We first met Joe Skach a couple years ago at a JLC Trade Show. Back then, he was displaying his Artillery Pry Bar System with such enthusiasm and glee that it was hard not to like the guy and be curious about the tool. At the time, the Joe was still working out the details for manufacturing and distributing the tool, so he didn't have any for sale. Now, well over a year later, he's finally gotten all the kinks worked out and the tool is available. We got the opportunity to try one out and for the past month we have abused the hell out of the thing. We have to say that not only is it by far the finest demolition tool we've ever used, it very well may be the coolest thing we have ever put our hands on.
Swanson, makers of one of the most popular speed squares out there, has just recently released the Wood Magnet, an interesting looking level that is capable of attaching itself to any piece of 2x stock. This eliminates the need to clamp, duct tape, or balance your level on your lumber.
The Wood Magnet can slide right on to any 2x stock, grabbing on to it with the pressure fit wings. There are also small hooks on the side of the Wood Magnet, so you can strap it around a 4x4 with the help of a rubber band or a wire. Holding up a 2x8 with one hand and trying to deal with a level in the other hand is tedious work at best and the kind of thing that can waste a lot of time.
If you're thinking about building a deck this summer and it's likely that you'll be doing most of the work by yourself, this might not be a bad purchase. It's not going to replace your 4' level, but there's no doubt that it will come in handy from time to time. Swanson also makes the good point that it can be clamped onto a 2x8 and used for screeding. Also, it only costs about $11, so even if it doesn't work out, you're not losing a lot of money in the process.
People who cut crown molding all the time make it look easy, and after you commit a few tricks to memory, it pretty much is. But if you're not familiar with the concepts behind it, it can get frustrating. And it's that particular type of frustration that really gets to the center of your head. Sort of like when your lawnmower won't start.
To help head-off this unique form of deep-seated rage, Bench Dog has released the Crown-Cut, a cool looking crown molding jig that fits on any miter saw 10" and larger. There are two main components to it; the crown stabilizers and the guide. The stabilizers are adjustable pieces that hold the crown in the correct position for the cut, and the guide, printed on the vertical face of the Crown-Cut, is nothing less than a one-stop reference for cutting crown. With helpful diagrams for cutting inside and outside corners, and likely eliminates the first 30 minutes of mistakes and mock-ups. The vertical face also has three adjustable risers that can give support to crown up to 6" wide
There are two models available; one made of polymer plastic and one made of Baltic Birch. The wood version is $40 and the plastic one is $30. There might be some durability differences, but it probably comes down to aesthetic preference.
Wood Crown-Cut at Amazon
Plastic Crown-Cut at Amazon
Based on the great success of last year's Ridgid SeeSnake Micro (our review here), we've been wondering how long it would be before someone else followed suit with a similar tool. Well it turns out that it's Milwaukee and they've added a number of nice features, making their Digital Inspection Camera an across the boards improvement on the SeeSnake.
The basics of the tool are the same; there's a three foot long flexible hose with a camera lens on one end and a hand-held screen on the other. The lens end has a light and, like the Ridgid, hose extensions are available if 3' isn't enough length.
If you've always wanted a circular saw that could not only cut through wood, but your neighbor's car as well, the Evolution Rage might be perfect for you.
At first glance, the saw looks like normal circular saw (although slightly more influenced by Tron). It shares a lot of the same basic characteristics with it's brethren; 7-1/4" blade, 45 degree bevel, and a dust port, but unlike other circular saws, this one can apparently cut through wood, steel, aluminum, and plastics. Essentially, it can do the duty of a reciprocating saw, but it can do it with a nice straight line. Also, Evolution claims that when the Rage cuts metal, it makes no sparks, leaves no burrs, and somehow does not heat up the metal as it cuts. There is no coolant used in the tool, so our guess is that this has something to do with the blade design as well as the steroid-addled gearbox and motor.
Lately Skil has been showing a good eye for innovation. They jumped right into the li-ion market with tools like last year's Power Wrench and the new Power Cutter, and now they're on the verge of releasing a whole new line of benchtop tools created specifically for the casual and first-time user.
Late last week, we had the opportunity to check out these new tools, and we have to say that we were very impressed. There are ten tools in all; two table saws, two miter saws, a miter saw stand, a scroll saw, a band saw, a drill press, a bench grinder, and a belt disc sander. Like all Skil tools, they're durable (but not indestructible), and priced at a very reasonable level. Because they are all designed for the beginner there is an added emphasis on safety as well as ease-of use. Although they did have more features, they are similar to Delta's Shopmaster Series.
