuff I wrote [emoji23]

     

     


    Very well said. As a new member stumbling around the site I am constantly surprised by how accepting and knowledgeable everyone is. Like everyone here I have a passion for the tools I use everyday to make a living for my family and have bought tools based on what Dan and Eric have said. From what I have read on here I will definitely take what everyone on here has to say seriously too. Please everyone keep the conversation going and I will definitely read any review you post. Thank you everyone.


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  9. What tools did you buy today?

    in Power Tools

    Posted

    1 minute ago, dwasifar said:

    One more today:

     

    IMG_20170108_174232.jpg

     

    I replace these from time to time just because they get gunked up and full of corrosion and deposits that you scrape off the terminals.  Today it's because I also bought this:

     

    IMG_20170108_173828.jpg

     

    This is for my wife's car.  She heard me telling my friend that I replace batteries every three or four years whether they need it or not, as preventive maintenance, and she said, "But my battery is five years old."  And she's right.  I knew Subaru had given her a free battery when the car was still under warranty but I had kind of lost track of time and didn't realize it had been that long.  Any time I thought about it, it was "Oh, she got a new battery from Subaru, she's fine for a while."  Given that we've been in the single-digit temperatures for the last couple weeks, I am hustling to rectify this oversight.

     

     

    I didn't know that Bosch made automotive batteries. How do they compare to others like dihard or optima?

    • Like 1

  11. Preferred ratchets?

    in Hand Tools

    Posted

    I have kobalt, Husky, craftsmen that all get the job done, but don't have a real high quality feel. I have 1 snap-on 1/2" drive that I really like and bout used. I have a hard time justifying the cost of the snap-on new. I have herd good things about Proto, s&k, and tekton.


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  12. Makita 12V system

    in Power Tools

    Posted

    Dewalt's older chargers also supported 12V batteries, but the newer fast chargers don't since it looks like they're ending support for the 12V line.

     

    I have no idea why makita didn't support a dual charger since my 18V charger says 7.2-18V.


    I think it makes sense to have dual chargers. It definitely encourages you to consider the other battery platform sense you look at the charger every day, taunting you with the vacant spot.


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    • Like 1

  15. Your angle grinders

    in Power Tools

    Posted

    On 12/12/2016 at 5:54 PM, JimboS1ice said:

    such a versatile tool, you don't have to be a welder or metal worker to need one, flap discs are great as you can achieve the same results as a fiber grinder discs but they don't take off as much material, great for resurfacing materials 

    I swear a new flap disk will take off more material then a grinding wheel, but will not last as long. Like you said you can get a good finish out of a flap disk especially if you are making a metal sculpture and just want some texture. 

    • Like 1

  16. Switching to flexvolt revisited

    in Milwaukee

    Posted

    Getting reapirs done on DeWalt is difficult and expensive. You either find a certified warranty shop for the 1 year free service, or send your tools in to SBD on your own dime for anything else. They determine if its warrantied or not, then you pay shipping to get it back.

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    I guess they are trying to get you to just buy a new tool rather then fix the one you have. Sadly our culture has gone that way were people would rather throw it out and replace then to fix. You see this across the board with a lot of things.


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    • Like 1

  17. Thoughts On Used Tools....

    in Power Tools

    Posted

    Don't get me wrong, the fact that it is referred to as a torque ranch not once, but twice is very reassuring that it saw proper use.


    It is a multi purpose tool it works as a ratchet, torque wrench, and also breaker bar for those tough bolts.


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  18. Thoughts On Used Tools....

    in Power Tools

    Posted

    I see that stuff constantly. I guess they think because they were suckered in they can do it to someone else. I understand paying a premium when the truck brings the tools to your box, but it has gotten excessive in my opinion.


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    • Like 1

  21. Thoughts On Used Tools....

    in Power Tools

    Posted

    I sell stuff on kijiji regularly, I only buy new-in-box stuff off kijiji though. I don't trust people otherwise. Hand tools go on sale often enough I just buy them new; I intend to keep them for a lifetime so the little extra it costs is justified. Doesn't help that people always seem to want an arm

    and a leg around here for their used stuff. 


    I know what you mean about cl. I never would have thought HF tools would appreciate in value, but I see them for sale often for more then you can buy them at the store for.

    The best deals I have gotten on used tools have been from someone who is retiring and getting rid of stuff, or has had a career change and is no longer in the trade. Never count out the scorn lovers liquidation sale because she generally sells the stuff for what he said he paid for them not what they actually cost.


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  23. Thoughts On Used Tools....

    in Power Tools

    Posted

    For me it depends on what I am looking at and what price they are asking. I wouldn't buy a used level, but most hand tools that are name brand definitely. I will also study the pictures they have of the tools. If the background is clean I am more likely to go look at them, but if there is crap everywhere and nothing looks like it has been taken care of I won't. If you are looking at anything electric then you need to do some homework on it. Does the tool have a good reputation and what are the common things to go wrong. Plus when you look at it make sure you smell the motor area. Run it some then smell. If it has been abused you will generally be able to tell. I have bought some high end tools used and had no problems, especially on the cheating husband special. Used tools can be a good buy, you just have to be careful and look them over. Keep in mind craftsmen tools you can take back without a receipt no problem, but I have been hassled trying to exchange kobalt tools without a receipt.


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    • Like 2

  24. Makita 12V system

    in Power Tools

    Posted

    Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Milwaukee the only company this has combined charging of 18 and 12 v tools on the same charging base. That is important to me because most job sites I am on power is limited and it is nice charging 2 batteries at the same time and it takes up less space. If you work in a shop all the time this may not matter.


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