Thread: Texan needs info

1/4 and 1/2 inch are both common sizes - however they occasionally get described in metric - 6.4mm or something equally silly. As long as it looks 1/4 inch, it probably is!

Yes, the batteries are interchangeable - it's just the chargers that aren't.

You'll be right measurement wise as long as you can count to 10; measurements are typically stated in millimetres and are generally rounded off to be close to whatever the standard imperial sizes were - so standard ceiling heights are 2400mm (or 8 foot), bench heights are 900mm (36 inches),100 and 200mm are 4 inch and 8 inch respectively - a day wandering through Bunnies playing with the product will give you a good feel for all the sizes in common use.

Nails are specified by their length and diameter - so you are better off just totally forgetting penny sizes - it's 75x3.05mm...or just 75mm for the normal framing nail.

However, Australian spiders are bigger than what you may be used to (see picture).

Howdy Jeremy. As a Texan who made the move 13 years ago, I'd suggest you sell all your power tools before you move, and replace over here. Yes it's more expensive, but the transformer you'd need for any real tool is expensive and heavy, and you'll end up replacing anyway.

Load up on good hand tools, as they are much cheaper in the US than here.

Search the forum for a thread about a year ago about an American moving to Oz, there's some good advice there also.

Where in Australia are you looking to settle?

BTW, I'm planning to be around New Braunfels and Wimberley in October, happy to have a chat if you're interested.

Regards,

Tex

PS: Don't worry about the spiders, you get used to 'em

If you make it, just stay south of Sydney. The spiders can be a bit bigger but we don't get the toads that eat the birds and spiders .

Regarding the drill, have bought a fair load of the 18V Lithium stuff over from US. The chargers on these can charge a 3AH lithium from flat in 22min. That equates to the charger needing about 220W of mains power. Decent stepdown transformers are AU$75 for 250VA (nearest acceptable size) retail, others can be cheaper on ebay etc.

For my fleet, I put a large (1200W) toroidal transformer into a case, with switching fuses etc, and this outputs through a 6 way US powerboard. Great for the workshop and cost about $140 to set up. For away from home, I bought in a US$30 12V to 110V 600 W inverter, the strategy being that I can take 6 batts from the workshop, and being able to recharge a couple in field would be enough. From that perspective, if you bring the kit, it would be a decent saving to bring a couple of extra batteries.

Chargers are available for local conditions but run to AU$130+.

I think it's a real credit to foreigners moving to Australia to take the initiative and learn the language. What with many immigrants only speaking their native tongue, my hat's off to Jeremy for proving he's serious about the move and willing to make sacrifices.

His English is perfect!

As for location, my advice is of course Queensland. You will undoubtedly be attacked by something poisonous, but at least you'll die in a comfortable climate.

Wow, you guys have absolutely provided me with a wealth of info--not least of which is to avoid your massive spiders...!

Master Splinter: that's a great idea about wandering through Bunnings. I've actually been in one of those stores in the ACT (where my girlfriend is from) but was too blown away by the prices to notice dimensions.

Tex B: Over the last several months I've been stocking up on all the basic hand tools, not only cheaper here in Texas but I can also get the brands I know. I would love to chat and get a better understanding from you as to the transition between the two worlds. San Anton is only 3-4 hours away.

malb: just to make this clear, you're saying that you have a inverter like you would plug into the 12v port in your car, and you can charge a couple of batteries out in the field?


damienhazo: I'm dead serious about learning the way you guys do everything. I'm the one that gets laughed at on the jobsite when I whip out my dual english/metric tape measure. But I'm getting a better gut feel for guesstimations between the two systems.

Thanks for making a curious newcomer welcome!

Well Jeremy, You might get lost here. Most of our states are bigger than Texas.

Just a point on the lingo - we are blokes. Moreso because we into the sawdust sniffing.

Originally Posted by jeremycook

malb: just to make this clear, you're saying that you have a inverter like you would plug into the 12v port in your car, and you can charge a couple of batteries out in the field?

Sure do, 12V to 110V 600W capacity, copes well with one charger at a time on a car battery,or two if the engine is running to provide the power. At full load it is drawing about 60 A out of he battery, so at that level it is strictly direct connect to the battery, rather than through a cigarette lighter though.

Of the 4 110V chargers that I own, three are 22min for the 3AH battery and the other is a 70 minute one. More than happy to charge on the road with that charger and the inverter in the lighter socket, but I go direct to the battery for the fast ones.

