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What’s your best buy DIY garage tools?

Stegel said:
JC - where did you get the “better value” Argon - is it a nationwide operation like Hobbyweld? I currently rent a BOC cylinder for my MIG welder, but use so little gas it’s not really viable so I am planning on going for a rent-free cylinder and Hobbyweld was the obvious alternative. I am planning on a TIG welder too - I was able to produce decent bodywork welding with oxy-acetylene in my 20s and to my eyes TIG is comparable, certainly in the malleability of the welds.
Click to expand...
Sorry for late reply- work is crazy at the moment!

I started with a new bottle of Argon from a hobbyweld distributor in NI. Then a few days later when I connected a new reg with bottle gauge it was empty!! Long story short all Hobbyweld cylinders at the depot tested the same way - empty. So I got a full refund. And I have heard of people in England discovering the same thing! Something going on - best avoid Hobbyweld.

See price comparison below also:

Hobbyweld 9L @ 137 bar = 1.28m3 volume. £78.99 refill cost = £61.71 per m3 Argon.

Autoparts store 10L @ 200 bar = 2.07m3 volume. £35.75 refill cost = £17.18 per m3 Argon.

I got my cylinder from a local autoparts store as above prices. No issues it was a completely full bottle on my guage so all good.

For you in England maybe try Adams or SGS gas stockists.

Note also that TIG welding requires a 100% Argon mix. Your MIG requires a different bottle - I run Co2 in mine but other mixes are available.

There are cheap DC only TIG welders on amazon etc. These will only weld mild steel. So I went for a AC / DC Tig welder which covers all bases and had all pro features such as a pedal.

Full AC DC machines are prohibitively expensive for home use. About £800 starting point for any branded machine. Keep an eye out on ebay and gumtree you may find a good used AC DC welder for sale. Better go for a name branded good used machine VS a no name China amazon one IMO.
 
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The ole "dump your toolbox in the box with wheels" trick. These are very handy especially saving time and lower abdominal strains are virtually eliminated from the job at hand.
 
I recently got my third air compressor. A 200L SIP 3hp belt drive one. 14cfm pump.

20230225_161446.jpg

I plan to link this with my 100L Mac Tools 3hp V twin air compressor. To power my existing shot blast cabinet and also one of these I bought recently:

Screenshot_20230227_224912_eBay.jpg

With the soda blast kit too.

Will see how this works out and If it is a "best buy"! The air compressor upgrade was definitely needed regardless.
 
JC220 said:
Sorry for late reply- work is crazy at the moment!

I started with a new bottle of Argon from a hobbyweld distributor in NI. Then a few days later when I connected a new reg with bottle gauge it was empty!! Long story short all Hobbyweld cylinders at the depot tested the same way - empty. So I got a full refund. And I have heard of people in England discovering the same thing! Something going on - best avoid Hobbyweld.

See price comparison below also:

Hobbyweld 9L @ 137 bar = 1.28m3 volume. £78.99 refill cost = £61.71 per m3 Argon.

Autoparts store 10L @ 200 bar = 2.07m3 volume. £35.75 refill cost = £17.18 per m3 Argon.

I got my cylinder from a local autoparts store as above prices. No issues it was a completely full bottle on my guage so all good.

For you in England maybe try Adams or SGS gas stockists.

Note also that TIG welding requires a 100% Argon mix. Your MIG requires a different bottle - I run Co2 in mine but other mixes are available.

There are cheap DC only TIG welders on amazon etc. These will only weld mild steel. So I went for a AC / DC Tig welder which covers all bases and had all pro features such as a pedal.

Full AC DC machines are prohibitively expensive for home use. About £800 starting point for any branded machine. Keep an eye out on ebay and gumtree you may find a good used AC DC welder for sale. Better go for a name branded good used machine VS a no name China amazon one IMO.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply, that’s useful. I’ve found I have an Adams distributor a mile away! Adams do the 200 bar fill so it seems to make sense to switch. I currently use BOC Argoshield Light (5% CO2, 2% oxygen and 93% argon) but Adams don’t do a mix with oxygen, so looks like 95/5% argon / CO2 will be the way I go - given my welding skills, that change will make no difference to my welds!

