February 27, 2009
Hitachi 10.8-Volt Right Angle Impact Driver - Review
Probably the most interesting tool in Hitachi's new 10.8-volt lineup is their new right angle impact driver. We're pretty sure that this is the first right angle impact driver in any of the new micro lines of tools, which is why we were interested in checking it out and seeing how it holds up to both it's larger cousin, as well as finding out what kind of niche it can carve for itself in the world of tool functionality.
First, like Hitachi's mini-reciprocating saw, the ergonomics are off the charts. Again, the crazy Spiderman design, which we've been critical of in the past, gives it all the right bulges in all the right places (well, we never thought we'd ever write that sentence), making it a very easy tool to hold and maneuver into tight spots, which you'll likely be doing with the right angle feature.
Continue reading: "Hitachi 10.8-Volt Right Angle Impact Driver - Review"
February 26, 2009
Skil Twist 4.8-Volt Screwdriver
We noticed the Skil Twist the other day while researching our post on their iXO3. The Twist has similar functionality to other low-voltage screwdrivers with the hinged body, but the difference here is that the handle twists instead of folding. The tool also has the general pug-nosed look of Skil's iXO series, and this body-type allows for getting in some tight spots.
Judging from our impressions of other low voltage Skil tools, our bet is that this little guy works fine and that the 4.8-volts is enough to handle any light-duty tasks around the house. It costs about $30 which is about half the price of the Milwaukee and roughly the same as a similar Black & Decker model.
It's also worth noting that, unlike the Milwaukee, the Skil has an on-board battery, so the only charger needed is an a/c adapter that plugs directly into the tool.
At Amazon
February 25, 2009
Ryobi 12-Volt 4 Piece Power Pack
With the 12-volt craze in full swing, it was just a matter of time before Ryobi came along and filled up the shelves of Home Depot with a multi-piece kit for short money. And here it is: the 12-Volt 4 Piece Power Pack. At a glance, this kit looks very similar to their 18-volt kit, launched in the fall of '07, and our guess is that it will be just as popular.
The 12-volt kit comes with a drill/driver, a circular saw, a flashlight, and what they call a hybrid saw, which is a small reciprocating saw that uses jigsaw blades. We're all for the drill/driver, the hybrid saw, and the flashlight (probably the most used piece of our 18-volt kit), but we're a bit skeptical on the circular saw. We've found that 12-volt tools, while very useful, aren't all that powerful, so we have to wonder what the cutting capabilities are on this one. From what we've read, the blade only goes to a depth of 1" so it's obviously not going to handle any framing material, but it might be nice for small pieces of trim, 1/4" plywood, etc.
The really impressive thing about this kit is how much it's being sold for. Home Depot is practically giving them away for the irrationally low price of $119. The Bosch and Milwaukee drill/drivers alone go for that kind of cash. Our experience with the Ryobi 18-volt kit was that it was great for around the house activity and light contractor work and even though we did discover some longevity issues when pressed too hard, the low price made it more than worth the purchase. Our guess is that this little kit has the same characteristics, meaning it's a great way to get your hands on a full collection of nice 12-volt tools and not break the bank (just don't drop them off any scaffolding).
At Home Depot
February 24, 2009
Craftsman Videos at Popular Mechanics
Craftsman has a bunch of videos over at Popular Mechanics featuring some of their new tools. We're usually a bit suspect of these sorts of promotions, but this one features our pal Mark Clement. Since we know Mark and are convinced that he would never tell a lie, we're on board for what he has to say about the tools.
There are a lot of videos here on everything from the new Vibra-Free Sander to some hand wrenches to this cool vehicle diagnostic unit that we've never even seen before. The videos are clear and concise and offer nice introductions of the tools as well as Mark's impressions of them.
It's worth mentioning that Mark has a lot more luck with the Auto Hammer than we did. In the video, he was able to drive galvanized nails into pressure-treated wood without any of the problems that we had here and here.
Check out the videos here.
Craftsman tools at Sears
February 24, 2009
Irwin Announces Finalists of Vise-Grip Contest
Over the past few months, we've let you know about the Irwin "Tell Us Your Vise-Grip Story Contest." Now here is a contest we can get behind; solicit stories of vise-grips in action and have the people vote on them. Sort of like American Idol for the fix-it crowd, minus the erratic behavior of Paula Abdul.
The contest is now at the point where the three finalists have been announced and they are now being reviewed by a panel of judges to determine the winner. The finalists are...
Paul Schraps
San Rafael, CA
Story: In 1980, I was taking my Mother to a Cancer clinic in Mexico. After crossing the border, our truck hit a bump in the road -breaking a bolt on the exhaust system. I walked into town to discover the $600 part was not in stock. I used my favorite VISE-GRIP locking pliers to clamp the corner of the manifold and the exhaust together - stopping the leak completely. I was able to get my mother to the doctor for her treatment. 28 years later, I have the same truck with the VISE-GRIPS still holding the exhaust to the manifold.
