Advice on power tools

thor

I need to saw quite a few pinewood planks soon and don't fancy having to do it all by hand. I'm thinking of buying a saw powertool but don't want to splash out as I will only need it occasionally in the future. Looking at all the many tools out there I think recipricating saw would best suit my purpose than a jigsaw but the cheapest ones cost around 40 quid. Given that you can get jigsaws for a tenner at argos is it worth shelling out the extra for a recip saw?
I also need opinions on drill drivers. Whenever two functions are combined into one tool it usually falls between 2 stools. Is this the case for drill drivers(I already know that they can only be used for light drilling). There is one in argos (item no 711/2812)for £29.99 I have my eye on. Does it look any good or are there better value ones about.

shandypants5

Recip saw is much more powerfull and will cut faster than a jigsaw.
It will allso saw metal if you fit the right blade.

I have This cheap BnQ one.

They are ok for occasional use and if you break it then BnQ will just replace it anyway so it makes no sense to spend much more.


They are harder to keep in a straight line though, good for lopping things off or cutting large holes.

wallbash

A few planks and then you might not use again .
Buy a brand new handsaw , and take your time.

Tell us what you plan to do with a new drill driver.
Budget about £30

we will the post ( argue :rotfl:) ideas

shandypants5

thor wrote: »

There is one in argos (item no 711/2812)for £29.99 I have my eye on. Does it look any good or are there better value ones about.

I would check before you buy that one.
It says its 18volt, but the pic shows a 14volt battery.

Allso, it comes with a lot of cheap accessories that will be poor quality.

Look for one with 2 batteries so you can charge one while you use the other.

But like Wallbash says, it really depends what your gonna drill.;)

iamcornholio

If you want a straight line and vertical cut, then you need to use a circular saw or a mitre saw. A jigsaw and a reciprocating saw will give you a rough wavy cut

Drill/drivers are not two tools in one, but are low powered and light drills that can also be used to drive screws. Almost every drill is a drill/driver
If you are doing more screw driving than drilling get one which is small and light (around 12v), if you are drilling more than screw driving get one with a bit more power, but will mean its heavier.

phill99

You will be how many time you will end up using a drill driver. I have a Macalister 18v (B & Q Own Brand) and it gets a lot of abuse. It can drill in toi masonary as wll as be usewd as a drill driver. Was £70 but probably more now. The cheaper ones aren't up to much so its worth the investment as I'm sure you will use it more than you realise.

If you want to cut lots of planks, what about hiring a chop saw for the day. It should cost about £30 or so but will be a decent make and then you don't have the hassle of storing it.

iamcornholio

But you don't want to be holding an 18v monster drill all day if you are screwing in screws or assembling units

Steve_the_fitter

I fyou are cutting planks a recip saw is the wrong tool. Asalready said if you need precise cuts you need a mitre saw. If you are cutting flooring and the cuts hidden under skirting you will get away with a jigsaw

ormus

wickes own brand are good value for money, for the DIYer. better than argos for the similar money.
ive had mine for about 10 yrs now. 3 x drills and a jigsaw.

thor

Steve_the_fitter wrote: »

I fyou are cutting planks a recip saw is the wrong tool. Asalready said if you need precise cuts you need a mitre saw. If you are cutting flooring and the cuts hidden under skirting you will get away with a jigsaw

I don't really need the cuts to be precise and I will be cutting across the planks which are only about 4 or 5 cms wide so even I should be able to hold a reasonably straight line(I hope).

thor

iamcornholio wrote: »

But you don't want to be holding an 18v monster drill all day if you are screwing in screws or assembling units

That is a very good point. It is for that purpose I was considering drill drivers. I had just put together a 5 shelf shoe rack with about a zillion screws and my arms are burning. I just thought an electric screwdriver would cut out all the hard work and save a lot of time. Then when I started looking round I found drill drivers did not cost all that much extra so why not get a drill as well. Saves me having to but a dedicated one if the need arised.