# What's your preferred brand of power tool...?



## Marc (Sep 29, 2008)

Rigid
DeWalt
Ryobi
Milwaukee
Porter Calbe
Makita
Craftsman
Black and Decker
Bosch

Others?

I'm not particularly brand loyal, I suppose, although I know where to go when quality is number one concern or price, or value...etc.

I just bought a Makita 4.5" angle grinder this weekend.  My first Makita, but so far, it seems to be a very well made tool. 

What's your preference, or do you have one?


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## Marc (Sep 29, 2008)

I probably should have made this a poll.  I'm an idiot.


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## ctenidae (Sep 29, 2008)

Rigid's good all-purpose stuff- not contractor grade, but better than household.

Black and Decker is fine for price, but if you're really using it, it will break.

Craftsman whores the name out to anyone. Once upon a time a great name, now not so much. 

Bosch overengineers stuff. Always strikes me as a bit delicate.

DeWalt and Makita both make some really reealy good, durable, sturdy tools, but they do have two classes, and you can pay through thte nose for the good stuff.

Porter Cable is great, but expensive.

Ryobi is garbage.

Milwaukee has some good stuff, some not so much.

Overall, I'd say Makita gives the best mix of price and durability, though Rigid does a pretty good job (my Rigid sawzall has gutted our whole apartment, no problems)


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Sep 29, 2008)

I don't own a single power tool...I do have a hammer..steezy


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## ctenidae (Sep 29, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> I don't own a single power tool...I do have a hammer..steezy



All your tools have the power of the Steeze.


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## bvibert (Sep 29, 2008)

Marc said:


> I probably should have made this a poll.  I'm an idiot.



Better?


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## Johnskiismore (Sep 29, 2008)

Just bought a Skil Router the other week, I'm not a pro but it works quite well so far!


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## RootDKJ (Sep 29, 2008)

for some household projects, I've been getting tools here
http://www.harborfreight.com/

Pretty cheap and damn sturdy


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## Marc (Sep 29, 2008)

bvibert said:


> Better?



Thank you sir.  You're a fine moderator, despite what Greg says about you to me behind your back.


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## Marc (Sep 29, 2008)

RootDKJ said:


> for some household projects, I've been getting tools here
> http://www.harborfreight.com/
> 
> Pretty cheap and damn sturdy



Yeah.  Cheap is for sure.  I'm morally conflicted about buying shite from harborfreight.  It's kinda like a bad drug addiction.


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## bvibert (Sep 29, 2008)

Marc said:


> Thank you sir.  You're a fine moderator, despite what Greg says about you to me behind your back.



No problem.

It can't possibly be much worse than what he says in front of me, and it's certainly no worse than what he says about you behind your back, that would be unpossible...


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## Beetlenut (Sep 29, 2008)

Johnskiismore said:


> Just bought a Skil Router the other week, I'm not a pro but it works quite well so far!


 
After two houses, I haven't found anything that I can't saw through with my Porter Cable Tiger saw (their saws-all). I agree Makita makes some solid stuff at a good price. I also have a Delta Drill-press and Sidekick that I like very much. Bosch nail guns are great (have 3), but they do require frequent maintenance. Still can't beat Craftsman tools for the price.


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## wa-loaf (Sep 29, 2008)

Meh, I got some cheap Ryobi tools I got in one of those packages at Home Depot. They're good enough for me since I'm a hack at home repair anyway.


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## o3jeff (Sep 29, 2008)

Marc said:


> Yeah.  Cheap is for sure.  I'm morally conflicted about buying shite from harborfreight.  It's kinda like a bad drug addiction.



I think I saw that they are opening a storefront in Berlin, CT.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Sep 29, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> I don't own a single power tool...I do have a hammer..steezy



yup and I voted Bosch because it has a steezy name..kind of like Busch..


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## danny p (Sep 29, 2008)

bosch and milwaukee for me.


