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Oh that reminds me, we have sump pumps in our basement and garage. Another good reason to get a genny. I'm leaning heavily towards the natural gas Generac. I think you guys are right that natural gas supply is likely to be reliable enough.
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Jul 15, 2014 17:26
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revmoo posted:I'm leaning heavily towards the natural gas Generac. I think you guys are right that natural gas supply is likely to be reliable enough. I'm in a very power outage prone area from wind and floods. Anyone who has natural gas service uses it for their gen sets and has been fine for the decade+ I've been around here. I'm in a rural/farm/conservation district so I'll never have natural gas (or water or sewer) service, so I've got to use LP. (and on the plus side no farm fields are being sold off to build high density slap together condos for the same reasons) An 8k genset will go for over a week at 50% or less load (not trying to run my AC or anything) on a single 100 gallon tank. Well before I'm at any risk of running out I'll have a truck here to refill. Worst case, I have another 100 gal tank attached to the barn for heat. But if I had the choice, I'd just go nat gas.
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Jul 15, 2014 17:41
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revmoo posted:Oh that reminds me, we have sump pumps in our basement and garage. Another good reason to get a genny. Generac makes pretty decent generators, but I would also consider Kohler (yes, the people that make sinks, they also make damned good engines). They are a bit higher quality and have a lower response time and aren't that much more expensive. Of course its up to you whether the added cost is worth it to you since Generac is no slouch either.
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Jul 15, 2014 18:56
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General_Failure posted:Really I don't think I've ever seen a breaker bar die from environmental contamination before it gets snapped / distorted beyond use. But hey whatever.
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Jul 15, 2014 19:11
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I've used and abused my expensive ratchets for years and have never had any issues. Worst case I just take snap ring pliers and open up the unit and flush with proper lubricant to get contaminants out. 
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Jul 15, 2014 19:49
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Its funny, I've got a set of MASTER MECHANIC ratchets from true value that keep crapping out on me. I just go back and get another one because yay lifetime warranty. I'm on my 3rd now.
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Jul 15, 2014 19:51
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I have a small garage, but I'd really like to have a mitre saw and a table saw for woodworking. Is there a such thing as a decent mitre saw/table saw combo? Or are they all doomed to suck like many multi-function appliances are? I'm thinking something along the lines of this Bosch GTM12 Combination Saw, or the Dewalt DW743N.
melon cat fucked around with this message at 22:11 on Jul 15, 2014 |
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Jul 15, 2014 21:56
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I bought a ton of crap at HF this morning. SO MUCH CRAP. I also learned that Bondo is a great deal at HF, far cheaper than any of the chain auto parts stores.
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Jul 15, 2014 22:03
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Ratchet talk. Are those double action ones that turn in the same direction on the back and forward stroke good? Ie is it a useful feature and how reliable is it? I'm asking because I have no working ratchets left in 3/8" and 1/2" Never actually had a 1/4" one. Only one I have left is the 3/4". It's a real nuisance. So I'm looking around for something for home use. I have no brand loyalty whatsoever either. My tools are a mix of KC, Kincrome, Sidchrome, Repco, Snap On and whatever really. I'm just after something useful that will last me a while.
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Jul 15, 2014 22:07
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I have the GearWrench 120XP ratchet set. Got it on Amazon for $80 for 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 ratchets. It's a 60 tooth ratchet that has two different ratchet arms to give you the same degree-per-click as a 120 tooth ratchet. They're really really nice and are included in the Craftsman warranty-- take them to Sears and they'll replace them if they mess up at all.
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Jul 15, 2014 22:13
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I like HF's extendable 3/8" and 1/4" ratchet: http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-x-1-4-quarter-inch-dual-drive-extendable-ratchet-98802.html You can get some decent torque and don't need to mess with an adapter for most sockets. For home use it would be great.
