March was pretty good to us this time around. We started the month with the big news about Festool's '08 releases and we continued on through to the big JLC event this last weekend.
Our Tool of the Month is the Ridgid SeeSnake Micro. It's a great tool and if you think you'd use it, just go ahead and get it. It's totally worth it.
Keep checking back because we've got some cool stuff lined up for April. Once we go through all the photos, we're going to post about the JLC show, and we've also got reviews of Tool King's new TKTools, Paslode's new framing gun, and C.H. Hanson's Chalk Hog in the works.
JLC Rhode Island This Weekend - Great Deal at Tool King
We're heading off to the JLC Rhode Island trade show today. We're hoping to bump into some old friends and see what the deal is on all of this year's new tools. Festool is also debuting the Kapex miter saw, so we're going to make sure to check that out too (if we can get past the crowd). Stay tuned early next week for photos and our thoughts on the event - and while you're waiting, here's what we had to say about last year's event.
But before we head into the weekend, we wanted to give you the head's up on a great deal that Tool King has going on through Sunday. It's $5 off any purchase over $25 with free shipping. It boils down to free money, so get there and get shopping.
To activate the deal, enter promotion code SS0327 when you check out. Limit one per customer and the free shipping only goes to the lower 48.
...And you thought that doing the bathroom renovation was difficult. Here's a guy who spends his time figuring out how to move 90,000 pound rocks around his yard. He does it all by himself with no modern technology whatsoever. The video is sort of long (over 6 minutes), but it's worth the watch.
Lately, we've been spending a lot of time using the new Ryobi Cordless Reciprocating Saw. And the more we use it, the more we dislike it. When we wrote our review of the tool, we were suspicious of the strange body design, and our fears have come true. In situation after situation, the bulky battery placement simply gets in the way, there's just too much tool sticking out of the bottom of the handle. These frustrations have caused us to investigate other recip saw designs. We really like Milwaukee's Hatchet and just the other day we stumbled onto Rockwell's sleek looking 18 Volt Cordless Recip Saw.
It looks like this has been out for a while, but it looks pretty interesting so we thought we'd mention it anyway. The Black & Decker Dragster is a 6 amp belt sander with a unique design, which makes the nose of the tool more versatile than your average belt sander.
Because the front wheel of the sander is so small, the Dragster is capable of sanding much closer (3x closer, according to B&D) to the edge of an adjoining surface. Also, the guard that covers the nose of the sander flips up, making it easier to sand in and around things.
Northern Tool Spring/Summer 08 Master Catalog is Here
We just got ours in the mail on Saturday. If you're not familiar with it, you're missing out. It's got everything from hand tools to the Off-Road Commode (and who doesn't need an Off-Road Commode?). Storage supplies, farm equipment, generators, security equipment, and on and on... We think it ranks right up there with the Grizzly catalog.
Bosch 11250VSRD Rotary Hammer with Dust Extraction
A rotary hammer, much like your voice after a few drinks, is not meant for the indoors. It's just too noisy and dirty for polite company. But now Bosch has cleverly taken care of at least half of the problem (the dirty part) with their 11250VSRD, the latest in their great line of Bulldog hammers.
The tool itself looks like any other high-quality Bosch rotary hammer, but what sets this one apart from the rest of the pack is the unique dust extraction system. The removable attachment clicks on the tool near the chuck and extends alongside the drill bit and then around the end of it, enclosing the area with a translucent cap. This allows for full visibility with maximum dust protection. Bosch also has a vacuum port for the tool that's sold separately.
In all other respects it looks to be on par with the rest of the Bulldog hammers. We use an older model all the time and it's a real workhorse. It's small enough for quick, little jobs, but strong enough for some of the bigger tasks. It's actually one of our favorite tools to use.
This tool will be available this summer so at least you have an excuse to put off that drilling work you have to do in the living room
When its available, the 11250VSRD will retail for about $260.
Right now, we're in the process of reviewing the Paslode PowerFramer, so while you're waiting for that, we thought we'd tell you about another new Paslode tool that also looks pretty interesting. It's the CF-325 Cordless Framing Nailer and according to Paslode, it's a big improvement on their popular line of cordless framers.
The CF-325 has an easy-to-use fuel system (just drop the cartridge in and you're ready to go), and easy access to the innards for when you have to clean the tool. Paslode guarantees that each fuel cartridge can shoot off around 1200 nails.
Paslode is also making refueling easier with the sale of their new Nail + Fuel Combo Packs. This is simply a box of compatible nails and a fuel cartridge sold together. They will be available either with 1000 nails and one cartridge or 3000 nails and 3 cartridges.
