Power Tools

[sailone3032]

This is a question for liveaboards. For boat maintenance, What power tools to you keep o your boat? Drill, Universal tool, Polisher, ect? Lust thinking on what I should bring to my new boat.

[Shenandoah52]

Originally Posted by sailone3032

Lust thinking on what I should bring to my new boat.

Yes, tools and boats is lust thinking. But don't let that bother you. Bring what you need to do the work. Then bring back-up tools for all the one's that fall overboard. Be sure to bring the most important tool of all. A bottle opener.

[ranger58sb]

We don't really have many power tools onboard, but I'm beginning to try to standardize the battery tools we need so they all use the same batteries, and/or at least the same battery charger. Drill, ratchet driver, screw driver, endoscope, several portable lights, plus wet/dry vac...

-Chris

[svspirited]

Power tools

1. Angle grinder, 1 corded for heavy work and one cordless for smaller jobs and to cut rigging in the event of an emergency.
2. Cordless impact screw driver
3. Cordless drill
4. Shop vac, a small one but it works great
5. Orbital sander
6. Polisher
7. Heavy duty angle drill to run the winches when in need of extra power
8. Circular saw, don't use it much but good to have it when you need it
9. Hot knife for cutting rope and removing old teak caulking

Other useful tools aside from the usual wrenches, screw drivers, etc

1. Wire crimpers
2. Loos tool for checking rigging tension
3. Prop puller
4. Gear puller, great for pulling impellers
5. Caliper
6. Rivet gun
7. Torque wrenches of various sizes
8. A real filter wrench, not one of those lame strappy ones
9. A good multi-meter, invaluable in my opinon
10. Grease gun
11. A serious hammer
12. Last but not least, a section of pipe to use for leverage when the thing just will not budge

[rbk]

I buy cheap cordless drills. It makes it easier to watch a $30 drill sink into the deep than a $300 one. Besides you really don’t need a powerful drill on a boat, anything requiring serious torque is usually bolted and a socket and wrench are better suited. A corded sander is nice but almost exclusively dockside when power is available but not an essential piece of kit. Looking above the secondary tools spirited mentioned are more important than the power tool list.

[Paul L]

This Bosch adjustable angle drill has had dozens of uses over our years cruising. It allows you to sneak into lockers and drill holes for cables, etc.

[coopec43]

Like RBK I buy cheap cordless 12/18V tools but I don't throw them away when the battery gives up as I plan to cord them and run them off the battery bank.

[model 10]

The newest power tool is a counter rotating saw. It makes a beautiful 1/8" cut. It's the new hot set-up for getting behind woodwork.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Ecos

The newest power tool is a counter rotating saw. It makes a beautiful 1/8" cut. It's the new hot set-up for getting behind woodwork.

You have a pic of this thing? I’m assuming twin 1/16” blades pressed together?
No kickback?

[model 10]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

You have a pic of this thing? I’m assuming twin 1/16” blades pressed together?
No kickback?

I'm sorry no pics. It looks like a 5" angle grinder, but yeah no kick back. Nice freehand cuts. You can fill the cut with a 1/8' shim

[svspirited]

That is now in my shopping cart, what a sweet tool that is.

Originally Posted by Paul L

This Bosch adjustable angle drill has had dozens of uses over our years cruising. It allows you to sneak into lockers and drill holes for cables, etc.

[a64pilot]

If your a poor boy like me, this will attach to your regular drill, and may be smaller than the electric angle drill.
It is a little more difficult as you have to hold both the drill and the adapter or the adapter will spin

[coopec43]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ymqlN3b3_s

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

If your a poor boy like me, this will attach to your regular drill, and may be smaller than the electric angle drill.
It is a little more difficult as you have to hold both the drill and the adapter or the adapter will spin
Attachment 199218

That looks like a fixed right angle. The Bosch is 90* adjustable, it is also small so yoh can get it into tight spaces.

[Tortuga's Lie]

*I prefer a jigsaw over a circular saw as you can not only cut straight, but curves as well plus with different blades, you can cut metal, wood and fiberglass without worry. You can clamp a straight edge for really straight cuts.
*Cordless drill and a cordless impact driver,
*Small wet/dry shop vac, great for sucking your bilge dry as well as clean up after projects
*Fein Multi-tool, great for detail sanding, plunge cutting, flush cuts. I bought a cheap one once but the Fein outshines by a million!
*DeWalt palm sander
*small Porter-Cable trim router

That's about it for power tools, the rest is all hand tools