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Jul 15, 2014 23:03
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mod sassinator posted:I like HF's extendable 3/8" and 1/4" ratchet: http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-x-1-4-quarter-inch-dual-drive-extendable-ratchet-98802.html You can get some decent torque and don't need to mess with an adapter for most sockets. For home use it would be great. That's my favorite ratchet. HF is currently transitioning their ratchets from green to grey, so if you're lucky you might find them on clearance as I did when I bought my red one.
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Jul 16, 2014 00:26
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Their extendable ratchets are excellent. It's not as strong as a breaker bar, but drat near close and fits in a much smaller bag.
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Jul 16, 2014 00:44
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oxbrain posted:Their extendable ratchets are excellent. It's not as strong as a breaker bar, but drat near close and fits in a much smaller bag.
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Jul 16, 2014 00:52
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For any of you HD techs out there, what are your thoughts on 6 and 12 point sockets? Would an all 12 point socket set be a bad decision? I am putting together a tool box, and not quite sure if I need to mix the set up between 6 and 12 point.
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Jul 16, 2014 02:59
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mr_selfdestruct posted:For any of you HD techs out there, what are your thoughts on 6 and 12 point sockets? Would an all 12 point socket set be a bad decision? I am putting together a tool box, and not quite sure if I need to mix the set up between 6 and 12 point. I hate 12 points for anything other than 12 point bolts specifically because I round bolts with them every. drat. time. I'd get a nice set of Tekton 6 point impact sockets, then work your way out from there. edit: im not an HD tech, but i live in the northeast and work on subarus a lot. rust on everything rcman50166 fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Jul 16, 2014 |
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Jul 16, 2014 03:02
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I prefer 6 points because you are unlikely to round a bolt head. 12 points are nice in a tight space where you can only turn the bolt 15-30 degrees before having to remove the tool and reposition (usually this applies more to wrenches than sockets). In my experience, stores tend to only stock 12 point sockets above a certain size, so if you are running to the store to get one specific size to finish up a job, you may have to settle for a 12 point
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Jul 16, 2014 03:46
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I only use 12 points if the bolt is 12 point. Get an 80 tooth ratchet if you're working in tight spaces. (Same thing: rounding bolts sucks)
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Jul 16, 2014 04:13
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Armchair Calvinist posted:I have the GearWrench 120XP ratchet set. Got it on Amazon for $80 for 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 ratchets. It's a 60 tooth ratchet that has two different ratchet arms to give you the same degree-per-click as a 120 tooth ratchet. They're really really nice and are included in the Craftsman warranty-- take them to Sears and they'll replace them if they mess up at all. I was wondering about these. The site claims that they are as strong as a single gear ratchet. But wouldn't the fact that they are the same size mean that the gear is half as thick, and thus half as strong? The SnapOn guy was by today, and he had these new ratchets with no teeth. He wasn't actually sure how they worked internally because he hasn't taken one apart yet. Claims he had two guys pulling on one in the vise and couldn't get it to slip, though. I would buy them in a heartbeat if they weren't $180 for the 3/8".
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Jul 16, 2014 05:27
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EKDS5k posted:I was wondering about these. The site claims that they are as strong as a single gear ratchet. But wouldn't the fact that they are the same size mean that the gear is half as thick, and thus half as strong? http://www.snaponindustrialbrands.com/cat-20-1-89/torque-multipliers-with-handles.htm slidebite fucked around with this message at 05:40 on Jul 16, 2014 |
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Jul 16, 2014 05:36
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mr_selfdestruct posted:For any of you HD techs out there, what are your thoughts on 6 and 12 point sockets? Would an all 12 point socket set be a bad decision? I am putting together a tool box, and not quite sure if I need to mix the set up between 6 and 12 point. Impact sockets are usually 6pt if you can only find 12pt regular sockets, but their thicker walls can make them inconvenient when something is in a tight corner or a recess. Irwin Bolt Grips are a useful backup to have on hand if you're in a situation where you're likely to have rounded heads to deal with.