The new framer also offers fast firing, an ergonomic grip, and a vicious looking toenailing claw.
Paslode, as a company, seems to have a good ear to the ground as far as customer feedback goes and it sounds like the improvements in their cordless framing nailer are the results of listening to all the comments and criticisms of their previous models. That said, It's likely that this will be a very nice tool.
The CF-325 is just available this month (March '08) and will retail for around $400. It comes with a carrying case, a battery charger, degreaser, oil, and safety glasses. Although it isn't listed yet, we're sure that it will be available at Amazon and Tool King.
A while ago, we told you about the Rapid Edge Utility Knife, a cool little knife with an LED at the blade end. Well, it looks like Rapid Tools is still working on innovating the utility knife because they've just released the new Rapid Shark, a combination utility knife and a wire stripper. This is a good thing. Just ask anyone who has been in a rush and has decided to strip a wire with a razor knife. It's a dumb idea; we've done it and regretted it.
With the Rapid Shark, it should no longer even be a temptation. The Shark has extra blade storage, a quick change blade system, and the capability to strip any wire between 10 and 18 AWG.
We have no idea what this knife is going to cost, but we suspect it's somewhere in the $10 range.
If you've ever wondered what would happen if you crossed a circular saw and a chain saw...well you're apparently not the first. Seems that the R&D department of Prazi beat you to it with their Beam Cutter.
It's an attachment for your circular saw (available in worm drive and direct drive), that allows you to cut lumber up to 12" thick. It could also be good for cutting multiple stair treads simultaneously, depending on how accurate the Beam Cutter is.
It apparently attaches to your saw in under a minute and then it's off to the races. They also say it can handle up to a 45 degree blade angle.
Although we're sure there are plenty of safety mechanisms in place, the thing still looks about as dangerous as a tool can get.
The Beam Cutter for the worm drive saw costs about $125 and the one for direct drive is closer to $150. You make the call if it's worth it.
Worm drive Beam Cutter at Amazon
Direct drive beam cutter at Amazon
Since we're feeling pretty lazy this morning, we're just going to glom onto the hard work and effort of others. Here's what else is going on around the tool blogging world:
Tool King has just released their own line of tools called TKTools. At the moment it looks like they've got a few cordless drills and a nice looking driver. Their blog, Toologics, has all the info here and here. Check out the bit case that comes with the driver. Whoa.
The Hardware Aisle, as always, has a ton of cool stuff to check out. There's the Fatal Funnel bug killer, a ton of info on sanding, and an article about a 50 year old circular saw that's still going strong.
Toolmonger did some research and found out when the Skeletool is going to be back in stores here. They've also got their Flickr Pool which is fun to browse through every one in a while.
CopTool has a good Milwaukee-Bosch-Compact-Driver-head-to-head here .
So if you were looking for a reason to go to the JLC show, this is it. Well, maybe. Last year, the Festool table was an unapproachable mob scene with the news of their Domino Joiner, and that was just one tool. But there are a lot of other reasons to go to the show. Here's our coverage of last year's event.
The JLC show is held in Providence, RI this March 28th and 29th. Information on the event is here. You can buy tickets at the JLC site or it looks like Festool has a way to get them free here.
We've been hearing about The Ridgid SeeSnake Micro for a while now and in the last month or so, we've seen it start to show up at job sites in a lot of different hands. First it was electricians, then it was plumbers, and now it's everyone else from carpenters to HVAC guys. We wanted to find out what the big deal is all about so we got our hands on one and gave it a whirl.
We saw one of these at the local hardware store the other day and thought it was an interesting idea and worth passing on. Victorinox, maker of the Swiss Army Knife, has adapted their multi-tool functionality to something the size of a credit card. The Swisscard Lite comes in a couple colors, each with different tools.
Skil has joined Bosch and Milwaukee (and now Hitachi) by getting into the compact driver market. Late last year they released a little 7.2V Pocket Driver, and we were pretty thrilled when they offered to let us try one out.
It's a very little driver that fits easily in the hands. It's got a 1/4" hex chuck for quick bit changing, a forward/reverse indicator, an 11 position clutch, and a little light to tell you when the battery is getting low.
Paslode has just sent along their new PowerFramer 350 for us to review. According to them, it's a lightweight, powerful framer that's built to last. We immediately took it out of the box and were surprised at not only how light it is but also how well balanced. It actually feels lighter than its already featherweight 7.5 lbs. We're hoping to start using it this weekend and we'll post up a review as soon as we come to a verdict.
