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Sweet, I was thinking about posting a question about a tool purchase I am considering, but I'll start with a review first. I recently purchased a Demel Multi Max from Home Depot, since I was building a set of builtins and wanted a way to cut the existing baseboard and crown out without wrecking the drywall or hardwood I had installed last year. I have no idea how I made do without an oscillating tool before this. It was fantastic and I wish I had gotten one before hardwooding most of my house and cutting door jambs with the standard cut off wheel plus chisel plan. It is also great for cutting electric outlet boxes out of cabinet and thin wood insets. As far as attachments go, I have just used the flush cut blade, wood / drywall saw blade, and sanding attachments so far but will be using more as I go. I've found that the flush cut blade is just as good as, if not better than, the saw blade, at least for drywall, moldings, and thin wood panels. It cut just as fast and offered tighter control. This is going to definitely become one of my go to tools. Other brands are probably better, but this was an impulse buy that I don't regret. On to my question. I've gotten by for a bunch of DIY tile jobs with the standard $88 dollar big box table saw style wet saw, but am seriously considering upgrading to a better wet saw. I rented a stand style one from HD for a bathroom remodel and loved it. So, I've been looking around and am seriously considering one of the following Harbor Freight models:
Does anyone have any experience with any of these models? Thanks!
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Jan 24, 2011 20:42
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Thanks for the comments! I know the general HF anti-recommendation, and have had mixed luck with their stuff. I have a set of their Central Pneumatic nailers (of which the 18 and 15 gauge get the most use - the stapler comes out very randomly)and a compressor that I've had since my first house when HF was the only affordable option for me. They've worked fine with the occasional fix or maintenance and I've put them through some pretty good work for a DIYer, albeit nothing coming close to a pro's requirements or quantity. I've also had bad luck with some HF stuff, but in my experience that seems to be the cheaper things. Bar clamps, for example, I can't tell you how many of those from HF either lost their holding power or just flat out broke extremely quickly. That's where I'm coming from with this, even knowing that HF tends to get poo poo upon on johnbridge and pretty much everywhere. They have a decent enough return policy, so I am willing to try them out for the tile saw, assuming I don't get any massive negative feedback. Also, I'll post a review in this thread if I get one and the thread is still going strong. As far as what I will be using it for, the most immediate need is a kitchen / breakfast area tiling job, but I'll be making a new home purchase of one kind or another in the coming year and it will definitely be one that requires some level of fixing / remodeling, so I'm planning on 2-3 bathrooms (including shower for at least one), a wet bar area, miscellaneous stuff like fireplace surrounds and backsplashes, and maybe pavers / outdoor areas. None of that is that heavy duty, but it is a high enough quantity and will probably be separated enough by time and work schedules that renting doesn't make sense. Could I afford a Felker? Yeah, but I am not sure it is necessary since I am completely comfortable making adjustments and maintenance as necessary and just want to make sure I am getting a decent tool that will work through moderate to heavy DIY use. I will definitely make sure the fence is adjustable, but can you clarify micro adjustable? Also, I'm good with buying calibration tools since I have a few other tools that can probably use that - any recommendations? Also, any input on bridged tile saws would be awesome, since that one is still looking attractive with the possible exception of plunge cuts. let it mellow fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Jan 25, 2011 |
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Jan 25, 2011 01:00
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Following up on my tile saw question from earlier, I ended up buying a Kobalt 7" tile saw from Lowes: Over the weekend, we knocked out a kitchen / pantry / breakfast area with it. Overall, I am very happy with the saw. Assembly was straightforward and quick, calibration was fairly simple, and the stand folds down decently when not in use for storage. It made all the cuts I needed and worked very well for plunge cuts. There is no way I could go back to a bench style saw after this - those were the easiest floor register and door jamb cut outs I ever had. It also did cut straight, which was the major complaint against the HD competitor. Finally, the measurements marked on the try were to the edge of the saw blade, which was very nice. I did end up using a tape for all intricate cuts just to be certain, but I probably could have gotten away with not doing that. The laser is useless unless maybe you're working at night, but that wasn't a surprise. There are a couple of negatives, but I didn't consider any of them showstoppers for a $300 tile saw. First, the major complaint on Lowes.com reviews has to do with the stand not being sturdy. I didn't run into an issue with that, but it could definitely be sturdier. Someone else there complained about how the legs are assembled and how that allows water from the tray into them. That is accurate and I'll probably end up siliconing them like he mentions before the next job. The largest issue is with the pump. The suction cups on it are worthless, so it ends up floating around in the tray, which in turn requires you to fill it with water more often. It also seized up on me once, requiring some small pump disassembly and manually moving the impeller to free what debris was blocking it. I am going to modify the set up a little bit, though, which should solve both of these issues. My plan is to get a 5' or 6' section of the 1/4" tubing the pump uses and just keep clean water in a 5 gallon bucket next to the saw. this should protect the pump and solve the suction cup issue. I give it a thumbs up as long as you know what you are getting into with a $300 tile saw.
