4 tools you can't live without

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Breworx

Breworx

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Given your current setup, what are the 4 tools (excluding stuff like wrenches, screwdrivers, etc.) that you find yourself using the most when DIYing homebrew stuff? Here's mine:

Horizontal/vertical bandsaw - I bought a JET 5x6 bandsaw on a whim during PFD season (Google Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend if you're not familiar) and it's turned out to be one of the best investments I've made yet. Before I bought it I was making most of my cuts with an abrasive chopsaw that was loud, threw sparks everywhere, and had to be used exclusively outside. In addition to pissing off the neighbors all summer, it was a real hassle to have to bundle up and drag it outside when the temps started dropping. The bandsaw is quiet, accurate, and doesn't throw sparks.

Drill press - There are a lot of things that drill presses can be used for in addition to drilling, but 99 times out of 100, I'm using my drill press to make holes.

Dremel rotary tool - there are a million things that this can be used for. Everything from cutting to cleaning and polishing. I use my Dremel more than any other tool in my shop.

Oxy-Acetylene torch - I mostly use it for brazing stainless, but when I need to cut mounting plates from 1/4 inch steel plate, it's irreplaceable.
 
Our funds for tools are about none currently, but mine are as follows:

Sharptooth Handsaw. Sure, it only cuts woods but nearly everything I build is out of pine.

Dremel rotary. I probably use this more than the saw for everything from cutting and grinding metal to deburring kettle holes and intermediate sanding wood parts.

Drill. For everything that can't be done in the press, the drill gets the call. It's also my grainmill motor.

C- or wood clamp, because I don't have a vice (or even a workbench), so everything that gets cut is first clamped to a folding ladder. Now accepting donations for Conan's Tool Fund! Kidding. Kyle
 
My shop is pretty well stocked, but when building my brew system i used the following four tools the most,

-13x32 inch lathe

-Lincoln Square wave 175 Tig

-Fluke digital multimeter

-Ridgid 1/2 inch tube bender
 
4 1/2" angle grinder. Use it with cut off wheels to cut kegs, brew stand material, ect. Use backing plates for sanding, smoothing, polishing metal parts. Use wire wheels to clean up rust from salvaged steel square tube.

Simple table saw for the wood working stuff like the collar for the keezer and storage bins/shelves.

MAPP Gas or propane torch. I do not have an Oxy-Acetylene torch at the house so I do all my soldering and brazing with a simple cheap MAPP Gas unit.

Last one is a bit of a cheat. My electrical tool box, heat gun and a soldering iron. Heat gun for the heat shrink tube and soldering iron for solid and secure connectons.
 
My most used tools on my shop

- miller 225 amp mig
- compound miter cut off saw
- combo milling machine/ drill press
- miller tig machine
 
I cannot say that I have one tool more important than any other tool. Cant use a multi meter to hammer nails and you cant use a hammer to check voltage.

Just because I could I built a cabinet with only a router once and then another with only a table saw. This of course excluded screws and such to hold it together.
 
Miter saw and/or rotary saw
Drill with bits
Angle grinder has been nice to have lately
Don't forget the tape measure, level, pencil and other basic hand tools ;)
 
Conan said:
Our funds for tools are about none currently, but mine are as follows:

Sharptooth Handsaw. Sure, it only cuts woods but nearly everything I build is out of pine.

Dremel rotary. I probably use this more than the saw for everything from cutting and grinding metal to deburring kettle holes and intermediate sanding wood parts.

Drill. For everything that can't be done in the press, the drill gets the call. It's also my grainmill motor.

C- or wood clamp, because I don't have a vice (or even a workbench), so everything that gets cut is first clamped to a folding ladder. Now accepting donations for Conan's Tool Fund! Kidding. Kyle
Click to expand...

Amen, Conan! I don't have a workshop, I have to commandeer my landlord's and use my livingroom. I have to say my drill, my tape, my razor (solely due to all the pink foam board), and my sawzall (mostly for deconstruction, but sometimes replacing my LL's table saw)
 
All my tools are for home hobby use, but I like nice tools. :)
1 Miller Dynasty TIG welder
2 Round column end mill
3 Drop bed lathe
4 Hobart Beta-MIG.

Those are my 4 favorites... I use them all the time.
 
4 essentials: Hacksaw, MAPP torch, digital multimeter, electric drill. I didn't use much else to make my first brewing set up.

4 things I have now that I wish I had then: TIG welder, angle grinder, drill press, nibbling tool for making holes in enclosures.
 
I'm still very much a beginner and I don't have much of a tool collection, however I'm in the middle of a new keezer build and these are what I've used the most...

1. compound sliding miter saw
2. 48" bar clamps
3. Kreg mini pocket jig and locking c-clamp - this has probably been the single most important tool for my entire build
 
All I have is hand tools, but by far the best tool purchase that I have ever made is my $35 angle grinder. It has come in handy for just about every DIY job I do.

