Are you one of those people that likes to fix things around the house or work on small projects when you have some spare time? Have you experienced the frustration of waiting for your local handyman or professional to call you to make an appointment to fix something around the house? I'm sure there's 1000's of people who share your frustration. Maybe it's time to go and get yourself some cordless power tools! The question is; where do I start? I will give you some tips and pointers.
I can't tell you how exciting it is for me to go to the local big box store like Lowes or Home Depot to see the newest Cordless Power Tools! There are many choices when it comes to cordless power tools and it can be overwhelming from the standpoint of trying to choose the best option for your needs. You might be looking for something simple and easy to use with just a few options as you don't need anything sophisticated or you just might decide to be the king of the mountain when it comes to tackling your own home repair projects. So are you looking to hang a few paintings or pictures that have been sitting around or build a new bird house for the backyard? Figuring out your choices and options are the first steps to making a wise decision. Budgets and prices are of course important factors as well. As a Handyman and home water treatment system installer, there are a few things I need to have in the way of specialty tools that are the only way to get the job done! One of them is a hammer drill. I've owned just ab9ut every major cordless power tool combo kit since they started making them 20 years ago. I've done my own research as far as the availability of power, torque, reliability and of course, price. Well known names such as Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Ryobi, Porter Cable are amongst the list of the best known brands of competitors in the power tool market. They all offer cordless tools as well as combination tool kits. I have owned and used tools from all of them. I also have a few cordless tools with dead battery packs as the cost of a $100 replacement battery was just too much to take. Dewalt has recently come up with a great battery adaptor for their older 18V line that works alongside the newest 20V cordless drills so I was very happy to hear that. I have since taken my combo kits out of mothballs. I'm quite fond of the Dewalt cordless mini saw for small wood projects. I must say, Milwaukee Tools had one of the smallest and most compact cordless drills with an amazing amount of power 7-8 years ago when I bought my first one as an AC technician. The M12 Lithium Ion series compact drill would literally snap screws and small bolts in half as well as twist my hand when I first bought it. I used and abused that tool working in tough conditions out in the mountains of the Northeast while working on remote cell tower sites. I needed something powerful and compact as well as dependable and this small cordless drill was the perfect choice. It's also a great all around tool for household projects! Milwaukee has a big line of single tools as well as kits to choose from. Milwaukee now has an M18 line of cordless power tools. I've been using Milwaukee tools for many years and have found them to be a great choice. I have owned many Dewalt tools as well. I am and have not been impressed with their cordless power tools or their combination kits for that matter until recently. The older tools lacked power and the batteries died quickly as their power was drained. The batteries became useless after 5-6 months of heavy usage. I now own one of the newest Dewalt compact cordless drill kits and I'm impressed so far. Only time will tell how well the batteries hold up. They have a great line of options with multiple levels of batteries in 5-30 amp choices for smaller to larger jobs. The Dewalt line of electric power tools however is a great choice and I own several of their crosscut saws and chop saws as well as their foldable saw stand. They work very well. The newest kid on the block in the Cordless power tool line is Rigid. I bought one of their combo cordless drill kits after using one at a customers home and I am totally sold as well as impressed with the power and torque in the hammer drill option! I also own a few other choices which I won't mention as they are not that great. In my humble opinion, the big names are the best choices as they have been in business for a long time and competition is good for the consumer. So that's it. Do your research and due diligence when it comes to online reviews, sales, price comparisons as well as reliability, torque, warranty, battery life etc. and you will be well on your way to making a great decision. Good luck and have fun! **As always remember to wear proper Personal Protective Equipment such as protective eyewear and gloves and earplugs.
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How does the saying go? Good fences make good neighbors!? Well that only goes so far when it comes to making friends with your neighbors but we all have our own preferences.
