3 months in- Favorite tools and equipment

[MushCreek]

We've had discussions- good ones- about tools on here before. I headed out to the woods with what I thought were all of the tools a man could want, and I'm happy to report that I did fairly well. So far, I've been doing minor site work, framing, sheathing, roofing, and plumbing. Again, in no particular order, are the tools I found the most useful so far.

Cordless tools- I sprung for some spendy Milwaukee M18 tools, and am consistently amazed by their performance. I'll say right here and now that I generally buy pro-level tools for anything but a one-shot job. I find that the extra money comes back in performance and lasting quality. I have the circular saw, SawZall, hammer drill, and 1/4" driver. I don't know how I ever got by without a dedicated driver. I use screws on things I plan to take apart, to pull together crooked pieces when a nail won't do it, and for screwing down the tin roofing. I also use the circular saw a lot, rarely using my corded one unless I'm doing a lot of cutting in one shot. Milwaukee has come out with an up-graded battery called the red lithium which is reputed to work down to 0 degrees. They also claim additional power and run time. I have 5 batteries, and have never come close to killing them all. I just cycle them through the charger as I go.

Air nailers- Having only used them a little, I wasn't sure if I needed them. Boy! You can fly through some framing with a decent nailer! I have a Hitachi N83, and it's very reliable. I noticed that the pro framing crew that did some of the work all used coil nailers. Mine is a stick nailer, and holds two sticks of nails, which are gone in no time. With the appropriate nails, a framing nailer will do all of your framing and sheathing work. I also have a siding nailer to hang the Hardi when I do the house, and a finish nailer. They are all waiting for action still, but I'm sure they will be used a lot.

12" sliding miter saw and stand- I bought a Ridgid, and I love it. I was shocked to see the pro framers didn't use a miter saw. I think they were much faster marking with a speed square and cutting with a circular saw, but I like the accuracy and power, especially since my skills are rusty compared to the guys who do it every day. The Ridgid stand is great for a construction site, with the big wheels making it easy to move around. Despite complaints I have read, mine sets up very quickly and easily.

Circular saw- The king of the job site. Get a good one! I bought a left-handed Milwaukee, since I like being able to see what I'm doing. I find it odd that most cordless saws are left-hand, while corded sidewinders are right-hand. Worm drive saws, which I find too bulky and heavy, are generally left-hand. Go figure. I bought a rip guide, which takes the place of a table saw somewhat. For framing, it will do, but eventually my table saw will be on-site, too.

Speed square- speaking of which- I've never owned one. After watching a pro use one, I bought one, and use it all of the time. Very fast and accurate layout, and they do a lot of neat tricks if you read the manual that comes with it.

Pex tool- I bought a multi-die set, and am still trying to get it dialed in. The way my bathroom is set up, I have to use a lot of fittings. There's not enough plumbing in the barn to warrant a home run set-up, so I used T's and elbows to do what I needed. The kit comes with a gauge, which is hard to get right. Basically, the finished crimps are not round, which means the gauge drops over one way, but not if you rotate it 90 degrees. I had no leaks in 2 weeks of daily use, but have suddenly developed several leaks! There's not enough room to cut and re-crimp, so I'll have to rip it all out and start over. I'm glad it's not behind drywall already.

Drills (and bits) If you're working with concrete, you'll probably want a hammer drill. It's much faster when setting Redheads and Tap-cons. You'll want a good range of wood bits, and I brought a full set of machinist drills, which I use a lot.

Extension cords and air hoses- You will never have enough. Extension cords to go long distances need to be very heavy gauge wire, which means- expensive. I bought a 10/2 100' cord, and it was nowhere near long enough. I wound up buying a roll of 10/2 UF Romex, and wired a four outlet box on the end. It's not a good choice for a cord you need to move around a lot; get real extension cords for that. I got my best deal (by far) by shopping ebay. I have 150' of air hose, which seems to be enough. 100' would work, but I wouldn't be able to go all the way around the barn. At some point, I would have to double back to   reach from the other direction. I bought a 50' and a 100'. Should have bought (3) 50's. They are much easier to coil up and stow.

Ladders- Again, you can't seem to get enough of them. I have an 8' step ladder (very handy) and a 16' multi-ladder (handy, but too heavy). I just bought a 28' extension ladder to get to the top of the barn. I like to use a stabilizer on tall ladders, and levelers are a good idea as well. The pros had beat-up old ladders which they propped on wood scraps to level. They hang WAY off the side to shoot nails. I'm much too chicken for that.

Safety gear- It took some self-discipline, but I've started wearing safety glasses and gloves all of the time. I also use a harness EVERY time I go on the roof. I use hearing protection and chaps with the chain saw. I have a big Stihl, and it's a manly saw, to put it mildly.

