Tools you never knew you needed

patooyee · Sep 7, 2014

I got a list of 10 tools you never knew you need on Google+ the other day. They were all neat but one stood out to me as something I could have used many times in the past and plan to definitely purchase for only $27:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-drill-guide/p-00967173000P?sid=IDx01192011x000001&kpid=00967173000&kispla=00967173000P&kpid=00967173000&mktRedirect=y

About the only thing better I could think of for doing the same thing on jobs that are too big to fit in a drill press is a magnetic drill, and those things are just too damn expensive.

One that I own that I can't believe everyone else doesn't is this:

http://www.powerprobe.com/pp3.php

I first got it at the behest of Pirate members, it was a hard pill to swallow new ($100+) so I bought one on my local CL from an angry wife whose husband went to prison for a third and final term for dealing drugs. She was selling off all his mechanics tools to pay the bills. This started out as being a convenient little electrical toy but has since become my go-to electrical trouble-shooting tool for just about every job. The more I use it the more uses I find it has. Definitely was a wise investment and everyone who comes and uses it wishes they owned one.

Anyone got anything else in their toolbox that they can't believe everyone else doesn't have?

yankster · Sep 7, 2014

This. Milwaukee 3/8" drive 12 volt ratchet. I use this thing every time I work on anything. No airlines and the battery lasts forever.

patooyee · Sep 7, 2014

yankster said:
This. Milwaukee 3/8" drive 12 volt ratchet. I use this thing every time I work on anything. No airlines and the battery lasts forever.

That is a great idea. Definitely on my shopping list!

Eddyj · Sep 7, 2014

Cool thread.
I've been thinking about a power probe. I've seen it on power block but figure they just pushed it because of pp being a sponsor.

patooyee · Sep 7, 2014

Eddyj said:
Cool thread.
I've been thinking about a power probe. I've seen it on power block but figure they just pushed it because of pp being a sponsor.

It's awesome. Just to explain a little though, you connect the jumpers to the battery + and -. At that point the tip is the tool. Touch it to ground and screen turns green and rings a tone indicating ground. Touch it to power and it turns red with a voltage reading and rings a different tone indicating power. You can test fuses with it without pulling them. Touch the tip to both sides of the fuse, if one side rings and the other doesn't, its blown. If both sides ring different there is a short. Pushing up on the little button applies power at the tip. (It has a breaker built in that trips if you apply power where you shouldn't.) Pushing down applies ground. The small black alligator clamp coming out of the bottom is a ground clamp. Clamp it to anything and then apply power to things like relays, lights, or fans and you can test them off of the vehicle. Uses go on and on.

onepieceatatime · Sep 7, 2014

Re: Re: Re: Tools you never knew you needed

yankster said:
This. Milwaukee 3/8" drive 12 volt ratchet. I use this thing every time I work on anything. No airlines and the battery lasts forever.

Seen them and want one but didn't know how much balls it really had. I have the Milwaukee 1/2 battery impact and it kicks ass.

Eddyj · Sep 7, 2014

You on the power probe payroll patooyee? First ian now you.

Good reveiw. You gave me the last push I needed to pick one up.

wannabe · Sep 7, 2014

I use my power probe just about daily. But if y'all get one be very carful using it. You can fry some **** quick! I've seen a bunch of ppl burn up modules.. And get the adapters to pierce wires.. Makes life so damn gravy

patooyee · Sep 7, 2014

wannabe said:
I use my power probe just about daily. But if y'all get one be very carful using it. You can fry some **** quick! I've seen a bunch of ppl burn up modules.. And get the adapters to pierce wires.. Makes life so damn gravy

Lots of connectors (like weather pack) use small little contacts that are buried deep in the connector. I have made a variety of small connector extenders with just bare wires on one end and terminal connectors on the other. Then when I want to test a specific terminal within a connector I can just connect my pig tail to it which I then hit the PP3 with. This makes it so that I don't have to carefully bulls-eye tiny little terminal inside of small dark cavities with the probe and also connecting the aux. ground easy in places that would otherwise be impossible.

wannabe · Sep 7, 2014

I'm talking about these

http://www.denlorstools.com/home/dt1/page_43557_1363/power_probe_pppp01_green_wire_piercing_probe_fls01.html

For when you don't want to disconnect or can't disconect it. I have a couple sizes of these and use them all the time. Love them

patooyee · Sep 7, 2014

wannabe said:
I'm talking about these

http://www.denlorstools.com/home/dt1/page_43557_1363/power_probe_pppp01_green_wire_piercing_probe_fls01.html

For when you don't want to disconnect or can't disconect it. I have a couple sizes of these and use them all the time. Love them

What exactly do they do? Because I can pierce a wire with the standard tip ...

Rjhoward32006 · Sep 8, 2014

hands down power probe is where it's at!!!! hitit

bad80cj · Sep 8, 2014

patooyee said:
What exactly do they do? Because I can pierce a wire with the standard tip ...

I have something similar but mine have a lead on the with alligator clips. I use them to jump out certain modules. Been using my power probe for years. Love it!

yankster · Sep 8, 2014

onepieceatatime said:
Seen them and want one but didn't know how much balls it really had. I have the Milwaukee 1/2 battery impact and it kicks ass.

35 FT/LBS. It'll strip out a 1/4" button head stainless bolt and hose clamps if you're not careful. Surprised me. The body is strong enough to pull on to break loose tight bolts.
Also spade terminals will snap into the top of the battery perfect so I use it if I need a 12 volt power supply.

TheViking · Sep 8, 2014

Re:

More to drool over.

patooyee · Sep 19, 2014

wannabe said:
I'm talking about these

http://www.denlorstools.com/home/dt1/page_43557_1363/power_probe_pppp01_green_wire_piercing_probe_fls01.html

For when you don't want to disconnect or can't disconect it. I have a couple sizes of these and use them all the time. Love them

patooyee said:
What exactly do they do? Because I can pierce a wire with the standard tip ...

Back to the top because I'm still wondering about this ... sorry if I sounded sarcastic, I wasn't trying to be.

FM5332FF · Sep 19, 2014

Milwaukee Hole Hog, I Bought one for my tube notcher, I will never use another drill for notching.

patooyee · Sep 19, 2014

That thing looks like it could rip your arm off.

Rokcrler · Sep 19, 2014

patooyee said:
That thing looks like it could rip your arm off.

Ive used one for notching and it is better than the hand drill. The hand drill will wrench your hand/arm when the holesaw catches.
This one not so much.