The bad news is that you're going to have to wait until September to see them in stores. They will be available exclusively at Lowes and, with a few exceptions, they're going to cost about $100 (one of the table saws and one of the miter saws will be in the $150-160 range and the bench grinder is somewhere around $40).
In the days and weeks ahead we'll be looking at each tool individually, but for now, we'll just say that for the price, these are going to be tough to beat.
April is over and the summer projects are in the planning phase. Judging from the traffic to our review of the Wagner Paint Crew Plus, a lot of you are thinking about painting the house. Good luck with that one.
Our tool of the month goes to the C.H. Hanson Chalk Hog. The Paslode Framer is a great tool and the two TKTools that we looked at were also cool, but once again, C.H. Hanson shows that even the most mundane of tools can be redesigned and improved.
A couple weeks ago we reviewed TKTool's new pocket driver, and we found it to be an inexpensive and effective little tool. Well, Tool King was nice enough to also let us test out their new 18-Volt Drill and here's what we found.
The drill has some cool features on it. It has a 23-position clutch, two speeds, a little level, and two bit holders (one on each side of the level).
Yesterday we told you about Scotts 20" push mower and while it may be nice, quiet, and all right for the Birkenstock wearers, there's one thing you'll never be able to do with it; strip it down and turn it into a high performance drag racer.
Other than having an excuse to take our shirt off and display our E.T. physique to the neighbors, we really don't like mowing the lawn. Not only is it straight up drudgery but we always have trouble starting the damn thing.
So if you're like us, you might want to check out Scotts Push Reel Mower. At 20", it has a wider cutting path than most push mowers. It also has 10-inch wheels, five blades, and nine cutting heights between one and three inches.
The best thing about this mower is that there is no engine. We find lawn mower engines to be second to none when it comes to frustration. Just think, no pull cord to start it up, and no pretending that you know what you're doing by taking apart the carburetor.
The Scotts push mower sells for about $120. Any worthwhile gas mower is going to cost at least twice that amount and probably more. Also with the price of gas the way it is, even the little amount that goes into your mower could be a savings.
DeWalt is running one of their sweepstakes and this time the prize is your choice of either the VSR Mid-Handle Drill or the VSR Pistol Grip Drill. To enter the contest, all you have to do is register here at DeWalt.com. Entries are accepted until May 7th and the drawing will be held on May 14th.
If you aren't into games of chance, you can just buy the drills at Amazon.
Makita Jigsaw with LED Light (4350FCT and 4351FCT)
April 17, 2008
Ryobi One+ 18 Volt Cordless Chainsaw
Earlier in the week, we told you about Ryobi's new electric start String Trimmer and now we're going to say something about their new cordless chainsaw.
The saw has a 10" bar and a push button oiler. It is compatible with Ni-Cd or Li-Ion batteries. It's also light for a chainsaw, weighing just over 5.5 lbs.
When you think about it, 10" isn't a whole lot of bar for a chainsaw. We doubt that anyone is going to be felling any mighty oaks with this tool, but it would probably be a nice item for someone who wants to do some serious pruning or a little bit of brush clearing.
Chainsaws are unbelievably dangerous tools and the fact that the gas ones need so much maintenance has probably kept some people away from them. But now that they are as easy to use as a cordless drill, we worry that they might fall into the hands of someone who isn't aware of the incredible danger of the tool. We just hope that anyone buying this chainsaw has a complete understanding of just how dangerous it is and how it only takes a split second of inattention and you're a goner.
The Ryobi cordless chainsaw is available at Home Depot and costs anywhere from $60 to $80, which sounds to us like a good price for the tool.
How much can you really say about a chalk line? Before today, we thought the answer was, "not much." But, after using C.H. Hanson's Chalk Hog for a while, we found that, with any finely-crafted tool, we can just keep talking and talking and talking...
The Chalk Hog is part of C.H. Hanson's ongoing Signature Series which kicked off last year with the release of the freakishly cool Pivot Square, and like that tool, the Hog is an innovative take on an old standard.
A lot of the tool world is dominated by the likes of Bosch, Ryobi, DeWalt, Milwaukee, and the other big name tool manufacturers. There's no doubt that they make some great tools, but we always like it when some little company produces a tool that runs so far ahead of the pack that it could only be the product of a small group of single minded people. Sawtooth Specialty Tools' SawHelper Ultrafence is like that. It's a very unique miter saw stand and ever since we first caught wind of it a few years back we haven't yet heard a single negative thing about it.
Artillery Pry Bar System - Review
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Artillery Pry Bar System - Review