Hand tools- There are too many to mention individually. I took a rolling tool box, removed the casters, and bolted it to the floor of my van. It is stocked with a wide variety of tools, from wrenches and sockets to screwdrivers, hammers, and chisels. Everything gets used! By keeping all of the small stuff in a box like that, it's easier to find and secure against thieves. Buy extra hammers, tape measures, and pencils, or you'll spend half your day trying to find one. Get lots of pry bars of various sizes; what passes for 'lumber' these days is incredibly crooked, and you need to have a way to force things into position for fastening. I use a flashlight all of the time, too, even in daylight. There are lots of dark corners in framing. I have several pairs of metal snips, which I seem to use more than I thought I would.

Hammers- I'll give hammers there own heading, as you will need several. A good framing hammer that feels right to YOU is something you need every day. I have a weird square-head Estwing that I love. It just feels right, and the square head comes in handy for nailing in a corner. A smaller hammer is good to have, too, as you get tired swinging the framer a lot, and will miss and mash your fingers at the end of a long day. I have a small 4# sledge (Engineer or drilling hammer). It's a handy little 'persuader' when the framing hammer isn't heavy enough. A 13# sledge is even more persuasive when the situation warrants it. I always keep a copper or brass hammer in the tool box as well when you want something such as a mechanical part to survive the beating. Not really a building tool, but I've used a few times nonetheless.

Levels and squares- You need them, every day. I have a 3' and a 6' level. You need to periodically check them for accuracy. The pro framing crew made a door rough-out a full 3/4" out of plumb, but it looked OK by their level. I turned their level 180 degrees, and of course it was way off. If you flip the level 180 degrees, you should get the same reading, or it needs to be adjusted. Same goes for a square. Draw a line with it, then flip the square and see if it still lines up. You actually can correct a square by peening either the inside or outside of the corner, but it's probably better to get a new one, and stop tossing it around.

Clamps- When you work alone like I do, clamps are your friends. Being a one-time boat builder, I have lots of clamps, from small C-clamps up to 8' pipe bar clamps. It's great to be able to have a clamp to hold something while you make adjustments and nail it off. I use clamps to pull or push recalcitrant warped boards into place, too.

Power winch or Come-Along- I bought a cheap 110V winch, and use it a lot. It comes in handy to drag or lift heavy stuff single-handedly. My barn doors are each 6' X 12', and weigh about 400 lbs. I had to get them up and attach them to the sliding door hardware- alone. I clamped the winch to the top edge of the door (remember the clamps?) and attached the cable to a large screw eye overhead. Standing WELL out of the WAY, I just pushed the button while the winch lifted the doors up easily. Once vertical, I used a pry bar and shims to get the door lined up to bolt on the hardware. I've also used it to drag heavy sheets of plywood up on to the roof, and plan to use it to stand up my house trusses, unless I hire a crew for that (and I probably will).

Site work tools- You'll use a shovel a lot. I also use a chainsaw, axe, sledge hammer, and post hole digger often. For the SC clay, I had to buy a 6' long bar with a striking surface on one end and a chisel shape on the other. During dry conditions, it's the only thing that will make a hole, period. I bought a 330' tape measure, which gets used all the time for layout work. The cordless SawZall does a good job of minor cutting that doesn't warrant dragging out the chainsaw. You can find 12" brush blades that fly through branches.

Hardware and stuff- This kind of goes with my other post, too. I discovered one day that in 7 acres of woods, you can't find a common 1/4-20 bolt. Rather than waste the time and gas for one bolt, I took one out of the van (temporarily). What's frustrating about this is that I have hundreds of pounds of hardware from a life-time of accumulating the stuff. Where was it? Back home in FL, of course! If you don't have such a collection, it would be hard to tell you where to start, but you should have a decent assortment of bolts, screws, nuts, washers, lags, sheet metal screws, and of course nails before you ever start. I can't believe I made such an obvious mistake.

Notes- I can't express enough the importance of safety equipment and proper use of all tools. Anything that cuts wood will slice flesh and bone effortlessly. You can get badly or even fatally injured in a split second of inattention.
As I have said, I had a pro crew do much of the heavy framing work. It is very useful to watch how they work. They are incredibly fast at what they do, and you can pick up many hints and short-cuts just by watching. They had very few tools, but what they had were good quality, and they knew how to use them. That being said, my crew was sloppy and violated enough safety rules to fill a complete manual. I made sure the contractor was well insured!

I'm sure I left things out, and I'm sure you all have different experiences to share, but this is a start. As I get into more finish work, other tools will emerge, while the bigger stuff goes into hibernation.

[suburbancowboy]

This is easy.
1. roybi cordless power tools with 4 lithium batteries
2. self leveling 28' ladder
3. 6500W generator after I had bought the 3500W generator.

[MikeC]

might i add:

tool belt w/suspenders - otherwise you'll be looking for the tool you just set down somewhere? - suspenders to keep yer pants up

bostitch mcn250 nailer for simpson type fasteners - i'm sure pros can nail off these all day in tight spots & overhead w/ just a hammer - not me - this tool works great

[MushCreek]

I generally wear overalls unless its very hot. They don't fall down!

