November 30, 2008
Oscillating Tool Roundup
2008 has been the Year of the Oscillating Tool. Fein's patent wore out and a bunch of other companies got their tools to the marketplace. We've done the best we can to keep you up to date with all of these events, including reviews of all of the new tools (including the latest Fein). Because our information is scattered over a number of articles and reviews, we thought it would be a good idea to summarize our findings and give you links to all that we've written.
If you have no idea what an oscillating tool is, Dremel has recently posted up a good selection of videos so you can see their Multi-Max in action. It's a pretty thorough set of projects, so you should be able to get a handle on what these amazing tools are capable of. Dremel's Multi-Max video page is here.
If you're reading this, it's likely that you're thinking about buying an oscillating tool. So as for the question, "which one should you get?" we can offer the following advice.
Continue reading: "Oscillating Tool Roundup"
November 28, 2008
November 27, 2008
Q & A with Cool Tools' Chris Grundy
We had the opportunity to email Chris Grundy (the host of DIY Network's Cool Tools) some questions and he was good enough to give us some answers....
1. What do you think of the cordless 36-volt tool systems (Bosch, DeWalt)? Isn't 18-volts enough, or do you think that there are enough occasions where the extra power is needed to warrant 36-volts?
The additional run time for the more power hungry tools like saws definitely make it worth it for pros on the jobsite or serious DIYers that don't want to get tangled in extensions or working with an umbilical cord of power just is not an option.
2. Do you have a favorite out of the new crop of oscillating tools? Rockwell, Dremel, Bosch, others?
I haven't tried the Rockwell yet. As for the others - gotta love that the Bosch is cordless but Dremel's pricing on the tool and accessories brings this handy tool to everyone, including the folks that didn't even know that they could work without it. We can't forget the Fein Multimaster either. It was the original oscillating tool and is still a great choice - it's well engineered tool though often a little pricier than the competition.
3. Festool Kapex...worth it?
Worth it?...Please, is my Ferrari worth it? I could still be driving my Pacer but it just doesn't handle the same. The Festool systems are important when you want the ultimate accuracy and that comes with an ultimate price tag. I know, I know "It's not the tools it's the craftsman", riiiight... ask Tiger Woods to play with a hockey stick. It never hurts to have the best possible club in your bag. And I also find it exciting in the way they are inspiring the rest of the industry to kick it up a notch.
We've actually never seen Cool Tools because we scrapped our cable service in a fit of disgust over a year ago, but we've seen clips and it looks pretty cool if you can handle Grundy's heavily-caffeinated personality. They will be airing a special "Holiday Blitz" of Cool Tools episodes for the Thanksgiving weekend (starting 11/27 through 11/30), and the new season of Cool Tools will air immediately after the Holiday Blitz on Thursdays at 9pm. So check that out and let us know how it is.
More information about the show is here. It looks like they've also got a contest with a $15,000 cash prize.
November 26, 2008
Ridgid 2009-2010 Calendar
We saw over at CopTool that Ridgid has unveiled their 2009-2010 Calendar. It's not exactly "family-friendly," but if you don't mind your workshop looking like the back room at the auto-parts store, it might be perfect for you.
It costs $15 and is available directly from Ridgid or if you purchase over $100 of Ridgid tools at Ohio Power Tools you can get one for free. Details here.
At Ridgid
November 26, 2008
November 25, 2008
Vote on the Best Vise-Grip Story
Waaaay back in July, we told you about the Best Vise Grip Story contest. At the time, Irwin was making the call for submissions and now that they've narrowed it down to a handful, it's your turn to take over the voting. The winner will motor into the sunset with a custom chopper.
To vote you have to go to Irwin and register. Once that is out of the way, you can vote once each day, through Dec. 19, and with each vote, you have the chance of winning some prizes as well (plier sets, wrench sets, t-shirts, hats, etc).
We flipped through the entries and there are some interesting ones. We skipped over any that didn't have photos. How do you expect to win a chopper if you can't even muster up a photo? We liked the one from the puppeteer (we're down with puppets) and we also liked the one about the old Buick Skylark, but that's because our college roommate had a Skylark. The car was virtually indestructible and the key was broken off in the ignition. It was eventually stolen (big surprise there). As a complete aside, the 1982 Buick Skylark made this guy's list of the Top 17 Worst Cars Ever.
