The oscillating multi tool, a dedicated hammer drill is a godsend when your dealing with serious concrete and a metal cutting circular saw is pretty bad ass. I think I prefer it to the portaband for cutting strut, rebar or conduit, and it doubles as a descent wood saw.
The oscillating multi-tool has saved my hide many times when doing residential work. I’m a red guy, but I prefer the DeWalt gyroscopic screwdriver. It’s great for all of the machine screws that we use in switches and receptacles, but it can also drive a 3” screw when hanging a ceiling fan. Turn your wrist left, it turns CCW. Turn your wrist right, it turns CW. Turn your wrist a little bit, it turns slowly. Turn your wrist a lot, it spins fast. One of my favorite things too is that it fits in my back pocket
Home-gamer here. I was skeptical when I got an oscillating tool, but there are things it does that it does REALLY well and other tools do terrible. Particularly tight spaces. BUT, trying to use it for things other tools are great at, it does crap. I loved it for trimming tiles up against cabinets to open space to run my LV LED light cabling, and getting nails in between boards where you can't use the "bend the sawzall blade" trick. And I really love it for cutting drywall for remodel boxes. My color? Beige, but none of you use that junk. :-D
I barely seen anyone using that besides myself. Super useful love that tool it's very light for its power I installed more than 90 devices in a building just using that for screwing
I would miss my SDS. The hammer setting on the Milwaukee drill is nice for a tap con or two, but after a few holes, it's worth the walk to the truck to grab the SDS. Also a must-have for drilling holes for threaded rod or larger masonry anchors.
Missing on the list: 1) multi tool (Fein multimaster is amazing if you're willing to go off system for the batteries, a lot less vibration) 2) rotary hammer, needed for making larger holes in concrete if you need to run conduit through a wall. Running ground rods too. 3) cordless vac, but not the small ones. If you're team red then the 2 gal wet/dry is perfect. Optional: 1) Dewalt cable stapler, if you staple a lot of romex it will make your life much easier. 2) Hydraulic driver instead of an impact drill, less power but your ears will thank you in the long run. 3) rotary cut out tool, if you ever need to cut around something buried under sheetrock. 4) a good light source that runs on your main battery system, so you always have a battery ready.
The oscillating multi-tool is a must have for any kind of cut in. The thing has cut things I never would of imagined and saved my butt many times. I'm a red guy too...Hilti
I was going to buy a ryobi oscillating tool because it had a bunch of attachments (rigid does too) and I'm so glad I went with Milwaukee. I didnt need one at the time, I just live a ways away from a good tool store, and wanted to be prepared. I've used it SO much in the last 3 months. Been through 20+ blades.
Does hilti actually have one? I always tell everyone around me, that i have made a mistake when i need to use my (makita 18V) oscillating thingy. It will get me out of trouble, but usually everything where it is used, should have been cutted earlier with more suitable tools. And any blade that cuts steel is too expensive and too easy to fuck up (or at least you could not let your crew use yours). For plastic pipes and trunking its nice, but as you could cut and notch already installed conduits, you start to think less what you are doing and cut way more on a ladder than is safe or wise.
I use the cordless oscillating multi-tool all the time. It is also a must have for cutting boxes into cabinets on islands. I also use it on remodels when removing old plastic boxes that have the lip behind the drywall. I use this tool more than I ever thought that I would. Great video
I was told by my instructors in college "what makes you better for taking this class than any other electrician, is that you can ask any Journeyman in the trade how to wire something, and they can show you, but then ask them WHY it has to be wired that way, and most of them will tell you "because that's just the way it is, because that's code" but WHY is it code? What's the safety reason that makes it a code requirement? What does the current, the properties of the circuit that state WHY you wired it that way, WHY you used that size conductor, that size/type of pipe, etc.
Russian sparkies don't use many of these tools due to the fact that most of our work is with concrete and masonry construction. Lots of core drilling and channel cutting in concrete! But the heat gun is my go-to. Thanks for the gifts, I use those tools all the time!
@@andover7067 Dude, you need a hug or something? Your parents didn't love you enough? Go have a drink, get laid, do something to deal with your anger issues.
@@andover7067 The government of the country and its people are NOT the same thing, dude. People are people everywhere. They love, they have kids, they die, they try to be good to others most of the time. The government of the country, if you have a problem with them, is a whole other thing. No need to hate on people bro.
