Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [powertools]

Power tools are any tool that uses electricity or compressed air to perform a given action. Use with the [tools] tag

285 questions
51
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8 answers

When would one use an impact driver versus a regular drill?

Or vice-versa. As best as I can tell, the impact driver is very good for most any type of screw going through wood. When would you use a drill (with screw bit) instead?
Matt
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16 answers

How do I get over my fear of using power tools?

Circular saw, jointer and table saw scare the living $#1+ out of me. How do I get rid of the fear? I've watched tons of safety videos and read all manuals cover to cover and still feel wary of using them. I guess I can describe myself as a DIY'er…
Michael Kelso
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4 answers

Are there any cordless power tool systems that offer a corded option?

Are there any cordless powertool systems (e.g., drills, drivers) that have a corded battery option (i.e., an adapter that fits where the battery would normally go that can be plugged in)? I've used other electrical equipment with this arrangement…
Anonymous Joe
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18
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4 answers

Is this saw blade faulty?

This may be the stupidest DIY question ever, but I want to make sure before I return it: is this non-ferrous metals saw blade faulty? In the picture, see where one of the titanium carbide teeth seems to be too large and to extend into the expansion…
RustyShackleford
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16
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4 answers

When should I replace a circular saw blade?

Is there a rule of thumb for how often a circular saw blade should be replaced? Is visually inspecting the blade condition enough?
Doresoom
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16
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4 answers

How can I sharpen oscillating tool blades?

Is there any good method of sharpening these things?
Brock Neill
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16
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6 answers

How to drill a hole in a space too small to fit a standard manual or electric drill?

I have a very narrow kitchen cupboard I'd like to make some changes to (add shelves maybe). Almost any change will require drilling holes though, and there's not enough room for a standard electric or manual drill, so the first problem to solve is…
Highly Irregular
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2 answers

What can a Dremel tool do that a drill cannot?

I'd like to understand: what is the point of a Dremel tool? I know that there are many Dremel accessories that are indeed useful, but why should I have to get the tool itself? Couldn't the whole system be implemented using an adapter for an ordinary…
200_success
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13
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5 answers

How can I protect my hands when using power tools?

When doing many DIY projects there's a strong need to protect hands against cutting by sharp part edges. Gloves seem a natural solution. However recently I was mounting a countertop and wearing gloves and I needed to drill a hole in the countertop…
sharptooth
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5 answers

How do I consistently drive drywall screws to the correct depth?

Is there a special technique or tool for consistently placing drywall screws correctly? I'm using a standard Dewalt DWD115K (with no auto-stop mechanism) so I'm usually paranoid of going too deep with screws... which results in stopping the screw…
Mike B
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13
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9 answers

How do I remove a drill bit that is stuck due to an overtightened chuck?

I recently bought a Bosch PSB 500 RE power drill and already I kinda screwed up the machine. The chuck is keyless, consisting of two parts which I'll refer to as the head and the base. You would hold the base and rotate the head relative to the…
Moataz Elmasry
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13
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7 answers

Why does my old table saw power switch cut both hot and neutral?

I am refurbishing an old Craftsman 10" table saw that has been collecting dust in the back of my shop for years. I don't remember exactly how I acquired it, but to my recollection the one time I tried to start it sparks flew from the on/off switch.…
Jimmy Fix-it
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12
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3 answers

What type of cordless tool battery chemistry should I purchase?

I'm about to buy a cordless tool set in which the tools all operate off the same form-factor battery. The batteries come in several different chemistries and I'm wondering which type is better for the type of short duration, impulsive discharging…
Joel B
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12
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3 answers

Does a 2100W angle grinder need an earth pin?

I have recently purchased a Makita 2100W angle grinder. It has just the live (L) and neutral (N) connectors unlike the one I previously used, which had a third protected earth (PE) connection. Would it be better if I changed the connections to a 3…
Emmanuel Sillah
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11
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1 answer

What is the "wobble" adjustment on a jigsaw for?

Every jigsaw I've used had an adjustment knob with an illustration that looked like back-and-forth "wobble" in the blade. What is this adjustment used for? I've always just set it as what I figured was "least wobble"
Matthew
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