I thought it might be fun to share. So far, I’m getting:
A Gearwrench tool box with two drawers (much better than a big open volume to dump tools into.)
A Wen 10" drill press. Not a special deal, but it’s Chrismas.
A Bora lumber rack
6 Kasa smart plugs for lights and the dust vac
An Echo to control it. Voice control of the vacuum sounds pretty neat!
Not strictly tools, but a Zippo hand warmer, the kind that takes lighter fluid, and a hand warmer muff that you strap around your waist. Hunters use them so they don’t need to wear gloves. My shop is unheated and I’d rather not pay a lot for electricity.
In earlier sales, I guess pre-BF, I got a Fein Turbo I vac, which so far is terrific.
I picked up the Festool CT-VA-20 ‘cyclone’ for my CT Sys Vacuum. It makes a nice addition and increase md the height is my Systainer stack making the use of a hose with tools less cumbersome as the hose is higher and not dangling down constantly. I was in the market for a potential boom arm and came across the ‘mullet third hand’ which I almost bought until I noted the higher systainer stack improves the user experience with a vacuum hose.
Another option I was considering for a boom arm is a CPAP hose holder.
I also saw the $150 off the Festool Kapex KSC 60 after the sale ended and was really disappointed to miss that sale! Keeping my hopes alive it pops again this season.
I normally spend quite a bit on tools around this time of year since there are good deals to be had and Christmas is always an excuse to splurge a bit, but this year I have spent very little on tools. So far I’ve picked up:
-Olfa 25mm saw blade & handle. I already had one but it started to get dull so I went to buy a replacement blade and was happy to discover Amazon had a handle + blade for the same price as just the blade, so now I’ve got an extra 25mm snap knife kicking around the shop and you can never have too many of those IMHO.
-Z-saw 300mm Kataba ripcut blade, which I made my own handle for. After doing more woodwork in the last few months I decided I wanted a dedicated rip saw but I didn’t want to spend a lot on it, and I know from past experience that Z-saw is excellent value for money.
-Dewalt 14-pc drill bit set & 81-pc impact bit set; nothing special here I just wanted to refresh my general purpose workbench drill set so I have less need to go pilfer drills from my nice machine tool sets, and also to replace worn-out hex driver bits. The 81-pc set came with an updated Toughcase with storage in the lid which I really like too. It let me re-organize my drill/driver accessories and now they are much easier to access.
I am extremely tempted to buy some K-body clamps from Rockler but I already splurged quite a bit on non-tool purchases so I might need to stick to the more financially responsible option of not spending any more for a while.
Ha! It never occurred to me that making the stack taller could be a good thing. I’ve been looking at low profile cyclones, I suppose so the vac and cyclone might roll under a counter. But at least a few of the low profile ones don’t perform very well, it seems.
Not a tool in some people’s eyes, but I’m considering a used gun that just came in. Browning X-Bolt in .270 Winchester with an ATN thermal sight. Our Used Gun guy paid $700 for it and is selling it for $1k, so I’m looking at a little over that price out the door with my discount. I don’t hunt, but wouldn’t mind having a decent setup in case I get the urge. He also bought a S&W M&P-15 with scope that had a suppressor. I may pick that up as well (we couldn’t buy the suppressor, but that gives me an excuse to get a 5.56mm can).
In terms of tools, I think I’m nearly good to go, but I’ve been getting an awful lot of Harbor Freight ads recently about the new US General Series 3 boxes. I need a good setup to organize my mechanic’s tools, and even when I clear out the storage units, I’ve only got the old (probably '60s-era) Mac stack and some miscellaneous Craftsman cabs and boxes, all 24".
When we pay off the land on the bayou in a few months, I may look into a skid steer. That is, if the wife wants to keep buying investment properties. We paid nearly $1k for the land to be cleaned up and are looking at over $6k in dirt work. As I told her, for that price I can buy a used Bobcat or similar, do much of the work myself, and if needed, maybe rent a mini excavator. Dirt is cheap, and I know the equipment will need maintaining, but I’d rather have the capability to do my own work than rely on others. Who knows, maybe a backhoe? Okay, I’m going off the deep end here and plotting out tens of thousands of dollars in equipment.
While I was out running errands yesterday I stopped by Home Depot and picked up a Toughsystem 2.0 organizer that I plan on using for router bit storage. I ordered a foam tray (Powertec) from Amazon which should fit tightly inside with just a little trimming.
I purchased the Bauer corded bandsaw for $120 and then a coupon for $30 off came out, so I got $30 back. The Hercules bandsaw stand was also $120, but with an inside track club membership it was $90 – if you aren’t a member it’s basically a free membership for a year.
The Dewalt OMT kit is still on sale for $99 and the Elkind 7pc hex wrench sets are buy one get one free (mix and match SAE and Metric) at Menards right now.
I am also keeping my eye out for an M12 insulated crown stapler on sale. Home Depot has it at $228 with 600 staples to start— which is enough for one upcoming wiring project I have scheduled.
Well, I broke down and ordered a set of K-body clamps from Rockler yesterday, but in my defense I managed to limit myself to just one set. It was just too good a deal to pass up and I did honestly need some more woodworking type clamps.
I bought a couple of the half-size TS 2.0 organizers a couple of years ago. Haven’t really utilized them much but the full sized 1.0 organizer has been great.
I got a DeWalt 20V XR jig saw. Has yet to ship - apparently they were backordered pretty heavily.
May pick up a track saw at some point soon, and some more woodworking clamps. Maybe parallel clamps, but probably just some more F clamps. Trying to keep the damage to the wallet minimal this year.
I may upgrade to the XR. Maybe wait until the inevitable “New! Improved!” version. I have the older 20v Max jigsaw as well as a Ryobi one purchased during Ryobi Days a couple of years ago and barely used.
I don’t know what the older version is like, but the XR jigsaw rocks. It compares well with my Bosch corded, but the cordlessness makes it even better for all the twisty odd angles you might use a jigsaw for.
I actually already have the trim router, as well as a (non-DeWalt) RO sander. So for me, the $199 battery deal with the jig saw, plus another discount at Acme, was a no-brainer.
Somebody at SBD seems to have screwed up the production availability though, or demand was way higher than anticipated. Acme informed me that it’s backordered until the end of the year - did not expect a nearly 6 week lead time for a Black Friday purchase.
I forgot to mention, earlier I got got the DeWalt XR hammer drill, DCD996, in a kit for $137. It’s powerful enough to make me nervous for my wrists. Definitely can do the things my little M12 (brushless) drill/driver cannot.
The DCD996 is a good drill. I’ve got it along with most of the DeWalt line of drivers up through 2018 or so. Hard to believe, but next month marks the 8th year since I bought my first 20v Max tools, the Home Depot Special Buy kit containing a DCD795, DCF886, DCL040, two 2Ah batteries, charger, and a small ToughSystem box.
I know there are smaller and more powerful drills out there, but how much do we really need? I have a DCD985 I picked up on clearance, and the 996 is much more streamlined.
The “full size” cordless drills have been impressively powerful for a long time, honestly. I have an older Dewalt model, DCD990, and it absolutely commands respect. If it binds up it is absolutely capable of injuring you. Today’s models are even more powerful, but thankfully bind-up protection is a thing now too. I also have a Flexvolt stud-and-joist drill, that thing is an absolute beast and would be quite dangerous were it not for the E-clutch feature. I don’t find the 990 lacking in power at all. When it finally taps out and needs to be replaced I think the bind-up protection will be my favorite feature of whatever drill I get to replace it.
