Toolbag Tales-Homemade and improvised tools

[mickthemaverick]

Two years ago we bought a new very light battery powered lawnmower. It was an Einhell and after an initial problem which the company sorted almost overnight we have used it, or should I say SWMBO has used it, very successfully as it now enters its third season.

The reason for this post is that my McAlister battery hammer drill is on its last legs due to excessive use over the last 19 years and I am looking to replace it. Einhell have a range of potentially suitable drills which all come with their X-power system which is the one used by the mower. Hence I would enter the world of one charger and shared battery options between the tools similar to other manufacturers ranges. So my question is :
Has anyone had or got an Einhell drill and if so what is your opinion of it?

[moizeau]

The missus has a Ryobi strimmer, from the 'One' range, very pleased with it. We both have Makita drill / drivers. If my Makita died tomorrow after 10+? years, used daily, I'd buy another. We had an Einhell push mower (not used by me, I prefer engines) and it was OK, and an Einhell petrol water pump, seems OK though not used much. Today'e Einhell seems a bit cheap, occasional use, bit like I wouldn't buy Bosch again. That includes the supposedly pro Blue one.

[mickthemaverick]

Thanks Pete, given that I no longer use my drill/driver that much I am happy with occasional use cheaper end of the market. I still have my Makita SDS should any real heavy work come along but it is 110V and so I have to dig out the transformer and leads etc so it is so much easier to have battery for the odd job.

The truth is my McAlistair is still working well but the rubber grip has come adrift and although I've glued it back it just doesn't absorb the hammer shock like it used to!! I can't complain because I used to use up 3 charges a day for the first 7 years of my ownership and it was pretty cheap from B&Q when my van was raided and all my previous power tools were lost. I had Makita and De Walt stuff in the van and it cost the insurance company £1560 to re kit me, but as they sent a cheque I bought more tools of cheaper ranges to make myself better equipped overall!!

[bobins]

It's currently leaf blowing season and my Stihl backpack blower is doing sterling service as usual..... but it started to show signs of needing a minor tune-up one morning. It'd be lazy to pick up from tickover - so the low speed screw needed adjusting.

Low speed screw is in the hole on the right - own work

Stihl - in their desire to get customers to take everything back to the main dealer for any tweak or fix - designed the heads of the carb adjustment screws so you need a special tool to twiddle them. The head of the screws look like a very fine Torx head screwdriver. I've got a set of proper drivers to adjust these and similar carbs.... I just didn't have them with me that morning. So........

A handy bit of tubing fits over the screw - own work

Fit a bit of tube tightly over the screw and use that to twiddle the low speed screw

[CitroJim]

Fit a bit of tube tightly over the screw and use that to twiddle the low speed screw

Nice one! I use the same method for extracting and replacing the main jet in AX carbs

Also good for extracting small filament bulbs from switch bodies back in the days before LEDs made the task redundant...

[Stickyfinger]

The tri-Webers on my old Healey 3000, used rubber tube on the idles...

[myglaren]

[moizeau]

Bit of 18mm diameter 303 Stainless H9 rod turned up today

[bobins]

That's the sort of thing Allen Millyard would use when he's going to lop off a cylinder from two engines and then glue the remaining bits back together to make a straight six. I'm guessing that's not your plan ?

[moizeau]

No, I've got 2 cranks for the Gpz11 engine rebuild and just want to confirm they're not twisted (which they are known to) and choose the best one.
The H9 but is the spec. +0/-0.043mm so all should be good.

[moizeau]

Well that was 22€ well spent. The above picture is the crank from a part spare engine that came with the bike with an unknown history. This is the crank from the bike engine that had eaten a cam shell and siezed.

Imagine how full the swearbox would've been if I'd just rebuilt the engine, with all that time and money thrown into it.

[myglaren]

[MattBLancs]

Ha ha that's brilliant!

"Close, but no cigar" !!

[CitroJim]

Epic fail! Actually not, it's a special screwdriver for inaccessible screws

[myglaren]