I bought a GEN 2 18v SUPER HAWG to replace my ancient corded hole hog. I was going to go with the regular 18v version (shown in this video) but had a 25% off coupon tht only applied to the super hawg and made it only 10$ more expensive then the regular one. All I have to say is HOLY CRAP. its a monster. It will plow though stud packs like they are made of cheese.... very soft cheese. Its unstoppable. I am happy with it but If i was to do it again I would likely just get the standard (smaller) 18v Hole Hawg (the one shown in this video). The Super Hawg is huge, and VERY long, good for leverage, bad for maneuvering it carrying it with a 24" Quic-loc extension in it. (think of a 20lbs framing square sized tool: AKA awkward) The super Hawg is VERY heavy 2x the weight of the standard hole hawg. ( `20lbs with a battery and bits/augers etc. vs. the regular Hole hawgs ~10lbs.) The amount of torque it make over the regular 18v hole hawg is likely only needed 5% of the time (if that) but the extra weight and length is always there. If you need to replace your old school tired corded hawg ... the 18volt Super Hawg crushes it ... I doubt the Standard hawg would dissapoint either.
Not an electrician here (12v automotive installer) but I love my Milwaukee M12 stuff. Definitely consider picking up their oscillating multitool. That thing can do just about anything. Also, having a super small impact/screwdriver has come in handy for me a few times when I didn't need a whole lot of power.
Consider an oscillating multitool. All the major companies have a version of it. I have the DeWalt version. It’s very useful for cutting out drywall for switch boxes, in remodel applications,. trimming wooden obstructions and a multitude of minor trims.
The moment when you go from a recip saw to a bandsaw is always an eye opener. After doing repetitive work the "traditional" way and then getting a tool that really helps the process, you almost want to yell, "why didn't anybody tell me this!?!"
The UK I use all the time is a Makita wall chaser as we flush cables in concrete walls. Saves hour and hours chasing cables in the walls. Best purchase Iv ever made for my work.
Good list. I’m actually very surprised at the number of electricians I come across that don’t have a bandsaw. I see them cutting pipe with sawzalls and leaving these jagged edges on them. It makes me cringe. One additional thing I definitely would include is an SDS drill. Absolutely crucial to have it for chiseling and drilling larger size holes in masonry where the normal drill on HD setting doesn’t cut it.
Every electrician needs a porta-band. Also roto hammers are pretty necessary. Self leveling lasers are absolutely necessary. Vacuums and lighting can be important too.
I never used a band saw, and with all the tools I have I think I really need to get one. Seems like everyone here is praising them. I definitely agree about lasers and vacuums, my cordless vac gets used at every job I go to. Need a multi tool on the list as well, would make a top 5 on my list.
If you haven't tried the midsized Milwaukee band saw you're missing out. It's the most versitle they have. Strut and pipe up to 2" cut like butter. Big pipe, draw a line then cut and roll.
Been doing commercial for quite a while as an apprentice, and i’ve been using the drill, impact, sawzall, and hammer drill. Though i may use the hammer drill less since the site ceiling for every floor is like metal. I don’t have my own band saw, but when the company provides ys and i cut some emt, wow so smooth
SDS rotary hammer drill + rotary drill Chuck combo has been the my personal ace in the hole for the past 6 months. More efficient than a drill/hammer drill at being a hammer drill and can drill through studs all day.
My absolute must haves, in addition to what you mentioned, are a carbide/metal circular saw and a oscillating / "Fein" tool. I do a lot of commercial where I'm working around metal studs and/or working with conduit mostly, so a metal saw is an absolute must, and the oscillating tool is an absolute must for service work, remodels, etc.
@@nathanielgardener318 it's about priorities. When I first started making decent money, I quickly bought a "badass" truck. As I progressed I learned that tools were going to get me more jobs, more money and enhance my learning. Nowadays, making what would be considered real good money in most places, I buy a lot of my clothes at Walmart, Costco and Target. I don't buy the newest vehicle out, I wait 5 or 6 years and I invest in my tools.
Sds is a must. A corded coring drill too. I would also talk about batteries. I use the 1.5ah lightweight batteries on my impact & drill & my 4-6ah batteries with my sds & band saws. U don't need more then the 1.5ah & it's alot lighter unless doing some heavy drilling or cutting & u want the extra power & battery.
The Milwaukee metal cutting circular saw. That thing is awesome. It cuts 1 5/8 kindorf/unistrut faster than the bandsaw. Plus it's cool to the touch after a cut.
My biggest recommendation and it could even eliminate the jig saw from your kit is scroll blades as they are often called for the reciprocating saws. They are about the size of jig saw blades and we often use them in the 1 handed smaller reciprocating saws for cutting electric strikes and other finer work. I have also used them in the 1 handed saw like you would a jig saw but to be fair the pivoting plate was kind of a pain vs the fixed plate on a jig saw.