Always have spare car batteries etc around if needed, and have a 24V batt fork as a backup if needed.

Also have a similar 240V inverter which is handy at times. Managed to charge rechargable lanterns, cell phones, etc and run some compact flouro house lighting for five hours earlier this year when the whole area was blacked out in a storm. Managed to get a few charged lanterns out to families with young children etc.

If the GF is based in ACT, you should avoid the toads as its too cold there for them, but two bloody cold for anything else also.

Hello Jeremy,

This website is the one I use to check out (Aus) tool prices. It may be worth your while to buy some cordless "skins" or tools without batteries and chargers, and to buy the batteries and chargers over here. I'm not sure how well that would work out.

http://www.justtools.com.au/

why dont ya move to WA. there are a to many poms here and need more people from other places. at work i am the only aussie and all the rest are poms.
get ya batteries is yankland as they are cheaper than here and they will work fine in aus. i got hitachi li-ion from yankland and use a 300 watt stepdown tranformer for chargeing baterys.
just buy all your corded power tools here as we are 240 volt. or 415 for three phase. and unlike usa we have switches on power points and run at 50 hertz not 60 like you guys.
once ya get used to metric it is easier to use than imperial measurments
apart from that welcome to ausland when ya get here.

Originally Posted by Rossluck

Hello Jeremy,

This website is the one I use to check out (Aus) tool prices. It may be worth your while to buy some cordless "skins" or tools without batteries and chargers, and to buy the batteries and chargers over here. I'm not sure how well that would work out.

http://www.justtools.com.au/

Get the batteries as well. You can buy a charger here and it is better than lugging transformers or inverters around.

Originally Posted by artme

Well Jeremy, You might get lost here. Most of our states are bigger than Texas.

Just a point on the lingo - we are blokes. Moreso because we into the sawdust sniffing.

Good point artme. All the kids today getting Americanised with their words and corrupting a perfectly good laguage. That's right Jeremy we are blokes, and guys well over here that is a little bit......well it's (shhhh!) gay. OK then now we've got that out of the way, the other humans here well they're shielas (shiela singular). If you don't know a blokes name he is mate or simply Bruce. Same for shielas. And there's no 4 letter words here so you'll need to get used to 'strewth', or if surprised 'crikey'.

Oh yeah, those spiders no need to worry too much about them. We wear protective footwear here called 'thongs', I think you blokes have called'em flip flops, Christ knows why. Made of rubber. If you bring 'em down hard on the babies it'll knock'em out cold, but with the big ones if you toss'em one of you're thongs they'll chew on it and gives you time to get out of the room.

prozac

Originally Posted by jeremycook

I'm a carpenter from Texas poised to move to Australia (pending visa app). I have a couple of questions about drills, impact drivers specifically: what is the standard shank size, is it 1/4 inch? I love the Makita 6935FDWDEX and with the US price being much cheaper, I'm really tempted to bring one over. If I brought an American Makita drill, could I use the batteries from that that in an Aussie Makita charger? Or would I have to use the US charger and a transformer?

First post on this forum, I've really enjoyed learning about Aussie carpentry from all the other posts...it'll be fun but challenging adjusting to new terminology and techniques once I make it to Oz.

The battery charger for equivalent impact driver# 6935 FDWDAE is DC1414 retails for $140-150 .Will do ' Nitecat and Metalhide ' batteries ( 7-14.4 volt ) .No need for transformer.Believe , if it was the lithium charger, price would be something like $500.On the chuck we use 13mm chuck with 1/4" drive.Comparative pricing for a transformer here would be $50- ,More pricy if using say lithium 18volt that requires higher watts
http://www.makita.com.au/contact.asp
When are you heading out here and where to ?
- Graeme C

welcome to oz jeremy. my wifes an ex american and weve had some hilarious moments with language translations best one so far she was typing some instructions into computer as i was relaying from a telephone call "type cee colon back slash back slash full stop " she looked at me with a blank look " whats a full stop"???? mean while the person on the phone continued on relaying instructions . i reached over and planted my finger on the dot button " thats a full stop" . ooooooooooooooohhhh you mean a period ( dont need to translate what that means in australia)

Yeah, my gf and i have had some pretty awkward moments with the language differences. Like the time that she asked the lady (an american) in front of her in the queue at airport security is she was going to take her thongs off... The plan is to get my carpentry certification through a practical demonstration of my skills in the ACT from CITC. After that, I'll be moving to the eastern suburbs of Sydney where my gf lives. *fingers crossed*