Sick of inadequate tools - time to spend!!

[Jameshow]

Have you seen their range, it's vast. I admit not every manufacturer has everything, but Milwaukee do have virtually everything a tradesman will need

Including garden tools?

 

[CXRAndy]

Including garden tools?

Yes, strimmers, hedge cutters, lawnmowers

 

[rogerzilla]

dreadful things, they make a mess of the room you're in, you're lungs and the work piece you are using them on. Machines for folk who do not know what they are doing

Dunno - I have a Makita belt sander and it is a truly wondrous thing for benches, doors and even neatening soil pipe when you've shortened it with a hacksaw.

 

[rogerzilla]

I've had very good results with Bosch DIY tools and based on this I bought some Bosch garden tools. My experience is Bosch garden equipment is very poor and doesn't match the brand reputation.

I'm no great DIY person but I know this is a dangerous assumption. Some "brands" in B&Q are made only for B&Q and aren't a brand, just a badge. This is fine until something goes wrong. I have a B&Q "brand" garden mower in need of repair. No one is prepared to look at it. Why? The parts will not be available. Now if it was a Stihl, Mountfield, etc. it would be a different story.

Look only at established brands. There's a reason they've stood the test of time.

Yes, Bosch is covered in references to Germany but most of the garden stuff is actually Chinese, made to a rather low specification. Somehow I have got a decade out of a Rotak 34R mower but a few bits have needed replacing, like the trigger, and it is incredibly flimsy.

 

[november4]

I'm a fan of halfords advanced hand tools, got a large socket set a few years ago then added screwdrivers, spanners. They are often on sale and replacement guaranteed.

It's so good having the correct tools to hand.

Use power tools very occasionally, erbaurer are good for that application

I still run the petrol mower I bought in 2000. Have a chargeable strimmer, but its very light duty.

 

[rogerzilla]

I think Erbauer is Kingfisher own brand.

 

[simongt]

Since I have a duff battery screwdriver and electric drill because the power packs have had it and can no longer use them, I veer well away from anything battery electric regarding tools.
Anything D.I.Y. or gardening that I do, I'm never in that much of a rush that I need the job done any faster an also, using your muscles is better for you anyway.
Screwdriver wise, I'll stick with Robertson.

 

[Time Waster]

OP - do you need tradesman quality?

Screwfix own brand (Titan) or Aldi/Lidl offerings are plenty for most DIYers.

That is the point, i am only needing decent home DIY quality. That is infrequent use as and when needed. Milwaukee and I think Makita are tradesman and I doubt veryu much they would suit my needs. I do however think that I want something more than a lidl or aldi. The thing is I suspect the home range of the likes of Ryobi one + and Bosch might have if not higher performance, durability or other then they might be supported better either by the retailer, brand or third party company that could repair it. If anything is ever repairable these days that is.

I have a B&Q own brand sander and while it is supposed to fit a vacuum hose to remove dust there is not a single means to connect it up. No attachment or adjustability to fit even standard vacuum cleaner hoses / pipes. Poor design or an extra purchase when IMHO it should be in the pack. The thing works well enough though it does take a bit of cleaning up and you need goggles and appropriate rating mask with it. I tried taping the vacuum on and as a bodge it kind of worked but I would have had to go through a roll of duct tape to keeep it on!!!!

 

[Time Waster]

Yes, Bosch is covered in references to Germany but most of the garden stuff is actually Chinese, made to a rather low specification. Somehow I have got a decade out of a Rotak 34R mower but a few bits have needed replacing, like the trigger, and it is incredibly flimsy.

It does depend on the model and what it is. We got a German made pressure washer and the Electric, cabled shredder that was most often recommended for home use medium use was a Bosch that was actually German made IIRC. We didn't get it as we decide to spend less on another brand that consistently came out second. Cost a lot less too and it has worked very well on 3 or 4 very large trees we had to get rid of.

 

[rogerzilla]

I'd always go with Honda for a petrol lawnmower, if you need such a thing. They start a lot more reliably and just work, although I think they use a belt-in-oil camshaft drive.

 

[Marchrider]

The idea of sanding, say, a house full of floorboards by hand is just nuts

well yes, I was more thinking on the lines of finer woodworking - of course belt sanders have there place, if I didn't have access to a proper linisher I would probably use one from time to time. 40 or 60 grit they can remove a fair bit of material quickly - as for cleaning the sandpaer on these machines whilst using, get one of those sticky plastic erasers, they work really well.

