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13 ways to save money on power tools

Dave Farquhar DIY March 5, 2019December 14, 2020

Have you ever looked into a DIY project and the person talks about how they built something for $10, but you count up $5,000 worth of tools they used to build it? It’s hard to save much money when a project requires expensive tools. So here’s how to save money on power tools. 13 ways, in fact.

Most projects assume you have about six common tools to get them done. In a pinch, you can get most of them done with four or five essential tools. The essentials should cost you less than $200, and with careful shopping, you can assemble a reasonable collection of tools over time and spend less than $500.

Grades of power tools

Dave Farquhar DIY March 4, 2019June 14, 2021

Much like cars, power tools come in different grades and price points. Just like General Motors sells you a Chevy in hopes you’ll move up the ladder to eventually buy a Buick or a Cadillac from them, toolmakers do the same thing, selling different grades of power tools at increasing price points, under different brand names for each.

Most tools that hardware stores sell fall into three ranges: consumer, prosumer/enthusiast, and professional grades, at increasing price points. As long as you use the tools how the manufacturer intended, you can be happy even with inexpensive tools.

Do Lionel trains have lead paint?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 1, 2019January 19, 2022

Do Lionel trains have lead paint? Lionel LLC says to the best of their knowledge, no. But Lionel LLC didn’t make those vintage trains. Some Lionel trains do, indeed have lead paint in them. Here’s what to do about that.

One has to assume that any Lionel train made prior to 1978, and certainly prior to 1970, would have been painted with lead paint. Not every paint Lionel used necessarily had lead in it. This means you must take precautions when running vintage Lionel trains. Namely, wash your hands afterward, and ensure children who participate in the session wash theirs.

We buy houses for cash. What does that even mean?

Dave Farquhar Investing, Saving money February 27, 2019September 26, 2020

I’m sure you’ve seen the signs attached to telephone poles. They say “We buy houses for cash,” stapled to a telephone pole or maybe stuck into the ground. They include a phone number and maybe a promise of a cash advance or a quick closing. You may have even received a post card in the mail offering to buy your house for cash. Who are these people, and should you consider selling to them?

If you’re not interested in selling and aren’t already working with a realtor, you have every reason to ignore those signs and postcards. If working with a realtor isn’t an option for you and you do need to sell your house or risk losing it, going the cash route may be an option for you.

Stop phone calls from political parties if you don’t want them

Dave Farquhar security February 26, 2019February 17, 2019

Any time Congress makes it illegal to robocall you, they exempt political calls. That makes it hard to stop unwanted political calls and it pretty much means your phone is going to ring off the hook in the runup to the election. But you can still get peace regardless. Here’s how to stop phone calls from political parties if you don’t want them.

Most robocall services or apps block political robocalls along with all the others. Many of them work with landlines and cell phones. If you have a landline phone that doesn’t work with robocall services, you can still use a device to block the calls.

Origin of DeWalt tools

Dave Farquhar DIY February 25, 2019July 11, 2023

The history and origin of DeWalt tools can be a little confusing. In some regards, the DeWalt brand has two origin stories in its history. That’s why DeWalt started in 1923 but you might not remember seeing it much until the early 1990s. DeWalt is a good example of clever marketing.

DeWalt invented the radial arm saw in 1923. The company changed hands in 1949 and again in 1960, when Black and Decker bought it. Black and Decker divested the product in 1989 but didn’t sell the DeWalt name, which remained dormant. In 1992, Black and Decker turned around its struggling professional tool line by re-branding it DeWalt, which means that today DeWalt tools are made by Stanley Black and Decker.

LEDs for American Flyer, Lionel, and Marx trains

Dave Farquhar Toy trains February 22, 2019February 23, 2019american flyer, diodes, led bulbs, lionel, marx

A frequent, sometimes heated topic of debate is upgrading to LED lighting in the headlight of vintage American Flyer, Lionel, or Marx trains. It shows how sometimes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. You have several options for LEDs in old electric trains, and not all of them are expensive or difficult.

Specialty retailers like Town and Country Hobbies sell screw-in replacement LED bulbs with an E10 base for vintage trains. It’s also possible to wire up your own circuit. You can also take your chances on cheap 12V E10 LED bulbs from Ebay.

Should I paint my basement?

Dave Farquhar DIY February 20, 2019February 23, 2019real estate

Painting a basement is a cheap way to really improve its appearance. It also takes a fraction of the time it takes to finish it. But it’s not a zero-maintenance option. So, should I paint my basement? Only after you weigh all of the factors.

Painting a basement isn’t a one-time effort that you can just do and forget about. Over time the paint will degrade and you will have to paint it again. It can take years or decades. But as long as you don’t look at it as something you do once and forget about, painting a basement can improve its appearance and make it less humid, making it a more pleasant and useful place.

Cut plywood without a table saw

Dave Farquhar DIY February 19, 2019February 12, 2019

There are tons of woodworking projects available online that allow you to build some great-looking stuff with inexpensive lumber. But so many of them assume you have a table saw. How do you square up cheap dimensional lumber without a table saw? How do you cut plywood without a table saw? It turns out you can.

You can buy or make clamp-on jigs that allow you to make long cuts in a straight line with a circular saw or jig saw. This lets you do many things people normally do on a table saw, such as cutting the rounded edges off 1×4 or 2×4 lumber or ripping plywood. It’s much less expensive than a table saw, and in some cases, it’s also safer.

Change batteries in a 27 LED Harbor Freight work light/flashlight

Dave Farquhar DIY February 18, 2019February 4, 2019

If you shop at Harbor Freight, you know their little blue 27 LED work light/flashlight. It sells for $3.99, but they almost always have a coupon to give you one free with any purchase. But you don’t have to throw them out when they stop working. The batteries are replaceable. Here’s how to change batteries in a 27 LED Harbor Freight work light/flashlight.

The Harbor Freight work light/flashlight has three AAA batteries inside. Simply remove the three Philips-head screws from the back, pop off the back, and replace the batteries.