- Thread starter Craig-SM
- Start date
Craig-SM
Member
- Messages
- 2,323
- Location
- Heckmondwike
Tool purchase
Festool Midi dust extractor made sanding much less mess but more effective too. Other jobs are much quicker without the big cleanup and it’s big enough to cope with everything I’ve thrown at it but small enough to be easily portable. The Bluetooth button at the end of the hose is exactly where you want it so it’s next to the tool you’re using. It’s been used so much since buying it.
Tool under £20
Probably the Tracer deep hole automatic pencil. Often overlooked but it’s there, clipped in the pocket and the holder has a mini sharpener built in
Product discovery
PU foam adhesive. Quick, very strong bond and little mess. Used on window sills as recommended by @Pigeon_Droppings2 and will be using it much more in the future.
Most improved skill
Painting and the essential prep work. Tackled the kitchen this year and it’s decades since it was last done. I’ve cursed the previous painter, myself, as it looks like I had applied the paints with a rake. Much sanding, filling and attention to details before applying the actual paints. Lots of hours watching YouTube and spending a bit more on the right equipment made a huge difference and now I actually want to do more decorating.
Festool Midi dust extractor made sanding much less mess but more effective too. Other jobs are much quicker without the big cleanup and it’s big enough to cope with everything I’ve thrown at it but small enough to be easily portable. The Bluetooth button at the end of the hose is exactly where you want it so it’s next to the tool you’re using. It’s been used so much since buying it.
Tool under £20
Probably the Tracer deep hole automatic pencil. Often overlooked but it’s there, clipped in the pocket and the holder has a mini sharpener built in
Product discovery
PU foam adhesive. Quick, very strong bond and little mess. Used on window sills as recommended by @Pigeon_Droppings2 and will be using it much more in the future.
Most improved skill
Painting and the essential prep work. Tackled the kitchen this year and it’s decades since it was last done. I’ve cursed the previous painter, myself, as it looks like I had applied the paints with a rake. Much sanding, filling and attention to details before applying the actual paints. Lots of hours watching YouTube and spending a bit more on the right equipment made a huge difference and now I actually want to do more decorating.
premmington
Member
- Messages
- 6,564
- Location
- Norfolk
Tool purchase
Tool under £20
Product discovery
Most improved skill
Tool purchase: Bought a new big scissor lift for workshop - big thing - can get 3.5ton vans on for wheel alignment - paid extra for ball bearing swivel plates (money well spent)
Tool under £20: Lindstrom cutters off Ebay - every set I got really tired - these that landed are like new!
Product discovery: Not sure - on this one! So "no comment"..
Most improved skill: Swimming - had high blood pressure over summer - refused tablets - started going swiming - reduced carb intake (bread/beer/potatoes) - but week on week - I swimming more lengths...
Tool under £20
Product discovery
Most improved skill
Tool purchase: Bought a new big scissor lift for workshop - big thing - can get 3.5ton vans on for wheel alignment - paid extra for ball bearing swivel plates (money well spent)
Tool under £20: Lindstrom cutters off Ebay - every set I got really tired - these that landed are like new!
Product discovery: Not sure - on this one! So "no comment"..
Most improved skill: Swimming - had high blood pressure over summer - refused tablets - started going swiming - reduced carb intake (bread/beer/potatoes) - but week on week - I swimming more lengths...
Tool purchase
Cheap bench top blast cabinet, even a poor one has helped me get on with some old projects that I probably would have put off due to not being able to achieve what I wanted.
Tool under £20
The only tool I've bought under £20 was a £9 sieve for blast cabinet media, removing the fine abrasive helps visibility making a poor cabinet usable without wasting good media.
Product discovery
Cheap homemade rust remover from backyard ballistics on youtube, makes a cheap blast cabinet usable as most of the heavy rust is removed, again helping me get on with old projects. Technically discovered last year but started using it this year.
Most improved skill
Learning when good enough is good enough or improved my ability to ignore imperfections.
Cheap bench top blast cabinet, even a poor one has helped me get on with some old projects that I probably would have put off due to not being able to achieve what I wanted.
Tool under £20
The only tool I've bought under £20 was a £9 sieve for blast cabinet media, removing the fine abrasive helps visibility making a poor cabinet usable without wasting good media.
Product discovery
Cheap homemade rust remover from backyard ballistics on youtube, makes a cheap blast cabinet usable as most of the heavy rust is removed, again helping me get on with old projects. Technically discovered last year but started using it this year.
Most improved skill
Learning when good enough is good enough or improved my ability to ignore imperfections.
dobbslc
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 13,535
- Location
- Hertfordshire UK
I like this one!
