Other Power Tools

Beyond drills and saws, an extension will introduce you to a range of specialist power tools. Some you will hire once and never need again. Others you will wonder how you ever managed without.

An angle grinder trims a steel lintel that arrives too long and grinds back old mortar. An SDS breaker breaks out concrete slabs. A nail gun makes short work of nailing off roof and floor timbers. A plate compactor consolidates the sub-base before your slab goes down. A router cuts worktop joints, hinge recesses and edge profiles.

Each guide explains what the tool does, when to hire and when to buy, what to look for, and the technique and safety rules that prevent expensive mistakes and injuries.

Where to start

Read the angle grinder guide first, because it is the tool most likely to turn up on your site and the one most likely to hurt someone. Then read SDS breaker and plate compactor before groundwork starts: both are usually hired, both carry vibration exposure limits, and compaction is something building control cares about. If anyone is cutting indoors, the dust extractor guide explains the dust control rules your builder has to follow.

The guides, grouped by job

Breaking out and groundwork. The SDS breaker for slabs, the plate compactor for sub-base, and the concrete mixer, including when a ready-mix lorry makes more sense.

Cutting and fixing. The angle grinder for steel, brick and mortar, and the nail gun for first and second fix timber.

Shaping timber. The router for worktops and hinges, the electric planer for trimming doors, the hand plane for the final pass, and the belt sander for heavy stock removal.

Dust control. The M-class dust extractor that connects to the tool, and the wet-dry vacuum for general clean-up, with the difference between them explained.

Stripping paint. The heat gun and the infrared paint stripper, which is the safer choice where old paint may contain lead.