Useless Tools

[snooky]

Alas, this thread is not about politicians looking for re-election. :greengrin

My first choice for the title of "The Most Useless Tool" is THE STRIMMER

Most of your time & effort is spent re-priming the line as it snaps with ease and regularly.

They're mince :brickwall

[Stonewall]

Alas, this thread is not about politicians looking for re-election. :greengrin

My first choice for the title of "The Most Useless Tool" is THE STRIMMER

Most of your time & effort is spent re-priming the line as it snaps with ease and regularly.

They're mince :brickwall

Strimmers are great. Are you using heavy duty line? Should ease the problem.

[Smartie]

Do we really need another thread about Butcher and Malpas?

To be fair, Butcher is probably a dab hand with a strimmer by now. Maybe he'd be able to help you out?

[Moulin Yarns]

Is it an electric or petrol strimmer?

my petrol strimmer has a brush cutting blade that is the bees knees at long wet grass.

[snooky]

Thanks for the advice, folks.
I think the line on my electric strimmer would be handy for sewing on buttons although maybe it's too fragile for that.
On a serious note, my concern re. putting a heavier line on the spool is that the one supplied originally is probably designed so as not to overload the electric motor.
Just wondered if there's a large enough safety factor in the design to accommodate a heavier line?

Anyway, to keep the pot boiling.....
Another useless tool is those cheap keyring lights that last barely a week or so.

[Peevemor]

I knackered my shoulder this time last year (tendinitis, bursitis, capsulitis & rheumatoid arthritis - the full monty! :rolleyes:) and was toiling to use my strimmer so I bought myself one of these (a brush cutter?)

http://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/273733/mediumDebroussailleuse.jpg

(that's not me by the way :greengrin).

It takes about a quarter of the time and I've yet to snap/break the line once.

I can also change the line for a blade if I want, but I'm too scared.

[Moulin Yarns]

I knackered my shoulder this time last year (tendinitis, bursitis, capsulitis & rheumatoid arthritis - the full monty! :rolleyes:) and was toiling to use my strimmer so I bought myself one of these (a brush cutter?)

http://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/273733/mediumDebroussailleuse.jpg

(that's not me by the way :greengrin).

It takes about a quarter of the time and I've yet to snap/break the line once.

I can also change the line for a blade if I want, but I'm too scared.

that's the business!
In the autumn if you need to cut down tough weeds like nettles or Dock, then the blade is the thing to use. It makes a nice ringing sound when it cuts tough stems, music to your ears :greengrin

[Stonewall]

I knackered my shoulder this time last year (tendinitis, bursitis, capsulitis & rheumatoid arthritis - the full monty! :rolleyes:) and was toiling to use my strimmer so I bought myself one of these (a brush cutter?)

http://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/273733/mediumDebroussailleuse.jpg

(that's not me by the way :greengrin).

It takes about a quarter of the time and I've yet to snap/break the line once.

I can also change the line for a blade if I want, but I'm too scared.

That's a beauty Peevemor. Works better if you take the safety hood off the blade though. Too scared for that too?

[NYHibby]

Do you really call them strimmers in this country? In the U.S. we called those things weed whackers or string trimmers.

[NYHibby]

If you have a lot to clear, you can get one of these brush mowers. I used one of them at my parents' cabin and they work pretty well.

http://www.groundscare-products.co.uk/images/bc1_lrge.jpg

[Peevemor]

That's a beauty Peevemor. Works better if you take the safety hood off the blade though. Too scared for that too?


I'm a big girl's blouse when it comes to metal blades spinning at high speed (I'm not totally at ease with angle grinders either). Cutting wood with power tools doesn't bother me (I've got a circular saw and a jig saw), but cutting masonry or the risk of a blade hitting an unseen stone gets my brown adrenaline flowing.

[snooky]

I'm a big girl's blouse when it comes to metal blades spinning at high speed (I'm not totally at ease with angle grinders either). Cutting wood with power tools doesn't bother me (I've got a circular saw and a jig saw), but cutting masonry or the risk of a blade hitting an unseen stone gets my brown adrenaline flowing.

I get nervous using an electric toothbrush, FFS.

[Jack]

Thanks for the advice, folks.
I think the line on my electric strimmer would be handy for sewing on buttons although maybe it's too fragile for that.
On a serious note, my concern re. putting a heavier line on the spool is that the one supplied originally is probably designed so as not to overload the electric motor.
Just wondered if there's a large enough safety factor in the design to accommodate a heavier line?

Anyway, to keep the pot boiling.....
Another useless tool is those cheap keyring lights that last barely a week or so.

If that was me, having realised that the strimmer I had was crap, I'd be putting the heavy line on anyway. If it works, good news. If it blows the motor fine, I'd be well justified going out and a decent one.

Win/win.

Other useless tools.