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Jan 31, 2011 15:02
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Yeah, I was just going to have another bucket underneath the drain hole or occasionally take a cutting break and drain water from the hole back into the original bucket. I rented one a while back and that's how it was set up. It seemed to leave more debris in the tray and allow cleaner (although not completely clean) water only to escape.
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Feb 1, 2011 13:38
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Interestingly, in my scuba training, they said to always leave some air in your tank to keep water out. I had always emptied my compressor after being done with it and let it drain until that course. I have no idea why I did that since, as was said earlier, what's it going to do? But, I did it anyway. Ever since the scuba class, I leave it at 30 or 40 PSI when done, but this thread is making me question that too. 
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Mar 3, 2011 23:22
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He's probably going for the 5.5" depth, and since the nut will be at 3 5/8....
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May 19, 2011 21:11
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That is awesome. What are you using it for?
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May 20, 2011 04:27
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I have a slightly different precut string head that I bought after a discussion with a neighbor and love it. The only problem is that I am an idiot and take about ten more precut strings than I need every time and now have a lot of orange strings sitting on my dresser. Also, the same neighbor turned me on to the triangle (instead of round) profile strings. They last much longer, but are more expensive.
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May 27, 2011 06:30
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Blistex posted:I'm going to be painting my living room soon and I have two windows with trim around them, crown moulding, two entrances with trim as well, and trim all along the floor. What's the best product to use to keep from getting paint on the trim or having to tape for hours on end? I'm looking for first-hand experience, not "it worked on this infomercial". Pretty much nothing but good technique andmpatience, from what I've found. I wasted money on a bunch of those types of things too, and none of them do any better than just being careful and going slow. Sorry, I know that not what you wanted to hear, but save yourself the money - or spend it on touch up trim paint...
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Oct 7, 2011 12:25
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I know this is a brutal derail, but I always say corded over cordless.. Yeah, it is a bit more effort to deal with the cord, but you get more power for less money, and that is without factoring in battery obviation, life decline, forgetting to charge a batter when you need it, etc etc. My take is a decent mid range corded impact drill, with the second purchase being either a nice circular saw (if you don't have one) or a nice compound miter saw (if you already have a circular saw and plan on doing anything requiring studs or long skiny stock). Don't underestimate the glory of a miter saw when doing framing, molding, etc.
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Nov 2, 2011 04:51
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I don't get the hate for ratcheting multibit sets. I have a couple of them and they are very useful for miscellaneous things. Yeah, they aren't heavy duty and if I have anything that requires a lot of force to do, I'll use a real screwdriver. But they work perfectly for a variety of things and are generally useful. Also, they tend to be nearly as cheap as buying the bits separately.
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Nov 17, 2011 23:19
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taqueso posted:Suggestions for a low-priced right-angle drill? Cordless is fine, but not needed. I bought a right angle attachment for my power drill. It was 20 or 30 bucks, but it works like a champ. Maybe look into that. Big box stores have them in the bit section.
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Nov 24, 2011 05:09
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taqueso posted:We are drilling holes through plastic/thing sheet metal, power isn't a big concern. Can anyone recommend a right-angle adapter with chuck? Most of the ones I've seen are for hex bits or really cheap looking. I bought mine at Home Depot, and this looks a lot like it, but isn't quite the same: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100507163/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 It is a different model, since I bought mine 5 or 6 years ago, but does have a chuck.
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Nov 28, 2011 21:37
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The Human Cow posted:My wife and I just got back from my honeymoon and opened up our wedding gifts. Mixed in with all of the china, linens, picture frames, etc. was a Dewalt reciprocating saw from one of my groomsmen. Best wedding gift ever My wife and I have done that for every wedding we've been to in the last ten or twelve years. We buy the coolest tool they have registered for. If the registered tools suck, then we either buy them a kick rear end tool if we know generally what they have or, if we don't, we buy a big box gift card with the comment line stating "for a power tool only!" It makes me happy to make a groom's day when they open wedding gifts. And my wife's cool with it since she is into DIY too. Everyone do this, you will make your friends as happy as The Human Cow is in this post.
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Jun 27, 2012 04:13
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If you have a brick house, spend the extra money for a hammer drill. You'll appreciate it when you inevitably put wildlife covers over bathroom exhausts, add an outlet or faucet, whatever. Otherwise you end up spending the money later and buying a hammer drill. e: ^^^ I recently got this (note the hammer drill, since my corded workhorse wasn't) and it owns. let it mellow fucked around with this message at 00:35 on Oct 6, 2012 |
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Oct 6, 2012 00:32
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dyne posted:I have both a brick house and the ridgid hammer drill/impact driver combo (I bought it months before the regular drill and impact driver combo was available). I would much rather have gotten the regular drill and spent the $100 saved on a corded hammer drill. I agree, that's why I recommended spending the extra money upfront on a corded hammer drill. My main corded drill wasn't a hammer drill and it saved, what, $30? And then I needed one and scope creep crept in, so I ended up with that kickass set. But there was no reason to buy it if I spent the extra $30 or whatever it was when I bought the corded workhorse drill.
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Oct 6, 2012 05:39
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