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## hardline (Sep 29, 2008)

i really like hilti.their stuff is built like a tank and my guys beat on tools. that being said. i have esentially three levels of tools.

hilti/porter cable: see the most use used everyday

mikatia/dewalt: used almost everyday, not used as much as the hilti

ryobi: back up or extra for really large jobs


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## Marc (Sep 29, 2008)

bvibert said:


> No problem.
> 
> It can't possibly be much worse than what he says in front of me, and it's certainly no worse than what he says about you behind your back, that would be unpossible...



Touche.


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## ctenidae (Sep 29, 2008)

Marc said:


> Touche.



You guys woudl be really embarrased to hear what he says about you behind _my_ back.


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## billski (Sep 29, 2008)

Volkl.

What's a power tool?  
I thought this was a ski and bike forum.   There's no room for real work here....


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## Trekchick (Sep 29, 2008)

My Cordless set is Ryobi, complete with skill saw, drill, right angle drill, chain saw, sawzall, and vacuum.
My air compressor is a 6 gal Porter Cable.
My hand tools(non power) are craftsman and Mac
My lawn mower is a John Deere.  and YES it is MY lawnmower!







I wanted to use my air compressor a few days ago and couldn't find it.
Turns out, my husband borrowed it and didn't tell me, because "its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission"
He's right. I wouldn't have let him take it.


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## billski (Sep 29, 2008)

ctenidae said:


> Rigid's good all-purpose stuff- not contractor grade, but better than household.
> 
> Black and Decker is fine for price, but if you're really using it, it will break.
> 
> ...



you know too much.  you must work too hard.
you need to get out and fritter your life away like the rest of us  :smash:


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## MR. evil (Sep 29, 2008)

All my power tools are PoterCable / Delta (same company) with a few Dewalt thrown in for good measure. I also have a really high HP Hitachi Router attached to my router table that is a beast. My father tuaght me only to buy good tools. They may cost more but will last forever.


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## Trekchick (Sep 29, 2008)

The above comment about Ryobi is quite true.  I specifically chose that set of tools because I figured it would be cheap enough that my husband would laugh at them and never touch them.
So far, its worked for me.


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## MR. evil (Sep 29, 2008)

Trekchick said:


> The above comment about Ryobi is quite true.  I specifically chose that set of tools because I figured it would be cheap enough that my husband would laugh at them and never touch them.
> So far, its worked for me.



Ya, Ryobi is Crap! 

Craftsmen power tools are not much better. But the hand tools kick but!


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## Trekchick (Sep 29, 2008)

MR. evil said:


> Ya, Ryobi is Crap!
> 
> Craftsmen power tools are not much better. But the hand tools kick but!


I agree whole heartedly!

BTW, my John Deere Lawn Tractor is NOT a box store buy.
I went to three different Implement stores and had them get me demos.
I had a Cub Cadet, Ford NH and JohnDeere all in my yard at the same time.
The Cub beat them all for torque, being shaft dirven and a few more HP, but the John deere was easier for me to service myself and had  some attachements with it that the Cub didn't have.
One trip around my yard and I knew I didn't want the Ford.
It was tough for me to turn down the Cub Cadet.  I could have almost flipped a quarter and been happy.


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## o3jeff (Sep 29, 2008)

I picked up a 5 or 6 piece set of 18v Rigid tools a couple years ago on clearance and my only complaint is that they are quite heavy.


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## 2knees (Sep 29, 2008)

meh, i'm not a contractor nor am i about to build my own addition on my house so i have some Ryobi stuff.  Have a DeWalt sawzall.  Porter Cable rotary sander. A ROOR 3 footer for after.


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## Marc (Sep 29, 2008)

I actually do find quite a difference in the tolerances between Snap On level hand tools and Craftsman.  But generally speaking, Craftsman is quality enough for what I use them for.  If I suspect the fastener in question is the least bit rounded though, I look for a Snap On.


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## Marc (Sep 29, 2008)

2knees said:


> meh, i'm not a contractor nor am i about to build my own addition on my house so i have some Ryobi stuff.  Have a DeWalt sawzall.  Porter Cable rotary sander. A ROOR 3 footer for after.



Clearly, you should kill yourself.

Or something.


