Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]
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_HighVoltage_
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I went car-shopping with a friend the other day. She was looking for a brand new car, not too expensive, not too fast, automatic. Needless to say we were looking at mostly boring stuff. She had initially set her mind on a Ford Focus so we drove one. It was fine, nothing special, drove exactly like the previous generation Focus.
Then we tried a Subaru Impreza 2.0 Sport with a CVT. It had less fancy screens and amenities. It was very utilitarian, the buttons were old-fashioned, the control intuitive. I was very pleasantly surprised by the ride. It felt much more solid and planted than the Focus. It wasn't fast (150hp), but it wasn't terrible either.
She bought it, and I think she made the right choice.
Then we tried a Subaru Impreza 2.0 Sport with a CVT. It had less fancy screens and amenities. It was very utilitarian, the buttons were old-fashioned, the control intuitive. I was very pleasantly surprised by the ride. It felt much more solid and planted than the Focus. It wasn't fast (150hp), but it wasn't terrible either.
She bought it, and I think she made the right choice.
NecroJoe
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To me, the Subaru felt like a nicer car but a generation behind some of the competition. I feel like they really appeal to people who prefer to buy a used car because you can get a "nicer" car for the same money...but maybe feels a little less refined.
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NooDle
Ik ben niet alleen lekker met kaas!
Dunno about autoboxes since Ive tried neither, but the ride and handling, interior and connectivity of a Focus should be miles better than the Subaru.... Then again she may not care about these things 
_HighVoltage_
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Yes and No.
The Focus we looked at was not the Premium spec, so it had a tiny screen. The Subaru had a nicer seating position (and my friend liked the seats better), better visibility (holy thick A-pillars Ford), the handling was much MUCH better (I always thought the boxer lower center of gravity was just a marketing spiel, but the Subaru rolls a lot less in corners), and the CVT was smoother than the 6-speed auto of the Focus.
The only thing I really hated about the Subaru were the speakers which were absolutely terrible. The entertainments system was fine - bluetooth, sirius xm, usb ports, voice control, etc.
The Focus we looked at was not the Premium spec, so it had a tiny screen. The Subaru had a nicer seating position (and my friend liked the seats better), better visibility (holy thick A-pillars Ford), the handling was much MUCH better (I always thought the boxer lower center of gravity was just a marketing spiel, but the Subaru rolls a lot less in corners), and the CVT was smoother than the 6-speed auto of the Focus.
The only thing I really hated about the Subaru were the speakers which were absolutely terrible. The entertainments system was fine - bluetooth, sirius xm, usb ports, voice control, etc.
CrzRsn
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Driving through upstate New York last night.... do they really need so many grades?
NecroJoe
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88 is random...haven't seen that before...and I *feel* like stations here either have 91 or 93, not both.
prizrak
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Driving through upstate New York last night.... do they really need so many grades?
Sunoco? I usually see them with both 91 and 93 pretty much all other stations here are 87,89,93
Spectre
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Driving through upstate New York last night.... do they really need so many grades?
That's a 'mixer' pump. There's a few stations down here that bought them but they were not very popular and I believe they are out of production. The station only gets three grades of gasoline and the pump mixes them to get the other ones.
CrzRsn
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GRtak
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Driving through upstate New York last night.... do they really need so many grades?
Needs more buttons. 96.5 and 100.
This.
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Power tools (= man post)
Power tools (= man post)
OK so I don't know if this is the best place to post it but it's good enough. It's related to working on cars anyway.
I'm at a bit of a crossroads when it comes to power tools. I have a few cordless tools (drill/driver and impact wrench, no specific brands), some corded ones (recip. saw, grinder, another drill, Dremel thing) and last year I got in to air with a compressor, and now own an air wrench and cut-off saw. Trouble is, most of these aren't usable when I want them.
The trouble is they're all running from the house, which has no driveway. [1] If I'm working on something in the garden, corded is fine. [2] If I need to work out the front then corded works too, I just need a 50m extension reel. Air also works because I have a 50m hose but is rather inconvenient to set up and pack away. [3] If I'm working around by our garage (which is in a complex of them on the end of the row of houses) then I can't get power or air round there as there's a house between me and the garage complex.
[4] I also have Keely parked several streets away. While corded is an option it isn't my electricity to use, air isn't an option as the 50L compressor is too big to lug around and it's electric anyway. Today I had a more simple problem: rain. I wanted to get some cutting done on Keely in situ but running corded in the rain is dumb and as mentioned the air isn't portable.
