My first real power tool was a (fill in the blank) when I was (?) years old.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
My grandson is 7 years old. I'm thinking it's about time to get him involved with doing something with his hands (LOL! Other than video games :D).

Thinking back to when I was a little squirt - ~ 7 or 8, my first power tool was an ancient 1/4" electric drill my grandfather passed on to me. It wasn't much of a drill as electric drills go, but I used it for quite a while before I picked up a B&D 1/4".

Now, coming full circle, I'm wodering if my old 3/8" B&D, would be a good one to start off a 7 year old with?
It isn't much of a drill as electric drills go,,,but it works...kinda like I'm keeping the tradition alive I guess.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I had a modified Springfield when I was rather young maybe 16 or 17. That was a fine tool. Could drive nails at near a mile.

[Nancy Laird]

In the late 40s and early 50s, my dad had a tabletop saw he called a jigsaw--would be known today as a scroll saw, but it looked like a small bandsaw. It had a fine blade and I don't remember what he used it for, but he taught me to cut small jigsaw puzzles on it. I was still about 5 or 6. Then I graduated to using his electric drill.

Nancy

[Jay Sharp]

My First real power tool was a Craftsman 7.5" portable tablesaw. It was given by my parents for my 14th birthday.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My first power tool...I was age 29.....volunteered to build a 75' fence for a woman out of pine in return for a 7 1/2" Skillsaw. That was in 1978. Just retired that rascal 2 years ago and replaced it with a PC.

[Michael Schwartz]

When I was 2 I got a Little tykes battery powerd toy drill complete with plastic drill and screwdriver bits. I actualy used this thing to drill a few holes in my bedroom wall When I was 3 or something :D I also had a hammer from the same set that whas heavy enough that My mother would take it and use it to drive smal nails etc... and My brother decided to whack me on the head with it and it left a nice bump for a week or two. :rolleyes: They just don't make toys the way they used to :mad: Fourtionatly the toy skillsaw was rather harmless.


First real power tool, 12 volt dewalt drill I bought when I was 16 with my first paycheck. First saw was a cheapo skillsaw jigsaw I got as a gift from a family friend for my 17th birthday. When I got this thing I had visions of making a shaker table with it or something, at least without serious handplaning, but I leared the hard way when I tried to pull that off :D


First real power tool I ever used was probably when I was 12 or 13 was probably my Dads single speed non reversible fraction of an amp corded drill, that he stood by nevorusly making sure I didn't figure out a way to mangle a finger or something :p

[Jack Ferrell]

In 1971 bought a Black & Decker electric drill. I was 21.

[Randy Redding]

I think mine was a McCulloch "mini-mac" chainsaw. I think I was about 12 and it was needed to help out with the annual firewood prep.

[Don Taylor]

It is the most fondly remembered Christmas present I ever received. I was somewhere around 7 or 8 years old. We had already opened all of our gifts and my Dad still had a silly grin on his face.

He reached behind the Christmas tree, back in the corner behind the tree skirt and the mess we had made with the wrappings and came out with a black metal box. When he sat it down in front of me I was more interested in the box than what was in it. (I was thinking of all the cool stuff I could hide in it. :)) He told me to open it and when I did, my eyes popped out of my head. :eek: Inside was a Craftsman steel bodied electric drill and drill bits!!!

By the time I was 9 and our house collapsed to the ground, the authorities thought it was termites. But "I" knew where all those holes came from. ;)
That drill was either lost by military movers, or one of two EX's has it. I would give a pretty penny to have it today. I'll bet it's still working.

DT

[Jude Kingery]

Hi Don, it's hard to remember as we had full run of the shop by the time we were about 7-8 years old, including table saw, band saw, drill press, lathe, grinder, welder. I guess just from watching Dad. My first interest and always my enjoyment, however, is the lathe. Jude

[Chris Barton]

Hi Rich,

I think Nancy hit it on the head; go with a scroll saw. A Ryobi comes in at around $100 and can provide unlimited project possibilities for a youngster. My first actual power tool was a hand held jig saw but, a scroll saw would have been a better choice. My 9yo daughter has made many things using a scroll saw and they are very safe.

[Henry Cavanaugh]

First Power tool was a skill saw when i was 26. I built my 1 year old son a table and chair out of Pine. I didnt get into furniture making untill that same son came home with a used delta TS 24 years later. Now Iam hooked buying everything else.

[John Shuk]

A Porter Cable random orbit sander so I could polyurethane some unfinished pine furniture we bought for our bedroom. It's still in use with no complaints.

[Jesse Espe]

My first real power tools were a Craftsman 1hp router, a Craftsman circular saw, and a Craftsman jigsaw when I was 26 (not that long ago).

