Tools I like

[Bayou Titan]

I am addicted to tools. I can hardly pass by Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Harbor Freight, Pep Boys and Grainger without stopping to buy something. Here are some of my favorites that I use on my Titan and why I like them. I encourage others to list the tools that they like to further my addition.

1.) telescoping air compressor blow gun I absolutely love this tool that telescopes from 12" to 24". I use it at its shortest length to blow dust and debris from between the seats of my Titan so that I can get to it with my shop vac. Extended to the 24" length makes this tool perfect for blowing out , dirt, leaves, and other stuff from the bed of my Titan. I can just reach over the side of the bed to clean without having to climb into it. It's a great time saver.

2.) Oil drip tray. This tray goes underneath your oil drain pan to keep any oil that misses the drain pan from getting on your driveway. If you have one of these you can remove the filter while the drain plug is still out. It's also a nice place to put your oily rags and tools while you are changing your oil. This puts an end to putting down newspaper that really didn't work that well anyway


3.) Hitch ball wrench This specialized is tool made by Reese to remove the large nut that holds the ball to the receiver. This wrench has the two popular size box ends and has extra length to give you more leverage to tighten and loosen the nut. This is way better than using a large adjustable wrench.




4.) Ratcheting wrenches This is the most popular tool on the planet right now. These wrenches are lighter and more balanced than a socket wrench with a socket. They really speed up the work too. I spent $10.00 just to buy an extra one to keep in my side box to use on the drain plug.

5.) Fluorescent trouble light At my age, I will probably be dead before the bulb burns out. I love these lights because they don't get hot. If you are working underneath your Titan or under the dash you can lay the light against your body to get the right light angle and it won't burn you. Also because there is no filament, you won't have to worry about the bulb going out when you drop it.

6.) Flow Tool This plastic tool screws onto virtually any bottle to make pouring easy. It has a long, clear flexible tube allows you to work around obstructions and watch the rate of flow. I use it to add gear oil to the differential because the spare tire is in the way.






7.) Loctite No matter what I do fasteners come loose. I like Loctite to end this problem and I don't have to search everywhere for the right size lock washer. For those of you that don't know there are several different Loctite formulas. One formula grips so hard that you have to use a heat gun to release the fastener.

8.) Mechanic's gloves. These are great because you can work faster because you are not concerned about skinning your knuckles. They are absolutely a must for working around hot engine parts.

9.) Small sturdy stepping stool Mine is plastic and is made by Rubbermaid. It is invaluable when washing your Titan. I sit on it to keep from straining my back when I am cleaning the wheels and tires. I stand on it to be able to reach the center of the windshield when I am cleaning it. Because it is made entirely of plastic, it doesn't matter if it gets soaked with water when washing your Titan.

10.) Grit-Trap Bucket by Black Magic. This car wash bucket that I bought at Wal Mart is fantastic. It has a slotted false bottom that allows the grit in your wash bucket to go to the bottom and stay away from your wash tools. It also has two little shelves on the side of the bucket to put things you don't want to get wet.
These are a few that I can think of for now. I will add more as they come to mind.


11.) Right angle grinder This air tool that costs between $50.00 and $100.00 comes in handy all the time. I use quick to change grinding pads with this tool to easily sharpen all sorts of tools like lawn mower blades, shovels, etc. You have much more control with this tool than a bench grinder and are able to sharpen things that are too hard for a bench grinder to do such as post hole digger blades. It will also grind down welds that are not smooth, grind the head off of stripped bolts and grind paint off of metal parts. A wide assortment of different kinds of pads are made for this tool. I have one that is a Scotch Brite pad that I use to clean the rack in the bar-b-que pit.

[peanutbutter]

My tools:
Fluke Multimeter - great for pinning out wires or getting voltages. At work I use it for more complicated issues, but it is good for the truck as well.

Klien 10in1 - has everything you need from #2 - 3 flat and phillips heads, to torx bits. Also has a nut driver as well.

Weller 40w soldering iron - I will never connect wires without it. Off topic: I just ordered a ColdHeat iron off of the TV. It will probably suck, but I just hope I can use it on boards or low temp surfaces. Also, it takes batteries.

Stanley Robogrips - I think Craftsman has the real Robogrips but these are the same. Very useful.

Zipties - They can make anything pretty.

19.2V Craftsman Drill and Dewalt bit set - self explanatory

Detailing stick - Has a rubber tip on one end and a small brush on the other. Great for the interior of the truck.

[pagerdaddy]

Bayou,

I think there is no more useful addition to the home mechanic's arsenal than
a good air compressor. They have really come down in price over the years,
and you can even get a good one from Walmart now. I have a 6.5 hp with
60 gallon tank that I got from Northern Tools for about $400. The number
of air tools available now is amazing. My CP half inch drive air wrench will
come in handy tomorrow when I take the blade off my riding mower.

My wish list for air tools would include a Dynafile, which is a handheld mini
belt sander.

As far as useful working on the Titan, I like the Kobalt line of tools that
Lowe's is selling. I have been adding metric sets to my collection, as well
as a 3/8 drive ratcheting torque wrench. Kobalt is a Snap On line of tools.
My telescoping magnet came in handy when I dropped one of the little
screws for the bug deflector down into the engine compartment. I also
have the Jolly Green Giant cookie sheet drip pan that I believe you were
talking about.