So, I'm left with a couple of options. Do I invest in good cordless kit or go for the mobile air approach? Essentially I'm pitting a petrol powered compressor against a Makita 18V cordless grinder. Unless someone directs me otherwise I will work on the basis that buying Makita kit is a good investment that will last. A petrol compressor would essentially solve [3] and [4] but fuel power is ultimately messy and while it might be more portable by design, it'll still be a bastard to load and unload in Bugsy. Cordless electric is clearly much lighter. I could consider getting a generator and sticking with corded tools but those things are heavy too, plus I want to learn to weld so any generator must be capable of running a MIG welder (10kW anyone?). Air tools are obviously cheaper and don't rely on current tech that will go out of date.
Prices aren't exactly comparable. For the price of a new brushless grinder (why start on the back foot?), a pair of batteries and a charger I could buy the engine part of an Evolution generator and have change. With some work I could graft on the air compressor kit I had intended for Keely. Purpose built petrol units are out there for over ?300. I'm not shy of spending the money on an investment, I just don't want to be backing the wrong horse for the next 10 years. Getting dedicated space may happen in that time but on-site power isn't guaranteed.
Any advice appreciated.
Power tools (= man post)
OK so I don't know if this is the best place to post it but it's good enough. It's related to working on cars anyway.
I'm at a bit of a crossroads when it comes to power tools. I have a few cordless tools (drill/driver and impact wrench, no specific brands), some corded ones (recip. saw, grinder, another drill, Dremel thing) and last year I got in to air with a compressor, and now own an air wrench and cut-off saw. Trouble is, most of these aren't usable when I want them.
The trouble is they're all running from the house, which has no driveway. [1] If I'm working on something in the garden, corded is fine. [2] If I need to work out the front then corded works too, I just need a 50m extension reel. Air also works because I have a 50m hose but is rather inconvenient to set up and pack away. [3] If I'm working around by our garage (which is in a complex of them on the end of the row of houses) then I can't get power or air round there as there's a house between me and the garage complex.
[4] I also have Keely parked several streets away. While corded is an option it isn't my electricity to use, air isn't an option as the 50L compressor is too big to lug around and it's electric anyway. Today I had a more simple problem: rain. I wanted to get some cutting done on Keely in situ but running corded in the rain is dumb and as mentioned the air isn't portable.
So, I'm left with a couple of options. Do I invest in good cordless kit or go for the mobile air approach? Essentially I'm pitting a petrol powered compressor against a Makita 18V cordless grinder. Unless someone directs me otherwise I will work on the basis that buying Makita kit is a good investment that will last. A petrol compressor would essentially solve [3] and [4] but fuel power is ultimately messy and while it might be more portable by design, it'll still be a bastard to load and unload in Bugsy. Cordless electric is clearly much lighter. I could consider getting a generator and sticking with corded tools but those things are heavy too, plus I want to learn to weld so any generator must be capable of running a MIG welder (10kW anyone?). Air tools are obviously cheaper and don't rely on current tech that will go out of date.
Prices aren't exactly comparable. For the price of a new brushless grinder (why start on the back foot?), a pair of batteries and a charger I could buy the engine part of an Evolution generator and have change. With some work I could graft on the air compressor kit I had intended for Keely. Purpose built petrol units are out there for over ?300. I'm not shy of spending the money on an investment, I just don't want to be backing the wrong horse for the next 10 years. Getting dedicated space may happen in that time but on-site power isn't guaranteed.
Any advice appreciated.
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prizrak
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I've seen some serious cordless stuff, on par with air tools on the amount of force they can apply though I can't remember the brand off the top of my head. The problem is that you have to keep them charged of course.
GRtak
Forum Addict
OK so I don't know if this is the best place to post it but it's good enough. It's related to working on cars anyway.
I'm at a bit of a crossroads when it comes to power tools. I have a few cordless tools (drill/driver and impact wrench, no specific brands), some corded ones (recip. saw, grinder, another drill, Dremel thing) and last year I got in to air with a compressor, and now own an air wrench and cut-off saw. Trouble is, most of these aren't usable when I want them.
The trouble is they're all running from the house, which has no driveway. [1] If I'm working on something in the garden, corded is fine. [2] If I need to work out the front then corded works too, I just need a 50m extension reel. Air also works because I have a 50m hose but is rather inconvenient to set up and pack away. [3] If I'm working around by our garage (which is in a complex of them on the end of the row of houses) then I can't get power or air round there as there's a house between me and the garage complex.
