General Tools for DIY Panda

[DaveMcT]

I certainly can't see myself buying a DeWalt impact wrench. Plus it will be a heavy beast to use. Compressors are handy to have and as you say the tools are not costly.

 

[Theleman]

Me neither.

Millwakee Li-on impact wrenches cost around £350, and they look great tools, but I would only get it if I am making a few hundred pounds a day using it, and if I used it every day.

But trying to work on my Panda, maybe I would use impact wrenches a few times a year at most, hence £15 air wrench would be ample kit for me

The air compressor is also very useful for blowing off dirts on the tools and expecially the lawn mowers, and it will be used for painting the shed and fence this summer too.

 

[Theleman]

Some DeWalt impact drivers seem getting bad reviews.

 

[DaveMcT]

One of those DeWalt reviews was moaning about not all XR versions being brushless motors. I would say, "So what you bought a cheap set" and anyway XR means Extended Run - nothing to do with the motors. The brush motors are pretty powerful. My 18V XR 2 speed drill has done fine for the last 5 years. It's so good the corded drill has never been out of it's box.

The not cheap Makita angle grinder (corded) is on its last legs with chunks of gear teeth missing after the wheel lock button fell apart and jammed the output gear.

 

[Theleman]

I was a bit shocked to see the DeWalt drill smoking during use.

My cheap SilverLine SilverStorm drills still running OK after 5 years use and abuse.

 

[DaveMcT]

I was a bit shocked to see the DeWalt drill smoking during use.

Any tool can be abused to death.

 

[Theleman]

Any tool can be abused to death.

In my experience, the only tool which smoked, and binned was an electric hedge cutter from Argos, which was £20.

 

[DaveMcT]

In my experience, the only tool which smoked, and binned was an electric hedge cutter from Argos, which was £20.

Cheap stuff does tend to confuse "abuse" with normal "use".

By the way Lidl currently have a 20V drill and angle grinder plus batteries for silly money and a warranty. At the prices they are asking it would be churlish to ignore.

 

[Theleman]

Cheap stuff does tend to confuse "abuse" with normal "use".

By the way Lidl currently have a 20V drill and angle grinder plus batteries for silly money and a warranty. At the prices they are asking it would be churlish to ignore.

My SilverLine Drills and Impact drills have been really abused - I mean they were used all day sometimes driving hundreds of screws repairing old shed, and they were dropped onto concrete paths from ladder a few times, but still going strong.

The 20£ hedge trimmer from Argos smoked as soon as come out of box bought new when trying to cut hedge. Something was not right. I was suspecting that it had faulty capacitors in the motor unit.

But DeWalt? I have been rating them as high quality brand whatever tool it is if it had DeWalt name on it, but was taken back when seeing the drill smoked off when driving what looks like a standard large screw into the wood.

I have seen bad reviews on the DeWalt socket set as well. They were shearing off after just a couple of normal use.

Some of the tools from Lidl I got are very good, and still going strong after a few years uses. They are sanders and drill bits. I would have gone and bought the angle grinders and drills from Lidl, if I had to, but I have got a good set of them, and no need for more tools now.

 

[DaveMcT]

I've had a phase of buying cheap drill bit sets. the most used sizes have all snapped or rounded off. Stainless kills drills.

I need to get some new proper quality bits.

But I might get the Lidl drill and grinder. The DeWalt is great but a spare is always handy to have and the Makita grinder is on it's last legs after really not very much use. All down to an idiotic spindle lock that falls apart and drops into the gearbox.

 

[A3jeroen]

Stainless requires Cobalt drills and drilloil. Speed not too high and a bit of pressure on the drill. Don't let the stainless go hot or it will get harder.

gr J

 

[DaveMcT]

Agreed. Stainless is not good stuff to drill with a hand held tool. It really needs a drill press. But cheap drills can also be rubbish on aluminium. They clog at the cutting edge and then overheat.

 

[Theleman]

Agreed. Stainless is not good stuff to drill with a hand held tool. It really needs a drill press. But cheap drills can also be rubbish on aluminium. They clog at the cutting edge and then overheat.

I was told I must keep pouring good amount of cooling oil to the tip of the bit, when drilling metals.

 

[DaveMcT]

Ideally yes, but that's only possible with a drill press or miller. A hand-held power drill needs both hands on the machine so the drill bit has to manage.

I have a step drill for use on thin metal, it clogs a little on aluminium but is generally very good. It would almost certainly fail on stainless without as you say coolant and correct feed rate. Even then, its not a high spec so probably inadequate for the exotic stuff.

But work hardened stainless can be harder than cheap drills. The business ends get rounded off totally scrapping the bit.