Ask Oppo: What is your favorite power tool (off topic)

"thebigbossyboss" (thebigbossyboss) 06/06/2014 at 13:19 • Filed to: Powertools

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The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! about summer jobs got me thinking about my prior summer jobs, which were in construction. It also led one to think about power tools.

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What is your favorite power tool?

For me, it's the air compressor powered nail gun. Never has such air power saved a man from so many blisters.

People will sometimes tell me "they prefer to nail nails by hand".

And I understand to a degree. Nailing things together is mildly fun and rewarding for a short period of time. I am not going to use a nail gun for something requiring the odd nail here or there. I do enjoy hammering. But generally people who tell me this don't pound many nails.

When I used to do construction, we had to sheet the sides of an entire 2 story condominium building with plywood and according to code put a nail every two inches along every stud...for the entire building. Luckily we had a nail gun and so whist one guy cut the pieces, one other guy would go about putting all the nails once the piece was attached to the wall (attaching it took two people usually).

With the nail gun I could get through 2000-3000 nails per day. Then one day it broke, and we had to nail by hand. My nail count was down to around 500 nails, and I got a blister that extended from the tip of my pointer finger to the base of it. The whole inner side of the finger was a giant blister.

I had never wished for a nail gun more in my life. When we finally got a new gun, I certainly had a new appreciation for just how awesome they are. They are my favorite power tool.

What is yours?

505Turbeaux > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:26

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sawzall!

shop-teacher > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:28

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Cordless impact driver. Same reason you (and I as well) love nail guns. Impact drivers make screws your bitch. I love their ability to suck two stubborn pieces together.

thebigbossyboss > 505Turbeaux 06/06/2014 at 13:29

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....I was saw a sawzall used in an amazingly dumb fashion by an amazingly dumb individual. Guy was cutting a free (not attached to anything) 2x4 by sitting on one end and sawzalling the other on some stairs.

He could have done that with a circular saw in 5 seconds. The sawz was bouncing him all over the place....but you know what they say..."You can't do construction without tools..."

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:29

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Very possibly a compactor of the tamp variety. It's like an angry and very stupid gnome that jumps up and down on things. Seriously, they're a laugh riot to operate.

It's a "Porch-uh" > 505Turbeaux 06/06/2014 at 13:29

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I just pulled mine out to chop some trees. Works better than my crappy chainsaw.

Love that I can just switch a blade and hack a car into pieces as well.

Jagvar > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:30

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Anything invented by the Japanese.

Spaceball-Two > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:30

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Palm sander. I'm really in to refinishing old wood desks and chairs I find at g-sales.

The Real Dacia Sandero > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:31

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Impact gun. It makes molehills out of mountains.

yamahog > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:32

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Best impulse buy of my life thus far:

thebigbossyboss > shop-teacher 06/06/2014 at 13:33

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A nail gun will not work in every circumstance, occasionally you bend nails, but it makes life a whole lot easier. Impacts guns are also awesome. I always find screws tougher to do by hand than nails.

thebigbossyboss > Jagvar 06/06/2014 at 13:33

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wat?

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:33

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Jagvar > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:34

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Shh! Shh! Don't ask.

Frank Grimes > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/06/2014 at 13:35

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and then arthritis.

Frank Grimes > 505Turbeaux 06/06/2014 at 13:36

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I have a hate love relationship with this tool nothing make me look like I dont know what I am doing then trying to cut something and my whole body convulsing. Then I remember to put the material being cut up close to the guide. I dont know why I struggle.

Frank Grimes > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:37

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My electric impact makes me not have to remove lugs by arms. I wish I had a fancy cordless one that could fit in more tight places.

505Turbeaux > It's a "Porch-uh" 06/06/2014 at 13:39

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exactly!

spanfucker retire bitch > 505Turbeaux 06/06/2014 at 13:39

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Man, you ever use a Sawzall to cut through 1/2" aluminum plate? That shit'll go through like 5+ fucking blades.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:39

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As far as one I own, my drill. I build a lot of my own furniture and that thing is invaluable.

As far as out of all the tools I've used, probably the air powered impact I got to use when installing trailer hitches (among other things), that thing had some serious damn power.

Fun one, my dad has a wetsaw for cutting tile. It was a handy gizmo, surprisingly cheap too, for an entry level model at any rate.

Bruno Martini > 505Turbeaux 06/06/2014 at 13:39

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???????

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Frank Grimes 06/06/2014 at 13:39

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A loose grip is essential, as with anything jerking in your hand.

CalzoneGolem > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:40

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I'm you mean things the run on electricity. Electric chain saw on a stick!!

505Turbeaux > Bruno Martini 06/06/2014 at 13:40

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I think I know what I am pulling out tonight on my date

Bruno Martini > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:40

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This bad boy. Impact driver. Makes like a bit easier.

Hermann > yamahog 06/06/2014 at 13:42

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I second this!

