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DonnyBahama

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Everything posted by DonnyBahama

  1. I like Metabo tools. (Or I should say that I’ve liked all the Hitachi tools I’ve ever owned — I assume the quality/performance is the same.) At that price, though, I’ll just change brushes as necessary. Thanks, Will!
  2. I really enjoy posts like this. The variety of other people’s posts is very interesting and occasionally thought provoking. Drill/Driver: I bought a 2-piece Bosch 18V combo set that had a driver and a hammer drill. It came with 2 batteries which, to me, is a huge bonus. I got it reconditioned from CPO Outlets for a very reasonable price. I have used (and used and used) and abused them. It must be 7 or 8 years old now and it’s still going strong has a fair bit of runout now due to the beating it’s taken in hammer drill mode drilling into masonry. I am 100% sold on Bosch cordless tools. When this set craps out (I can’t believe the batteries have lasted this long), I’ll most likely replace them with the 12V versions for their lightness and compact design. Any time they’re not powerful enough, I’ve got a Hitachi corded drill that’s a real beast. (When I need it for free hand work, though, I have to pull it out of my DIY drill press - which also converts to a lathe as well as a drum sander.) Multitool (oscillating): This is probably my 2nd most used tool when I’m doing things around the house. (I don’t use it that much in the shop unless it’s as a detail sander. I have a special attachment for that.) It’s my go-to tool for cutting off nails or screws when I need to. Also use it on drywall, pipes (plumbing) and romex. I wasn’t sure how much I’d use it so I cheaped out and got a corded one at Harbor Freight for less than $20. That one is on its last legs; now that I know how much I use it, I’ll replace it with a cordless model. Almost certainly a Bosch since I don't want to invest in a different battery system. Circular Saw: I have a Makita Hypoid saw that is just fantastic. Total workhorse with very smooth operation. I’ve been thinking about buying a T-slot router bit for making some DIY track to turn it into a track saw, but my simple plywood/Masonite jigs clamp on quickly and easily and have served me very well, so I’ll probably just keep thinking about it. Miter Saw: As much as my Bosch cordless drill/driver set has lasted so long and been such a bargain, my Hitachi miter saw is even more of a bargain. A couple years ago, I detached the motor from the base (at the pivot point) and used it to make a DIY table saw. Most of the things that I used to use it for I can do on the table saw with a crosscut sled I built. For workpieces that are too long for that (a fairly rare occurrence), I’m pretty proficient/accurate with my Japanese pull saws. Routers: I have the tried and true Bosch 1617 2.25HP router mounted in my router table. I bought the set that included the plunge base as well as the fixed base. I’ve used the plunge base maybe twice; I can plunge cut pretty well on the router table. For above-the-table work, I have the Bosch Colt 1HP palm router. I bought it as soon as I realized how much I don’t like pulling the big guy out of the router table. With a few DIY jigs, this little palm router is a joy to use. When plunge cutting on the router isn’t practical, I drill a hole in the workpiece then put the bit in the hole and go from there. Belt Sander: My other sanders (and my handheld planer) are some of my least used tools. I prefer using hand planes unless it’s a really huge area. But I use the belt sander - mounted into a jig - quite a bit for just removing stock8. I went cheap on this, too. I bought an old Craftsman at a yard sale and it’s still going after many years. When I first bought it, I disassembled it, cleaned out all the sawdust and gunk, relubed it, and reassembled. I keep telling myself it’s past time to do that again. Jigsaw: I have an old Bosch barrel grip jigsaw that’s a little anemic. I’m kinda itching to replace it with a cordless one and get a new, powerful one for a jigsaw table. One thing you can say about jigsaws - when you need one, there’s not much else that will do. Bench Grinder: I almost overlooked this one. It only gets used for quick little tasks here and there - but it’s surprising how often that sort of thing comes up. This was a flea market purchase and there’s no make/model listed anywhere so I m guessing the little plate that had that info must have fallen off or been removed. Other than that, I also have a recip saw (Milwaukee) and an SDS drill (Porter Cable) but I haven’t used either of them for years..
  3. Thanks, Will. I know Makita makes one. Or used to, anyway. Very pricey, though. I wanted to go brushless simply because it will be mounted under a table and I don’t want to have to pull it out to change the brushes. If it’s going to cost a lot more, though, I’ll just pull it out (once every few years!) and change the brushes.
  4. I’m shopping for a jigsaw for permanent installation in a jigsaw table. It’s almost impossible to find them on Google because even if you put corded and brushless in quotes and specify -cordless, you get tons of listings for cordless jigsaws and most of the actual corded jigsaw results don’t actually say whether they’re brushless or not. So I’m turning to you fine people… : )
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