Garage Shop: Tools

ive come across a few Rotary lifts in my time. but never had the space prior to my home purchase. do now though but do need to get power run to the shop first. and double check my footings, I asked about the PSI and weight prior to my shop being built. but think i want to get a 2 post for one side of the shop, and wouldn't mind a 4 post for longer term projects and to be able to stash a 2nd car up under.

 

Picked up one of the grinders for $22, thanks for the tip!

 

i should do the same my old Makita still runs hard but i know one day it will die

 

At that price I figured I could always use another grinder. Set one up with a disc and one with a flap wheel. It felt good in the hand in the store. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet.

 

This is the way.

4-5 angle grinders is the best way

 

I still want to add a couple more to the collection

 

The best thing I ever did was make a place to hang a bunch of grinders below my bench. always plugged in.

For HF grinders its worth it to get the $30 one over the $15 one.

 

I've got three but need to add a battery one into the mix.

 

https://apple.news/A7qsvFIEhRty45iskR19kiw

 

For Made in America tools at a price point much less than Snap-On, look at Wright Tools.

I discovered them several years ago, and have been very happy with their tools.

 

Is that the Metabo HPT (Hitachi)?

If so, I've got one as well. Runs as smooth as my Milwaukee Fuel so it has my crimped wire wheel on it.

I should get another one cause all mine are mismatched

 

Yep, I pick them up at lowes when they go on sale. they have all come with 5 hard rock wheels as well.

 

I never know what to do with those wheels, I never use an actual grinding wheel for anything, just cutting discs and flappers.

 

Same, actually for any grinding wheel

There's a stack on my shelf and I'll never use them; should give them away if anyone needs any

 

i dunno, sort of a clickbaity article to me.

i don't own any icon tools. i own 3 snap-on tools. two were right-place-right-time purchases. one, snap-on is the only one that makes it.

other than that, i just use the standard pittsburgh sockets, even in my smaller impacts. they work just fine. i've never broken any, but have lost a few, which get replaced with Amazon specials...

 

old guys swear by them.

i just debated this the other day with one of them. he insisted that the hard wheels were faster because you can lean into them harder. i insisted that flapper discs remove more material faster without turning one's arms into noodles by the end of the day... but many insist on using them because the force seems more like something is happening...

 

Grinding wheels are great for removing the last large chunks of metal from an axle when you're cleaning them up for links. Those pieces eat up flap discs.

 

This is kind of how it was for me in the 80s when I worked as a small engine and power equipment mechanic. I bought some stuff off the tool truck, but mostly craftsman tools where the harbor freight tools of the day. I still have lots of my craftsman tools. The warranty was great, no questions asked over the counter exchange at any sears store. Now sears is gone, some limited craftsman tools at Lowes now but not a full line like sears had. So fast forward to today. Yup icon hand tools and harbor freight are now much better than they used to be. Some stuff is sub par but most is pretty good now imo. I'm not a professional mechanic anymore so icon tools work for me when I need to replace my old craftsman tools and they will probably outlast this old man. Decent quality affordable tools that allow me to get the job done. Half of my old craftsman tool boxes have been replaced with harbor freight boxes and they are much nicer, built solid, and full roller bearing drawers for very reasonable cost.
Wake up people and get over the whole China tools thing. Like anything else there's good stuff and garbage, icon tools have been great for me. I like keeping my money in my pocket.

 

Ohh yeah icon stuff seems to by very high quality and if I were doing it all over again I would buy a lot of Icon tools. I will admit when your working 10 hours a day it's annoying knowing you have to drive out of your way to warranty a broken harbor freight tool whereas the tool truck comes to your work.
For 90-95% of work you dont need tool truck grade tools but my biggest reason I like Snap On/Mac is that I've had to remove exhaust manifolds with nuts that are mostly round due to rust and you only have about 2 nches of space for a few of them, I damn well use my snap on rounded nut extractors on those and won't risk any other extractor cause if it does get rounded the engine has to be pulled.

I also point out that the tool truck companies are the ones who design new tools, about 8-10 months ago Snap On came out with some awesome new pliers that I happily bought for $80 and then Icon came out with a exact copy a few months later for like $30.

 

I finally got around to unboxing the bauer grinder. Nice little grinder for $22 sale price.
I set it up with a hard disc since my old skill has a flap wheel. Skill is only 6 amp and the body feels really big and chunky compared to the bauer. I've had this skill forever it seems. I like the trigger on the bauer better and it's higher amps too at 8 amp.

I have small hands so the bauer feels much better in my hands also.

A little trick I do is zip ties the wrench to the cord so it doesn't get lost and I don't waste time looking for it when I need to change a wheel.