My new Ram 2500 diesel 4x4. Still has that new payment smell.

Got a Dewalt 12" compound miter saw from my sister for Christmas. Swoon. Passed on my trusty 10-year-old no-name saw to DS with some lessons on installing trim.

Not so new, but I'm still in love with my Paslode cordless angled finish nailer. it's my favorite nail gun by far.

Lie-Nielsen 60-1/2 low angle block plane. Won't go near any wood-related task without it. Had it for a while now, but still love it.

Weedy, always wondered about the cordless nailers. Never had a chance to use one. My hesitation has been reliability and running out of cartridges at a bad time. Kind of like a hammer tacker running out of staples when you only need a couple more to finish and you are on top of a ladder :)

rwiegand, those are nice planes but my ancient Stanley with a Hock blade serves me well. It's not as heavy, though. The LN would work much better on end grain. I do have the LN low-angle jack plane. Sweet tools, indeed.

I've got a dozen old Stanley's that see a fair amount of use, but the 60-1/2 is the one that's always in my pocket while I'm working.

Used to be my Hilti chipping hammer, but that got stolen ; (

rmtdoug: the gas canisters last a really long time. You change/charge batteries and put in new strips of nails way more frequently than you have to change canisters.

Festool track saw. It's a moneymaker.

it better be a moneymaker it costs an arm and a leg..... then you want the festool vaccuum , then the screwguns, then youre into the whole case stack system. and 4k later youre scrambling for some more work!!!!

nice stuff festool.

"...and 4k later youre scrambling for some more work!!!!"

It's easy to love expensive tools, although Festool puts some serious quality into their products, but it was amazing how fast the new trucks loaded with every tool imaginable, etc, disappeared after 2008. There's a fine distinction between cost and a truly useful tool.

Another great tool I have used for years are those round stick-on writing pads for your tape measure. How did I ever survive before those? I see some tapes come with them now.

I know this is cheesy, not new, and it is not what you are looking for, so I almost even hate to post it. But what the hell I am into ridicule.

A nice good pencil, and if you don't consider that a tool then I will go with a pencil sharpener.

I can cut stone and solid surface right in the kitchen of a million-dollar Gulf-front condo with the Festool and vac. It doesn't take many saved trips down the elevator and through security to pay for that saw at my rates.

Bosch laser distance and angle measurer GLM80

No bry911, that's not cheesy. What I was kind of getting at in starting this thread is learning more about what particular tools people find especially useful and are a joy to use and why it's such a great tool, so I'm interested in hearing what makes a great pencil or pencil sharpener if you care to share. I actually know nothing about pencil sharpeners.

Joseph - I was going to ask you about that saw and whether you cut stone. Thanks.

Cabot & Rowe - Sorry to hear about your Hilti. Did you replace it or get something else?

Bry911, I hear you! I look for old pencils everywhere - thrift stores, flea markets - it's hard to find cedar pencils that sharpen easily. I bought an old crank pencil sharpener at a yard sale a few years ago and mounted it to a foot long piece of 1x4 so I can clamp it to a stud or post. Lay out is everything and sharp pencils are part of it.

rmtdoug - The best thing I've gotten lately is a Senco combo - dinky PC1010 compressor, finish nailer, and a recoil hose. Light, convenient, quiet, I love 'em.

Weedyacres - I want to love Paslode, but I was hurt me so deeply my heart still aches. It's been years, but I remember like it was yesterday. I was so excited, but when I pulled the trigger, the fasteners went only halfway. I was frustrated again and again, until I finally turned my back. Is there a chance she will actually drive nails completely now?

Mag77 - I'm looking for wood carpenter pencils also. All the ones I've gotten recently are composite material and I really don't like them. You are right, they are hard to sharpen.

In my shop I use mechanical pencils with 0.5 mm lead for general markup but use a marking knife for fine work.

Mag77: You can adjust the depth that the trigger drives the nail. The only time I get partially driven nails is when they hit something or when I don't have the head fully pressed into the wood (typically because I'm at an awkward angle).

You really should give her another try.