Paulie Smith
Valley Center, CA
Story: The Baja 500 is one of the most grueling races in the world. Many years almost half the teams who take the green flag, fail to cross the finish line for the checkered flag. A "Did Not Finish" is every team's haunting nightmare. I remember one Baja 500 race I participated in was almost cut short when a brake line failed. However, I was able to use my Irwin Vise-Grip to crimp off the faulty line and maintain pressure on the remaining three brakes. Our team was able to rally and finish that arduous race!
Bryan Fox
Chesapeake, VA
Story: As a US Navy spine surgeon, I routinely deal with dozens of different types of screws, rods and bolts that have been implanted into the spine. Each manufacturer has their own unique tools to insert and remove their specific hardware. While deployed to the Middle East in support of operation Iraqi Freedom, I did not have access to these specialized tools. I did however have some Vise-Grips that could be sterilized and used to emergently remove the screws and rods from this infected soldier's spine. Photo shows an intraoperative xray and shot of the tool in use.
We like them all and can see why they made the finals, but we have to say that our favorite is the one about the exhaust manifold. How can you not like a guy who leaves a Vise-Grip attached to his truck engine for 28 years (and who owns a truck for 28 years?).
There is more information about the contest and pictures of the finalists at Irwin.
February 23, 2009
February 20, 2009
Tool Snob: A Two Year Retrospective
Yesterday, Tool Snob turned a whopping two years old. After some routine celebration (pictured), it occurred to us that we should honor this prophecy-breaking, logic-defying event with a sort of Tool Snob Retrospective. So we went and collected together the articles that come to mind when we think back over the past two years. In most cases, they're not the most popular or the ones that got linked to by anyone important, but just some of the ones that, for one reason or another, stick out in our memory...
(cue music)
DeWalt Offers Saw Blade Sharpening Service - This was our first official post (there is actually one before it, on a snow blower, that was a test post done by someone else). It's an ok post, but pretty lame for the big opener. Wouldn't you think we'd have done something on a Festool track saw or maybe a new Bosch release? Nope, we thought we would underwhelm you with DeWalt's new sharpening service. By setting the bar so low, there was really no where to go but up.
Ridgid Fuego - This was one of our first real reviews. We have fond memories of climbing up the ladder and dropping the saw, just to make sure that the footplate would, as the product literature states, survive such a tumble (it did). It's also worth noting the ridiculous length of the review. It's like Herman Melville without the talent.
Pole Wrap - This is an interesting little product that dresses up a lally column. The post had the line, "[Pole-Wrap] wrap[s] around the Lally column, making it look not so much like a stripper's pole and more like a piece of intentional architecture." Simple enough right? We thought so, until we started getting all sorts of traffic from people searching for, "how to build stripper's pole," and "install stripper's pole in basement." It was our first real lesson on search terms.
Ryobi 4-Volt Li-Ion Screwdriver - It's funny, but sometimes we get all excited about a post and it turns out that no one really cares. With all the insanity over Ryobi's four-piece li-ion kit, we were sure that our post on the 4-volt would be popular. In reality though, not so much. Maybe ten of you read it.
Arbortech AS160 Brick and Mortar Saw- Then there are times when the opposite happens. We saw the Arbortech AS160 at a trade show and thought it was a cool item, so we wrote up a piece on it. We had never heard of the company and we thought the saw was a real niche tool and that the article would quickly disappear into the shadowy depths of the Tool Snob archives. But the word got out and people were searching for it, so over time it became one of the most popular things we've ever put up on the site. Go figure.
Cadex CPB23.50 23 Gauge Pinner - Of all the tools we've reviewed over the past two years, this one might be the finest. It's not necessarily our favorite (although it might be), but it's a complete stand-out in the arena of quality. We get a little buzz each time we hold the thing.
Keith Walendowski: American Hero - We love Keith and all that he represents.
...And there it is. Thanks to everyone for reading.
February 19, 2009
Yaeger Aftermarket Blades for the Fein MultiMaster - Review
UPDATE: Yaeger Blades is now Liberate Blades. More info here.
The Achilles heel of the Fein MultiMaster (our review here) is, without question, price. The full set-up of the tool, a handful of blades, and the dust collection system is going to run you close to $400. Although the MultiMaster is one of our favorite tools and we think that the cost is worth it, given what the tool is capable of, we're bargain hunters just like anyone else. Which is where the Yaeger Aftermarket Blades come in.