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## 2knees (Sep 29, 2008)

Marc said:


> Clearly, you should kill yourself.
> 
> Or something.




Small jobs like rebuilding steps, replacing window frames, door frames i'm cool with.  If its gonna take too long then thats why we have a checkbook and the yellow pages.  I'd rather spend what little free time i have with my kids then playing Bob the Builder all weekend.


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## Trekchick (Sep 29, 2008)

For our professional shop:
Millwawkee
Ridgid
DeWalt(Pro series)
Stihl


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## Trekchick (Sep 29, 2008)

2knees said:


> Small jobs like rebuilding steps, replacing window frames, door frames i'm cool with.  If its gonna take too long then thats why we have a checkbook and the yellow pages.  I'd rather spend what little free time i have with my kids then playing Bob the Builder all weekend.


Never underestimate the use of a good tool when creating a MTB park in your back yard!


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## RootDKJ (Sep 29, 2008)

Marc said:


> Yeah.  Cheap is for sure.  I'm morally conflicted about buying shite from harborfreight.  It's kinda like a bad drug addiction.



It's not bad, once you take the first hit.


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## bvibert (Sep 29, 2008)

I can't complain about any of my Craftsman hand tools, they've held up fine for my use.  I've never taken a caliper to them so I can't comment on their tolerances. :roll:

As for power tools, I don't have too many and most of what I have are hand me downs of gifts, so I don't really have a preference.  My Milwaukee Sawzall has always treated me well though.  I have a couple of drills that I'm not sure of the make and a Craftsman cordless drill/flashlight kit that worked great, but the batteries are no longer any good, probably from sitting around not being used for a long period of time.  Oh yeah, my Craftsman 4.5" angle grinder has served me well too, though I haven't used it a ton.


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## MR. evil (Sep 29, 2008)

Basically you can get away with buying lower end hand power tools (jig saw, circular saw, sawsall). They tend to do just as good of a job as their more expensive counter parts. They just don’t last as long, are usually heavier and don’t have the same features. But when you get into bigger stuff ( table saws, chop saws, drill presses, router table, ect…..), the cheaper stuff just cannot compare.

I don't notice too much of a difference between a Craftsman circular saw and my Porter Cable in the end cut. But I notice one hell of a difference between a cut made on my Delta table saw and my fathers Craftsman table saw.


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## ed-drum (Sep 29, 2008)

Doesn't GSS have a power bottle/can opener?:lol:


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## hardline (Sep 29, 2008)

MR. evil said:


> Basically you can get away with buying lower end hand power tools (jig saw, circular saw, sawsall). They tend to do just as good of a job as their more expensive counter parts. They just don’t last as long, are usually heavier and don’t have the same features. But when you get into bigger stuff ( table saws, chop saws, drill presses, router table, ect…..), the cheaper stuff just cannot compare.
> 
> I don't notice too much of a difference between a Craftsman circular saw and my Porter Cable in the end cut. But I notice one hell of a difference between a cut made on my Delta table saw and my fathers Craftsman table saw.



my buddy  has this table saw he got in germany. its got a precut blade that makes the cut so clean. it also feels like a surgical tool.


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## MR. evil (Sep 29, 2008)

hardline said:


> my buddy  has this table saw he got in germany. its got a precut blade that makes the cut so clean. it also feels like a surgical tool.



Blades make a huge difference! I have pretty expensive Frued blade on my table saw. I almost choked when I purchased it a couple of years ago, but it cuts so clean I don't need to joint board edges after I rip them.


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## andyzee (Sep 29, 2008)

I think it comes down to a cost/use ratio. I'll chose Black and Decker, not because I think it's best, but for as much as I need powertools and cost related to tools, B&D serves me well.


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## njskier (Sep 29, 2008)

ctenidae said:


> Rigid's good all-purpose stuff- not contractor grade, but better than household.



Actually Rigid is contractor grade. They have made pipe fitting tools (wrenches, pipe threaders etc.) for many years. Ask any plumber or pipe fitter about ridgid and he'll have nothing but good things to say.


