Time for some new Makita goodies- any good deals on?

[G and J]

Chain sharpening does take practice.  I tickle up my chains with a file but I sharpen with a grinder bought for the purpose.   Chains are quite cheap, however, and I know a builder who simply never sharpens them, he just swaps to a new one. 
 

For shrub cutting the downside of a sabre saw is that sometimes you need to hold the smaller branches otherwise they just vibrate with the blade and refuse to cut, so I find bolt cutters rather handy too.  
 

Either way, it’s a good opportunity for hours of power tool porn! 😉

[Gone West]

7 hours ago, saveasteading said:

I assume I wasn't sharpening the CsS properly: I had a simple round file, and thought I was following the instructions, but perhaps not.

I have a range of Ego electric garden tools including a small chainsaw and a polesaw. I always use Oregon chains and sharpen them with an Oregon hand file and guide. I also have a sabre saw but I use chainsaws only for tree work and the sabre saw for other jobs.

 

https://egopowerplus.co.uk/products/chainsaws/cs1410e

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/oregon-4mm-5-32-round-chain-sharpening-file-guide/8566v

 

[Crofter]

9 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Good points. I will think further.

I assume I wasn't sharpening the CsS properly: I had a simple round file, and thought I was following the instructions, but perhaps not.

Thinking further, the hours of use for these won't be high so cheapo tools may suffice. And the tangled bushes will eventually behave better and the trusty bow saw and pruning saw will be usable again.

I've been using a corded electric chainsaw for my log pile, and I *thought* I was keeping the chain sharp enough. Recently switched to a brand new chain and what a difference... knife through butter. It only cost about £8 as well. Worth every penny!

[saveasteading]

2 hours ago, Gone West said:

Ego electric

I'm not paying £220 however good it is.

I might get the Einhell pruning size as I have the batteries and my tools remain faultless after 10+ years and a lot of use. 

 

[SteamyTea]

I hate the noise that impact drivers/drills make.

Is there a good drill that is non impact, or at least had the facility to turn the feature off.

 

We use Milwaukee stuff at work, the circular saw is very good. Nor so keen on the rest of the kit, though the angle grinder was alright, if a bit on the large side.

 

Mixing makes, if bought in a good deal is not so bad as you often get one charger and two batteries, so saves getting a second charger.

[Alan Ambrose]

Me too. There’s a slightly more pricey ‘hydraulic’ one which is quiter. I’m finding that we drive most screws though with combis or drill/drivers.

[Nickfromwales]

I have the 'soft impact' Makita, much quieter and doesn't screw with my Tinnitus.

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/makita-dts141zj-18v-li-ion-lxt-brushless-cordless-impact-driver-bare/6268P?tc=ET2&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20155423388&gbraid=0AAAAAD8IdPwxO053YvSbCmMepG6Gskz9x&gclid=CjwKCAiAkbbMBhB2EiwANbxtbR0UzbcX7Wb8GD5fDq5UUimYWayWY13Gp7PDLLi6ogS2m9WmHNFGZxoCDTQQAvD_BwE

[Nestor]

5 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

I hate the noise that impact drivers/drills make.

Is there a good drill that is non impact, or at least had the facility to turn the feature off.

 

We use Milwaukee stuff at work, the circular saw is very good. Nor so keen on the rest of the kit, though the angle grinder was alright, if a bit on the large side.

 

Mixing makes, if bought in a good deal is not so bad as you often get one charger and two batteries, so saves getting a second charger.

I had the MAKITA DTS141ZJ, silly money but was a pleasure to use whilst building a house, very quiet. It did develop a fault after 6 years heavy use.

Now using a Milwaukee M18 FQID, more torque, cheaper but not as quiet as the Makita.

[saveasteading]

5 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

Is there a good drill that is non impact, or at least had the facility to turn the feature off.

I thought this was widely available. My battery drill has a setting on the  torque setting ring, that switches into hammer mode.

and a switch for 2 speeds.

 

And lots of machines are rotation only and no hammer option.

 

My very best drill, and without impact option,  is a 25 year old Bosch. It is ultra smooth and effortlessly powerful, and with trigger speed control. I think the absence of features allows the motor and gearing to be dedicated to the one process.

[SteamyTea]

My understanding of impact drills are really jerk drills. They have a spring, ratchet and rotating mass that is released every rotation. That mass caused a jerk force increases the torque on the drive shaft.

Stopping torque is a third power of mass, rather than the second power of speed.

 

[Oz07]

Look into the oil ones i think they are quieter for working in sensitive locations. I used to hate the racket the impacts made too but really are effective 

Edited 17 hours ago by Oz07

[saveasteading]

18 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

released every rotation

It's just a primitive undulating washer sort of thing that retracts the bit then releases it. So it is still mainly scraping the surface.

I wish I had learnt of SDS drills much sooner. I had thought they were only for concrete breakers.

Edited 17 hours ago by saveasteading

[carlos21]

16 minutes ago, Oz07 said:

Look into the oil ones i think they are quieter for working in sensitive locations. I used to hate the racket the impacts made too but really are effective 

same here,  not keen on the noise, but when i occasionally use my drill for screws to keep the noise i really notice the extra weight... they might be noisy but bloody good at putting in screws, i  just wear ear defenders as  often using saws etc anyway.

[carlos21]

On 11/02/2026 at 14:49, Nestor said:

About to give this ago, DUC150Z for 50 metres of Devon bank medium hedge pruning / cutting back.

Will let you know my thoughts in a few days

Silky saw, no batteries required.

 

for garden prunning those silky saws are brilliant, lovely smooth cut and super sharp, probably faster cutting than a cheap n nasty badly sharpened chainsaw.

[dpmiller]

@SteamyTea are you confusing impact drills and impact drivers?

[SteamyTea]

20 minutes ago, dpmiller said:

@SteamyTea are you confusing impact drills and impact drivers?

I don't think so, but there may well be some confusion over terminology.

Used to use an impact driver for undoing stubborn screws and bolts, they could be revered to tighten up as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_driver

 

 

Then a hammer drill, also know as percussion drill or impact drill.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_drill

 

So I may well be wrong, but ours at work have this torque increasing mechanism, based on a hammer and anvil.

I always think of a 'hammer drill' as something that just vibrates the drill bit up and down as it rotates, but does not increase torque.

 

As I mentioned earlier, it is based on this physics.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerk_(physics)

[G and J]

I used to use my combi drills for driving screws but they both would have been burnt out months ago on this build.  
 

Using my impie today I found my hand getting uncomfortably hot with the hot air, so I think even my impie is on its limit.  Mind you, at £40 it’s paid for itself many times over. 

[Apache]

11 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

I hate the noise that impact drivers/drills make.

Is there a good drill that is non impact, or at least had the facility to turn the feature off.

Milwauke Surge - 12V and 18V varients. The 12V surge is my go to, much quieter and still packs a punch. 

 

https://www.powertoolmate.co.uk/power-tools/milwaukee/cordless-impact-drivers/milwaukee-m12fqid-0-12v-m12-fuel-sub-compact-surge-hydraulic-impact-driver-bare-.htm

[Nestor]

9 hours ago, Apache said:

Milwauke Surge - 12V and 18V varients. The 12V surge is my go to, much quieter and still packs a punch. 

 

https://www.powertoolmate.co.uk/power-tools/milwaukee/cordless-impact-drivers/milwaukee-m12fqid-0-12v-m12-fuel-sub-compact-surge-hydraulic-impact-driver-bare-.htm

I have both the Makita and Milwaukee 18V oil driven impact drivers,  the Makita is twice the price though quieter.

12V is probably enough for most tasks.