May 29, 2009
C.H. Hanson Precision Ball Level
After a slew of interesting and successful releases last year, C.H. Hanson pretty much went dark. Now, with the release of their Precision Ball Level, we can assume that those missing months were spent deep in their mountain fortress experimenting with the design of the level. After seeing what they did to the utility knife, the measuring square, the chalk line, and the pencil, we're not surprised that they took on one of the most basic and old-fashioned of all tools.
What they've done here is replaced the common vial and bubble with a black and white ball, creating something like you'd see in the cockpit of a plane. It looks like the ball is weighted and free floating in a liquid, so the horizontal line is always at level and the vertical line always at plumb. What this change does is add a whole new dimension to the tool. Now, instead of simply seeing if your cabinet is out of level, you can see to what degree or what pitch. This means that the level can now be used during roof construction and other situations where you might need framing at odd angles. Also, the black and white ball takes some of the guess work out of reading the level. No more, "well the bubble looks centered...kinda....sorta...."
We're curious to see how this ranks against our tried and true Stabilas. From what we've experienced Hanson makes some very durable tools and to be a level worthy of a job site, long-term durability is key. We also wonder how accurate the level is if the level itself isn't plumb, but the edge of it is against a plumb surface. For example, checking across the corner of a door jamb. If the level has any meat to it right where is connects with the ball, this could cause a problem.
The Ball Level will be sold for about $50 for what looks like a 2' length. The Stabila 2' goes for about $60.
More information at C.H. Hanson
May 29, 2009
Easy Chamfer - Review
We get sent some strange stuff to review, but the Easy Chamfer is by far the oddest. But odd doesn't mean bad, it just means, well, odd. The Easy Chamfer is a tool that fits on the end of a drill that allows you to chamfer the ends of a pvc pipe. And it looks sort of like a space station.
The Easy Chamfer is extremely well built and consists a base plate with two handles, three adjustable rollers, and a conical bit that fits into any drill. To operate the Easy Chamfer, you fit the rollers snug around your PVC piping and then activate the drill which spins the bit and plunge into the end of the pipe. At this point you just have to work the tool around the edge of the pipe, giving the end a nice chamfer.
The first thing we noticed about the Easy Chamfer is that it's not easy at all. In fact, it takes quite a bit of getting used to. We tested it out a number of times and it took quite a while before we even got close to the results in the video. Time and time again, our chamfers kept coming out uneven and with little shavings of Schedule 40 hanging off in every direction. After a while though, we started to get the hang of it and came up with a few acceptable chamfers. But still as difficult as it was to get used to the tool, it was still far, far easier and faster that chamfering with a file. And like we said, this is all initial difficulty, a byproduct of using a very unfamiliar tool. Spend a little time with the Easy Chamfer and you'll probably be like the guy in the video, minus the accent.
There is no question as to the item's durability. It's built to last; the body is made of thick metal plate and the rollers are of a very dense plastic. The spinning blade also has the look of a high-quality router blade.
This isn't a tool for the DIYer or even the residential carpenter. This is something for the industrial/commercial crowd, people who are putting down pipe after pipe after pipe. The price only reinforces the niche quality of the tool. The Easy Chamfer sells for around $200. It sounds like a lot of money, but like we always say, if it's something that you're going to use and it replaces a slow way of doing things, it's not going to take long before you make that money back.
There is a video of the Easy Chamfer here and more info on this unique tool at easychamfer.com
May 28, 2009
Evolution Fury3 8-1/4 Multi-Purpose Sliding Miter Saw
The madmen who brought us the Rage Circular Saw (which is capable of cutting the Golden Gate Bridge in half) have recently expanded their rugged technology into a mini-compound miter saw called the Fury3.
This saw, like the Rage can cut through everything from steel to wood to aluminum. Having the ability to make a quick (and straight) cut on a metal stud, trim a 2x4 and also zip the end off an aluminum gutter all with the same saw sounds pretty appealing. As with the Rage, this multi-material cutting power seems to be a combination of the hi-torque gear box and the blade design.
Because the saw is only 8-1/4", it weighs a mere 22 lbs. so it's going to be easily portable and it'll be no problem carrying it up a ladder or slinging it on some pipe staging. Neither of these things you want to do with a 12".
The Fury3 sells for around $200 which sounds to us like a great price for what it could be capable of. We do wonder about blade life though. Regardless of design, how much abuse can any blade take? In addition it's not like you can mosey into the local Home Depot and get a blade for this tool, you'll need to go to the manufacturer (who, at this point, doesn't even list replacement blades on their store).
At Evolution
May 27, 2009
Insane Bandsaw Skills
This is very cool.
It's impossible, but try and guess what he's making.
The video is a promotion for an interactive DVD magazine called Woodworking in Action. More info on the magazine at woodworkinginaction.com
May 27, 2009
What the eff is this?