My MIG welder (an Oxford) far exceeds my skills and duty cycle, so I need to be sensible with the TIG welder. I doubt I’ll ever really need to weld aluminium, but feel compelled to get an AC/DC TIG “just in case”, and similar with the pedal control. Used is a sensible idea, my only concern is making sure I get a “surplus to requirements” bargain rather than a “worked almost to death, let’s get shot” millstone.
 
Worked for years in Pawn Shops so picked up some really cool tools over the years in those shops. The full S&K metric line wrench set and open box end sets I got together for $80 on both were one. A full set of Snap on 1/4 inch drive wobblier extensions would have to be one of the absolutely most usable things I ever grabbed though. These are insanely expensive I got them for almost nothing and this set looks like was never used. In particular these come in very handy working on the M119 in my 420.
 
sheward said:
Sweet! It even looks cool with the faux carbon parts. Does it burn standard diesel fuel? Need to be vented?
Click to expand...
Yes it does need to be vented - there is a combustion chamber and exhaust leading from same

20230311_151203.jpg

I plasma cut my shelf and cored the masonry garage cavity wall.

They are a copy of a Webasto 4kw Diesel truck heater essentially. I belive the patent expired and hence lots of these around now.

They are frugal on fuel and put out good heat. I run mine on Kerosene.

I will need a add a second one to properly heat up my double garage on demand in winter. I'll add a second one soon.
 
Bought a Chapman Gun Screwdriver kit at a estate sale a number of years ago that has been one of the best little tool sets I have ever bought. Example was yesterday and replacing the ECU on the wagon. It's behind the battery and the angle is very hard to get a screwdriver on and then it was tough to get enough leverage on to break the screws loose in that tight space. Dropped a bit into the little ratchet and spun the screws right out. Has saved me real grief many many times like this. Has become a set I use very often working in tight spots on these cars.
Set I have is probably 40 or so years old at least but they are still in business. Here is the modern version of the set I have.


71W2tBBJmGL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
If I were to buy a set now I would likely get the master set with the torx and metric allens here. In fact now that I know this set is available will likely grab the big set soon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00682RIA...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
 
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Is there such a thing as a corded / cordless electric "air" chisel / hammer?

I looked at the the original 30 year old exhaust nuts connecting my 500E's crossover pipe with the catalytic converter. The nuts were rusty. And then I got inspired watching this YouTube video where the guy cranks off rusty nuts with ease using an air chisel.


Is there an electric equivalent? I watched this torque test channel review which made cordless SDS hammer devices look ---- exceedingly wimpy.

<----- Air Hammers usually around 2500-4800 psi

BTW the Milwaukee SDS Max 18v tool is just entirely too large to be used as an air hammer.
1679101014830.png
Thanks
 
Jlaa said:
Is there such a thing as a corded / cordless electric air chisel / hammer?

I looked at the the original 30 year old exhaust nuts connecting my 500Es crossover pipe with the catalytic converter. The nuts were rusty. And then I got inspired watching this YouTube video where the guy cranks off rusty nuts with ease using an air chisel.


Is there an electric equivalent? I watched this torque test channel review which made cordless SDS hammer devices look ---- exceedingly wimpy.

Click to expand...
Got any pictures to share?

Best to cut the bolts carefully with a grinder or dremel and replace with stainless items.
 
For the W124+M119 exhaust systems, you can buy new OE bolts from the dealer, they are not that expensive. Replace with new plus anti-seize and they will remain in good shape if you aren't in a high corrosion environment. Stainless might be a good idea in the salt belt or near a coastline.

