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Jim Saunders


From:
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Post  Posted 15 Mar 2019 2:32 pm    
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I have been using a Sears revisable drill, which works good, but it's clunky to hold. I use the Power Winder head to fit over the tuners. Ideas?
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Ian Worley


From:
Sacramento, CA
Post  Posted 15 Mar 2019 2:50 pm    
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one of these works perfect, very compact and light weight, low speed, low torque. Seems to hold a charge forever. $9.99 less 20% off with the ubiquitous HF coupon, so about $8
https://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/cordless-drills/48-volt-14-in-cordless-screwdriver-kit-61826.html

D'Addario string winder bit $5.89 at Musician's Friend, free shipping
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/daddario-planet-waves-drill-bit-peg-winder
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Len Amaral

 

From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
Post  Posted 15 Mar 2019 3:47 pm    
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I use the Ryobi Quick Turn. It has a duel 200/600 RPM setting. Very light and rechargeable.
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Larry Dering


From:
Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 15 Mar 2019 4:37 pm    
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I use an old power screwdriver that's rechargeable from Walmart. I also have one that takes regular AA batteries. Low power and it holds a bit for the tuners.
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Jim Saunders


From:
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Post  Posted 15 Mar 2019 6:58 pm     Thanks
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Thanks guys. Good ideas and I'll be out shopping tomorrow.
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Jerry Overstreet


From:
Louisville Ky
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 3:33 am    
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clickhere

Here's a little Duck adapter with a 1/4" hex shaft that you can use in a power drill/screwdriver.

It's plastic or nylon with a wide opening for large tuning keys. The other adapter posted is a bit heavier. I have one of those too, but I use this one most of the time.
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Jon Light


From:
Saugerties, NY
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 3:44 am    
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I don't recall where I got it but I got a small driver called a Drill Master. Looks enough like all the others so it may be that many of them are rebranded versions of the same product.

I discovered that the way it held the bits was via a magnetic chuck rather than a spring loaded mechanical sleeve. Unfortunately my dayglo green winder attachment shaft is not magnetic and would not stay in. I got the D'Addario thingy and all is well.

I have always been nervous about higher RPM drivers on the tuners. I worry about heat generation inside the machine head. I don't know if my concern is warranted but I make sure to only use a lower RPM winder on my instruments.
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George Kimery

 

From:
Limestone, TN, USA
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 6:44 am     power winder for string changing
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Jon, I have bought the Drill Master brand products at Harbor Freight, so that may have been where it came from.

I got a straight powered screwdriver at Wal-Mart that runs on AA batteries. I won't deal with all the problems of rechargeable.
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Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 7:32 am    
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Einar Baldursson


From:
Stockholm, Sweden
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 7:57 am    
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Erv Niehaus wrote:


I have one of those Ernie Ball Power Pegs and it works like a charm. It's the newer 'Pro' version with a rechargeable battery. Weighs almost nothing.
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Jim Saunders


From:
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 8:11 am     Thanks
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Erv, who sells the Earnie Ball Power Pegs?
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Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 8:15 am    
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Musician's Friend has it for $14.91
Erv
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Mark Eaton


From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 9:02 am    
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We had a similar thread (and there have been others) in October, 2018. I found this one by typing "winder" into the search function:

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=337461&highlight=winder

This is what I wrote in that thread regarding the Ernie Ball product:

I have the Ernie Ball PowerPeg, same as Billy's above but mine is a little older version in red and black rather than yellow.

I've owned it for about five years and it gets fairly regular duty, still works like it did when it was new.

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Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 9:39 am    
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Amazon has it for the same price as Musician's Friend.
Erv
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 10:16 am    
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I have an Ernie Ball Pro (rechargeable) model. Picked it up on a Black Friday deal several years ago.
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Steve Spitz

 

From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 1:01 pm    
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Somehow, the head I own for my hand drill is not plastic, but metal...(aluminum?)

It left swirl marks on my keyheads. Learn from my mistake. Hopefully, there aren’t any of these metal attachments out there.

If you don’t press it down all the way and contact the key head, no problem. Get the plastic head and you won’t need to worry about it.
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Bobby D. Jones

 

From:
West Virginia, USA
Post  Posted 16 Mar 2019 7:59 pm     Power winder for string changing
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I started out using a DeWalt 12V chordless drill. Picked up a plastic key wrench at local music store.
Had 2 rechargeable screw drivers give up to batteries losing charge, When I needed them.
One day Wal-Mart had a Black and Decker 6V Chordless Screwdriver. Uses 4 Alkaline AA Batteries. It has served me for years with just 1 set of new batteries. When not in use I press the battery latches and pull the battery pack out about 1/2 inch for no battery charge loss. It has worked well for string changes for me and the batteries not been a problem. Makes changing an S12 strings easy.
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Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2019 6:37 am    
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I have a Black & Decker Drill/screwdriver that works great with the little plastic tuning key adapter. It's variable speed, and I run it slow. I don't see a need for me to have a power driver with me at gigs. I very rarely break strings, and if I do, it's really not any harder to use a manual crank to change 1 string.
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Carl Mesrobian


From:
Salem, Massachusetts, USA
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2019 2:33 pm     Cordless Winder
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Here's my cordless winder :


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"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown
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Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2019 4:53 pm     Re: Cordless Winder
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Carl Mesrobian wrote:
Here's my cordless winder :



Black ones work better. Laughing
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting.
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Mark Eaton


From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2019 7:59 pm    
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For ballpark 15 bucks, and the fact that it works really well - the Ernie Ball unit is a bargain, especially because it works as well as the day I bought it going on six years ago. I think I’ve had to change out batteries about every other year.

The fact is - I use it for everything except pedal steel - I have a GFI S-10 Ultra keyless. Wink
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Eric Philippsen


From:
Central Indiana, USA
Post  Posted 21 Mar 2019 10:48 am    
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Based on this thread I went ahead and ordered the $15 Ernie Ball. Heck, for as many strings as I change, which is a lot, I'm surprised I never got one before. Anyway, it arrived today, I popped in the required 4 AA batteries, and I was off runnin'.

Pretty cool. Shoulda' got one a long time ago.
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Paddy Long


From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
Post  Posted 1 Apr 2019 4:31 pm    
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The EB winder I have has rechargeable batteries !! Must be a newer version.
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