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## Marc (Sep 29, 2008)

bvibert said:


> I can't complain about any of my Craftsman hand tools, they've held up fine for my use.  I've never taken a caliper to them so I can't comment on their tolerances. :roll:



You don't have to have taken a caliper to them to comment on their tolerance, only if you've ever rounded over a bolt head or nut with them.  I work with a lot of rusty fasteners around the farm as well, and it is noticeable, if you're paying attention.


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## hardline (Sep 29, 2008)

MR. evil said:


> Blades make a huge difference! I have pretty expensive Frued blade on my table saw. I almost choked when I purchased it a couple of years ago, but it cuts so clean I don't need to joint board edges after I rip them.



you must not use it that often i am lucky if i get two to three weeks out of a blade. i am however cutting hardwoods.


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## ctenidae (Sep 29, 2008)

njskier said:


> Actually Rigid is contractor grade. They have made pipe fitting tools (wrenches, pipe threaders etc.) for many years. Ask any plumber or pipe fitter about ridgid and he'll have nothing but good things to say.



No doubt, their plumbing stuff is great. Power tools are not contractor grade, at least the Home Depot versions aren't. Still, got nothing but good things to say about the Rigid tools I've used.


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## MR. evil (Sep 29, 2008)

hardline said:


> you must not use it that often i am lucky if i get two to three weeks out of a blade. i am however cutting hardwoods.



I do use them on Hardwoods, but they seem to last a good amount of time. I ussually have to get them re-sharpened 2 to 3 times a year. But I am also talking about a $100 plus blade.

Last year I did make a peice of furniture for a friend out of Lacewood (a very dense hardwood) and the stuff trashed all my blades and router bits.


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## hardline (Sep 29, 2008)

MR. evil said:


> I do use them on Hardwoods, but they seem to last a good amount of time. I ussually have to get them re-sharpened 2 to 3 times a year. But I am also talking about a $100 plus blade.
> 
> Last year I did make a peice of furniture for a friend out of Lacewood (a very dense hardwood) and the stuff trashed all my blades and router bits.



i have my blades/bits for finsh and some for rough work. i have a pretty big volume of work so i am building a pretty larg number of consoles.


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## MR. evil (Sep 29, 2008)

hardline said:


> i have my blades/bits for finsh and some for rough work. i have a pretty big volume of work so i am building a pretty larg number of consoles.



Well I am just a weekend warrior. I usually try to only use the good blades and bits when I have too. I have a couple of cheaper combo table saw blades that I use for rough cuts or just working on construction type work.


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## mondeo (Sep 29, 2008)

MR. evil said:


> My father taught me only to buy good tools. They may cost more but will last forever.



Same here. Living in an apartment, I don't have much need for good tools, but what I have are good/decent quality. 150 piece Craftsman set (or at least it was 6-7 years ago,) Kobalt torque wrench, Dewalt 14.4V cordless drill.

A job I worked at after my freshman year of college used the 14.4V Dewalt, and I fell in love (well, for a power tool.) Not too heavy, and perfect balance and ergonomics as well as great functionality.


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## ccskier (Sep 29, 2008)

I worked for a builder for 5 years and my family is in the trades.  I can still go back to my old boss or friends and get a trailer full of tools for just about anything I need.  Check these out Festool, their stuff is unreal, very pricey, but worth the money if your job depends on it.  Makita, Dewalt and Porter Cable are also good.


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## Greg (Sep 29, 2008)

I have a mish-mash of stuff, mostly DeWalt and Craftman. Fine for the average home owner.


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## bvibert (Sep 29, 2008)

mondeo said:


> Same here. Living in an apartment, I don't have much need for good tools, but what I have are good/decent quality. 150 piece Craftsman set (or at least it was 6-7 years ago,) Kobalt torque wrench, Dewalt 14.4V cordless drill.
> 
> A job I worked at after my freshman year of college used the 14.4V Dewalt, and I fell in love (well, for a power tool.) Not too heavy, and perfect balance and ergonomics as well as great functionality.



We have DeWalt cordless at work that I use occasionally.  I've always been impressed with it.  The feel, balance, and ruggedness all seem perfect to me.  Some of my other co-workers have beat the thing up pretty good and it still works great.