Check out the finalists and vote here.
Tool Deals Around the Internet
Black Friday is coming up (followed by Cyber-Monday), so we thought we'd troll around and see what good deals are out there. Here's what we got:
Ohio Power Tools has all kinds of things cooking, such as:
- Free Milwaukee M12 Impact Driver with purchase of 2 other M12 tools. Looks like the battery is not included, but who cares, you've already got all the batteries from the other M12 tools. Expires Dec. 31st.
- Buy any Bosch Litheon Drill and get a 3rd battery free. Expires Dec. 31.
- For a very limited time, they are also offering 10% off all Bosch and Milwaukee tools and accessories.
Tool King, one of our other trusted online tool retailers has a few things working as well.
- 10% off all new Makita tools and accessories. Limited time, no date given.
- $10 off just by subscribing to their newsletter.
- 5% off all DeWalt reconditioned tools.
- We also just noticed this interesting line in the description of their, "we'll beat any price out there" promotion: "...you can use this form if you'd like to make us an offer on a specific product. Occasionally we can offer a better price then what is advertised, but we can only do this if you initiate making us an offer." This is very cool and it means that you can get the giddy rush of third-world price haggling without leaving your own bedroom. More information here.
And of course, there's Amazon with tons of deals and generally low prices. Their steals and deals page is here.
November 23, 2008
New SawStop Video - Real Finger Used.
On Friday, we told you about Tool Crib's scoop on the possible Nail Jack takeover of a Nebraskan Vise-Grip factory. Today, we're lifting another one of their posts, this one containing a new video of the famed SawStop.
We've all seen the SawStop vs. Hot Dog video and have been impressed, but there was always a part of us that thought that using a hot dog to demonstrate the finger-saving blade brake was a little lame. If this tool really works, why doesn't someone from the company step up and jam their finger in the thing? Well now, the inventor of the tool Steve Gass has done just that.
The clip looks like it's a segment from some Discovery Network show. It's got a lot of great video of the saw brake in action and at the very end, you get to watch a guy stick his finger in a whirling table saw blade. The whole thing is amazing.
Check out Tool Crib's post here.
November 21, 2008
Nail Jack to Purchase Vise-Grip Factory?
The guys over at Tool Crib have broken an interesting story about the fate of a Nebraskan tool factory. It appears that Irwin, makers of Vise-Grip tools has decided to pull up stakes and relocate their manufacturing to China, which leaves a bit of a vacuum for all of the workers at this factory. But it seems that Nail Jack, an innovative new company, has entered in negotiations to buy up the location. According to Tool Crib, many of the employees of Irwin would be able to continue working at the same factory, just with a different employer.
From what we can tell, Nail Jack makes two nail pulling devices; the Nail Jack and the Nail Hammer, both of which are sort of a pliers/pry bar hybrid. They look like smart tools and potentially very popular.
There's more to this story, including the history of the Vise-Grip factory, but there's no point in us repeating everything you can read first hand over at Tool Crib. They've done their research and it shows. There's even some impressive video of the Nail Jack in action.
Read the article at Tool Crib here.
Check out Nail Jack (the company) here and Nail Jack (the tool) here.
November 20, 2008
And You Thought You Had Problems...Astronaut Loses Tool Bag in Space
At least when you lose your tool bag, you know that it's still on the same planet. Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, while doing some external maintenance on the International Space Station on Tuesday watched helplessly as her bag of tools floated away from her and into the history books.
Stefanyshyn-Piper was in the first stages of a five hour space walk when the incident occurred. It seems that one of the grease guns in the tool bag leaked all over her hands and while she was cleaning off her gloves, the bag, which was supposed to be tied down, floated away.
The bag contained a couple grease guns, two scrapers, a trash bag and a debris container. The reported value of which is somewhere around $100,000, which makes us wonder where the hell they do their shopping.
Space.com has an article about it here.
Check out the video.