Peanutbutter,

I also like the Weller line of soldering tools. I have a hot air station with
pencil and desoldering tool. It has vacuum also, and digital readout.
For the home hobbyist, I would advise the 40 watt stations that Weller
makes. They have an adjustable temp control, and also a base with a
sponge. I have two of them that I bought over seven years ago, and
they still work like new. They only cost around $40 each, and there are
many different tips available for them. I use a very narrow tip with .015
diameter solder for small wires or board traces. I absolutely hate soldering
irons that come without a base to put it in when it's not in your hand.

My latest tool is a 1/2" Milwaukee hammer drill. I bought it so I could mount
my Grainger bin system to the concrete blocks in my basement. I used the
blue screws that Lowe's sells to anchor it.

Steve

[bestatchess]

Ditto on the compressor & air tools, which have saved me alot of busted knuckles & also air nailers are great.

I have Ridgid RoboGrip II so maybe everybody is making those.

I am going to buy a new battery operated drill. I have a couple of older Mikata's and they are kind of puny for driving long screws into dense wood. I have a corded DeWalt and it is puny also. (and they all require using a chuck key) My friend has an 18V Ryobi that impressed me for its torque and keyless chuck. The battery operated Ryobi will out drive my corded DeWalt, which surprised me.

I have a compound double bevel DeWalt miter saw which is really nice, but limited in cut width. A good table saw w/ precision fence & blade angle adjust would be nice if I can find the space.

[rrumaner]

My favorite tool for working on my Titan is a cell phone. With this one tool I can get almost anything fixed, installed, changed, repaired, painted, washed, etc.

There is no better tool in my opinion.

[pagerdaddy]

Bestatchess,

You can replace the keyed chucks with keyless if you have any old drills
that you like in every other way. I've got an ancient Sears that is small
and easy to get in tight places. I bought a keyless Jacobs chuck for it,
but I can't remember if it was from Lowe's or Home Depot.

The new Milwaukee I bought will eat through concrete very fast on hammer
mode, but it has the standard keyed chuck. I don't think the really heavy
duty ones will come with keyless.

Steve

[pagerdaddy]

My wife's favorite tool is a hammer!

Steve

[37L1]

Originally Posted by pagerdaddy

My wife's favorite tool is a hammer!

Steve

To threaten you with so you'll get that to do list done?

[z3axv]

The air compressor is far and away my favorite. i don't even vacuum anymore. Just blow the stuff out of the truck daily.

[homer]

I love my tools! I think the ones that get the most use from me are my power miter saw and my cordless drill. Some of my favorites are unique tools that I may not need very often, but man it's gratifying to have the right tool for the job when you need it. I have a couple of those rubber grip wrenches that were advertised on tv, I've used them on large pvc fittings (pvc pool filter connections, for example) and they also work fine for things such as oil filters. I've got a set of screwdrivers that my Dad gave me for Christmas many years ago, I believe he purchased them at Brookstone. These suckers are virtually indestructible, forged steel from one end to the other with wood impregnated on two sides to form the handles. The largest one in the set is like a small pry bar! My father-in-law has some great stuff, large standalone power tools including a Shopsmith, he wants to pass a lot of this stuff along to me but first I have to make room for them somehow.

[peanutbutter]

If you are gonna do some heavy drilling or use the drill a lot, then there is no better drill than the Dewalt Hammerdrill series. My coworkers have a plethora of drills, and none are better than the Dewalt 18V Hammer. I use the Craftsman 19.2, some use the Ryobi 18V, Craftsman 24V Hammer, and Milwaukee. I must say, the Dewalt is the best. I am not a fanboy, just stating fact. The 24V Craftsman is just too heavy and not pratical. It will get through some steel pretty quick though. However, for versatility, dependability, and whatever "ility" (I know I will pay for that one) you can think of, the Dewalt is the best. Klien IMO are the best driver sets I have ever used. Ideal has the best cutting and stripping tools IMO.

[pagerdaddy]

Originally Posted by peanutbutter

If you are gonna do some heavy drilling or use the drill a lot, then there is no better drill than the Dewalt Hammerdrill series..

Isn't Dewalt owned by Black & Decker now? Where are they made?
My Milwaukee says made in Germany, so I assume they must be owned
by Robert Bosch.

Steve

[peanutbutter]

No offense Pager, but I dont think it really matters. I am not really sure if it is true, but it could have happened. Dewalt is still Dewalt. Still same factory, still same engineers. Thats like saying Aston Martin and Jaguar is owned by Ford, so therefore they are somewhat inferior. Just not true, still different companies with different products in mind. I hope it does not sound like I am taking this personal (I dont work for or get paid by Dewalt so it doesnt matter to me), but IMO Dewalt is proven and is the best. If there are better reasons, other than company ownership, why Dewalt is not the best, then I would like to hear them. I am always open to try new things. Its just money.

[peanutbutter]

Originally Posted by peanutbutter

No offense Pager, but I dont think it really matters. I am not really sure if it is true, but it could have happened. Dewalt is still Dewalt. Still same factory, still same engineers. Thats like saying Aston Martin and Jaguar is owned by Ford, so therefore they are somewhat inferior. Just not true, still different companies with different products in mind. I hope it does not sound like I am taking this personal (I dont work for or get paid by Dewalt so it doesnt matter to me), but IMO Dewalt is proven and is the best. If there are better reasons, other than company ownership, why Dewalt is not the best, then I would like to hear them. I am always open to try new things. Its just money.

Edit: Now that I look at my post, it seems that i am somewhat angry. I am not, and I am sorry Pager if you take this post in the wrong context. Once again, I apologize if it sounds like I am attacking you. I just want to know why Dewalt is not the best. Thanks.

[37L1]

Perception is reality.

If you believe DeWalt is the best for you then it is.

I like their stuff too. Table saw, jig saw, compound sliding miter, awesome!