TOOLS

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My tool collection is pretty sparse, but growing as money allows. There are obviuosly more tools in my garage, but these ones are the most useful and important to me with the one exception of my 3/8" Makita drill motor. What a champ- 6 years of continuous ABUSE this thing has taken and not so much as a whimper. I don't trust cordless tools, as they always seem to run out of juice when I need it most.
This is the Harbor Freight $52.99 jack. Lasted 6 years with no problems, 3000lb capacity and just keeps on ticking. Never underestimate the usefulness of a real floor jack. I'd like to get one of their aluminum jacks just because they're cool and lightweight.
This is the Harbor Freight 4-1/2" $19.99 Angle grinder. This has lasted 2 years without a problem. Angle grinders are one of the most useful tools: Grind, cut (!!) and smooth with flapdisk sanding disks. I don't know what I would do without this tool, and though cheap, it has never sputtered.
This is the Harbor Freight 1/2" 5 speed $39.99 drill press. I have to admit, though useful, not as much as other tools. Also, the speed only goes down to about 1200 rpms at it's lowest setting, which is really too fast for a 1/2 inch bit in metal. Next time, I will buy a more expensive Harbor Freight drill press that is a little slower. Other than that, no hiccups here either.
This is the Sears Craftsman $200 tool set with plastic molded drawers in the chest. I love it, as it's portable, and complete, with 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch socket sets in SAE and Metric, box/open end wrenches in SAE and Metric. It's a good set to begin with and to add to over time.
This is my Lincoln Electric SP-135+ 110v welder. $519 from Weilerdirect.com. It has infinite voltage control and can use gasless or mig wire. I use it with mig wire and CO2, though I will get the 75% Argon/25% CO2 canister soon, as I understand the welds come out cleaner. It's a good solid piece of equipment, though if I were to weld thicker than 1/8" consistently, I would look into the 175 amp models.