Answer later this week...
May 26, 2009
Tool Snob's 2009 Father's Day Gift Guide
Father's Day is June 20th this year, so it's time to start thinking about getting the old man a token of appreciation for all the times he's bailed you out of jail. A nice new tool seems like a fitting gesture, so we've put together a small list of potential gifts.
Nail Jack & Nail Hunter - Since reviewing the Nail Jack a couple months ago, we've only gown more impressed with the tool. Of all of the items that we look at, not many make it into our day-to-day repertoire of tools, but the Nail Jack certainly has and each day it proves its worth. Our full review is here. Nail Jack and Nail Hunter ($25-$30) at Amazon
Skil 7.2 Li-Ion Power Wrench - We've been fans of this tool for a while. It's a versatile around the house screwdriver/right angle drill that can help with any number of small projects. We also just noticed that Amazon is selling it for $22 which is quite a bit lower than the $60 when the tool first hit the market in late '07. Our full review is here. At Amazon
Milwaukee Hackzall - Like the Nail Jack, the more time this tool spends with us, the more useful we find it to be. Just the other day, it was our main weapon in a vicious battle against the bittersweet invasion into our yard. Later that day, we used it to cut a pipe in the basement. Even for the amount of time we've spent with this tool, we're far from discovering all of its uses. Our full review is here. $175 at Amazon
Rockwell JawHorse - It's hard to explain how useful the JawHorse is. It's an extra set of hands, it's a clamp, it's a work station, and it's a sawhorse. Honestly, it doesn't matter if dad's a beginning wood butcher or an experienced cabinet maker, he'll be really into the JawHorse. If you don't believe us, page through the Amazon customer comments. Our full review is here. $180 at Amazon
Subscription to Extreme How-To - There are a million do-it-yourself, construction, and woodworking magazines out there and of all the ones we've read (and we've read thousands), Extreme How-To is one of the best. The articles are about things you actually do to your house. How to correctly build a fence...how to install crown molding...how to frame a deck...etc. The writing is clear and concise and the advice is all good. They've got a sample issue online at their site. Get one year for $19 or do what we do and get two years for $35. Subscription details at Extreme How-To.
Also, check out our '08 Father's Day Gift Guide (with links to the '07 guide).
May 22, 2009
Campbell Hausfeld Nail Guns
It looks like Campbell Hausfeld is revamping their line of nail guns with the release of three new pneumatic weapons. The guns have a number of interesting features, which appear to gear them towards the DIY set. The price is also going to be a bit lower than the pro crowd, which is always nice.
There are three guns in this release; a 34 degree framing gun, an 15-gauge angled finish nailer, and an 18-gauge brad nailer. The three guns have a new streamlined look which is a nice departure from the blocky primary blue of past CH guns. As far as features go, there are a number that have essentially become standard on today's guns like an adjustable exhaust, dry fire lock out, and easy access to a jammed nail. But the CH guns have quite a bit that we've never seen before. These new features include a little laser point to indicate nail location, a low nail indicator light, and a tethered no mar tip. But the boldest of these new features has to be the built-in stud finder on the finish nailer. One other thing that is worth mentioning is that the CH guns all come with a swiveling male plug. Sure, it's a small touch, but to us it's an essential (and smart) one. Why swiveling plugs aren't on every gun made is beyond us.
Like we mentioned earlier, the guns look like they're geared toward the DIYers. Most carpenters we know still scoff at using a laser with a miter saw, so we can't imagine the eye rolling we'd see in this case. But if you're not using nail guns everyday, we can think of some situations where the laser could be helpful. And as for the built-in stud finder, it initially strikes us as a tool trying to do too much, but when we get down to it, we realize that if it works, it could save a lot of time and anguish. And when we hop in the time capsule, we can envision a world 10 years in the future where all finish nailers come with some sort of stud finder on them. Who knows, maybe this is the initial stage of a technology that will catch on.
The pricing on these tools is just where you'd expect, pretty much one 'level' below the pro tools. The framer will be about $200, the 15 gauge about $140, and the 18 gauge around $90. These prices sound reasonable to us.
The tools will be available in early June at select retailers (CPO, Air Compressors Direct), but it's our guess that we'll also start seeing them at Amazon as well as the box stores.
There's plenty more information on the guns at CHnailers.com, which, by the way, is one of the nicer micro-sites that we've seen in a while.
May 21, 2009
Swanson Lil' Savage
If this was a circular saw or a demo bar, maybe we'd give a pass to the Lil' Savage, but it's a torpedo level so we feel the need to call it out as one of the worst tool names we've heard in years. Even if Swanson had called it the 'Little Savage,' it might not have been worth mentioning, but the horrific use of the 'Lil,' (a designation meant for cookies and children's toys) sets a new bar for ridiculous. "Dude, I've got to check this jamb for plumb, pass me the Lil' Savage."