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Jul 16, 2014 06:50
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In my 20+ years of backyard wrenching, the only time I've really had any issues with 12pt was with a previously rounded head, generally from a crescent wrench or seating a socket cockeyed. I think all my sockets short of impacts as 12pt and I've never had them screw me.
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Jul 16, 2014 07:00
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Well, I'm finally going to be a homeowner as of tomorrow! And I already need a ladder--any recs for Little Giant style multi-position ladders?
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Jul 16, 2014 15:56
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I bought the 22' Werner for my single-level ranch. It's essentially a clone of the Little Giant but costs less. (There is something about how Little Giants patents expired is why everyone makes a clone now, but I could be wrong) http://www.homedepot.com/p/Werner-22-ft-Aluminum-Telescoping-Multi-position-Ladder-300-lb-Load-Capacity-Type-IA-Duty-Rating-MT-22/100658955 When we moved/bought our house we got a TON of coupons for Home Depot, so I was able to use a 20% off coupon to buy it.
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Jul 16, 2014 17:08
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^^^Getting coupons to Home Depot and Bed, Bath, and Beyond after changing your address is great! I bought a cheap multi position ladder off Amazon and while it's great having two ladders in one, I find it heavier and less convenient to use than either a step ladder or regular old extension ladder. Maybe a more expensive/better built one would address the weight and some of the flex issues, it's still a pain in the rear end to extend it 100% on the ground before lifting it into place, especially if horizontal space is limited.
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Jul 16, 2014 19:39
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I wish I'd been around earlier. Those ratchets look great but I forgot to specify I'm in Australia so no such thing as HF, Sears or Amazon. I've had suspicions that Supercheap uses the same supplier for some of their stuff as HF. The thing is pretty much everything I have ever bought from Supercheap is either DOA, defective, overrated or useless. So it's questionable where their tools and equipment come from. Admittedly it's where I got that air multi tool from recently but at $30 it's no big deal if it fails after a couple of uses. I'd be pissed if I'd paid real tool money for it.
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Jul 16, 2014 22:16
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I'd check Craftsman/GearWrench warranties for Australia to make sure, but even if you can't get a warranty on them, they're really nice ratchets if you wanna go that route and you can get them shipped to you. I've been abusing them horribly (like using the 3/8" ratchet with a pipe for a crank pulley's breaker bar because I'm too lazy to get my 1/2") and they really take the abuse. I didn't realize how useful 3* per click or whatever was until I upgraded from my $17 Craftsman start kit ratchet and now everything just kind of works, haha.
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Jul 16, 2014 23:01
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I found a $40 gift card to rural king, thinking of blowing all of it on one of these big fuckers. Does anyone have any experience with the quality of tools from rural king/this brand or am I likely to just snap this one with a single hammer blow like my last breaker bar?
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Jul 17, 2014 02:20
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Elmnt80 posted:I found a $40 gift card to rural king, thinking of blowing all of it on one of these big fuckers. Does anyone have any experience with the quality of tools from rural king/this brand or am I likely to just snap this one with a single hammer blow like my last breaker bar? Question, what the hell was stuck bad enough to need a breaker and a hammer? Usually I destroy the bolt with the breaker bar alone. You must have 20mm bolts to unfuck or something. But seriously, you could go for that guy, or you can get a nice steel pipe and make everything a breaker bar  To directly answer your question, I have never even heard of Rural King.
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Jul 17, 2014 02:38
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Its a 33mm bolt actually.
Elmnt80 fucked around with this message at 02:43 on Jul 17, 2014 |
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Jul 17, 2014 02:40
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Elmnt80 posted:Its a 33mm bolt actually. Pitman arm nut? I took mine off with an adjustable wrench, a length of pipe, and my BFH
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Jul 17, 2014 03:19
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slidebite posted:In my 20+ years of backyard wrenching, the only time I've really had any issues with 12pt was with a previously rounded head, generally from a crescent wrench or seating a socket cockeyed. I am a boldface liar. I was wrenching on my bike and noticed most of my sockets are 6 point after all. Interestingly my 1/2 drive are 12pt though.
