New tools you've bought recently?

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I had a $30 off coupon for Vevor so I bought one of these brake line flaring tools, allegedly they are amazing:

View attachment 123111

If I remember correctly, someone had mentioned using that style before and had nothing but good things to say about it.

Probably me. I have the Eastwood branded version complete with the -AN die set. My buddy Paul saw me use it and bought the same one I had. There was a member on here at one point several years back that came out to help me work on my 88 a bit, he brought one of those along and after seeing how nice it was, I bought my own. Not really handy for doing a line on a vehicle, but off a vehicle they are awesome. I do recommend de-burring the cut line first, I bought one of the de-burring/chamfer tools. 5 seconds from cut to factory looking flare or less…

 

[Rick W]

New tools. Huh…

I haven’t been on this thread in a little while, but I thought I’d chime in. I am an absolute junkie for Harbor freight, everything I do is hobby natured, and their tools for the most part are perfectly good quality for no more than I do on my junk pile.

I think they’re marketing people are geniuses, because they always have something or other that gets you to walk into the store. So I go in for one or two things and I always leave with five or six.

I bought a lot of stuff when I was building the Road Ranger and the Missing Linc, etc. Some things that I haven’t even used yet, like the bearing puller for the rear axle to change the bearings on the 87.

I would read the ads, and the way I would make my list was to take a screen capture of anything I was interested in. I also always kept a list on my desk, one on the workbench.. in six months I’m going to be 70 years old, and about six months ago I started to slide on actually going to HF every week. I just really don’t need anything else anymore.

I also constantly watch craigslist and marketplace for deals like that diamond plate I bought, but all of that was an aberration during Covid. I spotted a half dozen 20ft thick wall aluminum 2 x 2 square tubing at a giveaway price, but it was 30 miles away and I don’t have an immediate need, so I watched it a few days and then it was gone. Anyone who knows me realizes that is really strange.

I want to finish up the Road ‘Raith casket kitchen, and I think I’m going to use the last two of those 22 foot long aluminum 4 x 6 beams made out of the 4 inch channel to make a car hauler. I love doing the fabrication, but this project is more in mind that I know I’m going to have to move everything in the next few years.

Anyway, I’ll keep looking. I think the only thing still on the bucket list is a little metal lathe. The ones I like start about $700, but by the time I get it, I probably won’t have any need at all.

 

[pjtoledo]

I hit Harbor freight yesterday, walked out for about $16.
cheapest DVM and a set of welder pliers.

 

[Shran]

I don't buy anything from Harbor Freight unless it's a consumable (cutoff wheels, drill bits, paint cups...) or I will use it right away, or it has a lifetime warranty. Nothing is worse than buying a tool with a 90 day warranty and not needing it until day 91 and finding out it's dead in the box.

There was a period of several years where I was only going in the once every 6 months, if that. There just wasn't any new tools that sparked my interest. Lately they seem to have been dropping a huge amount of money into R&D and building tools that are way better quality than the old $10 one-time-use drill or angle grinder. That has been drawing me in more often... and spending more money there.

 

[Blmpkn]

I used to be in HF all the time lol.. I guess I just have all of what I need for the most part now

...except an air chisel I suppose. Im gonna need one soon to bust some rivets out/off of the ranger frame. Found a 50$ gift card to Lowe's during my move.. hoping that'll be enough to get me a decent one.

 

[Shran]

I used to be in HF all the time lol.. I guess I just have all of what I need for the most part now

...except an air chisel I suppose. Im gonna need one soon to bust some rivets out/off of the ranger frame. Found a 50$ gift card to Lowe's during my move.. hoping that'll be enough to get me a decent one.

If you get an air chisel, get a "long barrel" model. I have two Chicago Pneumatic ones, a Cornwell, and a really cheap Campbell Hausfield short barrel. The longer ones have a LOT more power, you want a ridiculous amount of power in these things or they just don't work. The short one is good for cutting up sheet metal with the cutter bit but that's about all.

Torque Test Channel rated this one highly:

Amazon.com

Keep your eyes open for a used one of any good brand though, I think I paid less than $20 for each of my Chicago Pneumatics and they are way more than that new. Often these are just tossed in the "junk air tools" box in pawn shops so you can get a good deal on them and there is almost nothing that wears out on them.

 

[Blmpkn]

If you get an air chisel, get a "long barrel" model. I have two Chicago Pneumatic ones, a Cornwell, and a really cheap Campbell Hausfield short barrel. The longer ones have a LOT more power, you want a ridiculous amount of power in these things or they just don't work. The short one is good for cutting up sheet metal with the cutter bit but that's about all.

Torque Test Channel rated this one highly:

Amazon.com

Keep your eyes open for a used one of any good brand though, I think I paid less than $20 for each of my Chicago Pneumatics and they are way more than that new. Often these are just tossed in the "junk air tools" box in pawn shops so you can get a good deal on them and there is almost nothing that wears out on them.

I've only ever used one once before... Busting rivets. Forget the brand.. pretty sure it was either a short or medium barrel though... it had enough mustard to wipe the head off the rivet in good time but occasionally struggled with punching the rest of it through the back. I'll get the longest one I can for sure, good tip.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've only got a short standard cheap air hammer and all it does to rivets is dents them and makes me deaf for a while usually... I've had luck with it sometimes but usually not, I should pick up a long barrel one...

 

[sgtsandman]

Drilling out the center of the rivit helps relieve the pressure and makes them easier to knock out, most of the time. Good tip none the less.

 

[Roert42]

I bought a McGraw air hammer a while back. Have used it quite a bit. They had a good deal on that brand of air tools.
It’s not great, but was worth the it with the 50% off coupon or something whatever.

Has enough power that I would say it’s 100% better than not having one. If I had to replace it or buy a second one, I’d spend the big boy money and buy a nice IR or Chicago Pneumatic unit.

 

[Blmpkn]

Well, I ended up with a kobalt medium stroke jobber.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Air-Hammer-with-Chisel/1000404891

47$ using my coworkers military discount lol, came with a chisel.. nice blue color.. real soft grip.. I'm happy seems like it'll be way more comfortable to use than my buddy's.

Kobalt seems to make some pretty decent stuff for the money IMO. The only kobalt stuff that has let me down are the ratchets that came in the 300pc 'mechanics tool kit' I got on sale years back for something like a hundred bucks... The selector switches are just too damn sensitive on those. If the wind changes direction while using one.. so does the selector lol. Super aggravating. Some day I'll replace them with their trio of offset ratchets like I keep in my big box...

 

[Shran]

I like to cut a few slots in the head of rivets with a cutoff wheel and then use the air chisel to knock the remaining pieces off, then the pointed bit to knock the rest of the rivet out of the hole.

That's if I'm working outside and not near other tools... if I'm within torch or plasma cutter range I just turn the rivet head to liquid and then use the pointed bit. The less cutoff wheels I use, the better.

 

[Curious Hound]

I have never had success using an air hammer against rivets on my trucks. All it ever does is jump around randomly, bang my knuckles against stuff and cause pain and bleeding. I almost hate the stupid thing.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I like to cut a few slots in the head of rivets with a cutoff wheel and then use the air chisel to knock the remaining pieces off, then the pointed bit to knock the rest of the rivet out of the hole.

Yeah, I convert them to a crude phillips head with a cutoff wheel. it really takes the fight out of them.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

X3 on cutting a cross into the head. Then I use a regular hand cold chisel and 3# hammer. Usually takes one swing per 1/4. Then a punch for the center.