I just bought it about two years ago and kick myself in the ass for not buying one sooner. I think of all of the stupid things that I did to try to get jobs done and time wasted that could have been avoided if I had bought one of these 30 years ago. Duh.

Nothing else compares but I guess the next three would be

Cordless drill
Circular saw
Jigsaw
 
4 1/2" angle grinder
compound miter saw
dremel
variable speed cordless drill

When I started reading this forum, all I had was a corless drill and a dremel with just basic attachments.
 
There is a belief around these parts that nothing can't be fixed with either WD-40 or duct tape.

If it moves and it's not supposed to...use the duct tape.

If it's supposed to move and it doesn't...use the WD-40.
 
Cider123 said:
There is a belief around these parts that nothing can't be fixed with either WD-40 or duct tape.

If it moves and it's not supposed to...use the duct tape.

If it's not supposed to move and it does...use the WD-40.
Click to expand...

If it's supposed to move and doesn't, use the WD-40?
 
My go to tool are my nines, nine inch lineman pliers. I can not live without them.

Then cordless drill, BFH and chainsaw. We use lots of wood to feed the fireplace and saunas.
 
My tools for beer...

1. My DIY Beer line cleaner for my Ball Lock lines... nothing makes beer taste better than clean beer lines.

2. Teflon Tape... Leak Free CO2 stops the surprise of being out of CO2 at the wrong time. ;) If it has threads, it get Teflon Tape. ;)

3. My Oetiker Clamp Crimp tool. Hassle free non leaking Beer lines and CO2 lines are a God send. Worm clamps or those little plastic clamps are just not good enough to be worry free.

4. 6 in 1 Combination Beer Mechanics Wrench. Only one tool to reach for when working on my beer system the PER (LICK/FECT) tool. ;)

These are tools/items, pretty much only used for BEER that should be in every Beer guys arsenal. As this thread is in the HOME BREWING BEER>DIY Thread I'm sticking to BEER tools used all the time in the drinking (most important part) of beer.
 
These

image-4185996338.jpg
 
over the years I've built up many tools, many I'd rather not live without - A planer is incredibly useful, but not all the time -

so, a new twist - the four power tools I'd replace IMMEDIATELY if they were lost, damaged or stolen:


corded drill (can't beat the torque)
circular saw
saber saw
Dremel

(with a miter saw close behind)


of course, many hand tools, clamps, and the like would join that list, and several power tools would be runners up - like a sawzall, router, cordless drill, hammer drill, etc.
 
bkl63 said:
My tools for beer...

1. My DIY Beer line cleaner for my Ball Lock lines... nothing makes beer taste better than clean beer lines.

2. Teflon Tape... Leak Free CO2 stops the surprise of being out of CO2 at the wrong time. ;) If it has threads, it get Teflon Tape. ;)

3. My Oetiker Clamp Crimp tool. Hassle free non leaking Beer lines and CO2 lines are a God send. Worm clamps or those little plastic clamps are just not good enough to be worry free.

4. 6 in 1 Combination Beer Mechanics Wrench. Only one tool to reach for when working on my beer system the PER (LICK/FECT) tool. ;)

These are tools/items, pretty much only used for BEER that should be in every Beer guys arsenal. As this thread is in the HOME BREWING BEER>DIY Thread I'm sticking to BEER tools used all the time in the drinking (most important part) of beer.
Click to expand...

Hell yeah. I'm looking forward to the day that I can say that these are my most useful tools.
 
For me its:
Table saw
miter saw
kreg jig
screw gun/drill

I have had a dremel for years and have used it like twice. Maybe I'm not creative enough... I used to use my grinder a lot when doing boat restoration, but not near as much.

This will all change in the next month or 2 when I start my sculpture build. Then I expect, chop saw, welder, and grinder will move to the top.
 
nhwrecker said:
Beaksnbeer,
What is the second from the left called, and used for? It doesn't even look like it has teeth to grab a nut or anything -

and if it's 1/4 of the most important of your tools for DIY Beer, I definitely feel like I may need one............even if I have no idea what it is.
Click to expand...

It is a Craftsman bottle opener. Even has the Craftsman lifetime warranty.
 
Punch & hammer
Corded drill w/bits, good step bit, and cutting oil
deburring tool: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JY7LY2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
drill press

I'm a woodworker as well, but outside of making some beer cases, this doesn't necessarily get used in beer related things. If my shop were raided over night, I'd replace my Tablesaw and Woodpecker Router Lift with the milwakee 3 1/2 hp router pronto, followed by my bosch cordless drill (damn is this thing light), drill press, and Rikon Bandsaw, with the planer/jointer combo coming in a close 5th. SCMS would be a distant 6th (with a good crosscut sled on your TS, you should be ok without it for a while).

edit: forgot about the clamps. Have the following Bessey K-bodies (before the design change): 8 24", 8 36" 4 50". Can never have enough clamps!!
 
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