Best Tools I Ever Bought
- Thread starter Canuk
- Start date
bulgie
Retro Newbie
I have a similar, Chinese junk bought at a big-box discount store, all steel construction, which is not a good idea. The second time I went to use it, I found all the paint inside had detached and was floating around in the liquid cleaner. I forget what I used but probably water-based, with degreaser. At least now that the paint is all gone, I won't have that particular problem anymore... I expect the pump or motor will fail soon though, that's how they get ya...VAR MO-52300, 18 litre portable cleaner and degreaser. Just missed this for 50 quid
The Var looks like plastic, is that right? Probably a wise idea if so.
bulgie
Retro Newbie
Reminds me of one of the best tools I ever bought, a portable bandsaw. Some call 'em Portaband, but that's a brand name, and I bough a different brand. Anyway, I almost never hacksaw anything anymore. I have it attached to an aftermarket table that turns it into a little vertical bandsaw. With the table screwed down to the bench it lives on, I can use both hands to guide the part into the blade. Pro tip, get a foot-pedal on-off switch, the "dead man" kind where you have to keep pressing down, or it stops. Convenient and a good safety feature.
Between the 'portaband' and the table, it's one of the more expensive tools (though I did get the bandsaw used). Lotsa guys have made their own table, either the kind you screw to the table, or one that you clamp in a bench vise to use, but I was lazy, and feeling flush I guess, so I just bought the table. This one, for clamping in a vise, shows how you could make your own fairly easily: https://www.swagoffroad.com/products/swag-v1-0-portaband-table. Most of us can't bend that thick a steel plate, but it could be made by drilling and bolting pieces together.
If you want to buy one, apologies if that SWAG item prohibitively expensive to ship — I'm 'Stateside' — but maybe there's an equivalent made in UK.
Just the bandsaw (no table) can be super useful too, just wielding it in your hands. They make 'em in cordless, battery-powered also, but corded is more powerful and less expensive, fine if it's mostly going to be anchored to the bench or vise.
If I'm just shortening an M6 bolt or some such, I'll still hacksaw, but anything larger, why risk a repetitive-strain injury?
Canuk
Senior Retro Guru
Yeah it's mostly plastic construction. Bit extremely well made. I really want one! This one slipped away at fifty quid equivalent. Most Pro race mechanics have one of this so I guess I'll still be looking...
Canuk
Senior Retro Guru
If anyone is interested in this extremely useful tool. I've found a vendor here in France selling them off 'destock' for 16 quid each. Shipping to the UK is about 9. They're 45 quid all over.
Very excellent tool
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