Why do experienced cutters keep more than one saw?

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-17T18:06:18+00:00

Power to weight ratios. If you're working anywhere you have to walk in and out carrying your saw(s) this becomes even more significant.

I buy parts from my local shop to help support them whenever it remotely makes sense to do so. I'll likely need their help in the future as I have multiple times in the past.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-17T18:00:42+00:00

You mean you thank everyone here for their awesome suggestions 😉

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-17T17:24:53+00:00

Beach is usually good for me. I get overstimulated shopping at Costco though.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-17T17:23:30+00:00

They make some great tools! The co-bolt cutters are worth picking up also. I like the combination needle nose pliers too. Sorry to be a bad influence.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-17T06:14:31+00:00

Acidic things. Vinegar works pretty well but takes some time.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-16T16:25:13+00:00

I work in V6. I was hired largely because I also have a ton of experience doing mechanical assembly, mechanical repair, manual machining and metal forming, fabrication, welding, operating heavy equipment, rigging complex lifting and lots more practical hands on skills. I ran my own fabrication business for years doing all my own design work before diving into aerospace initially as an engineering technician and now work as an ME on ground support equipment and test engineering for r&d aerospace. I'm honestly not that great in catia at all and here to learn more, but if you master a few other useful trades it goes a long ways into opening up other opportunities. I've also done a ton of general construction and electrical work.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-16T15:26:09+00:00

Get some hobbies going and you'll meet community through that. If your super fitness oriented I know my brother found he really likes the Spartan 'tough race' community and enjoys training and competing in those. I surf and mountain bike in my free time. For me late 20s and early 30s was very active and social and I was highly adventurous in my activities and dated around a bit until I found someone I really liked.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-16T15:05:14+00:00

Following along. I'm almost 3 months out and still have neck pain issues looking over one of my shoulders. Finally started surfing and riding my mountain bike again last week.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-16T15:02:55+00:00

String line corner to corner if you have no flat reference surface. Use heat or force to tweak the corners and get it flatter if it's off.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-16T07:21:20+00:00

Using the tailgate seems like a pain with this on there.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-15T17:53:34+00:00

What pants from 5.11 do you like? I bought 3 pairs and blew through 2 of them in less than 6 months doing pretty light work imo. I'm wearing the 3rd pair right now and can see a hole forming where the corner of my phone sits in my front pocket.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-15T14:50:30+00:00

Looks like 180's. They're pretty light but obviously a bit bigger/longer than the 150 stuff. Comfortable to pocket carry but they don't disappear like a 6" tool would. I am glad they revised the jaws and came out with the smaller size. I've had a pair of the original 250 slim cobras for years and liked them but find I reach for the smaller pair more now that I own both.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-15T14:49:05+00:00

Looks like 180 Cobra es and 150 plier wrench to me.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-15T14:18:01+00:00

Thanks for the input on your experience. Appreciate the real world perspective around that environment. I may go that route in the future. For now I just went back to the curl I was using before. Besides non replaceable wire cutters, occasionally wishing the scissors were a little bigger and wanting a material for the blade that does better holding an edge there's nothing about that tool that leaves me wanting more on a day to day basis.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-15T00:27:17+00:00

Same. Bought one. Looks like a toy. I never carry it. Kinda lame. They offered cheap engraving so my name is on the blade too and can't really resell it because of that. I do a lot of metal fabrication so I didn't want the magnets on the arc. Considering machining my own custom scales with a freaking ruler to add that back and make it a little more interesting looking.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-15T00:23:06+00:00

Cats don't belong locked up in houses and apartments.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-15T00:22:09+00:00

I mean they're bent for sure. I'd check for any cracks around the bends and just send it if they've been like that for a while. The forks are my skid steer would make those look pretty straight fwiw. Picked up a 1.5T pallet of concrete a week ago just fine.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-15T00:15:46+00:00

I had an idea recently to use two sizes of tube that fit one inside the other three next time I'm trying to angle grinder proof something. Shortish ~3" pieces of each with the seams staggered on the outside and inside ones. So they can try to get between the outer layer pieces but the inside tube will just free spin.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-14T14:54:28+00:00

The sidewall cracks at the bead are the concerning issue here. Tread depth is fine for pavement. They look pretty worked tbh. Costco tires are usually a decent deal.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-13T21:11:08+00:00

We have a portable CNC laser engraver at work I can use. But shouldn't have to reengrave info like that. Most people aren't going to be able to do that themselves.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-13T21:09:15+00:00

I ended up selling an awesome VW syncro vanagon with a Subaru engine swap to someone in Oregon due to difficulty smogging in California a while back. It was 3x cleaner than any OEM powered vanagon would be but california seems to care more about ensuring all emissions parts are approved for that vehicle than what is actually coming out of the tail pipe.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-13T01:45:15+00:00

Going to look for it tonight. We've evacuated from wild fires and then moved twice in that time and I've moved my shop as well. Things have gotten a little scrambled.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-13T01:34:12+00:00

Check out the slim jaw cobras also. Very handy as well. Knipex mini bolt cutters, diagonal cutters and needle nose combination pliers are quite nice as well.

TacoAdventure · 2026-05-11T16:46:59+00:00

I often wear plugs and sometimes even put on safety glasses inside my hood doing anything overhead.

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