Ridgid One-Handed Fuego Reciprocating Saw
Ridgid has recently released a corded one-handed reciprocating saw that appears as if it could be handy in any number of situations. Looking like it lands somewhere between Milwaukee's new Hackzall and a full-sized recip saw, the Fuego would be good in a joist bay or a crawl space and for you light DIYers out there, it might be powerful enough to be the only recip saw that you'll ever need.
The new tool is 4 amps, which isn't much when compared to the 15 amp monsters that Makita, Bosch, and Milwaukee have out, but it should be enough to take care of most small to mid-sized tasks. The tool also has an LED, a variable speed trigger, and what looks like a nice ergonomic handle (UPDATE: We just saw this at the local Home Depot and played around with it for a bit and the handle is pretty small. We've got good-sized hands and our pinky couldn't even fit on the grip area, with gloves on this is only going to get worse). It comes with a duffel-style carrying case and Ridgid's lifetime warranty.
We're not sure why the Fuego name is on the tool, other than the fact that, like the Fuego saw, it's compact. Regardless of the name, it looks like a cool item.
The Ridgid costs about $100, which for all its usefulness, strikes us as a more than fair price.
More info at Ridgid
At Home Depot
November 19, 2008
Craftsman Nextec 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Hammerhead Auto Hammer
This looks like an interesting item. It's a small 12-volt impact hammer, perfect for times when swinging the 16" Estwing isn't practical. According to Sears, the Auto-Hammer can drive up to a 16 d nail (3-1/2").
The technology appears to be similar to that of a pneumatic palm nailer. Craftsman explains that their tool nails at 2000 impacts per minute. The tool also has a magnetic tip and a built in LED to light up the workpiece. Both of these are great additions, seeing as this tool is going to be particularly useful where it's cramped and dark.
At first we thought that battery longevity might be a problem with the tool, but then we started thinking about any 12-volt impact driver and how long those batteries can last, so hopefully that won't be an issue.
This tool costs about $100 and comes with a case, a little pry bar, a charger, and one battery. It will be available in December.
At Sears
November 18, 2008
iRobot Looj: Hands-On Experience
Over a year ago, we wrote about the iRobot Looj gutter cleaning robot. At the time, we thought it looked pretty cool, but it turns out that looks aren't even half the story. A fellow who runs a blog called der5er had some hands on experience with the tool and the results are somewhat less than spectacular.
...Add to this the fact that if a pine cone happens to be directly under a gutter support bracket, the Looj gets stuck. About halfway down the gutter I ran into this problem. I tried backing it up and ramming it forward a couple times, but I eventually had to climb up on the roof (or move my ladder) and manually remove the pine cone.
Read the entire experience here.
November 17, 2008
Carhartt Coat
When it starts to get Chilly up here in the Northeast, we head straight for the old Carhartt coat. We got this thing about five years ago and for the rest of our lives, we'll never stray from the brand. It is, without question, the warmest, most durable thing we've ever worn. It doesn't look like much anymore, and in fact it sort of makes us look like we're homeless. But we don't care at all about that because it keeps us warm and after five years of abuse, there isn't a single tear in the thing. At this point, we're thinking we'll be able to get at least another 4-5 years out of it. Maybe more.
The pockets are deep, the zipper is indestructible, there are snaps for a hood (if you're into that, we're not), and like we said, the quilt lining is very warm.
It takes a while for them to really break in and get that nice faded look, so for a while you just have to deal with looking like the guy with the brand new Carhart coat, sort of like the kid on the playground with the brand new white sneakers. But once the coat starts relaxing, it really starts taking on character. We can still see the original color of ours under the pocket flaps.
At Amazon
November 14, 2008
2008 Holiday Gift Guide for Tool Snob
Here's our gift guide for this year. This time we categorized it by price, so once you rank your loved ones you'll easily know what to get them. As an added bonus, last year's list is still relevant and it's here.
Over $500
Festool Kapex - If you've got buckets of money to burn, why not get your loved one the most talked about, most ridiculously expensive compound miter saw in existence? Could you pick up a nice DeWalt for 1/3rd of the price? Sure, but isn't it worth something to say, "I bought dad a $1300 saw. He'll love you forever.
