looking over the craftsman warranty thread i started wondering.....
I am finally at the time in my life that I need to get quality tools, rather than cheap poor quality that i would buy once, use once, and then lose.
where to find them? are there any quality tools left?
it used to be that brand names meant something. now it seems that "to be more competitive" even good brands are resorting to lower quality control to save money and keep stockholders happy. so buying reputable brand names is no good, because the quality that made the brand is no longer there.
so, I'd like to know where can i find tools of good quality. I will assume premium prices, so dont bother telling about the "best bang for your buck" deals.
lets try the following tools for suggestions standard/phillips screwdriver set claw hammer pneumatic fittings (I have four identical sets that are not compatible) socket sets(standard, metric, deep well, and impact) wrench sets hand saws circular saws table saws angle grinders orbital sanders(penumatic and electric) electric hand drills(ac only please, I hate batteries) everything i forgot to list :)
Williams wrenches--the cadillac at one time Armstrong wrenches--among the finest finishes I've seen.
Rotary Hammers: Bosch seems good, but they've gone electronic. Tool Rental guys swear by the pre-electronic Bosch rotary hammer, forgot the number, legendary/bulletproof. If you rent one and lose it, they will cut off one of yer hands.
Belt Sanders, drills: Porter Cable. Service Centers in many cities. I've seen contractors come in w/ BOXES of PC tools to be re-conditioned! wow... quite the compliment.
Recip saw: Tiger Saw, by I think Porter Cable: has a switchable orbital action for very aggressive cutting. About the same price as a sawzall.
6-in-1 Screwdrivers: Black & Sage (china no doubt), Nat Whl. Liquid. , $3--great, bought 15 of'em, so's I never ever ever have to hunt for one again in the shop.
"Tater" wrote in news:1162154717.053088.21760 @b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:
Finding where they are sold is the tricky part.
Wiha or Facom. I like the Wiha ones that have the hex on the shank so you can use a wrench for more leverage.
Stanley Anti Vibe.
SMC
The nicest stuff I've seen is made by a small comapany in Elgin, Il. called Qualicorp. The ratchets grab in the smallest degree available and all of the components are made of tool steel. They private label their tools for Snap-On and Mack. I don't know if they sell direct.
Snap-On. They have the best polish and plating. Other than that most any name brand is good.
Sandvik
For serious work you need both a sidewinder and a worm drive. For a worm drive I'd go with Skil. For the sidewinder any saw by DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, etc.. that costs over $125.00 should be good. Find the one that fits you best.
Don't know.
Milwaukee.
Don't know for sure. Chicago Pneumatic used to be good, but I haven't used a pneumatic sander in a long time. For electric I have a DeWalt. I doubt that's the best there is though. I've heard that Fein makes the best.
I am very surprised that you like those Hole Shooters!
I have one of the Magnum Holeshooters and the trigger covers 3/4 of the handle. When the bit starts to bind up, it becomes impossible to control the speed because the torquing moves the trigger against my whole hand. I have sworn off Milwaukee tools because any company that would compromise the usability of a tool that badly for styling is one to avoid.
I am aware that using the side handle avoids this problem when I have two hands free and room to get both hands in with the handle.
Most everything I've got in your categories is inherited or bought decades back, other than ads and floor models I've got little experience with the current crop. SK wrenches and sockets are still good, buying onesies is kind of hard. Had one local dealer carrying SK, they dumped them for chink crap. The Froggies got SK, probably messed up the dealer/distributor network.
Hands saws are best purchased used, no really good ones are still made in the US. You CAN get specialty hand saws from the likes of Lee Valley and Garrett-Wade, most are British. I don't recall any classic-style panel saws, though. For used, Nicholson and Disston made very good ones, usually go very cheap at estate auctions.
De Walt has a very nice cabinet table saw, you can balance a coin on edge on the table with it running. At one woodworking show, they had the carriage out and flipped over, was a very impressive casting with a stout trunnion system. Powermatic is another very nice make for a cabinet saw. Best seen under power at a dealer or woodworking show. If I had unlimited funds, I'd probably go with the Powermatic and
3-phase. I've currently got the De Walt contractors saw, I've still got space problems. It's light, easy to move around and can be equipped with extensions so 4x8 sheets can be ripped down single-handed. The local dealer had half-off on refurbs so it wasn't all that expensive. There's others that have the same features now, so it might pay to look around if you're looking for such an item.
Milton still makes the best pneumatic fittings, IMO. They and Amflo both have a 3-in-1 female fitting that will handle most of the different male fittings out there, runs about twice what a regular female quick-connect runs, good for a portable compressor output or whip end. HF has a similar fitting, runs about half what a regular Milton fitting runs, no idea of quality. The Milton one actually seals better for me than the dedicated one meant for the male end. As to which system to invest in, Milton covers A-, M-, T- and L-types, the A-type seems to be most popular with the import tools. I've gotten pretty much stuck into the T- or Truflate type. It was what they had the most of at the local hardware store at the time. I've never seen the L- or Lincoln type outside of surplus industrial stuff, I wouldn't get into that system unless I had a bucket of surplus spares.
For a portable circular saw, I've got a Skil 77, weighs a ton, goes through most things like butter, has the blade on the correct side for a rightie, stops fast. If I were to do it again, I'd look into the magnesium version, easier on the biceps. Maybe go for the 8" version, the 7 1/4" blades don't always have quite enough reach. A lot depends on how close your service depot is, they do require grease for the worm drive and occasional brushes. Mine spent a lot of time on the bottom of a home-made foldup saw table, I built a LOT of stuff with it in the small apartment I used to have. Keep cleaning the sawdust out and it'll last for decades.
Fine Woodworking puts out a tools review annual, the 2007 one is currently out. You might want to get a copy and read some reviews.
I couldn't agree more - the Magnums are an ergonomic abomination. Robin S. recommended a Metabo drill when I asked a while back. I bought one and love it. It has a two speed gearbox and overload clutch, so if you're working in an awkward position and are concerned about the tool jamming, you can use high gear and dial the speed down. The clutch will slip before you break your wrist or punch yourself in the face.
Coincidentally, I gave a beat-up, but still working, 1/2" Magnum to the attendant at the dump just last week. It was going in the dumpster if he didn't want it.
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