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## Mildcat (Sep 30, 2008)

I have mostly Dewalt. Part of the fun of starting a new project is needing to buy new tools for it.


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## drjeff (Oct 1, 2008)

Dewalt tools are what occupies the highest percentage of stuff in/on my tool bench.  Whenever some of my "post college/post dental school" Black and Dekker stuff that I first bought breaks,  I find that Dewalt stuff tends to be their replacments.  I really do like the battery life on their rechargeable packs too.


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## Beetlenut (Oct 1, 2008)

Mildcat said:


> I have mostly Dewalt. Part of the fun of starting a new project is needing to buy new tools for it.


 
That was always my theory too. Then you would have the right tool next time you had a project like that. But with cheap tools, the next time you'd go to use them on a project, you'd find yourself having to fix the tool first, before you can begin the project!


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## Marc (Oct 1, 2008)

Used the Makita angle grinder again tonight.  It was a joyful experience.


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## Glenn (Oct 1, 2008)

DeWalt: Corded drill, cordless drill, compound miter saw
Porter Cable: Air compressor
Chicago Pneumatic: Air ratchet, impact wrench...die grinder is and Ingersoll/Rand as is the D/A sander
Stanley: Ratchet set, screw driver set
I've got a few generic air tools...grease gun, inflator...stuff like that. 
I also have an assortment of Craftman wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers etc....


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## hardline (Oct 1, 2008)

i have a big intall comming up and i have to use a bunch of  3/4 threaded rod so i have to drill for 1 1/4" anchors. i have tp ick up a new hammer drill that fits the sds max bits. i wish they made a press atachment for the drill for drilling it to cellings. nothing sucks more the drilling in the celling. actually i won't do it anymore but i feel bad for the guys.


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## Mildcat (Oct 2, 2008)

drjeff said:


> Dewalt tools are what occupies the highest percentage of stuff in/on my tool bench.  Whenever some of my "post college/post dental school" Black and Dekker stuff that I first bought breaks,  I find that Dewalt stuff tends to be their replacments.  I really do like the battery life on their rechargeable packs too.



I was told Black & Decker owns Dewalt. Don't know if it's true though.


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## o3jeff (Oct 2, 2008)

Mildcat said:


> I was told Black & Decker owns Dewalt. Don't know if it's true though.



I know years ago they did, not sure if they still do. B & D was the homeowner grade tool and Dewalt as the contractor grade.


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## ctenidae (Oct 2, 2008)

Mildcat said:


> I was told Black & Decker owns Dewalt. Don't know if it's true though.



B&D owns:
Dewalt
Porter Cable
Delta Machinery
Kwikset
Baldwin
Weiser Lock
Price Pfister
Emhart Teknologies
K2 Commercial Hardware


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## njskier (Oct 2, 2008)

hardline said:


> i have a big intall comming up and i have to use a bunch of  3/4 threaded rod so i have to drill for 1 1/4" anchors. i have tp ick up a new hammer drill that fits the sds max bits. i wish they made a press atachment for the drill for drilling it to cellings. nothing sucks more the drilling in the celling. actually i won't do it anymore but i feel bad for the guys.



What the heck are you hanging with 3/4 ATR. Buy a HILTI hammer drill you wont be sorry!


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## hardline (Oct 2, 2008)

njskier said:


> What the heck are you hanging with 3/4 ATR. Buy a HILTI hammer drill you wont be sorry!



you missed my orriginal posts i have a lot of hilti i actually have the drill for regualr sds bits but 3/4 it the sds max bits.

any where from 200 to 300lb speakers. then the rigging points for chain hoists for trussing. this is after i have the crete tested. its a wee overkill but its my insurance and i like to be carefull when i fly shit over head.


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## ctenidae (Oct 3, 2008)

njskier said:


> What the heck are you hanging with 3/4 ATR. Buy a HILTI hammer drill you wont be sorry!



Used a Hilti hammer drill to knock a 5 inch diameter hole through 14 inches of brick wall to run my dryer vent. That was fun.


