Unofficial Official Tool Thread - No Girls Allowed

[GENESIS]

Boy....I bet I stirred up a hornets nest with that thread title. Hopefully forks will know I'm just funnin'. Anyhow.....

Over the course of about three years on this forum, folks (including me) have suggested/recommended various tools. So.......maybe this will be the repository for tools that make us giddy or we can't live without or your life ain't complete unless you own such-n-such or whatever.

I'll start this off with a recommendation and review of the DeWalt DCS815S2 12V 1/4" impact driver. The purchase of this impact driver (ID) started after I used my buddy's Milwaukee 12V Fuel a few times. In the small engine repair world, 20V cordless tools are kinda over kill - plus they're bulky/heavy. These new 12V Lithium offerings from DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Bosch illustrate just how far manufacturers have come in battery and electric motor technology. In our shop, the only time anyone pulls out an air impact is because it's the last resort for getting a stubborn nut broken loose. In addition to less weight, these 12V tools are smaller in size which translates into getting into spaces a typical 18V or 20V cordless tool can't get in. IMHO, except for breaking lugnuts loose, I think this new generation of 12V tools is probably all anyone needs in their RV tool bag.

I had experience using the Milwaukee 12V, but Bosch's 12V offering had pretty much the same specs and got as good a reviews as the Milwaukee. When I started thinking about buying, DeWalt wasn't in the running because they didn't offer a tool that would compete with the others. That was good for me since I just had to choose between two. Then....DeWalt screwed with me and came out with the DCS815 - DAMMIT!! I can't tell you how many times I waffled between DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Bosch offerings. To make matters worse, all three have identical max torque specs of 930 in-lbs - well, with the exception of Milwaukee's & Bosch's brushless 12V tools.

So why did I choose the DeWalt? It really came down to size and "Form Factor". The battery pack shares the same charger connectivity as their 20V - i.e. you can use the same charger for the 12V as well as the 20V. And since I already had DeWalt 20V tools and a 12V screw driver (which takes the same battery as the ID) it just made sense to not invest in another "system". Additionally, the overall dimensions are a bit smaller than the Bosch or Milwaukee.

My mechanic buddies have been using my ID over the last few days and said that the tool is equal to their Milwaukee's in performance. It's been able to bust loose fasteners that were pretty stuck. The jury is still out on how it holds up to daily use.

The DeWalt DCS815 gets a TPS (Tom Performance Scale) of 9 out of 10. Longevity will be a deciding factor.

Tom

[D2Reid]

Back in 2005 I bought a Craftsmen 18v drill. At the time it had the highest torque rating. I bought it to use to lower the jacks on my new TT, that thing dropped those jacks in about 5 seconds vs a minute of hand cranking and had enough torque to lift my little tt about an inch.

I have had to replace the batteries a couple of times. It's big old monster of thing. I guess if it ever dies I will get to replace it with something better, but till then it gets the job done, just not in tight spaces.

[Country Campers]

Porter Cable man my self. Use to have a craftsmen drill but got tired of the weight of the old NiCad. I have more mechanics tools than one man should , all brands , from 1/4" up to 1". My tractors are John Deere , up until a few years ago I did not know they made other brands. My favorite tool I have is an reclaimed office chair that sits in my garage , I like to sit in it and think of all the things I should do.

Brian

[orbiker]

I am an appliance technician. I fix coin washers and dryers at universities and apartment laundry rooms. I have been doing this for a few months short of 30 years. When I first started, there were no small power tools. Since starting; I have wore out dozens of tools, power or not.
Craftsman started making a 1/4" drive electric ratchet. I think I wore out 5 or so before they stopped making them. 3 were replaced by Sears, so at least I that helped. Milwaukee has started making one now. I've had it for 3 months. So far, so good.
As far as driver; the one I have now, has lasted the longest going on 3 years. The Hitachi 10D 12-Volt Variable Speed Cordless Impact Driver. For as small as it is, it's got some power. It will driver a 4" 3/8" lag bolt all the way with no pilot hole. It's nice and lightweight too.



The right tool for the job can make the job so very much easier. KEN

[orbiker]

I'm looking for the "right" tool.

A good inexpensive (if possible) DC meter that I can view from inside the rig. KEN

[FT4NOW]

I think my "go to" tool for the RV would be my Craftsman 1/4" impact driver with #2 Robertson bit. I've had the impact driver for about 10 years, its held up well.

I recently purchased a 1/2" and 3/8" Milwaukee M18 Fuel cordless impact wrench. I haven't used them yet, but look forward to it, lots of great YouTube reviews on them. I went with the 1/2" version that has 1400 ft-lbs of nut breaking torque and 210 ft-lbs on the 3/8" version. I already had a good set of 1/2" impact sockets, so I purchased a set of 3/8" impacts for the new wrench.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Lizardqing]

A tip a mobile technician gave me about having a 12v cordless battery on hand is that you can use it with the 12v stuff in the camper to test plugs and what not. Even get the slides in should the main battery crap out on you in a pinch. If you can figure out where the wires are anyway.

[Cate&Rob]

Makita tools for me.

This started over 20 years ago when Makita put their Canadian distribution centre and factory repair facility in my home town. I thought . . . that could be handy. Up to that point, I was wearing out the traditional assortment of other brand tools. After a while, I began to realize that the only time I went into the factory service centre was to get a replacement part for something that I wore out or broke.

Then, along came their family of 18V cordless tools. These things are amazingly tough. Over 10 years of accumulating tools that run on these batteries, they have improved the batteries but kept the shoe the same so old batteries fit new tools and vice versa. I have slowly replaced all of my corded tools and other brand cordless tools with Makita 18V. I have probably 20 different tools and haven't even scratched the surface of what's in their catalog. Now, I am replacing my gasoline powered tools (blower, weedwacker, chainsaw) with these tools. The chainsaw is amazing! It is 36V using two 18V batteries and is my first tool with their new brushless motor technology.

On a GDRV factory tour, I noticed that most of the hand tools in the plant are Makita 18V . . . and I thought I abused my tools !!

Rob

[Cate&Rob]

I'm looking for the "right" tool.

A good inexpensive (if possible) DC meter that I can view from inside the rig. KEN

Hi Ken,

This is an "inexpensive" version of the Victron battery monitor that has been discussed on other threads. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It monitors the same information using a shunt, just as the Victron does . . . but only costs $15. I put one on the RV a couple of years ago and it is still working just fine.

Rob

[Tom&Joan]

I am an appliance technician. I fix coin washers and dryers at universities and apartment laundry rooms. I have been doing this for a few months short of 30 years. When I first started, there were no small power tools. Since starting; I have wore out dozens of tools, power or not.
Craftsman started making a 1/4" drive electric ratchet. I think I wore out 5 or so before they stopped making them. 3 were replaced by Sears, so at least I that helped. Milwaukee has started making one now. I've had it for 3 months. So far, so good.
As far as driver; the one I have now, has lasted the longest going on 3 years. The Hitachi 10D 12-Volt Variable Speed Cordless Impact Driver. For as small as it is, it's got some power. It will driver a 4" 3/8" lag bolt all the way with no pilot hole. It's nice and lightweight too.



The right tool for the job can make the job so very much easier. KEN

I have had one for years and love it, use it constantly!