Although my darling wife will disagree, I don't buy useless tools, they only become useless when the serviceable bit become unserviceable and can't get replaced.

A great wee thing I had was a wallpaper trimmer. It was like a Stanley knife but the blade was circular. It just rolled along, top, bottom, tricky round bits, with a perfect cut, no snags.

No circular blades are available in the size, not even on the internet!

I still have the hand grip bit 10+ years on and every time I'm in a DIY shop I still look to see if they've been reinvented :-)

[Peevemor]

Other useless tools.

Although my darling wife will disagree, I don't buy useless tools, they only become useless when the serviceable bit become unserviceable and can't get replaced.

A great wee thing I had was a wallpaper trimmer. It was like a Stanley knife but the blade was circular. It just rolled along, top, bottom, tricky round bits, with a perfect cut, no snags.

No circular blades are available in the size, not even on the internet!

I still have the hand grip bit 10+ years on and every time I'm in a DIY shop I still look to see if they've been reinvented :-)

You shouldn't have used it to slice your pizzas!

[Moulin Yarns]

If that was me, having realised that the strimmer I had was crap, I'd be putting the heavy line on anyway. If it works, good news. If it blows the motor fine, I'd be well justified going out and a decent one.

Win/win.

Other useless tools.

Although my darling wife will disagree, I don't buy useless tools, they only become useless when the serviceable bit become unserviceable and can't get replaced.

A great wee thing I had was a wallpaper trimmer. It was like a Stanley knife but the blade was circular. It just rolled along, top, bottom, tricky round bits, with a perfect cut, no snags.

No circular blades are available in the size, not even on the internet!

I still have the hand grip bit 10+ years on and every time I'm in a DIY shop I still look to see if they've been reinvented :-)

You're not looking in the right place if I am imagining what you are talking about.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=craft+rotary+cutter&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=34720459428&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2856028226487918958&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5434tk6ea7_b

[Jack]

You're not looking in the right place if I am imagining what you are talking about.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=craft+rotary+cutter&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=34720459428&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2856028226487918958&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5434tk6ea7_b

Thanks.

It's similar but my blades are smaller*. I did try another device like these but it just wasn't as good.

38mm iirc with a triangle type hub. I think I got it from QVC and and the and the supplier is no more :-(

[stoneyburn hibs]

I get nervous using an electric toothbrush, FFS.

My mate sliced through his knee today, was using an electric planer. Not nice viewing.

[Future17]

Do you really call them strimmers in this country? In the U.S. we called those things weed whackers or string trimmers.

I presume the word "strimmer" is a conjunction of that name.

[Mixu62]

Just re-sealed my bath and would like to add silicone sealant to this debate. Don't get me wrong it's brilliant stuff when it actually sticks to what it's meant to stick to but all too often I was scrubbing it off my fingers. And it's waterproof (obviously) so doesn't wash off easily.

[Mr White]

Just re-sealed my bath and would like to add silicone sealant to this debate. Don't get me wrong it's brilliant stuff when it actually sticks to what it's meant to stick to but all too often I was scrubbing it off my fingers. And it's waterproof (obviously) so doesn't wash off easily.
Dampen your finger before smoothing the sealant off and that won't happen. Industrial cleaning products like big wipes or wonder wipes are good to have close by when working with silicone.

[Scouse Hibee]

My collection of tools is vast, ever since I received my first tool kit from the CITB at 16 I have never stopped buying,

[Future17]

Just re-sealed my bath and would like to add silicone sealant to this debate. Don't get me wrong it's brilliant stuff when it actually sticks to what it's meant to stick to but all too often I was scrubbing it off my fingers. And it's waterproof (obviously) so doesn't wash off easily.

I keep a bowl of warm water with lots of washing-up liquid in it handy when using sealant. Still one of the jobs I hate though.

[--------]

Do you really call them strimmers in this country? In the U.S. we called those things weed whackers or string trimmers.


When I was at school "weed whacker" meant something else entirely. :confused:

[Moulin Yarns]

Does anybody want to buy a ride on mower?


https://scontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10730947_10206670477339524_3836645637654865938_n.j pg?oh=069c8ed53358c10916b450cce731f248&oe=560C5AC5

[snooky]

Does anybody want to buy a ride on mower?


https://scontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10730947_10206670477339524_3836645637654865938_n.j pg?oh=069c8ed53358c10916b450cce731f248&oe=560C5AC5

As advertised in the Aberdeen Auto Trader as a Dodge Ram :wink:

[Moulin Yarns]

As advertised in the Aberdeen Auto Trader as a Dodge Ram :wink:

I expected something about personal ads for Aberdeen.


Thinking about it, isn't this one of the Aberdeen chairleaders
:wink:

[adhibs]

Anything out the pound shop, unsurprisingly. I bought a wrench and something else out there which were both completely unusable

[adhibs]

I'll add piping bags for pointing as well.