But beyond the fact that the name brings to mind an image of a rabid, battle-crazed Smurf, the Lil' Savage looks like a pretty useful item for the carpenter or serious DIYer. The top has a v-groove to make it easy to hold against a pipe (or an outside corner), there are four vials (30, 45, 90, 0 degrees), four magnets for use with metal studs, and even some kind of clamp for taking readings off bent pipes. Swanson makes some nice tools, their measuring square is probably the best out there, so we're sure this is a quality tool. It just needs a new name.
At Amazon
May 20, 2009
Xactware Construction Flash Games
If you're down with dopey flash games, click over to Xactware and go to town. They've got three games, all of which make the original Pong look like advanced computing technology. But still, if you've got nothing to do for three or four minutes, they're worth a look and they're all vaguely construction related.
There's a memory game, an obstacle course game, and one where you move items around a floor plan. Exciting.
Xactware is the maker of some high-powered construction software for estimating and project management.
The games are here.
May 19, 2009
Coleman Flashcell 5.4-Volt Cordless Screwdriver
If you've ever wanted a cordless screwdriver that charged so fast it was at risk of opening a worm hole, your day has come. Coleman's Flashcell 5.4-volt screwdriver charges in all of 90 seconds, shorter than the time it takes for Paula Abdul to ramble out her opinion on American Idol.
This tool has actually been out for well over a year and we've been meaning to write about it, but we figured we'd wait to see if it caught on or not. At the moment, Coleman's Flashcell website happily announces that the item is sold out and that you can email them to get on a waiting list. We also saw that it's at Amazon, with no indication of being sold out. To further confuse us, an old Gizmodo post from October 07 states that the tool costs $100. But back at Amazon, it's currently being peddled for $40. Not exactly an indicator of a high demand item.
Either way, it does look like an interesting tool and particularly handy for all of you city apartment dwellers out there who don't have a need for a larger cordless driver and who live in such a fast-paced world that even the 90 second charging time is bordering on too long.
At Amazon
May 14, 2009
Gorilla Epoxy - Review
The other day we mentioned Popular Mechanics's list of the best items at this year's Hardware Show. If you clicked through the link like we suggested (and why wouldn't you have?) you would have seen that Gorilla's new 2-part epoxy made the cut. We recently received a sample of said epoxy and gave it a whirl to see if Gorilla was indeed one step closer to total world adhesive dominance.
It seems to be the case. It's a very nice glue and without any problems we were able to fix a small stone bird statue that had been broken by an apple (don't ask). The Epoxy mixed easily and as advertised made its initial set in five minutes. We also liked that the Epoxy had some body to it, so where there were shattered pieces of the statue that were too small to replace, we simply filled the gaps with the glue and did a quick faux painting job to finish it off (yes, it's paintable too). Aside from stone, the epoxy is compatible with wood, metal, ceramics, glass, plastic, brick and concrete.
We have used other 5-minute epoxies with mixed success. Our main complaint is that the glue becomes brittle over time. From what we understand, Gorilla has addressed this issue and added a certain degree of flexibility to their adhesive. While we're too impatient to wait a year to test out the brittleness of the statue bond before writing the review, after seeing the amazing successes of Gorilla's other products and how they've successfully backed up all of their other claims, we're going to take their word for it on this one. We'll keep an eye on the statue though and let you know the minute the glue fails (if it ever does.)
The Gorilla Epoxy sells for under five dollars.
At Amazon
May 13, 2009
Summer Project Plans from Lowes and Skil
Lowes and Skil have teamed up to offer four nice project plans to enhance your summer outdoor activities. They are all relatively basic and are actually part of a contest encouraging families to build the projects together. The plans are for a birdhouse (not the one pictured); two different lawn games; and a nice deck cooler, so when you're done building, you and your 12-year-old can pound some cold Budweisers.
The plans are nice because they don't leave any room for error in the 'materials acquisition' phase. They tell you everything you need right up front so there are no return trips to the store to get the wood glue you forgot. They're also very easy to understand and they cover the basics so well that if you want to get creative and improvise, it'll be pretty easy.
To enter the contest, you need to make one of the four projects with the assistance of your wee one. Grand prize is a trip for four to one of ten theme parks, other prizes include a Skil workshop and other Skil tools, including the amazing Power Wrench (our review here)
Birdhouse plans
Ring Toss plans
Bag Toss Plans
Deck Box Plans
Information on the Lowes/Skil contest is here.