I have found as my years of work evolved I had a mix of tool companies. Lately as I can I buy the same equipment brand so the batteries are compatible. Also phasing out corded tools, mostly. I give my other brand tools as I evolve to my apprentices.
This is different more geared to residential work. For commercial must haves got to include a sds,iso tool, and the m12 3" cut off wheel is a beast for troughs and switch gear
I am first year apprentice and have a question related to power tools. is it expected that either as apprentice or journeyman one should have their own sawzall, circular saw, and grinder? or these ones should be provided by the company you work for? I have my own hand tools and two basic power tools (drill and impact driver) but I am not sure about buying the above-mentioned ones. The only reason I am thinking about buying those tools is to save time and get the job done quicky as sometimes you don't have those company tools handy because someone else is using them. I see in some cases that some electricians have their own power tools (Aside from Drill and impact driver) even when they work full time for a company what about you guys, Do you think it's fair to buy those power tools with your own money or the company should provide you with power tools?
I would say make the investment as you will save you and your company time and $$, they will notice that and thay may keep you around versus the guy who dosen't have the necessary tools.
Multitool, rotary hammer drill, vacuum, lights (bigger than flashlights), and fans, all battery-powered. In your list, the only tools I don't have are the bandsaw, framing nailer, and a HoleHog. I do have an angle drill. Not being a "Pro" my tools are green, don't knock them, my tools have been serving me well for years now.
Just purchased the Milwaukee electricians tool belt and drill holster and I'm actually really loving it. As a pro, I was curious as your opinion about the belt? Love your channel, please keep up the great work!
A SDS drill is a must, drilling larger holes through concrete, chipping out concrete, etc. Even seen people drive in grounding rods with them, not a recommended use but yeah. Replacing the jig saw with an oscillating multi tool is another one of those "where have you been all my life!" things. Only other critique is trying to avoid mixing brands, since the batteries aren't interchangeable and aren't cheap either.
Never seen a residential electrician use a jig saw circular saw or framing nailer before...i would say a multi tool or sds drill is much much more valuable then those tool for electrical work.
@@GreasyReecey dude seriously?? are you an electrician or general contractor?? whats more important for an electrician a circ saw or oscillating multitool. how often are you cutting 2x4's? i actually never cut a 2x4 now that i think about it...for us electricians you're not a general contractor building a house you're an electrician installing units or wall sockets and running cable/conduit. and reading the comments, every other comment is saying the same thing i'm saying. i would even put a cut out rotary tool above a circ saw. also yes nails are cheaper but astronomically weaker then screws. screws last forever nails lose load strength over time. in my opinion the point isn't to make your life easy or to buy the cheapest stuff the point is to do the job right.
Nails aren't weaker than screws, they're used for different applications. Screws have much worse Shear strength and will break because they're brittle but have good hold. Take it easy just giving an opinion not trying to argue
A metal cutting circular saw is a must have in a commercial setting for conduit and strut. It blows the band saw out of the water. I highly recommend the Hilti one.
I’ve had the original m12 impact/drill combo since they came out. I do apartment maintenance so use daily. The batteries last weeks. I lost the drill for about a year an a half found it in a shed. It sat in a shed in ny with no protection through all the seasons, the battery was still at full charge when found. I won’t buy anything but Milwaukee
With the Sawzall and hackzaw the difference in them other than the obvious is strick length, the Sawzall is 1.25" struck length and the hackzaw is 7/8th inch strick length. That milwaukee Sawzall is a monster and the hackzall is also amazing probably 1 of my favorite tools honestly I like the m12 personally for cutting pipe it fits perfect in hand and can get in tight spaces
Absolutely love my porta band so much easier to cut threaded rod for light fixtures, strut, conduit and I’ve even used it to cut service cable. Instead of a heat gun for heat shrink I use a map gas torch with the wide nozzle but then again I mainly use heat shrink only on the really big stuff like overhead service drop connections. The power companies around here have us do the disconnect reconnect even on underground services. We can even pull and reseal meters.
An SDS plus Roto hammer and a oscillating multitool are two other power tools that are must haves. We have a lot of stucco brick and stone houses around us so my Roto Hammer is also my core drill. And the ground is really rocky so it works really well for ground rods.
Just one more very important tool. A good quality pair of safety glasses. Anti fog and comfort a must that way you will wear them. Thank you sir! well done.