Continue reading: "Yaeger Aftermarket Blades for the Fein MultiMaster - Review"
February 18, 2009
Fine Woodworking - April 2009
Way back when we started the site, we used to review all of the woodworking/construction magazines we got. It was sort of a tedious affair and after we solicited your opinion on the matter, we discovered that you enjoyed reading them about as much as we enjoyed writing them. But still, when we get something we're impressed with, we like to let you know about it. And this month's Fine Woodworking is just such an issue.
A lot of the content of Fine Woodworking lands way above our heads. We don't have the time to spend a day tuning up a block plane or the patience to make a massive table saw jig for just one cut (for a piece of furniture that we don't have the skill to make). But this latest issue, while filled with a lot of expert-level ideas and procedures, also has a number of great articles for anyone interested in tinkering around in the garage or basement shop.
The issue includes...
Continue reading: "Fine Woodworking - April 2009"
February 17, 2009
February 16, 2009
Expedition Tools HK1 Hydrokinetic Wrench - Review
The HK1 Hydrokinetic Wrench is one of the more innovative items we've come across in quite a while. It's one of those tools where it seems like the manufacturer rethought the whole concept from the ground up. In it's most simple terms, the HK1 is an adjustable box-end wrench. But when you think through the idea a bit deeper, this little guy is capable of replacing a good chunk of your metric wrench set (7 to 19mm) as well as your SAE set (1/4 to 3/4").
Continue reading: "Expedition Tools HK1 Hydrokinetic Wrench - Review"
February 13, 2009
Bosch Edge Reciprocating Saw Blade - Review
We think of recip saw blades the same way we think about tissues; one, two, if you're lucky three uses and it's in the trash. Or rather, they should be in the trash, but if you're like us, you've got a tool case filled with bent, toothless, stripped-out blades that you're convinced you can get just one more go out of (note: tissues, we throw out; recip saw blades, we tend to keep around).
Bosch has recently released a new blade called the Edge, specifically made for heavy metal cutting. According to the company, the Edge's teeth stay sharper longer, the blade is more resistant to heat, it cuts 20% faster, and it has a thicker body to make straighter cuts. We got a sample of the toughest of the three different Edge blades and were happy to put it to the test against its competitors.
Continue reading: "Bosch Edge Reciprocating Saw Blade - Review"
February 12, 2009
Rockwell JawHorse Plywood Jaw Accessory Attachment
Two weeks ago, we reviewed the JawHorse, Rockwell's one-stop workshop assistant, and last week we talked a bit about the log jaw attachment, and now, here's a little something about the Plywood Jaw attachment.
This one is simple enough. The standard Jawhorse jaws can open up to 37" wide, making them just barely able to handle a 36" door (something we've use it to hold quite a few times). But as wide as that is, it is still short of the magic 48" needed for sheet goods. The Plywood Jaw Accessory is a replacement part for the movable jaw that is longer. Exchanging the two shouldn't be any problem at all, the existing one just slides out and the new one slides in.
Rockwell makes mention of some stability issues when dealing with larger-sized items in the JawHorse, so if you're going to use the PlyWood attachment, it's worth it to think of those sorts of things. The last thing you want is a collapsing work bench.
The JawHorse Plywwod Accessory costs about $50, which feels a little pricey to us, but given the sturdiness of the JawHorse, it's likely a very well made item.
At Amazon and Rockwell
February 11, 2009
Morons with Nailguns: Part Three
Our ongoing investigation into the depths of human stupidity continues with the story of Criss Angel. It appears that Criss is some sort of daredevil/stuntman/illusionist, kind of like a David Blaine for the Pantera crowd. It looks like he's done some work in Vegas as well as on some TV show called Mindfreak. We just stumbled across a video of him attempting to catch a nail shot from a framing gun.
After enough posturing to fill a WWF superdome (we're always suspect of someone who loves to show off their scars), the nail is shot, it busts through the glass that Criss is, for some reason, standing behind, and our dear stuntman ends up with the projectile impaled through his hand. The next few moments are of Criss running around frantically, yelling for an ambulance and using other words that form a nearly continuous bleep.
But we smell a rat here (or in Criss's case, a "ratt"). In our own days of careless stupidity, we've manually pulled back the safety on a framing gun and shot a nail across the room, but because there's really no barrel (and definitely no rifling), the nails quickly start flipping end over end and lose much of their power in a relatively short amount of time (don't even bother try it at home. It's not safe and not all that impressive either). We can't imagine any situation where a nail could break through glass and still have enough force to puncture a man's hand. But in Chriss's stunt, the nail goes through the glass, maintains 'spear-formation' and still manages to go in one side of his hand and out the other. Either the gun has had some military modifications, or Criss figures he'll capture more eyeballs by being a failure rather than a success. And as if the credibility of this stunt isn't threadbare enough, the 'official onlooker' of the event is Anthony Michael Hall. Apparently there were no carpenters in the audience, because everyone seems stunned at the results.