[4] I also have Keely parked several streets away. While corded is an option it isn't my electricity to use, air isn't an option as the 50L compressor is too big to lug around and it's electric anyway. Today I had a more simple problem: rain. I wanted to get some cutting done on Keely in situ but running corded in the rain is dumb and as mentioned the air isn't portable.
So, I'm left with a couple of options. Do I invest in good cordless kit or go for the mobile air approach? Essentially I'm pitting a petrol powered compressor against a Makita 18V cordless grinder. Unless someone directs me otherwise I will work on the basis that buying Makita kit is a good investment that will last. A petrol compressor would essentially solve [3] and [4] but fuel power is ultimately messy and while it might be more portable by design, it'll still be a bastard to load and unload in Bugsy. Cordless electric is clearly much lighter. I could consider getting a generator and sticking with corded tools but those things are heavy too, plus I want to learn to weld so any generator must be capable of running a MIG welder (10kW anyone?). Air tools are obviously cheaper and don't rely on current tech that will go out of date.
Prices aren't exactly comparable. For the price of a new brushless grinder (why start on the back foot?), a pair of batteries and a charger I could buy the engine part of an Evolution generator and have change. With some work I could graft on the air compressor kit I had intended for Keely. Purpose built petrol units are out there for over ?300. I'm not shy of spending the money on an investment, I just don't want to be backing the wrong horse for the next 10 years. Getting dedicated space may happen in that time but on-site power isn't guaranteed.
Any advice appreciated.
It all depends on what you are doing with them. If you are doing heavy work all the time, then air is great. I don't have a lot of air tools, but the ones I do have are beefy.
If you need to have portable, then cordless units can be had for a large portion of what most will need. Most of what I have here is inherited from my dad who was not the best at getting tools like this so they are fairly mediocre. I know better are available, and I do want to get some upgrades in this area.
You can also get power convertors that can handle running real power tools (check specs) from a vehicle for that occasional need too.
That Evolution deal looks cool, but for the price, unless you get all the bits, it seems it would be better to get the individual tools. I would only want the pressure washer and pump, I already have a generator of a higher output.
Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]
90mph is allegedly really good cruising speed for a 2004 Ford Mustang.
90mph is allegedly really good cruising speed for a 2004 Ford Mustang.
tigger
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Go with your gut. Keep a couple batteries charged for mobile cordless work and use the air tools at home. Mobile air is just overkill unless you're running some over the top trail rig.
Edit:
Well I mean, you're not even turning 3 grand at 90mph right? Sounds like a good cruising speed to me.90mph is allegedly really good cruising speed for a 2004 Ford Mustang.
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Nope! A friend of mine who did it said it was around 2300rpm.
BerserkerCatSplat
Hormone Induced
So, I'm left with a couple of options. Do I invest in good cordless kit or go for the mobile air approach? Essentially I'm pitting a petrol powered compressor against a Makita 18V cordless grinder. Unless someone directs me otherwise I will work on the basis that buying Makita kit is a good investment that will last. A petrol compressor would essentially solve [3] and [4] but fuel power is ultimately messy and while it might be more portable by design, it'll still be a bastard to load and unload in Bugsy. Cordless electric is clearly much lighter. I could consider getting a generator and sticking with corded tools but those things are heavy too, plus I want to learn to weld so any generator must be capable of running a MIG welder (10kW anyone?). Air tools are obviously cheaper and don't rely on current tech that will go out of date.
Any advice appreciated.
If you're going to be investing in a system, the Milwaukee Fuel 18V tools are well-regarded and they have some that are automotive-oriented, like the 1/2" drive impact.
tigger
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Wait, I thought the '04 and newer 'stangs came with like a 3.27 axle standard? Maybe I heard wrong. My car has a 2.73 and it does 90mph around 2300rpm. Either way, that's glorious.
I don't know if there's any difference between Milwaukee's Fuel line and their regular stuff. But their regular cordless stuff is the shit. Of course you pay for it, but it's awesome.
Never heard anything bad about Makita, but you can't go wrong with Milwaukee.
My dad uses Milwaukee power tools and by default, I do too. Every building with a decent maintenance crew all use Milwaukee tools as well. Either they're good at marketing or their stuff is good. I've had good luck with my 1/2" drill, 1/4" impact, and reciprocating saw. Sawzall is the only name for that tool by the way.