I have everything you mentioned and more in blank & yellow brand. I'd like ro stay in one battery platform. How could you miss "thread rod cutter", oscillating, and flashlight/work area light? I use headlamps but for ranch and attic I prefer a work light .
@@edisona.543 the IBEW had decided not to accept me the go around they had, so I’m waiting for the next one. I’m working on all the classes they will have me take outside of the trade school, so I won’t have to then.
If you have to keep it at 10 I would drop angle grinder for multi-tool unless working industrial. Also I would drop hole hog for DeWalt electric cable stapler. Impact w/a stubby paddle is AWSOME for holes and throwing cable Staples in with the squeeze of a finger is a huge time saver
To those HVAC guys. A drill with hammer setting is perfect to start hole where the screw is aiming. This assume that the slipping clutch and hammer functions is work together otherwise we can over run the thread in the hole at the end of fastening.
Also makita makes a Sheetrock saw that works very well. When do full remodels it collets the dust and cuts the depth exactly so you don’t damage anything inside the wall.
owning your. own power tools is expensive. I joined the union and now I`m not allowed to bring in any of my own power tools or any tool over 50.00 or over 16" The contractor is responsible for providing all the tools. I love it. & I make 70.00 per hr.
Not even an electrician, but I already have six out of the ten shown here, plus an oscillating multi-tool. And also two that were shown were items on my list. Nice to know if I ever decided to go into this trade I'm already well stocked on power tools.
Inspection camera. I love the DeWalt one as the screen comes off and is Bluetooth to the unit so I can have the screen stationary as I manipulate the camera around.
Hi, I really like my DeWalt and Milwaukee tools. I use both brand and I'm truly happy with both companies. Here are few tools you should try out. 1. Milwaukee m18 surge impact 2. DeWalt oscillating tool 3. DeWalt coax staple gun 4. Milwaukee m12 stapler
In Europe a hammer drill would make #2 and you would have a second big one with SDS-MAX for drilling holes > 1" in concrete. Electricians in Germany mostly use Bosch (blue is the pro stuff), where Carpenters have Protool and Festo. You won't see a nailer in an electrician's hand here though.
ROTARY HAMMER!! I work in garages a lot where we’re running EMT on the ceilings and a hammer drill takes up too much time to mount strut and one-hole straps to support the pipe.
Rotozip is a useful tool. I'm mainly commercial and i use mine often enough for cutting drywall. Its useful if i have to cut a bunch of holes for can lights or old work cut in boxes. SDS drill with a ground rod driving bit is a back saver. Everything else you covered i think.
Dewalts 12v 3 beam laser. Drilling wholes through studs all same heights. Leveling kitchen outlets so the backsplash looks levels nd straight with outlets. Marking out cans on floor like 3 ft off one wall 3ft off another. Gives you and X to put the red plastic piece on the metal cans. Lining up cans if the wall is not straight like a row of 5+ dead center.
I prefer the hackzall now, i own both. Also the 4-1/2” dewalt saw is a badass little tool. I have used it way more then I even thought I would need too lol
Leaving out the oscillating multi-tool very much cripples your video.The oscillating multi-tool is a MUST-HAVE for Electrical Residential work. Nothing comes close for installing or removing electrical boxes when remodeling. After my drill-driver, it's the one power tool I use the most.
M12 fuel is what I use most of the time but got the m18 fuel when I need that extra power. I’m surprised you don’t have the m12 fuel Circular saw thing is bad ass for my service electrical work/ plumbing
I'm pretty sure the difference between the two saws is the stroke length. The smaller sawzalls are perfect for precision cuts on lighter materials like wood paneling etc, and the big boy is better for chopping up unistrut, threaded rod, 2x4's and shit like that.
Right on! Milwaukee power tools will treat you right! I bought a set of basic M18s a year and a half ago and they are still going. All brushed. But damn man what was your previous job? Showing up first day with milwaukees and their packouts? Shouldnt have left if you can afford all that ;)
Never used a jigsaw or skillsaw so i would swap those for a multitool and for a rotary hammer because the Milwaukee drill/hammer drill can only do so much
Kinda surprised you didn't include the multitool on the list. I'd use that WAY more than a jigsaw, especially to cut a hole in kitchen islands for microwave plugs
The difference is that the Sawsall has a 1 1/2inch stroke and the hacksall has a 1/2"stroke... Give or take. Hacksall is waaay slower to cut through stuff and is only for smaller material and things like. Pvc pipe.
We do construction, everything from demo, framing, electric, plumbing, finishing and we use only milwaukee 12volt for impact, drill/hammer drill, sawsall. However at home I only use milwaukee 18volt 😏