Craig-SM
Member
- Messages
- 2,323
- Location
- Heckmondwike
Especially when a little bit more ends up a lot worse
BrokenBiker
Member
- Messages
- 12,517
- Location
- Newport, South Wales
Tool purchase - Lathe
Tool under £20 - knock off DeWalt cordless grinder
Product discovery - not so much a product, but a brand... hitbox
Most improved - ability to irritate people just from being nearby
Tool under £20 - knock off DeWalt cordless grinder
Product discovery - not so much a product, but a brand... hitbox
Most improved - ability to irritate people just from being nearby
MattF
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 18,342
- Location
- South Yorkshire
zzr1200
Working at 650 ft on open steel work.
- Messages
- 6,645
- Location
- Glapwell, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK
Best Tool purchase:- HG Line 16 line laser level for less than £36.00 from AliExpress. Brillaint bit of kit.
Best tool under £20.00:- Several all from AliExpress/Temu purchases. The only problem can be the wait.
Product Discovery:- Still looking...
Most improved:- Having fully retired officailly (at 69) earlier in the year, my ability to sleep in until a sensible time in the morning.
Best tool under £20.00:- Several all from AliExpress/Temu purchases. The only problem can be the wait.
Product Discovery:- Still looking...
Most improved:- Having fully retired officailly (at 69) earlier in the year, my ability to sleep in until a sensible time in the morning.
Memmeddu
Member
- Messages
- 5,753
- Location
- Italia Sardegna
Tool purchase
Harris welding and cutting set both because I think it is best torch set and because it was only 80 euro
GIANNI BONZA SuperCondor40TC mill drill .
My first ever milling machine for 200 euro
Ipotools ACDCTIG 200P
Pulsed AC DC TIG and Stick (pulsed and AC DC tooo)
Practically brand new for 350 euro
Those are the highest ranked best tools purchases of the year
Tool under 20 euro
That's hard enough... Maybe this?
Oiler pen from temu, it doesn't drips and it's great to maintain my GBB airsoft Beretta M9's
Product discovery
An AN-PEQ 15 which does IR laser and IR illuminator and visible slave laser on AliExpress that doesn't drain my pocket
Skills?
I'm a machinist by trade I improve skills every single day
Harris welding and cutting set both because I think it is best torch set and because it was only 80 euro
My first ever milling machine for 200 euro
Ipotools ACDCTIG 200P
Pulsed AC DC TIG and Stick (pulsed and AC DC tooo)
Practically brand new for 350 euro
Those are the highest ranked best tools purchases of the year
Tool under 20 euro
That's hard enough... Maybe this?
Oiler pen from temu, it doesn't drips and it's great to maintain my GBB airsoft Beretta M9's
Product discovery
An AN-PEQ 15 which does IR laser and IR illuminator and visible slave laser on AliExpress that doesn't drain my pocket
Skills?
I'm a machinist by trade I improve skills every single day
Craig-SM
Member
- Messages
- 2,323
- Location
- Heckmondwike
Best Tool purchase:- HG Line 16 line laser level for less than £36.00 from AliExpress. Brillaint bit of kit.
Best tool under £20.00:- Several all from AliExpress/Temu purchases. The only problem can be the wait.
Product Discovery:- Still looking...
Most improved:- Having fully retired officailly (at 69) earlier in the year, my ability to sleep in until a sensible time in the morning.
Laser level was close for best tool, everyone should have one.
Very envious of the ability to sleep to sensible time. Bladder or aches are my bodies alarm clock
zzr1200
Working at 650 ft on open steel work.
- Messages
- 6,645
- Location
- Glapwell, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK
My bladder still sometimes wakes me up for a night-time pitstop, but I drop off fairly quickly again, the trick is not to drink much after 21.00.
My alarm clock has 4 legs... it's starting to learn to except my new awaking times, slowly....
![20250527_235909[1].jpg](/forum/data/attachments/516/516080-6a61a6780c6ee8de795fa8a8af751eaf.jpg?hash=0_lpbKwibs)
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Tool Purchase - 1.5kw Water cooled Spindle for the CNC router. Its made the process of using the CNC so much quieter than the cheap KAtsu router that was on it before. Still loud as F*** but the noise now comes from the dust collector and not the router so it's a better noise.
Tool under £20 - Dial gauge I picked upon aliexpress. Managed to finally trim the table saw so 90deg cuts are actually 90 degrees now and not just nearly 90!
Product discovery - Nitrico Goop. Took the long arduous PITA process of cycling a new fish tank from 6 weeks to 5 days!
Most improved skill - CAD use. Still very much an amateur but feel like I'm getting there finally.
roofman
Purveyor of fine English buckets and mops
- Messages
- 13,037
- Location
- North West with water on 3 sides
Still alive..
wife healthy and well..
sold my house, yet to receive the money..
middle daughter got married to an amazing young man..
bought a few bits and sold a few bits..
roll on 2026 i have things to do..
wife healthy and well..
sold my house, yet to receive the money..
middle daughter got married to an amazing young man..
bought a few bits and sold a few bits..
roll on 2026 i have things to do..