May 12, 2009
Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Awards from the Hardware Show
If there ever was a beauty pageant for the tool lover, it's the National Hardware Show (in Vegas no less). All of the latest and greatest tools are exhibited and the Judge Judys of the tool world (i.e. magazine editors, freelance writers, and obnoxious bloggers like us, etc) are on hand to snoop, sniff, and generally suss out the successes from the failures. Popular Mechanics was on hand for the event and they've released their thoughts on the best tools to emerge from this year's crop.
Looking at their list makes us wish we had made the trip out to the show. They've collected some tools we're familiar with, like the Goldblatt Blade Runner and the amazing Nail Jack (our review here), but they've also found a few things that we've yet to see or even hear about, such as the Little Giant Six-Foot Step Ladder, the Deck Wrecker, and an amazing looking level from C.H. Hanson.
We're hoping to get a closer look at some of these tools in the upcoming days, but in the meantime, do yourself a favor and check out the list at Popular Mechanics.
Best of 2009 Hardware Show at Popular Mechanics
May 11, 2009
Ye Olde Makita Drill: RIP
Last Friday was a sad day for us because it marked the last breath from our Makita Drill. It's been our go-to cordless since the Panasonic died in November 2006 and during that time it's been a total badass. It's funny, but with all the hooplah about lithium-ion and compact this and micro that, it was always the 14.4 NiMH tool we'd go for. Over the two plus years it served us, it never gave out, took a tremendous beating and managed to do everything we asked of it, some of which was pretty extreme. Tools like this we practically consider to be our friends and we really hate to see it go. But since now the chuck won't spin and it only makes a strange farting noise, into the abyss it goes. Goodbye pal.
We still don't have a replacement and are happily taking suggestions/recommendations in the comments section.
Makita 14.4 Drill, Impact Driver, and Flashlight at Amazon
May 7, 2009
The Ridiculous Power of Excavators
When it comes to large scale demo, all the fancypants prybars in the world aren't going to help you. So put away your Artillery Bar, your FuBar, and your Dead-On Annihilator and hire an excavator. Here are two videos we found of just that kind of awe-inspiring destruction.
We've seen a similar scene first hand and what it did was leave us with a blinding respect for the power of hydraulics. When these things get going, it's like the house isn't even there.
May 6, 2009
Rapid Warrior Combo Knife
Rapid Tools likes to give their knives somewhat aggressive names. First there was the Shark and now there's the Warrior (stay tuned for their next release, the Armageddon). Like the multi-function Shark, the Warrior is designed to do much more than the standard utility knife. This is done with its ability to not only accept standard utility blades, but to take recip saw blades as well. With this feature, your knife can now be transformed into a mini-hacksaw, a drywall knife, or even a little branch pruner.
We like the looks of this tool quite a bit. With all of the items competing for space in our tool bag, anything that can take the place of more than one item looks like a potential winner. And we would happily get rid of our old drywall knife too. We hardly ever use it, but feel the need to keep it around for those rare occasions when it's essential.
The Warrior will be available with both fixed and folding bodies. Included with it will be five serrated utility blades, a drywall saw blade, an 8" saw blade, and a 6" hacksaw blade. The whole package will retail for about $20. It's not a bad price when you consider the astronomical price of recip saw blades.
May 5, 2009
VPX RIP
We were just researching the new Milwaukee 12-Volt Power Port when we remembered that Black & Decker had released something similar way back in October 2007 as part of their VPX line. We did a quick check over at the VPX micro-site and discovered that at some point the line was taken behind the woodshed and dispatched with. The site now contains little more than a shadowy picture of the VPX battery and a notice that the line has been discontinued.
We wrote about the VPX line when they were released, but really never heard much else about them. We saw them once in a Home Depot and thought that they felt pretty cheap and we had a few conversations with our readers who all thought the same. Still, we liked the idea that Black & Decker was going to make a battery system that would go beyond standard power tools and get into things like air inflators, hand vacs, power sources, etc.. But apparently no one really bought into the idea. Our guess is that this is old news considering the VPX sale we stumbled across over a year ago.
It looks like the tools are still available at Amazon for some pretty low prices if you're interested.
At Amazon
May 4, 2009
April 2009 Monthly Roundup for Tool Snob
After hardly reviewing anything in March, we came back strong in April with a number of product reviews ranging from knives to pencils to brad guns. But of everything we played around with this month, nothing tops the Nail Jack Nail Hunter. Pulling nails is torture and the unique design of this tool takes a lot of that pain away. Basically, we loved it and now find ourselves using it all the time. In a related post, we also covered the story of Nail Jack's attempts to buy up the Irwin factory in Nebraska here.
April also saw the release of Bosch's impressive new line of nail guns. We have some information on that here.
We've got a lot piled up on the desk for May. There's a funky new caulking gun, possibly a tool giveaway, and one of the strangest items we've ever seen courtesy of our inventor friend in Australia. Stay tuned.
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Megapro 13-in-1 Ratcheting Screwdriver - Review
