 patgizz
Member #76
Posts: 8594
Loc: Cleveland, OH
Reg: 01-30-00
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01-22-06 12:28 PM - Post#859440
Here's a revised/updated list. I buy tools all the time and will add more reviews as time permits. I'll start doing my mechanic's tools shortly. So, enjoy!
Pat's tool reviews
-dewalt 18v drills(2), circular saw - my original 18v gun has outlived a craftsman, makita, and a b+d, and it has been dropped off the 3rd floor twice and one time i ran it over and pushed it down into the ground with my truck. well worth the price, i beat the snot out of them and they keep on going. highly recommend any dewalt cordless tools
-dewalt 14.4 drill - great for anything involving drilling or driving screws, lags up to 3" in soft woods.
-dewalt 12" compound miter saw - the best out there IMO. its powerful and accurate.
-ryobi 12" compound miter saw - this is the one i keep in back of my truck for work. just as accurate and powerful as the dewalt, surprisingly. on year 4 now, still working great.
-ryobi 10" $99 portable table saw - killed 4/05 after 5 years. excellent for what i use it for, it stays in the truck as well and use it for anything from ripping jamb extensions to cutting aluminum. powerful, but i dislike the plastic base because it is getting beat up.
-delta 14" band saw - as they say, its a beautiful thing! use it for making table legs, custom molding for customers, etc...
-delta tabletop scroll saw - very nice peice for cutting shapes out of wood..
-craftsman belt sanders(2) good quality peices for the price, mainly use them for doing edges while refinishing old wood floors.
-black + decker electric hand planer - i like it but rarely use it enough to give a durability rating
-craftsman 4" benchtop jointer - good for its size, use for squaring edges of boards, or angling them. good way to clean up edges after rough-sawing them with the table saw.
-delta 12" planer - one of the best tools i have as far as how much it gets used. i've used it for anything from making table legs and tops, stripping down antique lumber to a usable finish, to making custom moulding for around doors and windows
-porter cable random orbit sander - another great tool, but i killed the hook and loop pad. i used it constantly for 6 years, even used it on cars. new pad was $13 and it's like new again
-ryobi random orbit sander - about 1/2 the price that the porter cable was and seems to work just as well - however the hook and loop pad wore out very quickly, and the replacement i bought is not any better. stick-on sanding sheets from now on.
-craftsman 4.5" industrial angle grinder - great tool, i think its the equivalent of the dewalt and was made for sears by b+d/dewalt. plenty of power and i use it like mad.
-century 120 mig welder - i saw it on sale 5 years ago and it was made in the USA so i said what the hell. since then i've done a roll cage, several trailers, use it for work when on commercial jobs that need steel loaded posts, and in general around the garage for repairs on broken stuff. it has gone thru hell and back, probably burned 50 spools of wire in that time, and for $225 i am more than ahead.
-ryobi 14" chop saw - i dunno if i would recommend it. the first one i bought broke in 5 minutes, and i had to take it back and get a new one. but that was 2 years ago and it has lasted through 3 trailers and alot of miscellaneous cutting.
-dewalt corded recip saw - $99/stationary shoe model. excellent - i beat the crap out of it working and it just keeps going. excellent power.
-dewalt corded recip saw, $139 model with more amps/adjustable/moving shoe - another excellent dewalt tool, extremely powerful and the grips are nice feeling on the hands. quick-change blades is a great feature.
-makita corded recip saw - peice of crap, never buy one. the blade comes loose every 10 seconds no matter how much you tighten it. had an ex-buddy whose did the same thing. i leave it outside, in the back of my truck, drop it, throw it, and try to break it every time i use it just to put me out of my misery(i cant throw away a working tool!)
-Ridgid 12v cordless drill driver: AWESOME quality, power. as torquey as my dewalt 12v, nice battery life.
-Ridgid 12v cordless right angle impact driver: i don't know how i lived without this tool! i can drive screws, turn nuts, drill holes. perfect for screwing down counter tops through drawer holes - which is specifically what i bought it for.
-Ryobi 10" contractor fold-up table saw: so smooth and strong. the fold-out legs w/ wheels make it a breeze to use and transport.
-remington .22cal nail gun: if you drive stuff into concrete very often, buy this - and some hearing protection!
-porter cable pancake compressor - i've had it for 2 years and use it daily, i can't live without a compressor on the truck now. reliable, oilless, powers my stuff well.
-porter cable 18ga brad nailer - beautiful light gun, came with the compressor, i've never had it jam.
-porter cable 16ga finish nailer - see above, same description as the 18ga brad gun
-stanley/bostitch N79WW framing nailer - had it for 5 years now. great gun, uses different degree nails than everyone else though so stanley nails are a must.
-DeWalt 18v cordless hammerdrill - the single most awesome cordless tool ever made. It has all the power of the other 18v dewalts i have, but it has 3 speeds instead of 2, and is also a hammerdrill. It blows right through concrete with the power of a corded hammerdrill, and flip the dial and it's back to driving screws like nobody's business
-Dewalt 18v cordless reciprocating saw. amazingly, this saw is just as powerful as the corded $99 dewalt saw. I've had it for 2 years and am in love. Battery life is excellent with even the bottom of the line batteries, and gets better with the XR and XRP series batteries. quick change for the blades saves time and saves you from having to keep tabs on an allen wrench.
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