Since then, I ended up mounting the router to a Craftsman benchtop table and giving it to my stepfather, who gets great use out of it. Still use the jigsaw and circular saw for construction-type stuff.

[Adam Burgess]

craftsman worm drive and a ryobie 18v 4 pc combo. when i was 23, both where stolen off a job a year later. replaced with a skill mag and dewalt 18v combo, still have both and watch then much closer.

[Matt Meiser]

I also had a hammer from the same set that whas heavy enough that My mother would take it and use it to drive smal nails etc... and My brother decided to whack me on the head with it and it left a nice bump for a week or two.

We had the same hammers growing up. My dad replaced at least 1 window due to "fixing" them.

My first power tool was a Black and Decker 3/8" VSR drill. I was probably about 8 when I got it.

[Lou Morrissette]

I think my first power tool was a Craftsman steel bodied 3/8" drill that my girlfriend bought me when I was 18. The drill finaly quit when I was about 55. The girlfriend/wife only lasted 20 years. They dont make women like they used to.:rolleyes: :D

Lou

[brian j waloweek]

my first tool was a craftsmen 1 hp router when i was 12 back in 1978, it only excepted 1/4 shank bits, even had a light in the base for some absurd reason, still use it for round over bits, also got a 3/8 single speed and no reverse craftsmen drill with cord that day.

[Don Bullock]

Unfortunately I never had any power tools of my own until I moved out of my parent's house and got married in 1971. It was a B&D drill that finally broke a couple of years ago.

When I spent some "hard earned" money on some tools (screw drivers, wrenches, hammer, etc) of my own when I still lived at home my dad thought I was wasting money since he had all those tools already in his shop. Of course, whenever I used "his" tools he never seemed very happy with that either. If the shop was messy it was always "my fault" and I was expected to clean it up even If I didn't make the mess. In some ways it's amazing that I learned so much about using tools from my dad.

I sure wish I'd had "my own" tools when I was younger. It may have changed my feelings about them at an earlier age. I think it's great for a child to start their own tool "collection" at a young age. They should also be taught how to keep them in good shape and how to store them when not in use so that they can find them when they need them.

[Jim Becker]

...a Black and Decker 7 1/4" circular saw in 1979 as a "wedding gift" in my first marriage. I still have that saw and use it for construction/home improvement activities.

[Dan Forman]

Mine was a Skillsaw just a few short years ago when I wanted to make a stand for starting seeds. It was the beginning of a very slippery slope.

Dan

[John Schreiber]

First power tool was a Craftsman drill; which is still going strong today.

As a youth, I raced bicycles and did repair work for my friends, so I had a pretty complete metric mechanic's set. Mostly Craftsman. Also, lots of odd tools just for bikes.

Those Craftsman "guaranteed for life" hand tools are still going strong. I've replaced most of the screwdrivers at least once, some three or for times.

Unfortunately, I've found that generally with power tools, Craftsman is :(:mad:.

[Philip Glover]

I think it was a Crapsman 10" RAS when I was 15 (1972). I learned a lot about adjusting machines from that thing. My Dad knew that a DeWalt RAS was better, but he didn't want to spend the extra $ at the time.
A couple of years later it was a Craftsman drillpress. It was better than the RAS in most aspects.

Regards,
Phil

[Carl Eyman]

One was a table mounted scroll saw. We also called it a jig saw. It was powered by a 1/4 hp motor that came off a defunct washing machine. The other was a Sears (not Craftsman) lathe powered by the same motor. It had maybe a 3" swing and was 18 to 24" between centers. I remember Dad had a problem getting the vee belt on the saw. He eventually cut the belt and tried to splice it back together before finally realizing one had to loosen the pulley setscrew, remove the shaft, and reassemble. I was 11 or 12 I guess. I remember the lathe cost less than $2 new.

[Al Willits]

Been a bit, but I'd have to go with the metal Craftsman 3/8ths drill too, can't remember why, but I remember buying it late in my teens for something.

Did last many years though.

Al

[Jason Garrett]

I used my paper route money to buy a Skil 3/8" VSR standard-duty drill when I was in the seventh grade. I guess that would have been 1985 or '86. It still works great.

[Grady Cowardin]

I figured I'd see more Dremels but I guess its a generation thing. Begged and pleaded my parents for a Dremel Multi-Tool kit with case and flex shaft when I was about 10. They got me the plain kit with small case but I loved it. Prob what started my love affair with tools.

[James Carmichael]

Skill 5150 circular saw, purchased at age 26 in 1986, new wife and new house.

I still have the saw:rolleyes: