Best tool money you've spent

[Cian]

My best purchase was deciding to buy an Industrial Delta Oscillating Edge sander.   They retailed above 2k but I won a bid for one for below $500.   The sander is a game changer on many procedures in the shop.    Drawer does not fit perfect... just sand a bit of the side off...    A panel needs to be slightly resized... just sand it.  So quick and easy.   Even easing the edges of panels... just touch them to the sander and raise them up through 90 degrees for a fast, safe 1/16" roundover edge.

Love this tool.

Wish I had room for one of these.  Will definitely have one in the next shop.

[Cian]

I haven't responded to this thread because I couldn't decide which of my power tools or hand tools was "THE BEST." After thinking about it for a while, a clear winner has emerged. It's my ClearVue cyclone, hands down. 

I am in the same boat.  I like many of my power tools, but the one tool that makes it all enjoyable if not outright possible especially in a basement shop is my Oneida cyclone or more so the entire dust collection setup.  It provides so much "value" that I wouldn't hesitate paying full price for the Oneida a second time around should I need to.

[arnman]

Cian,
Do you need to use a bag retainer in the drum?  That looks like a nice system.

[Cian]

Do you need to use a bag retainer in the drum?  That looks like a nice system.

Thanks.  This is the small vacuum generator that is wired into the 220 motor starter.  It only runs when the cyclone is running.  The hose goes through the bottom of the dust bin which holds the bag in place when empty (eventually the weight of the debris will hold the bag in place anyway).

[arnman]

Thanks.  This is the small vacuum generator that is wired into the 220 motor starter.  It only runs when the cyclone is running.  The hose goes through the bottom of the dust bin which holds the bag in place when empty (eventually the weight of the debris will hold the bag in place anyway).

Thanks.  I was wondering what that was.  Very slick.

I am tired of the mess of dumping my drum out into a bigger drum outside.  During the winter it is a dreaded task, but still so much easier than changing a dust collector bag.

I will probably try the low tech approach of putting a ring-type retainer in my drum.

[Cian]

Thanks.  I was wondering what that was.  Very slick.

I am tired of the mess of dumping my drum out into a bigger drum outside.  During the winter it is a dreaded task, but still so much easier than changing a dust collector bag.

I will probably try the low tech approach of putting a ring-type retainer in my drum.

I hear ya.  Once I had mine nearly setup, I imagined the workflow of lugging a full 35 gallon drum of sawdust up the stairs, out the front door, only to transfer to the larger waste bin (with my luck in the middle of a rain or wind storm) - this all became instantly unpopular.  I went and ordered the vacuum unit before even turning on a machine.  It has worked as designed without failure and I can source 3mil bags from the local BORG.  Oddly, I can't seem to find the vacuum any longer on Oneida's website.

[Greg Jones]

Oddly, I can't seem to find the vacuum any longer on Oneida's website.

I bought my system from Oneida 7 years ago and I had the vacuum pump on my list and the salesperson highly recommended I go with the less expensive plastic ring retainer instead. I suspect they must have discontinued them for problems, so you must have lucked out with yours.

What was curious for me is that the plastic ring was my biggest disappointment with the system. As the plastic got older, it wouldn’t hold a round shape and it became useless. I replaced it with a section of sonotube (22” in diameter if I recall) and that has worked perfectly, and cost less than the plastic ring.

[arnman]

My system is a do-it-yourself setup with the dust deputy.  I don't have an Oneida barrel.  I ordered my barrel from Amazon.  Because of the taper in the drum, my best bet for getting a perfectly mating ring might be to order a second barrel, and cut out the bottom.

Cian, you mentioned the use of 3 mil bags.  Is this a minimum you learned somehow, or was it recommended by Oneida?

[Cian]

I bought my system from Oneida 7 years ago and I had the vacuum pump on my list and the salesperson highly recommended I go with the less expensive plastic ring retainer instead. I suspect they must have discontinued them for problems, so you must have lucked out with yours.

Yeah, crossing my fingers. They may have not been a popular option, either though, given the cost so Oneida may have simply not renewed their supplier contract.  The only small vacuum pumps I see on the market of this size (in 220V even) are for laboratory use, which I'm sure one can rig one up rather easily if they were so inclined.  I considered the bag liner option initally too, but figured itd still be a messy operation.  Seems to work for most though given its widely available from other mfrs and even found in the aftermarket as well.

[Cian]

My best buy was the $15 I spent for a brand new scroll saw from Montgomery Ward. It was the first power tool I bought and that was in 1958 (61 years ago) when I was 12 years old. I had a route to sell TV guides each week. They sold for 15 cents and I got to keep 4 cents. It took a lot of TV Guides to pay for that saw.
      The $15 price did not include a motor. At that time, my Dad was a furnace repairman and he gave me a 1/3 hp motor he salvaged from an old furnace they were scrapping out. The blowers at that time were all v-belt driven and the saw came with a belt pulley that worked well with that motor.
      But the best part is I still have it in my shop and still use it quite often,

This is a great story.  Good stuff.