Felt like pure vanity when I got mine. My wife reckoned it the best purchase I've ever made hours later.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Frank Grimes 06/06/2014 at 13:44

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My dad has one of these - Black & Decker Bulldog:

His is quite an old one, but the ergonomics on it are absolutely perfect - beats the air one we've got in every way. I could use it for hours.

Meatcoma > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:47

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So gdamn heavy and doesn't get into corners very well.

Frank Grimes > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/06/2014 at 13:49

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I think mine is losing its strength i think the brushes might need to be replaced or the janky cord I use is either too long or too small of gauge.

Meatcoma > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:49

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Impact driver/drill. I will never use a drill for anything but drilling ever again. These are THAT good. If you have any screws to put in, this is the shit. If you get the drill bits with the hex heads on them these will drill some shit too since it gives them a slight hammer motion.

Racescort666 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/06/2014 at 13:51

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yes:

Racescort666 > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 13:52

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Does this count?

OPPOsaurus WRX > 505Turbeaux 06/06/2014 at 13:55

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dammit man give me a break. first the pt crusier/500 photoshop now this !?!?!

505Turbeaux > OPPOsaurus WRX 06/06/2014 at 13:56

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I only use the finest sawzalls when doing my photoshop work

Stupidru > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 14:03

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Impact wrench was the greatest purchase of my life so far. Castle nuts are a bitch when you don't have power tools

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Meatcoma 06/06/2014 at 14:27

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I'm a Paslode guy myself. They might be overkill since I'm not a contractor but I firmly believe in buying the best tool you can afford even if you're not going to use it very much.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 14:31

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I'm partial to the impact driver. You can fasten things together way better than with a drill and it works pretty good as a drill too. I got the set pictured and only use the drill for drilling holes with my Kreg jig. The impact driver gets used for everything else including my 1-1/4" auger bit. If you're drilling lots of holes with the auger bit you need a corded drill though.

Meatcoma > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 06/06/2014 at 14:36

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I mainly stick by my own rule of thumb. Anything that has a chance to kill you should not be the cheapest you can find.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Meatcoma 06/06/2014 at 14:41

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Fun fact: The propane cartridges for the cordless impacts do in fact have a small amount of propane in them even when there isn't enough to run the gun. Working on a buddies house and we discovered one was in the scrap burning pile. It made a nice little fireball and a fairly loud bang when it went off.

Not sure what that had to do with anything.

Big Bubba Ray > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 06/06/2014 at 15:11

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This is probably an ignorant question, but I'm asking cause I've never had experience with an impact driver. In what way are they better than just a normal drill? I've built a couple things with just a plain drill and never run into problems.

Andrew P. Collins > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 15:19

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I've had some great times with sawzalls, but I'm a big fan of power sanders. It's great to be able to bring consistency and expedience to an arduous task.

As an aside... I basically hate cordless power tools (anyone with me?) because I'm always paranoid about loosing power when I still need it.

That said, I only have that fear bc I when I was a kid that shit was new tech, and weak. Probably better now, but I'll never go cordless.

davedave1111 > thebigbossyboss 06/06/2014 at 15:22

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Nail guns are really useful, but not actually quicker if you have mad hammer skills. Some guy who's been doing it for fifty years will be quicker with a hammer - I've seen it demonstrated. One tap to set, then drive it home in one blow while your other hand sets up the next nail. All you hear is a continuous tap-BANG, tap-BANG, about once a second.

Personally I'm quite partial to a power-file.

shop-teacher > It's a "Porch-uh" 06/06/2014 at 15:48

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They even sell tree pruning blades for sawzalls now. I've taken down some decent size trees with mine.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Big Bubba Ray 06/06/2014 at 15:49

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They sink screws much faster and easier than a drill. As an added bonus it is also much easier to change bits on them. But mostly the sinking fasteners. An impact driver will sink more screws per battery and sink each one faster than a drill will too.

shop-teacher > Meatcoma 06/06/2014 at 15:49

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This is an excellent rule.

thebigbossyboss > Andrew P. Collins 06/06/2014 at 15:51

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Fair enough!! Corded tools are better, but then it depends on location. Worth dragging out the 500 ft extension cord for 500 screws. More trouble than worth for 5 screws.

Edit, you also bring up a good point....that my picture was not a pneumatic nail gun! whoops!

Big Bubba Ray > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 06/06/2014 at 15:52

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Thanks for the info!

Meatcoma > shop-teacher 06/06/2014 at 15:54

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It's done me well so far!

thebigbossyboss > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/07/2014 at 13:14

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hahaha. awesome.

thebigbossyboss > Racescort666 06/07/2014 at 13:17

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well that was entertaining.

wally > Jagvar 06/07/2014 at 21:29

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a singing penis

philipilihp > thebigbossyboss 06/09/2014 at 09:46

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SAWZALL!! I don't own one, but always wanted one. Have no real use for it, which is why I can't justify spending money on it. But my brother-in-law does have one, and I finally had a use for it this weekend, after taking apart some old planters in my back yard. What a glorious machine. Now I want one even more.

philipilihp > Racescort666 06/09/2014 at 09:48

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So classic!!