Handy guide for choosing an extension cord
alisande
11 years ago
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LuAnn_in_PA
11 years agojoyfulguy
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Choosing a 12v or 18v lithium cordless tool kit? Brands?
Comments (13)Not sure how old your husband is, but the older I get, the more I appreciate my 12v LI cordless drill! I have the Hitachi and I love it. I also have an 18v Bosch that is much heavier, but also makes both my shoulder and elbow problems flare up much quicker. For fast jobs where I'm not holding the drill above my head or at odd angles, the heavier drill is fine. But, I'd much rather reach for my smaller drill. So far, I've completely remodeled my house, built a fence, deck, done drywall- all with my 12v drill. I have 3 batteries and when I'm working one is always ready in the charger. The smaller drill has adjustable settings, so I can put together stuff from IKEA without stripping screws. The 18v has way too much power, and would surely strip those. I also have an electric screwdriver that I could use for simpler things, but prefer the feel of the drill. I think it's a very personal thing, have him try them out buy holding them at the store. And remember, most of the displays don't include the heavy part- the battery- so make sure to take that into consideration. And always buy the best brand you can. The first drill I bought was a Black & Decker, and it has been charged maybe twice in the 6 years I've had it. I prefer quality tools- and that one isn't....See MoreIs my circular saw junk??
Comments (18)I bought the 19.6v cordless circular saw from Sears. It came with one of them laser do-hickys. The laser thing is awful. I can hold a much better line with my eye and a pencil mark. I have two batteries. So when I am using one the other is charging. If I had to do a lot of ripping, I would probally dig out my corded version. I rarely do that though. I can cut through several sheets of 3/4 ply lengthwise, no problem. I have also made dozens of 2/4 cross cuts before needing a charge. The important thing is to use a carbide blade made especially for cordless. They are thinner than a normal blade and take a lot less power. Also, do not get the blade canted when cutting a line. Any binding and the blade will stop. When cutting a long sheet of ply, I stop the saw after about a foot and clamp the kerf where I just cut. It basically does the same thing as putting a wedge in the kerf, but also keeps the two pieces from folding at the end of the cut, which will also bind the blade. I absolutely love my cordless circular saw for all the small jobs I do around the house. Even on those big projects it is so convenient I keep reaching for it... over and over....See MoreWhy should I choose Custom cabinets over Semi-custom?
Comments (24)The lines between custom and semi-custom have become increasingly blurred. Used to be that custom meant you could get any wood specie you want, in any door style you want, in any color or finish choice you want. Many smaller, local builders call themselves custom, but in many cases you can get "more custom" work from brands that call themselves semi-custom. Showplace will build custom configured cabinets (you draw it, they build it), or you can modify a standard cabinet to the 1/16" -- they also offer custom painted finishes, but they call themselves semi-custom because you must live with the styles and species they offer. The best advise is to research your options and, as others have said, make a good product-service-installation value decision based on what is most important to you. It is always most helpful also to talk with friends, family, co-workers, etc. and see if they, or someone they know, have done a project and could make a recommendation. Here is a link to a planning guide that is helpful. Admittedly, the content eventually moves toward Showplace offerings, but much of the early content is viable regardless of the brand you choose. Here is a link that might be useful: Cabinet Planning Workbook...See MoreNeed help with choosing recessing lighting
Comments (32)I've never seen your kitchen (or any pictures of it) and thus don't know how your tiles or countertop or paint or cabinets will look like under different lighting, so I have no way to know which would make your colors look best, but my inclination is to go with PAR38 bulbs in 6" cans, because that gives you the most options now and also in the future to change if necessary, or if better/cheaper LED lights come along. I've generally found high color temperatures (4000K and up) look best with white cabinets, which turn yellowish under 2700K light, but that wood cabinets look best with lower color temperatures. But the differences between halogen (about 2850k) and 3000 or 3500K are more subtle. I lean towards the GE 20947 halogen PAR38 bulbs I mentioned earlier, in part because I've used them frequently and can vouch that they give off great light (a 2850K 100CRI halogen won't dull colors like a 2700K 82CRI CFL does), an even well-focused beam spread, and not much glare. And the light bulbs themselves look good, more so than many LED floodlamps currently available which look more like showerheads or jet engines with visible heatsinks. The halogen bulbs have a rated 3000 hour life; by the time they burn out there should be a much larger, higher quality, and cheaper assortment of LED retrofits available then there are now; indeed, a halogen bulb now and an LED replacement two or three years hence could be less expensive than an LED bulb now. I don't notice much heat from them when installed in an 8' ceiling - they're much further away from you than the lights on your rangehood, and considerably bigger but only slightly higher wattage (and wattage correlates with heat). If you're really concerned about adding any heat though, maybe something like the Home Depot Commercial Electric 5"/6" LED modules (or another similar brand) would be better - they're cool, not wildly expensive, efficient, 3000K, but also only low-80s CRI. You can put a PAR30 bulb in a 6" or 6.5" can, but doing so requires a conical trim kit to look good (so there's no big gap around the bulb), and I've never liked that appearance - the fixture looks too big for the bulb - but getting a PAR38-capable nonetheless gives you that flexibility, whereas a 5" can can use only a PAR30. Myself I still prefer to use 5" cans for PAR30 lights for the neater appearance. Long necks or short necks are a choice only for the PAR30 size; other sizes have only one common shape. The long-neck bulb is more common in residential fixtures, and most of what you'll find in consumer-oriented stores. Cheap bulb extenders are sold in hardware stores that will effectively turn a short-neck PAR30 into a long-neck version, and sometimes the socket in the recessed fixture can be adjusted in or out to suit either. The short-neck PAR30 (or smaller bulbs) are a good option when dealing with shallow ceilings though where big cans may not fit. But most times (and nearly all times if there's an attic above your kitchen), there's plenty of space for a normal-depth large can....See More
cynic
11 years agoFun2BHere
11 years ago
Alisande
7 years ago
rob333 (zone 7b)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agojoyfulguy
7 years agogregbradley
7 years agoAlisande
7 years agojemdandy
7 years ago
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