[Gary O]

A couple little things that can get big

The list
We live 240 mi from the cabin
Before leaving the cabin, I make a list of what I'm leaving there, what I'll need for the next project, and what I'm running low on in the general materials dept (screws/nails/wood, etc).
Left my level at home once.
Took 2 hrs out of my day...good hrs.

Retractable Clip
For pencils or small tools
Keeps me from fumbling around for my pencil and saves a trip down the ladder when I find and drop it...........

[Squirl]

Thumb saver for framing.

Margin trowel for mortar.

[Alan Gage]

12" sliding miter saw and stand- I bought a Ridgid, and I love it. I was shocked to see the pro framers didn't use a miter saw. I think they were much faster marking with a speed square and cutting with a circular saw, but I like the accuracy and power, especially since my skills are rusty compared to the guys who do it every day. The Ridgid stand is great for a construction site, with the big wheels making it easy to move around. Despite complaints I have read, mine sets up very quickly and easily.

Mine has come in very handy too and was well worth the expense. I'm also very glad I got the stand with it (both Dewalt).

Speed square- speaking of which- I've never owned one. After watching a pro use one, I bought one, and use it all of the time. Very fast and accurate layout, and they do a lot of neat tricks if you read the manual that comes with it.

I'm sure you've already figured it out but they make a fast and easy fence for the circular saw to make straight cuts.

Pex tool- I bought a multi-die set, and am still trying to get it dialed in. The way my bathroom is set up, I have to use a lot of fittings. There's not enough plumbing in the barn to warrant a home run set-up, so I used T's and elbows to do what I needed. The kit comes with a gauge, which is hard to get right. Basically, the finished crimps are not round, which means the gauge drops over one way, but not if you rotate it 90 degrees. I had no leaks in 2 weeks of daily use, but have suddenly developed several leaks! There's not enough room to cut and re-crimp, so I'll have to rip it all out and start over. I'm glad it's not behind drywall already.

I've been using the cinch type fittings instead of crimp and have been very happy with them so far. The tool is cheaper and one crimper does all sizes with no modification. The only problem I had was with one brand of fittings that stretched when cinched and sometimes broke on installation. The next batch was made by Oeticker and have been fine.

Ladders- Again, you can't seem to get enough of them. I have an 8' step ladder (very handy) and a 16' multi-ladder (handy, but too heavy). I just bought a 28' extension ladder to get to the top of the barn. I like to use a stabilizer on tall ladders, and levelers are a good idea as well. The pros had beat-up old ladders which they propped on wood scraps to level. They hang WAY off the side to shoot nails. I'm much too chicken for that.

And don't skimp on them. I bought a cheapish 6' ladder when I started to save some money. It was still rated well over my weight and at only 6' tall I figured it would be fine. After nearly being bucked off a couple times when it suddenly twisted I had to go buy the ladder I should have got in the first place. My 8' ladder is better but I wish I would have spent an extra $50 when I got it for the next step up in beefiness.

Levels and squares- You need them, every day. I have a 3' and a 6' level. You need to periodically check them for accuracy. The pro framing crew made a door rough-out a full 3/4" out of plumb, but it looked OK by their level. I turned their level 180 degrees, and of course it was way off. If you flip the level 180 degrees, you should get the same reading, or it needs to be adjusted. Same goes for a square. Draw a line with it, then flip the square and see if it still lines up.

I bought a nice 2' and 4' level when I started. Seemed every time I turned around I was knocking one of them over after leaning it up against a wall. It didn't take long and they were out of whack. I replaced them with cheap aluminum ones that won't bother me so much to ruin. I try to take good care of them but bad things still happen. Family curse.

Air nailers- Having only used them a little, I wasn't sure if I needed them. Boy! You can fly through some framing with a decent nailer! I have a Hitachi N83, and it's very reliable. I noticed that the pro framing crew that did some of the work all used coil nailers. Mine is a stick nailer, and holds two sticks of nails, which are gone in no time. With the appropriate nails, a framing nailer will do all of your framing and sheathing work. I also have a siding nailer to hang the Hardi when I do the house, and a finish nailer. They are all waiting for action still, but I'm sure they will be used a lot.

Yeah, totally worth the investment. I thought about renting instead of buying but realized it would be cheaper to buy and resell then to keep renting during the build. After getting used to using them though I can say I won't be reselling them.

Good post.

Alan

[duncanshannon]

tool belt w/suspenders - otherwise you'll be looking for the tool you just set down somewhere? - suspenders to keep yer pants up

I'm a rookie at all this stuff.  I finally got a tool belt when is started siding this summer. Man... it really is nice. I did need to make a conscious effort to not set the tape/pencil/knife/hammer down and to put it on the belt... so much better. 

Gary O - gotta get one of those clips for a pencil. thats a great idea.

[duncanshannon]

I've been using my 12v Hitachi Impact Driver a lot recently (mostly when putting down new sub floor) and I love it.

Its small, sturdy, powerful and almost a joy to use.  For sure one of my favorite tools.