TM reader Ken writes: “I don’t understand the recycle bins for cordless tools.  The stores seem to be indifferent about sending them to the proper disposal companies.  I’ve heard many horror stories about various stores just throwing the batteries out in the garbage.”

I’ve had a little experience with cell phone companies’ attempts to recycle batteries, and I understand that many of them do a good job of it — but I’m sad to say I know very little about tool companies’ recycling programs.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of the bins.

Have any of you had experiences with these bins and the businesses’ practices regarding them?  If so, let us know in comments.

Tom Weber recently asked Wall Street Journal readers, “Are dads less handy around the house?”  Tom admitted that he can connect up a stereo system or set up a wireless network, but can’t install shelves or unclog the toilet.  Some readers agreed, suggesting that their spare time is better spend with their kids than on home repair, but others disagreed.  In fact, some readers indicated that both adults in their household were “handy.”

What about you?  How good are you at handling basic home repair work, and does that come at a price for you?  Can you hook up your stereo and 802.11 as well?

(Thanks for the tip, Robert!  And thanks to Clownfish for the great CC-licensed photo.)

Are Dads Less Handy Around The House? [WSJ, The Juggle]

TM reader Tracy (who provided today’s great tip on installing spark plugs) has a question for you: “Do any of you Toolmongers know of a company that makes a ratcheting bit driver that fits in a 1/4″ hex driver?  I’ve seen plenty of ratcheting 1/4″ drivers themselves — tons of screwdrivers, thumbwheels, etc.  What I’m looking for is something that I can put in the 1/4″ hex slot of a non-ratcheting driver to add ratcheting capability.”

I don’t remember seeing one, but now that it’s out in the open, this sounds like a great idea.

TM reader Abe posted the following comment on our recent Tip: Close Off Fluid Lines With Latex Gloves post: “Please do not wear latex gloves in the shop. Petroleum products cause the latex to break down and may cause you to develop a latex allergy.  This is such a serious problem that hospitals will not let workers bring their own hand lotion from home because some lotions contain pertoleum products.   A latex allergy is something you do not want to go through life with.”

I’m going to do some research myself when I get a chance, because I’ve used latex gloves in the shop for years with no adverse effects.  But have any of you heard or seen anything relating to this? 

Let us know in comments.

When I get a few minutes, I plan on giving my ‘93 Miata a good driveway washing, then roll it into the garage for a hand-applied wax job.  I’ve always used Meguiar’s cleaner wax — rubbing just hard enough to remove imperfections — but today’s (rare) nice weather got me to thinking: what’s your favorite car wax?  And has anyone tried Meguiar’s “clay bar” treatment?  Let us know in comments.

(Thanks to CypherSwarm for the great CC-licensed photo.)

Cleaner Wax [Meguiar’s]

Ever want to tell Bosch what new tools you’d like?  Here’s your chance.  One of our friends over at Bosch called us up and asked us to pass on a question to you, and since we have a lot to say about the matter — and know you do, too — we decided to oblige.  The question: What would you like to see in the Bosch 10.8V Litheon line?  Remember, Big Brother Bob (Bosch) is listening.

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A while back we asked you to help us — and our other readers — what makes up the perfect car toolkit.  You responded with a tour-de-force of awesome suggestions, many of which even made their way into my own car kits.  Now we’re asking you to help us assemble the perfect toolkit for home use.

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Stuey, who recently busted Sears here on TM for some questionable “deals,” wrote in with a positive experience and a question: “I’m a bit picky about where I shop online – sometimes it’s about getting the best deal and other times the best service.  A week ago I decided to place an order with Enco after they were recommended to me when I asked around about where to order calipers from.  I was a little unsure about a particular item so I called them up.  A few minutes later I was speaking with two people who quickly and competantly answered all of my questions.  My order arrived today and everything was in brand new and tip top shape.  Check out their “hot deals” catalog; some of the items were a steal!”

“Anyway, I’d like to pose a question: from which online vendors do you guys like to buy your tools?”

I’ve had pretty good luck with Enco personally as well, though it’s important to note that they carry a pretty wide range of gear.  I like that, because Enco will sell me a cheapie $45 full-drill-set or a quality $300 full-drill-set — I choose.  But I’ve also seen guys order $45 drill sets from Enco just to avoid admitting they bought them from Harbor Freight.

So what retailers have treated you right?  Let us know in comments.

I’ve heard lots of arguments on this topic.  I always thought that the screw types are the most reliable, but I’ve heard lots of people complain about the noise, recommending belt types instead.  I’ve always seen the chain types as “cheapies.”

Truthfully, I’m hoping some of you can share your personal experiences and wisdom to clue us in.  Which one is best?  Let us know in comments.

(Thanks, Ecnerwal, for the great cc-licensed photo.)

We’re putting together a palm sander comparison for later this year and we thought we’d start by asking you which models you like the most so we can try to include them in the testing.

We have our own preferences, of course, but we’d love to hear your thoughts.  Let us know what you like — and why! — in comments.

It’s been our experience that in almost every profession one brand of tools becomes preeminent – even in areas where tools aren’t that different.  For example, it’s been our experience that Greenlee is a very popular brand among electricians even when they’re purchasing simple tools — like a screwdriver — where many companies offer the same quality of tool.

I’d guess this is at least partially due to the apprenticeship system.  Why not buy the tools that your mentor uses?  Another reason: if everyone’s using ‘em, they can’t be all bad, right?