:bbq:
 
Duh_Vinci said:
I have a small air hammer/chisel, I love that thing, can be very useful for sure!
Click to expand...
Which one do you have and what compressor do you use with it?
Out of curiosity - How do you use the chisel? Do you use it for more than 20 seconds at a time? (I am assuming you are not busting up tile floors with it)
 
Jlaa said:
Which one do you have and what compressor do you use with it?
Out of curiosity - How do you use the chisel? Do you use it for more than 20 seconds at a time? (I am assuming you are not busting up tile floors with it)
Click to expand...
I've had this one for quite few years,

i-53x5xzx-L.jpg

Compressor is 6hp 30gal Craftsman. It's not as taxing on the compressor as air my air grinder or the air sander. And yes, I originally bought it to break up some tile in the house I was re-doing. Sheers of rusty exhaust bolts and separates the rusted flanges on exhaust! The pointed tip attachment - on my 944, I've cut the rusted exhaust bolts off, pushed out the cut off bolts from the flange with no effort, basically like a punch (replaced exhaust with stainless cat-back).

I have few more attachments for it at the other garage, but have this set saved to purchase later

81cC3a4AMDL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
 
I've got a HF impact hammer I run off my 10 gallon 3HP Craftsman compressor at the Florida house, or my 3 gallon Porter-Cable "pancake" compressor at the Arizona house. Works great on either one. Definitely a purpose-built tool that you rarely need, but when you do, it's the way to go without question.

Dan
 
Not sure if this counts unless you consider storage a form of tool, but I figured I would give it a shot...

Home Despot had a special last month on garage storage systems, so I bought this for the Flagstaff garage. I did this not only to organize, but to replace the built in workbench the original owner installed. It was nearly 48" deep and had that old gray light industrial steel shelving underneath for storage. While the garage is nice and deep, it really wasted a lot of useful space, or space that could be open. Here's what it looked like:

AZ Garage - 1.jpg

Yes, the built-in bench in the foreground with the pegboard doors covering the bottom. Think "lay a piece of 4x8x1/2" plywood down to make a workbench, and see how much of that is usable space." They did have some kind of business, so it's possible this was the reasoning behind the mega bench.

While things are still being sorted, here's what it looks like today:

AZ Garage - 2.jpg

You can see the white line on the floor where the bottom plate was for the bench's front "wall". That's how much room this freed up. Nice!

I have to finish wiring the receptacles along the wall, but other than that it's pretty much done. Now the organization starts taking place, but that can be a slow process.

Dan

1688131301078.png
 
LWB250 said:
Home Despot had a special last month on garage storage systems, so I bought this for the Flagstaff garage. I did this not only to organize, but to replace the built in workbench the original owner installed. It was nearly 48" deep and had that old gray light industrial steel shelving underneath for storage. While the garage is nice and deep, it really wasted a lot of useful space, or space that could be open. Here's what it looked like:
Click to expand...
Nice, I saw it, and they had so many variations/combinations too! Not going to do anything to my existing garage, will be selling this house soon, but next house - that is exactly what I want, a well organized cabinetry and countertops.

Glad you like these, it was a really good deal!
 
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Looks great, Dan! You are running EMT on the surface to add receptacles, correct?

And, now you can actually reach the breaker panel / load center!

:shocking:
 
gsxr said:
Looks great, Dan! You are running EMT on the surface to add receptacles, correct?

And, now you can actually reach the breaker panel / load center!
Click to expand...
Absolutely! EMT for any electrical on a wall surface. And yes, now I don't have to stand on something to reach the distribution panel. There's still the lousy plywood they used on the wall that wasn't cut properly, but I can fix that. I just have to get things organized now.

Dan
 
I have to say, for OBD II cars, with 1 free full "Make" included, I couldn't be happier with this little gadget - AUTEL MaxiAP2000 and on sale now at amazon $49.99:

1688332124247.png

Having a cordless diagnostic tool (able to access so many modules and live data on my W211), https://www.amazon.com/Autel-AP200-...b3-9a6eb49bbbc6&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m

For example, my transmission module screen shot

IMG_3327-X2.png

I can not tell you how convenient it was being under the car and cordlessly monitoring transmission temperature to get the correct level at exactly 45C on 722.9...
 