So the sad part here is that Criss is not really a moron with a nail gun, he only pretends to be one.
February 10, 2009
Skil iX03 Palm-Sized Screwdriver
Skil has just released the iXO3, the third version of their popular palm screwdriver. To us, there were no apparent changes between version one and two, leading us to believe that there was some sort of battery upgrade, but this time, Skil has added on a removable right-angle attachment. We like this addition and think that it adds greatly to the appeal of the tool, particularly given it's small size. The ixO3 is only 3.6 volts so it's not going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting, but for around the house stuff like tightening drawer pulls, minor electrical work, and assembling toys and furniture, it should work great. All of these tasks mentioned are also places where the right-angle feature could be useful as well.
Unfortunately for all you iXO and iXO2 owners, it looks like the iXO3 is outfitted with a special chuck to accept the right angle attachment, so it doesn't look like there's the opportunity to retrofit the piece to the older models.
The iXO3 costs about $40, which is actually less expensive than the previous models without the right-angle attachment.
At TylerTool
February 9, 2009
February 6, 2009
Bosch Releases New Recip Saw Blade, Simultaneously Releases Grip on Sanity
In an effort to appeal to sock monkeys worldwide, Bosch has included a 10" tall guitar (complete with strings and a stand) in the press kit for their new reciprocating saw blade, the Edge. Minerva (pictured) is thrilled with this development and has already figured out how to play "Sweet Home Alabama," "Slow Ride," and the intro to "Wish You Were Here." She is currently hard at work learning "Over the Hills and Far Away." Bosch's apparent madness is explained by the fact that they're actually giving away a larger, more functional version of the guitar in a drawing over at the website www.BoschEdge.com.
We're not sure who would want a guitar shaped like a reciprocating saw blade (see video below for a possible candidate), but we're looking forward to checking out the Edge. According to the non-guitar portion of the press kit, the blade has increased heat resistance, a tooth geometry that is patterned for 20% faster cutting, as well as a thicker body for straighter cuts.
February 5, 2009
JawHorse Log Jaw Attachment
We like that Rockwell is thinking 'big picture' with the JawHorse (our review here). We established last week that it's a fantastic tool to have in the workshop, but how about out by the woodshed? Well, Rockwell is making sure that the tool is a success there too with the release of the Log Jaw Attachment.
It looks like the Log Jaws attach right to the existing ones and give the tool the ability to hold on to a log of up to 12" in diameter. There is also some sort of vise that folds out, allowing you to hold a chainsaw blade for sharpening. Add to that all the features already inherent in the JawHorse; the one ton of clamping force, the easy-to-use foot pedal, and the stable tri-pod legs and you've got something of a winner.
This looks like a great idea to anyone into carving (Arbortech Power Chisel and Mini-Grinder, anyone?) or if you're like us and you've got a wood stove and a penchant for scavenging fallen trees in the woods behind your house.
The Log Jaw Attachment costs about $40.
At Amazon and Rockwell
February 3, 2009
Spout Popper - Review
It's our policy to review everything that gets sent our way; big, small, new, old, normal, or strange, it doesn't matter. Once we get an item, we test it out and try to have something posted up about it within a couple weeks depending on the complexity of the item. We're pretty consistent on this, but every once in a while something slips through the cracks and, thus far, the most egregious of these 'slippings' has been the Spout Popper. We got the Spout Popper over a year ago and since then, we've tested it out plenty, but for some reason, we never gave it an official review (although we did a posting on it before it arrived, here). Well we're happy to say to all you caulking tube fanatics out there, that we've finally gotten around to it and here, with no more delay, is a review of the famed Spout Popper....
Continue reading: "Spout Popper - Review"
February 2, 2009
January 2009 Monthly Round Up for Tool Snob
Other than the relentless snow blowing, we had a very good January around here. Keeping the driveway clear makes us sympathize with Sisyphus and his big, dumb boulder. Each time we chip away the last bit of ice, we look up and see the first flakes of the next storm.
As far as tools go, we reviewed a bunch of interesting ones this month, including the Rockwell Jawhorse, Gorilla's new Super Glue, and the Craftsman Auto Hammer. But even against these tough competitors, our tool of the month this time around is going to the one-two punch of the Arbortech Mini-Grinder and Power Chisel. Taken alone, each of these tools is a wonderful addition to anyone's shop (particularly those interested in wood carving), but when looked at together, they make a very complimentary duo. One chisels, the other grinds, both with amazing precision and strength. We loved these tools when we wrote about them and since then we've kept using them and have only found more and more uses for them.
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Megapro 13-in-1 Ratcheting Screwdriver - Review
