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.
It looks like Ryobi has some pretty nice looking lawn and garden tools coming out this spring. To us, the most interesting is their new Touch Start Gas Trimmer. Apparently, it's the first electric start trimmer on the market. We found that hard to believe, but then we did some research we couldn't find any other trimmers with the feature, so it looks like it's true. We're not sure what's taken so long for the innovation, but it sure is a nice option to have, especially for that first start-up of the season. If you're looking to throw out your shoulder, the Ryobi also has the traditional pull-start system as well.
In addition to the electric start, the Ryobi has a two-string head, a telescoping shaft, and a low-emission engine. It comes with a shoulder strap and a two-year warranty.
The Ryobi Touch Start Gas Trimmer will be available next month (May '08) and will cost in the area of $170. That price puts it right in the middle of the very high-end trimmers and the very low-end trimmers, which is pretty much standard for Ryobi. Our guess is that this is a nice trimmer and that it's going to be quite popular this summer.
We did some looking around and found a few nice home maintenance checklists for the spring. So if you're looking for something to do this weekend, here you go. Or, if you'd rather blow off the preventative maintenance and pay big bucks for it at a later date, that's fine too.
Housekeeping Channel has a good all around list that focuses on our house's systems. They suggest things like checking your air filters, your chimney, and the pressure on your hot water tank. They have a nice 'click the word for the definition' feature as well. Their article is here.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service has a list that concentrates on the exterior of your house. They give you an idea of what to look for and have some suggestions on what do do if things don't look the way they should. Here.
HomeInspectorLocator.com has a very complete list of things to watch out for in your house. It deals with systems, interior, exterior, and even gives description of common bugs and other pests. Here.
If you're not impressed with Black & Decker's VPX tools, you can still get their standard red and black tools. And if you're looking for a nice homeowner kit, you might want to check out this 5-piece drill set. Not only does it look like a good selection of tools, but it's also dirt cheap.
The kit consists of a drill, a flashlight, a vacuum (dust-buster-style), a stud finder, and a small battery-powered screwdriver. The light, the drill, and the vacuum are all compatible with the single 18-volt battery that is included in the kit, while the finder and the screwdriver are, we assume, powered by traditional batteries.
Here's the crazy part: the kit is selling for under $45. That's less than ten bucks per item. The tools probably aren't up for a whole lot of abuse, but at that price who cares? If you know of someone looking for some tools help out with junior's science projects and stuff like that, you might want to tell them about this.
The kit doesn't come with a carrying case, which is no big shocker considering the price.
With Spring just about here, we've been in the market for a nice electric leaf blower. Our research has led us to this Toro; it has some cool features and for what you get, the price is right.
Like a lot of electric blowers, the Toro does double duty as a vacuum as well. But this one also has a shredder function that turns leaves and debris into mulch. According to Toro, the shredder can convert 16 bags of leaves into a single bag of minced organic material.
The variable-speed Toro comes with a bag, a shoulder strap, and two nozzles.
It also looks like this product has a large number of satisfied customers. Over at Amazon, there are 176 customer reviews with an average of 4.5 stars. The consensus is that it's light and powerful. The Toro sells for about $70, which puts it right in the middle of the other 12 amp electric blowers out on the market.
Tool King is one of our favorite online tool retailers. They're fast, the price is competitive and they're always offering some sweet rebate that we can't resist. For the most part, they deal exclusively in contractor-grade tools. You go to their store looking for Bosch, DeWalt, Festool, Hitachi, and Jet. But, recently, they've stuck their toe into the light-duty arena with the release of their very own line of tools. TKTools was launched last month and they were nice enough to send us some samples to check out. Here, we're reviewing their little 4.8V Screwdriver, and at some point soon, we're going to look at their 18-volt drill.
The truth is that we've been waiting for this day for over a year. Ever since we met Artillery Joe Skach at the JLC show way back in 2007 and he expressed interest in having us review his pry bar, we've been sitting on our hands in anticipation. It sounds like he's had a hell of a time getting the multi-part system produced, but now he's got them to sell and he sent one on to us.
At each of the last two JLC shows we've gotten a good look at the Artillery System and it sure seems impressive. Their website has video that shows it absolutely demolishing everything it goes near (at the 4:00 minute mark, watch what how easily it takes up decking). It essentially looks like it takes controlled destruction to a whole new level. And starting today, we're going to start wrecking things. Stay tuned for the review.
Paslode has just released a new framing gun called the PowerFramer 350. They were nice enough to let us try one out, and here's what we found.
First of all, this gun is very light (7.5 lbs). In fact, it doesn't really feel like a framer at all. The weight and balance had us thinking of something more along the lines of an old model finish gun. We've used a lot of different framers, and this one was, by far, the lightest and the best, ergonomically speaking. Our research tells us that there are lighter models out there, but believe us when we say that this one is really light.
And it's powerful too. Over the course of a week, we used it to frame up a little deck and it never once misfired or put a nail half in. Every single shot was driven home to the depth we selected. And when we dialed up the maximum depth, the nail heads were absolutely buried in the wood. We have little doubt that this gun would have its way with all forms of engineered lumber.
Last Friday we locked up the shop and headed out to the JLC Live show in Rhode Island. It's always a good time and it gives us a chance to put our hands on some new tools, see what new building products are out there, and to bump into some old friends.
There's no doubt that this year's event was dominated by the Festool Kapex. Everyone was talking about it and there were a few on display. Festool, once a small booth way over in the corner, is now a major sponsor and had some prime real estate in the direct center of the conference hall. Anyway, the Kapex, is indeed a very nice tool, but $1300...
We can't imagine that anyone would ever look at a blowing leaf pile and think, "I bet if I encased that pile in a crunchy corn syrup-like product, it wouldn't be able to blow away." We also can't imagine that enough people would approve of the idea in order for it to make it to market. But it's out there and it's called Toro's Leaf Lock.
This Old House has info on Leaf Lock and almost 20 other bizarre gardening products over at their site. Check it out here.
TKTool 18-Volt Drill - Review
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Megapro 13-in-1 Ratcheting Screwdriver - Review
