Old tools.

[V6Matty]

Agreed - I have one of those Evolution saws too. Great piece of kit. The only thing I don't like is they use a non-standard mounting size so you're tied to their blades.

Have a chat with your local ECA tool fast place, I found there are a few after market blades that do have adapters to get around odd size issues

 

[Chrishazle]

Just remembered, a couple of years ago SIL wanted help laying some paving, I saw there was a stone cutting disc for his Evolution circular saw so bought one - it was useless, hardly cut anything before it had worn smooth - and it wasn't cheap to buy! In the end he rented a petrol disc cutter which worked really well.

 

[Rappey69]

then Hitachi went and changed the battery design

I think if makita did that now they would lose most of their customers, unless some completely new power source becomes available.
There are adaptor plates on ebay so you can use a dewalt battery with a hitachi etc..

 

[Chrishazle]

A large part of the reason I switched to Metabo was being told on their sales stand at the annual FFX tool show that the batteries would be available for decades. I'd just had to bin 3 perfectly good Axminster White combi drills plus 3 chargers and about 8 batteries as repacements were not available and the only re-celler I found wanted £50 per battery to re-cell them. Rather than spend £400 getting all the batteries re-celled I spent about £140 on a Metabo 18v combi which is superb, and have subsequently added a 10.8v combi for under £100 that is my main combi these days, plus a 10.8 sabre saw bare unit and an 18v multi-tool bare unit.

 

[Rob.T]

Don't agree about Miele high prices! Original washing machine in 1985 was about £300, the one repair was somewhat less than £100, the replacement in 2005/6 was £450 and is still going strong and so far (touches wood rapidly) has been fault free. Compared to the original washer/dryer we bought in about 1980 for £250 that went up in flames in 1985 and was not repairable, IMHO the Miele is excellent VFM!

We bought a Miele washer dryer over 12 years ago at a cost of £1000, it still runs as good as it did on day one and looks as new. We bought it because everything else seemed to conk out after a maximum of 3 years, we think the Miele is fantastic value for money. It’s also very quiet.

 

[Frontstep]

Thinking about it there must be millions of old tools at the bottom of tips and rusting away in kleptomaniacs sheds and garages.

So many will have been scrapped and we are just reminiscing about the few "that made it"

I remember my first socket set it was made of monkey metal and died at the sight of a front suspension.

I bought some expensive junk and now you can buy a £20 drill from Lidl with a three year guarantee that they honour.

 

[barnaclebill15]

I remember asking the fitter I served my time with why did I need a 7/16 spanner for a 1/2 nut and he explained before the war it would have been a 1/2 spanner but in the war a shortage of steel lead them to reduce the ammount of steel in the nuts and bolt heads and it was found to work well and was never increased. Same with old tools heavier construction, stronger so last longer but more expensive to make so now you have lighter contruction with some cheaper materials but cost less and lighter to carry, I still have some old tools about 60 years old that rarely get used but you never know when you might need one so they stay on shelves in the garage with the Black and Decker hammer drill with speed control thats only about 50 yesra old.