UKC

We have horrible soil round here - mainly large flints with a glue of clay and almost no organic material. The one thing it is fine for is foundations - 60kN no problem.

However, it does mean that digging holes (for plants or dead cats) is a bit of a chore.

I have now got a digging bar and it is F A N T A S T I C.

I haven't had a similar moment of enlightenment since I got a router table or had my first woodburner installed.

In reply to JJL:

Impact driver - great for decking, climbing wall building and route setting

In reply to JJL:

I wouldn't have had much use for it years ago, but I'm definitely appreciating the 'Wood Grenade' that I bought last weekend. Stick it in the top of a log of wood and hit it with a sledgehammer - voila, split wood. Unfortunately half of my log are just too long to fit in the stove, so it's not quite as straightforward as that...

In reply to JJL:

Folding handsaw. Bought it because I thought I was Ray Mears. Mainly been used for clearing an unruly sage bush and making a hole in a kitchen shelf for the cooker hood's charcoal filter.

In reply to JJL:

Chainsaw. DC clamp ammeter. Mitre saw. Electric screwdriver. F--k off big pry bar / wrecking bar.

In reply to MonkeyPuzzle:

In reply to JJL:

Oooh. Just remembered - silicone egg poachers

In reply to JJL:

The internet would have saved me countless hours researching stuff in the university library.

In reply to JJL:

I don't need one myself, but my sister has a walnut collector and it's so clever. youtube.com/watch?v=SwRiDEAQR04&

In reply to JJL: try a mattock to go along with the digging bar.

In reply to JJL:

Ceramic frying pan. It's wizardry.

In reply to JJL:

I'm a hedge layer.

1. So chainsaw is item 1. Many hedgelayers over 50 can remember the days when all hedges were axe jobs only.

2. And loppers. Excellent bit of kit not commonly used then either.

3. The Internet. A world wide library on demand without going to the library. It is a tool - isn't it??

4. Any kind of battery powered screw driver/drill.

In reply to Denzil:

Absolutely. Introduced to this on an archaeological dig some years back. What a piece of kit.

I have a cracking one obtained from Mole Valley Farmers. A 5 pounder will start you off nicely.

In reply to Denzil:

I will second the mattock, despite nearly killing myself with one. Took a huge overhead swing which caught the nearby washing line.
When I came round I compared the missing skin from my forehead with the skin left on the shaft. Then I worked out how close the adze had come to my skull. Close!
Very close.

In reply to JJL:

my digital cooking scales.

I'll never get back all those hours spent peering sideways then full on at the needle and numbers on my plastic springy tray thing

In reply to marsbar:

That IS clever

In reply to JJL:

Torque wrench.

In reply to JJL:

laser levelers, fast mobile and versatile. Less need for special bits of wood, plumb lines etc.. Still have a very old little spirit level that is supremely accurate though.

In reply to JJL:

I have bought tools as I need the the one that I wish I had earlier was a socket set. A mattock is the tool I use the most.

In reply to JJL:

Jabsaw. Cheap thing from Aldi. Amazingly good tho. First decent drill (a DeWalt). A 5kg SDS drill, it'll put a hole through literally anything as long as it's at chest or lower level.

Shoulder plane and paring chisel. Most of my planes once I'd got the hang of them. Track saw.

I did like my chainsaw, but now the trees in my garden are mostly gone it's no longer needed. So sold it.

In reply to Tim Sparrow:


I really rate the mattock as well.

Wonder how much of that liking is because the mattock requires pulling muscles like climbing?

Same with the rake, much more climber muscle/ sore elbow friendly than a spade.

In reply to JJL:

I was digging out a tree in the front garden of my old house when one of my neighbours (a builder) popped over and said "what you need is this" - a digging bar made by welding a spade head onto a 6' scaffolding pole. Went through the roots like they weren't there.

Wished I'd had a decent set of power tools when I was working for a month in the middle of nowhere in Kenya, but actually quite refreshing doing things all with hand tools - would have preferred some better quality ones, though (i.e. a screwdriver that twisted the shaft rather than the screw).

As someone else said, I've bought tools as I've needed them - assuming I couldn't source them from my Dad's garage. Also inherited a fair few from my Granddad/Grandpa.

In reply to bouldery bits:


I've managed to bend mine........

No home should be without one - the straighter the better

In reply to JJL:

A GPS to give you an accurate map reference - invaluable!

JW

In reply to JJL:

A decent cordless drill. Why did I leave that one so long ?

In reply to JJL:

Anglegrinder- I've got two of these one for cutting porcelain tiles and stone and one for cutting metal, heads of rusted screws and bolts etc. Saves me changing the blades too often. Only cost about £25 each although really good porcelain blades cost more.