Little things that make life easier

ctfjr

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L3800HST
Dec 7, 2009
1,684
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central ct
Every once in a while I pick up a little used tool or device and smile. Its usually something that I normally wouldn't buy or even think of. Pats Easy Change and top n tilt come to mind but I am aware of them pretty much every day even though I may not use them daily.
Today I took my wife's car and the tire low pressure light came on. I reached for this, a present from one of my sons:
griots garage air pressure gauge.jpg


Griot's Garage air pressure gauge. A real pleasure to use.

My son also recommended Stedlin air pressure connectors. They make life a whole lot easier to connect / disconnect tools, they literally go together like butter :). It's my understanding he is a small 'mom n pop' operation. The quality is superb!

Stedlin air connector.jpg


Oh yes btw all 4 tires were in the 20-22lb range. Should be 35. My wife says she never saw the light come on. . .

So those are the things I got to appreciate today. What made you smile?
 
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DustyRusty

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BX23S
Nov 8, 2015
4,952
3,692
113
North East CT
I have the same gauge, only mine is sold by MAC. I have seen them sold under many brand names. The only thing that I don't care about it is when the battery finally dies, it is a nightmare to try to extract it from the rubber housing without stretching the rubber beyond the point where it doesn't return to its original form. After owning my MAC for about 6 or 7 years, the battery died last year. I also have the companion electric air pressure gauge.
 

jkrubi12

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B2601/LA435/QA54"/BH70/B8160box/BB1254/PFL1242/SGC0554/WC-68 Chipper
Sep 24, 2012
397
289
63
right coast
I see that awesome white car again!! :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:(y)
 
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radas

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2022 LX2610HST, 3rd Function, Rear Remotes, BH77
Mar 21, 2022
721
831
93
Michigan
Mafell track saw brings me similar joy, if I ever need to make precision cuts on sheet goods or cabinets, nothing compares. Here are some box newells that I scribed to the staircase I refinished (I am not a finish carpenter, so the 1/32" gaps are within my level of satisfaction 😂)
PXL_20201025_192604007.jpg
PXL_20201101_180845281.jpg
 
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NCL4701

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L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572 box scrape, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Apr 27, 2020
2,488
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Central Piedmont, NC
Don’t know if these are “small” (depends on one’s perspective) but after 46 years of working with this…
409FAC02-01CC-4EE3-B2A3-EF5FE26C4087.jpeg

This makes me happy every time I fire it up.
C34AA3FC-490A-4984-A763-C0C2402562F5.jpeg

This also makes me happy…
6F42CF1F-6E9A-44C3-BE8A-D061DFDF621B.jpeg
 
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skeets

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BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,094
2,755
113
SW Pa
Where did he find that tire gauge and how much was it ?????
 

PHPaul

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B2650, Pronovost snow blower, Landpride rotary mower, Howard tiller, box blade
Apr 2, 2015
948
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93
Downeast Maine
www.eastovershoe.com
My Milwaukee battery 4.5 inch grinder. I keep a slitting disk on it and when I need to quickly cut off a bolt or whatever, I don't have to move what I'm working on to the shop or drag an extension cord out to it.
 
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mcmxi

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***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25TLB
Feb 9, 2021
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NW Montana
Not so little but it sure makes life easier, along with tractors, trailers, a generator etc.

oregon_22_ton.jpg
 
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ctfjr

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L3800HST
Dec 7, 2009
1,684
1,864
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central ct
Where did he find that tire gauge and how much was it ?????
It's from Griot's Garage - this one looks pretty close to what he gave me 4-5 years ago (or more ??):
Inflating Gun

Mine has really taken a beating over the years. Between my sons / daughter stopping over to do simple maintenance on their vehicles and me being not as careful as one might be, its been dropped more times than I can count.
 
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ctfjr

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L3800HST
Dec 7, 2009
1,684
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central ct
My Milwaukee battery 4.5 inch grinder. I keep a slitting disk on it and when I need to quickly cut off a bolt or whatever, I don't have to move what I'm working on to the shop or drag an extension cord out to it.
I have the Dewalt. Who knew how handy that would be?
 
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PHPaul

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B2650, Pronovost snow blower, Landpride rotary mower, Howard tiller, box blade
Apr 2, 2015
948
784
93
Downeast Maine
www.eastovershoe.com
I have the Dewalt. Who knew how handy that would be?
Right? Same goes for my 1/4 inch drive impact. I was really after a new drill but the kit with drill, impact, charger and two batteries was within $40 or so of just the bare drill so I figured what the heck, extra battery.

I use the heck out of it, particularly for driving torx style construction screws.
 