Our natural "fences" in our yard, consist of trees, bamboo, and shrubs. Personally I prefer them to vinyl fencing but to each his own. We've had an unprecedented number of fencing requests lately from new vinyl and wood installs to repairs of the same due to hurricane damages mostly. When it comes to making decisions about changes to your property, unless you have restrictions from your local construction jurisdiction or HOA, there's a lot to think about when it comes to decisions on which materials to choose and what the costs are. So here's a little tip when it comes down to costs. How to Estimate the Cost of Installing a Fence You can estimate the cost of installing a fence by determining how much fencing is required to surround your yard or property. Fences are measured and priced by the linear foot, so simply measuring your property lines can give you an idea of the price range to expect. It can also help contractors provide you a more accurate bid. Information on property lines can be found in your deed, or in land surveys provided to you when you purchased the property. Identify the property lines, then measure and record the linear feet. You want to make sure to stay within your property lines to avoid legal troubles (or unfriendly glances from your neighbors). Cost of installation per linear foot varies by height of the fence and materials used According to our fence installation cost estimator, the average price to install a fence around the average 1500 square foot home is roughly $2,388. No matter your preferred type, most homeowners choose a six-foot privacy fence. The average minimum cost to install a six-foot privacy fence is $3 per linear foot, with the maximum coming in at $13 per linear foot. The average cost of installing a fence is between $13 and $50 per linear foot. Length of the fence, materials used, and add-ons such as gates affect the total price of the project.
'If there's anything that Bugs me, it's having to climb up on a ladder and on the roof and clean the pine needles out of the gutters every month! I get quite a few requests from customers to clean their gutters as well. As a handyman, it's just the norm and part of the job as there aren't very many "professionals" who really want to crawl around on your roof and clean your gutters. I don't know about you but I'm thinking it's time to install gutter covers! I'll miss our monthly visits to crawl up on your roof and see all the lovely leaves and other crud that's accumulated in your gutters but hey! There's always something else that will need to be fixed around the house! So until next time, give me a call and I'd be happy to give you a quote for gutter covers and you won't have to see my bright cheery face every other month to clean your gutters anymore! Lol
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Wow! Hurricane Matthew is a name we won't soon forget! While many of us high tailed it out of Flagler and Volusia Counties to avoid what was being forecast as a "very dangerous hurricane" some of you brave souls waited it out in dark houses as the power went out. Many of us returned home to broken trees, torn pool lanai screens and missing roof shingles. Some fared better than others and others worse still with complete sections of roofs torn off, siding ripped off, broken windows, knocked down fences etc. Most of us however had piles of tree debris all over our yards. I feel like we dodged a bullet as the damage could have been much worse for a Category 4 hurricane! As a FEMA inspector in St. Augustine in 2004 I saw some pretty bad damages to homes but nothing like what I saw in Mobile Alabama after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In many neighborhoods I saw nothing but piles of debris and concrete slabs where homes and cottages used to sit. All I can say is that I'm thankful we didn't take a direct hit and suffer worse than we did! I'm also thankful there were very few fatalities as well. hope you all fared well also and that you were able to recover quickly without too much damage.
I did a door repair today for a new customer. His door jamb was eaten away by termites and the door was practically falling off the hinges when I arrived. His wife was so happy to see me she ran over and gave me a hug! I love it when my customers appreciate just my arrival at their homes! It's a very humbling and rewarding experience.
I wanted to mention the problem here however and that's the termites! Fortunately they were gone as when they ate the jamb away and hit the southern yellow pine inside the wall, they decided it wasn't that tasty and left or they had been exterminated some time ago. Either way it was a great relief as I was really concerned that they might still be active inside the walls. My point is this. Never underestimate the value of a termite inspection! It could save you hundreds if not thousands in costly extermination and wall repairs! |
Marlon CoxFrom the time I was a child, I was fascinated with the work my uncles did as painters and carpenters. I took every opportunity to crawl with them under houses or up a ladder to watch or help when I could. It's that same passion and desire that drives me to work for my customers and to see their smiles of satisfaction when the job is done! Archives
July 2019
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