At Beaver Tools
$250-$500
Cadex CPB23.50 23 Gauge Pin Nailer - This might be the nicest tool that we've ever touched. Holding it in the hands, you get an overwhelming sense of quality. We can't say enough about it really. It's expensive, but we think it's worth every penny. Our review is here.
$290 at Amazon
$100-$250
Paslode Angled Finish Nailer- This is a great finish nailer; it's small, lightweight, and backed by the great Paslode name. Our review is here.
$175 at Amazon
Milwaukee Hackzall - This is an amazing little tool that is as versatile as it is compact. Ours has been practically glued to our hand since we first picked it up. Good for pruning branches, cutting rigid insulation, trimming plywood, and a whole lot more. Our review is here.
$182 at Amazon
Rockwell SoniCrafter - The best of the second generation oscillating tools. Powerful enough for a job site but inexpensive enough to be accessible to DIYers. By far our favorite of the new oscillating tools on the market. Our review is here.
$120 20-Piece Kit at Amazon
$140 37-Piece Kit at Amazon
$180 72-Piece Kit at Amazon
$25-$100
JacPac - Any around the house handyman would love the JacPac. It's a portable pneumatic power source, perfect for all those little tasks where setting up a compressor is a complete hassle. Our review is here.
$80 at Amazon
Skil Power Cutter- This nifty little item is just as at home in the kitchen drawer as it is on the job site. The auto-sharpened blade can cut cardboard, Tyvek, carpet, fabric, wall paper, and, as you can see in our review, Pottery Barn catalogs. Our review is here
$53 at Amazon
Under $25
A Cabinet Maker's Notebook, By James Krenov - This book is less of a how-to and more of a philisophical meditation on woodworking and cabinet making. Krenov is one of the world's best and his little book is a must have for any aspiring woodworker.
$15 at Amazon
Zip Sander - This little hand sander is a great stocking stuffer for the woodworker in your life. We use ours all the time and as each day passes, we like the thing more and more. Not bad for something that's cheaper than a mixed drink. Our review is here.
$6.50 at Amazon
November 13, 2008
Chicago Electric 120-Volt Multi-Function Power Tool (Oscillating Tool)
Reader Kent B. emailed to tell us he saw that Harbor Freight is now selling Chicago Electric's "120 Volt Multi-Function Power Tool," which is their way of saying "oscillating tool." The price on this is an extremely inexpensive $50, and it will be available on Black Friday for an even lower $40.
We've never touched this tool so we can't really comment on the quality, but with the freakishly low price, we feel confident drawing the conclusion that it's probably not the most durable tool in the world and that it'll likely have some kind of smoke pouring out of it before too long. We've had enough experiences with $20 angle grinders and $15 rotary tools to know what this kind of pricing indicates. You never know though, we could be wrong...
The kit comes with a scraper, sander, plunge cut blade, and circular blade.
At Harbor Freight
November 12, 2008
DeWalt TrackSaw
Sometime this month, DeWalt is releasing their new TrackSaw. If you've never seen one before, it's a circular saw hybrid that runs on a track, making it perfect for long straight cuts and ripping down sheet goods, like plywood. Festool has had one out for a while and even though we've never used it, we've got friends who swear by it.
DeWalt's system looks pretty identical to the Festool; there's the track and the plunge cutting saw. The saw has a 13 amp motor and an anti-kickback mechanism and the track will be available in two sizes, one for 4' cuts and one for 8' cuts. DeWalt is also going to be releasing a number of accessories, such as an adapter so a router can be used on the track. There will also be a 28-volt cordless version available.
The TrackSaw will be available in three different kits; one with a 59" track, one with a 102" track, and one with both tracks. It's looking like the prices will be $500, $550, and $600 respectively for the corded and $900, $950, and $1000 for the cordless.
There's more information on the saw here and we also found a video of someone from Fine Woodworking taking a look at the saw.
November 11, 2008
Popular Science: Best of What's New 2008
Each year, Popular Science culls through the latest innovations and inventions to create their comprehensive Best of What's New Issue. It's a huge undertaking and the results are worth at least a 1/2 hour of your internet browsing time.