BXHoosier

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BX24
Jan 21, 2018
453
506
93
Indiana
Leatherman multi tool. It’s on my belt everyday at work and whenever I’m working outside or in the garage.

Like others have said, my Dewalt 20V grinder and 1/4” impact driver are probably my most used tools in the garage. I rotated the head on the grinder 90 deg to make it more ergonomic to hold when using it as a cutoff tool and it’s not awkward to hold when grinding. I have a type 27 diamond wheel on it that can be used as a cutoff wheel or grinding wheel.
 
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Daren Todd

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Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
May 18, 2014
8,961
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Vilonia, Arkansas
I have the same gauge, only mine is sold by MAC. I have seen them sold under many brand names. The only thing that I don't care about it is when the battery finally dies, it is a nightmare to try to extract it from the rubber housing without stretching the rubber beyond the point where it doesn't return to its original form. After owning my MAC for about 6 or 7 years, the battery died last year. I also have the companion electric air pressure gauge.
I had one that was stolen 🥺🥺🥺 I replaced it with an analog one with a dial instead. Stays permanently attached to the air compressor at the house. This way my wife knows where it's at if she comes out and finds a tire low on her car.
 
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Daren Todd

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Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
May 18, 2014
8,961
4,327
113
Vilonia, Arkansas
Leatherman multi tool. It’s on my belt everyday at work and whenever I’m working outside or in the garage.

Like others have said, my Dewalt 20V grinder and 1/4” impact driver are probably my most used tools in the garage. I rotated the head on the grinder 90 deg to make it more ergonomic to hold when using it as a cutoff tool and it’s not awkward to hold when grinding. I have a type 27 diamond wheel on it that can be used as a cutoff wheel or grinding wheel.
I second that statement. I have the 20vlt Mac set if impacts. 1/4" nut driver, 3/8 and 1/2" impacts. With 2 chargers and 4 batteries. I use them constantly. Nice thing about my Mac is it's made by Dewalt. And will accept the Dewalt 20vlt batteries 👍👍👍 Told my wife, that if she wants to buy me cordless power tools to get me Dewalt 20vlt. This way I have even more batteries, chargers, and they are interchangeable with my existing stuff. 👍👍👍👍👍
 

RCW

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BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
Apr 28, 2013
8,282
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Chenango County, NY
Probably a foolish thing that doesn’t make life simpler, but keeps things from getting more complicated….

So many fasteners are different flavors anymore.

Torx, Allen, square drive all of different sizes, plus multiple versions of a Phillips head, like the PZ style driver.

Sounds foolish, but I keep a couple bare plain $15 heavier duty manual drivers, along with a big bunch of various bit sets to accommodate most common modern fasteners.

When you need THAT ONE torx, square, hex, etc. bit to fit something….nothing better than finding it in a kit FULL of 80 different bits of various sizes..;)

Keeps things from getting stripped, etc.
 
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Daren Todd

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Equipment
Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
May 18, 2014
8,961
4,327
113
Vilonia, Arkansas
So many fasteners are different flavors anymore…..

Torx, Allen, square drive all of different sizes, plus multiple versions of a Phillips head, like the PZ style driver.

Sounds foolish, but I keep a couple bare plain $15 heavier duty manual drivers, along with a big bunch of various bit sets to accommodate most common modern fasteners.

Sounds foolish, but when you need THAT ONE torx, square, hex, etc. bit to fit something….nothing better than finding it in a kit FULL of 40 different bits….;)
I have a 50 piece multi-bit kit that stays in bag with my 1/4" nut driver. I also have a set of quick connect drill bits that stay in that bag as well.
 
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DaTow'd

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what ever it takes to get the job done
Aug 13, 2013
183
150
43
Bella Coma BC Canada
kubota-in-air.jpg

I should have bought my 10,000 lb. two post hoist 25 years ago.
I've had this one for 10 years now and find it my favorite tool
Only time I have to get on my knees is setting the lifting arms.
my #1 retirement tool suggestion
Hank
 
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Fordtech86

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L3200
Aug 7, 2018
4,705
5,475
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Pineville,LA
Little things that make life easier 🤔

AF9DACCE-9C85-4999-A307-C97C366238CD.jpeg


31C90ECD-46D0-4ACA-A5BB-95CA4C3DC8C1.jpeg


They make yard work a lot easier 😁 both of them love being outside working around the yard and gardens (of course they gotta have something to drive 😂)
 
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Biker1mike

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B6200, Kubota 2030 Front Blade, King Cutter 60" finishing deck
Jan 11, 2022
1,164
1,252
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Gallatin, NY USA
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