Someone asked me this question the other day and at first I thought that I knew the answer, but it wasn’t that simple. I am involved in a number of different projects and crafts and I’ve come to realize that my favorite tool is dependent on what I am doing.

Right now, I am using this computer as a tool to publish this article/post. I could be writing it in the text editor provided by WordPress, but I’m not. I am using a blogging text editor named BlogJet. It’s great and I like it. I don’t use it all the time, but most of the time.

Back in the day (about 20 years ago) I had a mobile touch-up business that involved quite a bit of minor paint and body work. For that kind of work, my favorite tools were a turbine HVLP painting system. It:

• provided excellent service
• was economical
• was compact and could easily fit in my van

I was also very partial to a Makita variable speed buffer. In fact, I backed over it with my van one time and it kept right on going. One of my all-time best buys.

Around the same time, I was also doing a bit of custom paint work and I wanted the best spray gun available. I purchased a Mateson HVLP spray gun at a cost of $600.00. Costly, but worth every penny. I’ve still got it by the way. I just don’t paint anymore.

Woodworking is my great passion now and there are some really great tools out there. It all depends on what you can afford.

I really like the Japanese hand saws (not the custom made ones – much too high for me) and the Japanese chisels. They are a pleasure to use and stay sharp for a long time.

I also am quite fond of my Veritas low angle, bevel up plane. It is outstanding.

I also have a few tools and jigs that I have made over the years that I am quite fond of.

But my all-time favorites are two Bedrock hand planes that I found – cheap. I found a #603 in an antique store that cost me $12.00. I cleaned it up and it works like a dream. I also found a #605 at a flea market for $15.00 – another steal and again, a great tool.

What is your best tool? Click on the comments and let us know. We want to hear from you craftsmen and women.

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My all-time best tool is the Dewalt 18 volt cordless impact wrench. The model number is DW057.

I use it everyday as an industrial mechanic. After a while, I was so impressed with its performance, that I got another one to use at home and to take to the races (I race motorcycles – flat track).

The DW057 impact wrench is a little pricey, but after you use one for a while, you’ll agree that it is worth the cost.

The combination of size and power is what I like most about it. The cordless impact wrench that I was using prior to the Dewalt is a 12 volt Makita. It is larger and has less power than the Dewalt.

The Dewalt is a compact tool that is very powerful, producing about 130 ft.lbs of torque. It is the same size as their impact driver. It has a 1/2 drive with a pin retainer, which keep sockets held tightly to the tool. I keep a 1/2 to 3/8 adapter on mine and normally use it with 3/8 sockets from size 19 mm and smaller.

The Dewalt impact wrench has the power to loosen nuts or bolts up to size 19 mm. and because of it’s variable speed control, you are able to work on smaller fasteners without worrying about “twisting them off”.

This variable speed control is another feature that I like and now, require. I rebuild a lot of motorcycle engines. These engines have quite a few 5 and 6 mm Allen screws. In the past, I would use a 3/8 drive air driven, butterfly, impact wrench to take them apart, but during assembly, I always installed them by hand. This was mainly because motorcycle cases are aluminum and I couldn’t feel or control the pneumatic impact wrench.

This is no longer a problem. With the Dewalt, I have so much feel and control that I’m not intimidated to use it for assembling engines.

I plan to turn wrenches for many more years and I may come across a better tool, but as of now, my favorite tool is the Dewalt 18 volt cordless impact wrench.