They just went live with their website for this year's issue and you should go there and check out all the winners. Obviously, we're most interested in the 'Home Tech' category, but, like we said, it's a site built for browsing, and all of the selections are, at the very least, interesting.
And while you're over at their site, check out the article on DeWalt's new corded technology. We covered the basics the other day, but they actually get a look inside the motor and explain why the new tools are so powerful. Read the article here.
Check out Popular Science's Best of What's New list here.
November 10, 2008
Rockwell SoniCrafter Oscillating Tool - Review
Of all of the new oscillating tools heading to the market in the wake of Fein's patent expiration, the Rockwell is the dark horse. Everyone knows Dremel and Bosch, but who are these Rockwell guys and why should you drop some coin on a tool from a relatively unknown company when the tried and true fellows have some nice items to offer?
Before using the SoniCrafter, we knew very little about Rockwell, other than that they offer a reciprocating saw with a cool handle and that they produce the JawHorse, an interesting clamping device that is seemingly identical to the Triton SuperJaws (Triton is an Australian company and we're not sure who had the tool first or what the relationship between the two is). But here they are with an oscillating tool. If the tool is a success, it's sure to catapult Rockwell into the upper echelon of tool manufacturers, cementing their name and popularizing their products, if it's a failure, well then, they're just another company that makes passable tools.
Continue reading: "Rockwell SoniCrafter Oscillating Tool - Review"
November 6, 2008
Ryobi P232 Impact Driver
We stumbled across this at the local Home Depot the other day. Since Ryobi is notoriously lax at updating their website (they haven't even added their 4-Volt Screwdriver yet), there's very little information available about the tool.
What we do know is that the tool is part of the 18-volt line and it has an LED and a magnetic bit holder.
We swiped the image from ebay where a guy is selling the tool claiming that it is "Rare." Um. Since we spotted it on the shelves of Home Depot, we're not so sure.
We've been pretty surprised at how slowly Ryobi has been building their lithium-ion line. After all the hub-bub and hoo-haa last year with the unveiling of the 4-piece set, there's been little activity. It's strange considering the popularity of the line and the placement at Home Depot.
Eventually, it'll be on the Home Depot website, but for now, it's on ebay.
November 5, 2008
Project Inspiration from Triton
Every once in a while, we find ourselves with some free time on our hands and no idea of what to do with it. Over at Triton is a nice little gallery of projects that people have sent in. They range from the small (box making) to the large (bed and desk combo). There's not a whole lot of information provided other than what tools were used, but it's always good to see what other people are building out there, in case you're looking for an idea.
View the gallery here.
November 4, 2008
DeWalt Introduces New Line of Corded Tools
While everyone else is scrambling to make the smallest 12-volt tool possible, DeWalt has been concentrating on larger, more powerful items. It's a smart move because when the dust settles on lithium-ion mania, we're all going to realize that we still need to install ledger boards and drill holes through LVLs.
The first tools in the line consist of two 1/2" drills, a portable band saw, and a stud and joist drill. They all come equipped with big 10-11 amp motors and improved grip design. The drills contain something called a, "proprietary electronic control module," which automatically adjusts speed and torque to the task at hand.
These tools will be in stores in December.
More information at DeWalt.
November 3, 2008
October 2008 Monthly Round Up for Tool Snob
We had a busy October here, particularly with all the oscillating tool mania going on. We tested out the new Dremel Multi-Max and the Bosch PS50, both of which we liked, but we're still considering whether or not the short battery run-time on the Bosch is a deal breaker or not. The corded Dremel, surprised us with its power and price (about $100), which is enough to make it October's Tool of the Month.
We also checked out some really nice Bosch jigsaw blades that we highly recommend, as well as a very nice storage system called the Lift-N-Lok. There was also the Crocodile Saw, but we're trying to forget about that one.
For November, we'll be looking at the new Rockwell Oscillating tool, Paslode's cordless framer, and a few other things that we'll keep under wraps for now.
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Megapro 13-in-1 Ratcheting Screwdriver - Review
