In 2018, I built a deck, using a massive box of screws, a slightly knackered corded hammer drill, a philips bit I found in the cupboard when I moved in, a rusty old saw, and some decking I got off Gumtree.
I was sawing everything by hand, trying to keep things straight. Driving screws in with a drill that had only two real speeds, fast, and lightspeed. And the bit kept disappearing into the chuck, as it only held so tightly.
A few years later, I started buying proper powertools, and did another deck. And oh my word…The difference.
Cutting a 2x3 takes seconds with the circular, and the line is actually straight. Driving a 100mm screw is no longer a 5 minute job, now I have an impact driver. And not having to run an extension cord for every little job? A proper perk.
I don’t think I could go back to doing DIY without my new friends. Has anyone else here had a similar revelation after finally buying the right tools for the job?
the natural cheapskate in me has still avoided investing in petrol hedge trimmers and strimmers.
nope, i buy a cheap electric one every year and there are currently 3 broken ones in the garage.
my brain is yet to make the connection.
Every time I take my corded hedge trimmer out, I accidentally turn it into a cordless one at some point.
I think it’s the Adam Savage tool principle that says that you should buy a reasonably priced tool first, then if it fails, you probably used it enough to justify the big one.