But getting pack to sandpaper in general, let alone the 'orbital" thing that folk seem to obsess about,

My mate here who makes violins, don't think I have ever seen him with a bit of sandpaper, let alone a mad powered sanding device. this was him the day hollowing out the back bit, he has a map of the required thicknesses, each part of it has to be o a certain thickness to get the correct sound. incredibly time consuming, I'm always impressed with his skill

or the table I have just finished, the top was just a card scraper, hand sanded the feet, and a bit of 320 > 400 on the pedestal - Orbital sanders would just make a mess

few folk ever get to hear about card scrapers, marketing mans nightmare, you can make them for free out of an old hand saw, sharpen them with an old screwdriver. Orbital sanders are the thing, after they have sold it they can then sell you shaped sticky back sandpaper in many different grits, then some PPE, dust mask goggles and ear protectors, I'm sure you will soon be able to bluetooth it to you're mobile phone, yep that,s where the marketing is at and most people have one if not several, they're good at their jobs. the marketing men that is, not whatever it is they are selling

 

[Profpointy]

well yes, I was more thinking on the lines of finer woodworking - of course belt sanders have there place, if I didn't have access to a proper linisher I would probably use one from time to time. 40 or 60 grit they can remove a fair bit of material quickly - as for cleaning the sandpaer on these machines whilst using, get one of those sticky plastic erasers, they work really well.

But getting pack to sandpaper in general, let alone the 'orbital" thing that folk seem to obsess about,

My mate here who makes violins, don't think I have ever seen him with a bit of sandpaper, let alone a mad powered sanding device. this was him the day hollowing out the back bit, he has a map of the required thicknesses, each part of it has to be o a certain thickness to get the correct sound. incredibly time consuming, I'm always impressed with his skill
View attachment 761327

or the table I have just finished, the top was just a card scraper, hand sanded the feet, and a bit of 320 > 400 on the pedestal - Orbital sanders would just make a mess
View attachment 761328

few folk ever get to hear about card scrapers, marketing mans nightmare, you can make them for free out of an old hand saw, sharpen them with an old screwdriver. Orbital sanders are the thing, after they have sold it they can then sell you shaped sticky back sandpaper in many different grits, then some PPE, dust mask goggles and ear protectors, I'm sure you will soon be able to bluetooth it to you're mobile phone, yep that,s where the marketing is at and most people have one if not several, they're good at their jobs. the marketing men that is, not whatever it is they are selling

I agree that scrapers are very useful tools and in some cases a better alternative for some so-say "sanding" jobs.

 

[simongt]

Several years ago a neighbour of my mum's was cutting his large hedge with a pair of hand shears. He was about the age I am now; 71, I was 41 at the time. As I was using electric hedge cutters on my mum's hedge, I offered him their use. He politely declined, saying he preferred shears as it was 'very theraputic'. I thought silly old sod and carried on.
Thirty years on, I clean our brickweave drive by sitting on my backside using a very old kitchen knife and yard brush.
I often think of those wise words of my mum's neighbour when I'm doing this - !

 

[Pat "5mph"]

As I was using electric hedge cutters on my mum's hedge, I offered him their use. He politely declined, saying he preferred shears as it was 'very theraputic'.

I agree with this point of view, doing gardening tasks by hand is therapeutic.
I love shoveling big amounts of compost, weeding by hand, hedge cutting with handheld shears.
However:

Thirty years on, I clean our brickweave drive by sitting on my backside using a very old kitchen knife and yard brush.

I'm sadly not of retirement age, work full time, have a big garden, so got all the power tools I could afford!

 

[gbb]

Regarding hand screwdrivers at the risk of teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, not everyone really gets the difference between phillips and posidrive. They are similar looking and the same size for a given "number" but they are not the same, even though they "seem" to fit superficially. To confuse matters further there are also JIS screws and drivers which can feature on Jap motorcycles and maybe some cycle parts.


Now that out of the way, I very much like Facom's older style red handled drivers. Not tried their new shape handles, but likely still a good bet. I also like their "Isoryl" range with clear plastic handles, more of an engineer's or instrument screwdriver style.

I do rate Facom generally as they are not silly money like Snap on or whatever and seem to be good quality. Whilst I'm only an amateur, I've not been disapointed with any Facom tool - mostly spanners, screwdrivers in my case

I have the Facom black handled with a red band screwdrivers, THE best ones I ever used. In a workshop and engineering environment to boot.

I like Makita, Any of the major manufacturers are going to be fine , it may be down to who (if anyone) has a special on.