What's everybody's favorite tool in their shop? For me it has to be my air compressor because I can run so many different air tools off it.

Favorite single stand alone tool? SAWZALL! Any race car driver's handiest power tool and often used in conjunction with the best non-power tool, a big sledge hammer!

Milwaukee 28V Li-ON system. Every tool is unstoppable!

Personally, I like to use brute force and awkwardness. But for actual tools I would have to say a good cordless 18v or higher drill, preferably Milwaukee. For metal, definately a welder along with a torch, or even better, a plasma cutter.

Nothing comes close to a nice garage heater!

A good cordless drill is my #1 staple power tool. If I had to choose just one, that would be it. I picked up the Milwaukee V28 set a few months ago and *insert grunt here* the tools are beasts! Building my fish house trailer, I was going to use a drill press for the pivot holes. I ended up using the cordless drill!

I used the MILWAUKEE Right angle 28V drill and attached it to a 7" ice auger. It drilled 29 holes through 8" of ice on 1 charge. NO FUMES, NO NOISE. People were shocked.

What is the wieight on those 28 volt systems? Would you get tired using it all day?

They're about the same weight as the 18 volt drills. I've used both my Porter Cable 19.2 and the Milwaukee V28 drill all day and was fine, but it's really dependent on the individual. I haven't weighed the two, but they seem nearly identical in weight.

I don't mean to steal the thread like this, but I just finished replacing an axle on a trailer using the V28 impact driver. The nuts on the U-bolts were pretty frozen, but it got all 8 off, impacting them all the way off and back on, took 2 of the spring bolts off and on, and broke loose 10 lug nuts and tightened them back up with plenty of juice left. I was impressed. It's pretty fair to say that I'm in love with the set.

Hmm, maybe we should start a lithium ion thread here...

Cordless drill and my impulse nailer, Can't imagine pounding a 16pd nail again.

The 28 V is very similar weight to the 18V NiCd system. It is actully like 2 or 3 oz heavier. Believe of not the 28V battery is actually lighter than the 18V NiCd. But with LiOn fade free power, you can use it almost all day on 1 battery.

1 battery:

Decked a 17' X 6.5' ice house trailer, cut the green treat plywood for the trailer, drilled multiple holes through steel to mount the lights and still had juice left.

I haven't used the tools performing 1 task until the battery was drained, so I can't comment on how many holes or screws of linear feet cut these things will do, but it's a lot.

The other great thing about the V28 drill and impact driver that I like is that I can put the battery on backwards. It balances the tool much better than the traditional way.

Okay, back to this thread... As stated before, cordless drill hands down

The easiest way to measure run time is on the circ saws. The 28V will cut approx. 360 feet of 1/2" plywood on 1 charge. That is over 1 football field. Compared to the 18V NiCd saw, that will cut about 180 feet. The 28V tools truly have corded performance in a cordless tool.

It might be a "wimpy" power tool, but my vari Dremel. I've used it for carving/shaping decoys, routing, drywall cutouts, plexi, fitting trimwork, cutting off toilet/sink stub outs, etc.

Out of the three in My DeWalt set I think I like the recip saw the best. You could cut pretty much anything in half with that thing but it does eat up some juice. I was pretty surprised how long the circular saw lasts on one charge.

I guess I would have to say my 3 or 5 pound maul. It usually gets things where I need them to be.