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## Beetlenut (Oct 3, 2008)

ctenidae said:


> Used a Hilti hammer drill to knock a 5 inch diameter hole through 14 inches of brick wall to run my dryer vent. That was fun.


 
Not half as much fun as having to move a rough-out PVC drain pipe over 2 inches from its installed position,... in a concrete slab. I had to make a two foot diameter hole in a 6 inch concrete slab just to move the PVC drain over 2 inches. The key was a brand new chisel bit.


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## Moe Ghoul (Oct 3, 2008)

Bought new:
Dewalt and crafstman drills
Delta chop saw
Craftsman circular saw
Craftsman belt and orbital sanders

The rest of the tools are a hodge podge I picked up at yard sales. Generally, tools that I only use once or twice a year if that. Scroll saw, band saw, dremel tool, and a few others.


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## njskier (Oct 4, 2008)

hardline said:


> you missed my orriginal posts i have a lot of hilti i actually have the drill for regualr sds bits but 3/4 it the sds max bits.
> 
> any where from 200 to 300lb speakers. then the rigging points for chain hoists for trussing. this is after i have the crete tested. its a wee overkill but its my insurance and i like to be carefull when i fly shit over head.



Not sure what model drill you have but the sds max bit chuck handles bits up to 1 1/2", which Hilti sells. I have regular carbide bits for my TE35 up to 1" and dry core bits up to 3 1/2 ". What type of anchors are you using for the rod, just curious. I hang 8" schd. 40  fire sprinkler pipe with 1/2 atr and 1/2 hilti hdi's. By code that system MUST hold 5 times the weight of the water filled pipe plus 250 lbs. Roughly 4500lbs.


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## hardline (Oct 4, 2008)

njskier said:


> Not sure what model drill you have but the sds max bit chuck handles bits up to 1 1/2", which Hilti sells. I have regular carbide bits for my TE35 up to 1" and dry core bits up to 3 1/2 ". What type of anchors are you using for the rod, just curious. I hang 8" schd. 40  fire sprinkler pipe with 1/2 atr and 1/2 hilti hdi's. By code that system MUST hold 5 times the weight of the water filled pipe plus 250 lbs. Roughly 4500lbs.



double expansion's two per speaker. i have seen guys use 1/4" and no lock nuts. its just plain crazy.


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## ctenidae (Oct 6, 2008)

Beetlenut said:


> Not half as much fun as having to move a rough-out PVC drain pipe over 2 inches from its installed position,... in a concrete slab. I had to make a two foot diameter hole in a 6 inch concrete slab just to move the PVC drain over 2 inches. The key was a brand new chisel bit.



Our plumber used the Hilti to move the toilet drain 1.5 feet back, in a concrete slab. That was fun, especially considering the concrete is probably 50+ years old, so it's had a chance to get good and hard.


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## Marc (Oct 6, 2008)

ctenidae said:


> Our plumber used the Hilti to move the toilet drain 1.5 feet back, in a concrete slab. That was fun, especially considering the concrete is probably 50+ years old, so it's had a chance to get good and hard.



Amazing how long it takes for concrete to cure.  They say some of the concrete in the Hoover Dam is actually still curing.


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## Glenn (Oct 6, 2008)

Marc said:


> Amazing how long it takes for concrete to cure.  They say some of the concrete in the Hoover Dam is actually still curing.




I saw a great show on the History Channel on that build. They actually ran pipes through the concrete to speed up the curing. If they hadn't, it would have taken an insane amount of time to partially cure. 

I saw the dam a few years ago. It's simply amazing to think they designed something like that with no calculators or computers...just drafting boards and slide rules.


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## hardline (Oct 6, 2008)

Glenn said:


> I saw a great show on the History Channel on that build. They actually ran pipes through the concrete to speed up the curing. If they hadn't, it would have taken an insane amount of time to partially cure.
> 
> I saw the dam a few years ago. It's simply amazing to think they designed something like that with no calculators or computers...just drafting boards and slide rules.



now if they where really smart they would have figured a way to use the heat from the curing process for some sort of energy gain.


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