Lawn care is one of those things that if you fall behind early, you're doomed for the rest of the summer. So even though it still might seem a little too cold to start thinking about how much you hate mowing the lawn, now is the time to start.
We did some looking and found this article that gives some advice for what to do in the first stages of spring to ensure that you get off on the right foot.
We just noticed that some of C.H Hanson's tools are now being sold at Amazon. Previously, the only place we could find them was at C.H. Hanson Direct, but now, not only does Amazon stock them, but they've got them at great prices too. The $80 something Pivot Square is now in the $50 range!
C.H. Hanson has recently added another tool to their impressive Signature Series. This time it's the Chalk Hog 100, a high-powered chalk line loaded with features.
First, the Chalk Hog is equipped with a poly-braided line that not only leaves a clean marking line, but it is also stronger than the traditional line. Second, at the end of the line is something that C.H. Hanson refers to as the End-Mate, which is some sort of reinforced hook that can grip an edge even when being used at an angle.
Third, the Chalk Hog can be filled and used like any normal chalk line, or, if you're looking at a full day of marking and layout, you have the option of screwing the chalk bottle directly to the Hog. And finally, there's also an on board pencil sharpener.
We've been very impressed with C.H. Hanson's other layout and marking tools, particularly the Pivot Square and the Slide Square, so we'd wager that this is another winner and that it is easily worth the $15-$20 that it costs.
Spring is almost here, even up here in the Northeast, and it's time to start replacing all the gardening tools that you left out all winter. Courtesy of Leatherman, you can do this with one single purchase. Their Hybrid Gardening Multitool looks like a winner for any yard worker.
The tool is constructed like any other Leatherman, with the whole thing folding up into a pocket sized unit. Because of the nature of it, it's a bit larger than their regular models, but only by 3/4".
Hitachi DB10DL 10.8 Volt Lithium Ion Micro Driver Drill
Hitachi just kicked off their Micro Series, a new line of small Lithium-Ion tools, with a 10.8 Volt Micro Driver. It looks like it's very similar to Milwaukees 12-Volt Sub-Compact Driver, Skil's little 7.2 Volt Power Driver (look for a review soon), and especially Bosch's Litheon Pocket Driver, but there are a couple features that set it apart from the pack.
First, the design is similar to a regular-sized cordless in that the battery sits like a shoe at the end of the handle. To the user, this translates into the tool's ability to stand up on its own. This may sound insignificant, but if you've got your hands full with your knee propping this up and your shoulder holding up that, anything that makes grabbing the tool easier is a welcome thing.
Along with the two routers (MFK 700 and OF 2200), Festool has also just announced the release of their new workbench, the MFT/3. From the looks of it, Festool has combined and improved the best aspects of their previous two models (MFT 1080 and MFT 800).
The MFT/3 provides a 43" x 28" work surface at a height of 35-1/2". One of the four legs is slightly adjustable for use on uneven surfaces. The four edges of the workbench have tracks on them which allow you to join up multiple tables, giving you a larger workspace if needed. The entire until weighs 61 lbs and the legs fold up to make it somewhat portable.
To accompany the release of their new MFK 700 router/laminate trimmer (as well as the MFT/3 Workbench), Festool has also updated their large model router into the new OF 2200. According to the Festool website, there are "nearly 40 unique features" on the new tool. While, we didn't bother to count out and verify this oddly high number, we did spend plenty of time on the Festool website and can say that it seems apparent that the OF 2200 has everything anyone would ever want in a full-sized router. It's insane, actually.
Since we really don't even know where to start, we're just going cover a few of the more impressive features.
Along with their OF 2200 Plunge Router and the MFT/3 Workbench, Festool has just announced the U.S. release of the MFK 700. To date, it's the smallest of their routers, but this in no way means that it's light on features. In fact, it's pretty heavy on them, and from what we can tell, there isn't a bad one on the list.
The MFK 700 comes with two bases; one for horizontal routing and one for vertical routing. The change from one to the other is made with a tool free system (just a locking knob) and, from the looks of it, it can be done very quickly.
Festool, maker of some very good (and wildly expensive) power tools has just dropped a bomb with news of three new tools to be released this spring. Earlier in the week, we had heard that they were going to make an announcement and were hoping that the Kapex Miter Saw was going to be one of the tools, but it looks like we'll have to wait a little longer for that one. Instead, they're releasing a completely new modular router, upgrading their larger plunge router, and upgrading their work table. Each tool has its own website where you can get overload yourself on all the features, pops, and buzzes of these new releases.
March 2008 Monthly Roundup for Tool Snob
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Ridgid SeeSnake Micro - Review