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Jul 17, 2014 06:07
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Elmnt80 posted:Its a 33mm bolt actually. Buy a flogging spanner. Sure it's not 32? 33 is an odd size, they tend to be even numbers once you get larger than 27.
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Jul 17, 2014 07:21
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BraveUlysses posted:Well, I'm finally going to be a homeowner as of tomorrow! I got one of these. It's super light, and it's easy for my SO to use; I think CostCo has them right now for like 25 bucks too. Wasabi the J fucked around with this message at 14:08 on Jul 17, 2014 |
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Jul 17, 2014 14:01
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slidebite posted:I could use some advice. This is a double-post from CA but I thought some of you clever tool guys might have insight. Not sure I follow your access scenario here, but do you have a set of these? http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-1366-8...ds=hex+bits+set If your clearance issue is around the sides, such that you cannot get a socket around the blot-head, then you could use one of these sprockets with a torque wrench and extension if necessary. If the bolt head is totally boxed in then I got nothing.
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Jul 17, 2014 20:46
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melon cat posted:I have a small garage, but I'd really like to have a mitre saw and a table saw for woodworking. Is there a such thing as a decent mitre saw/table saw combo? Or are they all doomed to suck like many multi-function appliances are? I'm thinking something along the lines of this Bosch GTM12 Combination Saw, or the Dewalt DW743N. I'm very happy with the $100 mitre saw I store on top of my $80 table saw. They aren't precise enough to make wooden machines with moving parts but they've been fine for around the house woodworking and probably take up the same room as a combo unit.
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Jul 18, 2014 05:27
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melon cat posted:I have a small garage, but I'd really like to have a mitre saw and a table saw for woodworking. Is there a such thing as a decent mitre saw/table saw combo? Or are they all doomed to suck like many multi-function appliances are? I'm thinking something along the lines of this Bosch GTM12 Combination Saw, or the Dewalt DW743N. Yes, it's called a radial arm saw!  And don't buy a radial arm saw--the design is inherently more dangerous and prone to kickbacks. I used to have one and even with the recall retrofit kit, it was still a POS. I still can't believe that some poor sucker actually gave me real money for it when I sold the thing. What you want is a 14-17" bandsaw! It's the ultimate do all cutting machine--I highly prefer mine over my table saw. Grizzly is an awesome value for the money if you do wind up picking one up
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Jul 18, 2014 12:30
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revmoo posted:Oh that reminds me, we have sump pumps in our basement and garage. Another good reason to get a genny. Holy crap, I've got a sump in my basement too and now that I've been finishing it it'd be really bad if the power went out in a rain/wind storm. I somehow hadn't even considered it until I read this post. Time to generator shop!
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Jul 18, 2014 16:59
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Mat_Drinks posted:Holy crap, I've got a sump in my basement too and now that I've been finishing it it'd be really bad if the power went out in a rain/wind storm. I somehow hadn't even considered it until I read this post. Time to generator shop! Oh, yeah....that's super bad in a finished basement. Some insurance companies won't even cover damages for finished basement floods unless you have a meaningful backup. There are battery backup sump pumps, but they typically suck, both runtime and maintenance/cost of maintenance. And of course they are going to run out of batteries when you need them the most: during the downpour/hurricane that kocked out your power.
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Jul 18, 2014 17:07
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You probably still want some type of backup sump pump if you're not putting in a standby generator. A wheeled generator sitting in the garage won't help much if your not at home and, depending on where you live and your weather, it doesn't take much time to have a flooded basement. If you've got city water then there are water powered backup sump pumps which will work so long as you've got water pressure. Battery based ones are a pain but my parents have had one for at least 15 years now and it's always worked when needed. They are using a big deep cycle battery with a normal trickle charger (the original battery and charger have long since died) and check it frequently.
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Jul 18, 2014 17:40
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