Anyway, I’m really interested to know — and I bet you are, too — what brands are popular in what fields.  Let’s pitch in and make a list.  Let us know in comments what tool brands are popular in your profession.

(Thanks to presta for this great CC-licensed photo.)

A number of readers have written in lately asking for advice on buying used tools, and though we have some — OK, a lot of — experience in swap meets and flea markets, we thought we’d toss the question out here for everyone to have a go at it.

I suppose this really breaks down into a few categories: hand tools, power tools, and specialty tools.  Hand tools are pretty easy, as you can pick ‘em up, check ‘em out, and get a pretty good idea right on the spot as to their condition.  Power tools are a little harder as it’s sometimes hard to detect almost-worn-out brushes and such.  But I’ve still had lots of good luck with used power tools.  Incredibly, though, I’d say I’ve found more used specialty tools than either of the others.  Why?  People don’t know what they are!

I know you have an opinion on this — every tool person does.  So why not share it with us in comments?

(Thanks to oskay for this great CC-licensed photo.)

While I’d be the first person to recommend paying someone to change your oil — tool guy or not, it’s a simple, dirty job that’s a PITA — I’ll admit that I sometimes do it myself.  I have a couple of vehicles I don’t drive that much, and I like to keep synthetic in ‘em — and I really hate paying the massive surcharge for it at the quickie-lube places.

So it occured to me today to ask all of you: what kind of motor oil do you use and why?  I’m a big fan of synthetics ever since Mobil 1 became commonly available, but now there’s quite a selection — at least five brands of pure synthetics that I’ve seen, plus partial synthetics and special blends.

We’re sure you buy based on more than just advertising.  Let us know what’s in your truck (car, etc.) in comments, and be sure to explain why you use what you use.

We receive this question more than any other here at Toolmonger, so we decided it’s time to sit down and work out the details: what tools, in what storage medium, make up the perfect car toolkit?

We have lots of ideas, but we want yours as well.  With any luck we’ll all collaborate and create the perfect kit — which we can then point everyone to when they ask us this question.

So, we’ll start things off:

For car kits, we prefer tool bags.  Tool rolls are ideal, but unless you’re willing to take the time to make a custom roll for the exact tools you want to carry, you’ll end up with a mess.  We also think that a basic car tool kit should start with the following:

• a set of combination wrenches (metric/standard) in standard sizes
• a medium Phillips and standard screwdriver, or better yet a multi-bit driver where the bits store in the handle
• a 3/8″-drive socket set (metric/standard) with a ratchet
• slip-joint pliers
• needle-nose pliers 
• one large standard screwdriver (doubling as a pry bar)
• a utility knife
• a medium flat file
• a compact hacksaw
• electrical tape
• a small roll of connecting wire
• a small roll of bailing wire

I’m sure there’s a lot more — and I’ll contribute more once I get a chance to run down and look in my own kits — but if you would, jump in and share your additions/subtractions/better ideas in comments.

If you’ve read Toolmonger for more than a few days, you’ve probably noticed that we really love grilling out — especially in the spring and fall, which are pretty much the only times it’s not hotter than the sun or cold as Mars here in Texas.  We think we know a thing or two about grilling, but we want to know what you think: What makes up the perfect set of grill tools?

I personally seem to be able to turn out pretty nice steaks with a poker — ok, an old jack handle – a grill brush, tongs, and a basting brush, but we’d like to know what you use on a regular basis.  Should we buy one of those fancy sets, or is it better to pick out the perfect tools individually?

What we’re looking for here is your collective knowledge regarding grill tools.  Educate us in comments!

Matt writes: “I want a welder for my home workshop and wonder which is the best to have.  I want a welder that is not only diverse in application, but also well-built.  I expect to use it for auto, home projects, and metal scultping.  I would also like to use it for building bike frames.”

Those are some pretty vauge uses, but we do have a few suggestions — as I’m sure other Toolmongers will as well.  If you’re just getting started, you might want to consider a wire welder.  MIG welders — wire welders that also feed shielding gas — are even easier to use, but a basic no-gas wire welder will offer the best combination of simple setup and easy use.  Wire welding is many, many times easier for the beginner than stick welding.  For auto and home projects, you can often get away with a 120V unit, which will alleviate the need for special 220V wiring and render the welder much more portable as well.

Just as an FYI: we reviewed a pretty nice starter welder quite a while back – Hobart’s Handler 125 EZ.  We even built a small project with it to demonstrate its capabilities.

As far as “bike frames” go, I’d start with some simpler projects before you jump into something you’re going to bet your butt on.  To build bike frames you’re going to need a tubing notcher — and a lot of welding knowledge.

But what say you Toolmongers?  Any good recommendations?  Let us know in comments.

We’re planning our schedule for the Tool Talk and One Beer Project podcasts and would like your opinion on future guests and projects.  Specifically:

What guests would you like to hear on Tool Talk?  We really enjoyed Ed Fowler — as did you judging from our email — but what other people would you enjoy?

What projects would you like to hear about in OBP?  Or maybe a better question is: as the neighborhood “tool dude,” what “quick fixes” are you constantly explaining to your friends and neighbors?  Let us know in comments.

We appreciate any suggestions you have, and remember: these are “valid comments” that count as an entry into our Ridgid pneumatic giveaway!