If you want some quality bolts/nuts local - hit up Tractor Supply Company. Sent my dad to get some new bolts for the rotors and caps/seals when I did his R/R a few years back and he came back with spot on matches, even the color and finish of the MB bolts.
 
I have some recent additions in my garages-

New pillar drill which is overkill for my use but an great thing to use

20230930_163500.jpg

And a 220L floor standing sand blast cabinet. This one has also been modified / upgraded so it works very well I have some MB projects to catch up on this winter

20230917_200613.jpg
 

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Another interesting word difference from across the pond - that would be called a "drill press" in the States. I like "pillar drill", though. Far more descriptive.

The media cabinet is nice. I was spoiled when I was still in the generator business and had access to one 24/7. Indispensable when you have one.

Dan
 
LWB250 said:
Another interesting word difference from across the pond - that would be called a "drill press" in the States. I like "pillar drill", though. Far more descriptive.

The media cabinet is nice. I was spoiled when I was still in the generator business and had access to one 24/7. Indispensable when you have one.

Dan
Click to expand...
Even more descriptive is from my native tongue Afrikaans, we call this a "kolomboormasjien", or directly translated would be "column drilling machine" :)
 
I purchased this socket drive ball end hex set from Nieko in 2022 because they're mighty useful and I'd had good success with the brand's typical hex socket set - way better than the shit listle one I bought. Well, you get what you pay for as both the 3 and 4 mm tools have broken. I typically try to be a bit gentle with these but that's not always possible.

https://www.amazon.com/10243A-8-Inch-Drive-Extra-Long-Ball-End-Hex-Bit/dp/B01LZFTS5D/

Taking recommendations on replacements.

1696416337390.png
 
LWB250 said:
Another interesting word difference from across the pond - that would be called a "drill press" in the States. I like "pillar drill", though. Far more descriptive.

The media cabinet is nice. I was spoiled when I was still in the generator business and had access to one 24/7. Indispensable when you have one.

Dan
Click to expand...
Drill press on the Bench top is among the most useful tools I have, along with the wire wheel / grinder.

And not just for automotive projects …..

66346876366__D5BA4361-C1A8-4E41-ABE4-E7356A0B7D36.jpeg
 
dionphaneuf said:
I purchased this socket drive ball end hex set from Nieko in 2022 because they're mighty useful and I'd had good success with the brand's typical hex socket set - way better than the shit listle one I bought. Well, you get what you pay for as both the 3 and 4 mm tools have broken. I typically try to be a bit gentle with these but that's not always possible.

Taking recommendations on replacements.
Click to expand...
Lisle usually makes good stuff... that is weird you had a bad experience with them. I could use a set like this, I'm curious if anyone has recommendations as well, short of $nap-On/Mac $tuff.

d673b92c-10da-4048-b81f-4e1ae7186510_text.gif
 
I've never been overly impressed with Lisle stuff. I would consider it one cut above Harbor Freight / Pittsburgh type tools.

If you don't want to spring for a used old-school Snap-On, Craftsman or other set via eBay (if you can find it), then I'd probably go with a Milwaukee set.
 
Any suggestions for reasonably priced impact sockets in the U.S? Believe it or not, I can't find my Craftsman 1/2" drive metric impact sockets. I don't necessarily want to go cheap, but I so rarely ever use them I don't see a lot of value in dropping big bucks on a set.

Thanks!

Dan
 
LWB250 said:
Any suggestions for reasonably priced impact sockets in the U.S? Believe it or not, I can't find my Craftsman 1/2" drive metric impact sockets. I don't necessarily want to go cheap, but I so rarely ever use them I don't see a lot of value in dropping big bucks on a set.
Click to expand...
The Large Wimmen Isle has a decent assortment, I buy based on reviews for this kind of stuff. Unless you have a Binford 9000 impact wench, it isn't likely the socket will be the failure point.

:banana1:
 
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