Gotta Love A Hydraulic Slub Buster

I know most of you guys never need anything more than your old 7.2 volt stick battery Makita cordless and a step drill, but yesterday I was really thankful for my 18 Volt Milwaukee cordless and my hydraulic slug buster. The problem I've always had with step drills is that you are basically drilling the same hole 5 times even for a smallish half inch KO bushing. Each step is harder than the last. Still, if you only have one, and you are drilling in a horizontal orientation where you can brace into it, its not to bad and often takes less time than going and getting the right stuff out of the truck. It still takes some time, but at the end of a dozen holes in medium gage galvanized steel your arms aren't noodles, and your hands aren't numb from vibration. 1/2" pilot point drill bit with a little Tap Magic cutting oil, and about five pumps with the slug buster, and you are snapping in your bushing and pulling the wire through.

Maybe not quite as handy as the scissor lift, but the next best thing after you are up there.

Reply to
Bob La Londe
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I'd just rather use a standard hole saw without a bushing. I like to watch the insulation curl up as it shaves off the wire while I'm pulling it through the holes.

Reply to
Jim

CRINGE !

Reply to
Bob La Londe

Yep, 'cause that makes the wire thinner so you can leave much longer leads bundled up all different directions in the panel.

If you do it right, you won't even be able to see the panel when you open the lid... until the spaghetti sandwich falls out taking any unsecured expanders and the battery with it.

Reply to
JoeRaisin

EXACTLY !!!!

Jeeze Thanks.

I thought I was the only one!

Reply to
Jim

They do make quick work of punching a slug.

Reply to
G. Morgan

Holy crap Bob, I just checked out the hydraulic punch set. You'd have to ha ve to punch out a whole hell of a lotta holes to warrant THAT kinda money!

Not always .... but mostly around here .... they use the pre punched met al studs anyway. Just add grommets and pull with maybe a custom hole here and there.

Some studs have rolled edges on the elongated holes so you don't even have to add grommets. But .... I don't do commercial anymore if I can absolutely avoid it and the only time metal is used is sometimes in residential after market basement refinishing jobs.

Reply to
Jim

You must have looked at an over priced proud of their own poop Greenlee. LOL. It doesn't look like the one I have is available anymore. I admit it was a Harbor Freight tool. I have used it to punch hundreds of holes for

1/2" KO bushings and dozens of holes for 2" KO bushing. I am quite sure I paid a tenth of what the Greenlee unit cost. Harbor Freight used to be the poor man's get'er done store, but they have less selection, and the quality has gone to total crap since the son took over the company, looted it, and threw the old man out on his ass. (Had him physically escorted out of the building). Sad thing. Yeah, 3 grand for the Green Lee set is a bit steep. I bought my HF for one job several years ago, and I still use it. Every once in a while it will leak around the fill port. I just tighten the screw and its good to go.

This looks like the same tool I have by a different importer. Mine did not come with a 1/2" punch. I had to buy it separately.

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I do have a Green Lee ratcheting set also, but I lost the wrench and one of the punches somewhere, and I just haven't gotten around to replacing them.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

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