LOML says "Go buy some tools for your 40th"

[Rob3100]

My current plan is to upgrade one tool and add a new one. Here is the short list:

Panasonic 15.6 volt Drill/Driver (~$190)
Makita 3901 Plate Joiner (~$138)

The Panasonic will be an upgrade to my Ryobi 18v setup which has served me well for the last 3 years. The plate joiner is a new tool for me and well up the food chain from my normal entry point of cheap and workable.

I am fretting a bit over whether to go with the 3.5Ah or 3.0Ah batteries. Yes, the 3.5's have longer life, but the 3.0 is smaller/lighter and I don't really see myself running them both out (it comes with 2) in the 45minutes it takes to recharge one.

Any thoughts, comments?

[bthere]

My first comment is that your wife needs to convince my wife how to handle birthdays.

The second is that I have a Ridgid 18V drill/driver that has a dual 30 minute charger. Normally I can go days on a single battery with no need to change or charge. However, there are times when I use the heck out of the drill. . Just recently when I was putting a stop to squeaks in a subfloor before putting down hardwood flooring, and I kept 3 batteries in pretty constant cycle of charge, use, repeat. I was glad to have 3 pretty heavy AH batteries at hand.

So, depending on what you forsee as possible projects you can make your choices. You may be able to get by with the lighter one if you have intermittent light duty use. You may decide you need more battery for more sustained operation. Another possibility is to get an extra battery if you anticipate long, heavy use periods.

[gsmittle]

Can I borrow your wife for a while?

Happy shopping!

g.

[Rob3100]

Can I borrow your wife for a while?

Absolutely not, finders keepers!

What you don't know is that the kitchen and back porch are due this year, so there is an ulterior motive. In the kitchen the cabinets, electric and floor fall to you know who. On the back porch I get the ceiling, walls, electric and most of all fun will be the windows; currently considering options for replacing 10 aluminum jalousie windows (5 x doubles) and door with something more energy efficient. One option is custom double french doors made by the birthday boy.

[Ken Massingale]

Absolutely not, finders keepers!

What you don't know is that the kitchen and back porch are due this year, so there is an ulterior motive. In the kitchen the cabinets, electric and floor fall to you know who. On the back porch I get the ceiling, walls, electric and most of all fun will be the windows; currently considering options for replacing 10 aluminum jalousie windows (5 x doubles) and door with something more energy efficient. One option is custom double french doors made by the birthday boy.

Oh quit your whining and go buy the dang tools. There's enough in that list for at least one more 'gotta-have' tool before the list is finished! ;-D

[jackellis]

Rob,

Believe it or not, energy efficient windows will take many years to pay for themselves, even at current energy prices. Dual-pane windows are quieter and we like the look of the fiberglass windows we put in to replace some metal ones, but a better way to save money on cooling, which is the big deal down your way, is to make sure you have adequate ventilation in your attic. A whole house fan, some powered attic ventilators and adequate soffit ventilation under your roof eaves are a better energy-saving investment than new windows if you don't already have them. It's not the 90 degree outside air that makes your A/C work hard, it's the 140 degree air in your attic!

[BrazosJake]

You don't know what I'd give to hear LOML say that.

Not for the tools, but because that milestone has past:-(

[LinuxRandal]

Rob,

Believe it or not, energy efficient windows will take many years to pay for themselves, even at current energy prices. Dual-pane windows are quieter and we like the look of the fiberglass windows we put in to replace some metal ones, but a better way to save money on cooling, which is the big deal down your way, is to make sure you have adequate ventilation in your attic. A whole house fan, some powered attic ventilators and adequate soffit ventilation under your roof eaves are a better energy-saving investment than new windows if you don't already have them. It's not the 90 degree outside air that makes your A/C work hard, it's the 140 degree air in your attic!

Don't forget the number 1 cause in old homes. Addequite (spelling) insulation!

[JR]

LOML says "Go buy some tools for your 40th"

Yeah, that happens to me all the time...




Then the alarm wakes me up, and I realize:
A. That 40th birthday ship sailed a long time ago, and
B. That was NOT LOML in that French maid's outfit urging me to buy more tools, cheri!

Aaaannnyyywaaaay, back to your question.

i have a biscuit joiner and really like using it. If f I was about to make a bunch of face-frame cabinets, though, I might consider a nice Kreg pocket hole jig.

As to the Panasonic, it may just be me, but if your Ryobi is working properly, why change? I don't know what's in your arsenal, but it sounds like you've got some sanding in your future, some dadoes and rabbets, maybe some raised panels(?). Are you set up for cutting down sheet stock? Are there any holes in your lineup that need to be plugged?

You've got some big projects, so making sure you're not impeded by kluging a repetitive task would be important.

my 2c
JR

[Ed62]

I agree. Forget the Panasonic, and get the SawStop instead.

Ed