Columbia River Knife and Tool - Li'l Guppie Multitool
Well, you can either get the Leatherman Skeletool or the, um, Li'l Guppie. While it doesn't exactly have the most badass name, it does look pretty useful. Its got a knife, screwdrivers, an LED, and an adjustable wrench. Oh, and of course it has a bottle opener. There's also a carabiner which makes it ideal for clicking it onto a backpack or a belt loop.
So if you're looking for something other than the traditional looking multi-tool, the Guppie might fit the bill. Just make sure to tell everyone it's called the Piranha or maybe the Japanese Fighting Fish.
It's unreal how much useful information is sitting over at InspectApedia.com. It's essentially a compendium of all the knowledge that a home inspector has when he shows up at the dilapidated shack that you're looking to buy. the site is decidedly low-tech and it's pretty easy to get confused with the left navigation (we use the site map instead), but it's really all about the info...the gobs and gobs of mighty info.
So if you're really interested how the parts of your house work (or why they don't), just click over and wander a bit. If you're the curious type, it could be hours before you come up for air.
A couple years ago, we reviewed something called the Final Cut Saw Blade. It's really nothing more than a piece of sandpaper stuck to a saw blade. At first, it sounds pretty goofy, but it actually works pretty well, not only with making a nice, smooth cuts, but also with preventing kick-back and blade binding.
After releasing 10" and 12" blades, Final Cut has moved on to the next inevitable step, the 7-1/4" blade. Now, you can have that same sanding/cutting action with your standard old circ saw.
DeWalt just hit the scene with a cordless bandsaw and when compared to other models out there, it's a lighter tool, but the trade-off is less cutting depth.
Milwaukee's new cordless band saw cuts at a depth of 3-1/4" and weighs 10.25 lbs and Makita's cuts at 4-3/4" and weighs 14.1 lbs. According the the DeWalt press release, their new tool cuts to a much smaller 2-1/2" and weighs 'less than 10 pounds,' which in press release talk usually means something in the range of 9.7 to 9.9 lbs. We're actually not too confident comparing these weights anyway. Makita's site calls out that their 14 lbs is with the tool and battery while the Milwaukee just lists their number as 'tool weight.' There's no indication how DeWalt is weighing theirs.
Regardless of all that, the DeWalt does have a smaller cut depth, and because of this, it's likely on the lighter side of things. If you're an electrician or HVAC guy and you want a compact cordless bandsaw to compliment the big corded one in the van, it would be worth it to go to Home Depot and take a look at this one.
There's no word on pricing yet, but the Milwaukee goes for about $400 and the Makita $450, so we'd like to think that the DeWalt will be in the $300-$400 range.
Win a Craftsman MiterMate from Tool Snob and Sears
Yesterday we reviewed the Craftsman MiterMate, and today we're giving it away. It's out in the shop and all boxed up, waiting to be sent out to one of you. To enter the contest, drop a comment at this post telling us what makes you so special and why you should be the one to win the tool. The winner will be decided by random drawing next Friday (Feb 26th).
Because it's a random drawing, the content of your answer doesn't affect your chances of winning, but for our sake, put at least 2 minutes of thought into it. The one and two word answers just don't cut it. In fact, we'll add in a second prize for the most original entry.
Because the box is crazy heavy, we're only accepting entries from the contiguous United States. The postage rates for any place beyond that will cause us to start digging into Tool Snob Jr.'s college fund and we don't want to do that.
A big thanks to the people at Sears for suggesting the give-away. Check out the entire line of Craftsman tools here.
Miter saws are one of those tools that dribble through the innovation process. Not a whole lot happens between generations other than a few more amps of power, or a couple more degrees of cut, at best, a laser sight is added. All in all it's a slow and rather boring progression. Festool released their mighty Kapex a couple years ago which added a good jolt to the process, but at a price of $1300, the most the average person could do was read the stats and say, "cool." But now here comes Craftsman with something called the MiterMate. When you first look at it, it's pretty strange. It's essentially a miter saw with two adjustable fences, as opposed to an adjustable blade. This feature, when used with their angle finder, allows for a single adjustment for two cuts which result in a perfect miter. Craftsman/Sears was nice enough to send us a sample to review and we found it to be an effective, but not perfect, tool.
In addition to introducing the H3 Hammer Drill at this year's IBS, Rockwell also dropped the word on something called the Versacut. From what we know of it, the tool looks to be an all-in-one trim saw capable of cutting wood, tile, and certain metals (copper and aluminum).
For features, the little 3 lb. saw has a laser guide, plunge cut indicators, and a 4 amp motor. Rockwell is also releasing a number of interesting accessories along with the saw including a miter station and a guide rail track. The first is a small adjustable track for the saw to run on and the second apparently morphs the Versacut into a larger track saw.
After our experience with the disappointing Croc Saw (our review here), we're pretty wary of this type of "I can do everything" saw. The Croc was overburdened with safety features and because it was nearly impossible to see the blade, operating the tool in a precise manner was difficult. From the photos, it looks like the Versacut also has a hidden blade, but without getting our hands on it, it's impossible to get a feel for how the tool operates.
The Versacut will run about $150, the miter station $80, and the rail track $50. They'll all be available in the spring at Rockwell and Amazon.
Sears has just kicked off a new sweepstakes, the end result of which is a massive load of tools going to one lucky person. In order to enter the sweepstakes all you have to do is to set up a Twitter account and follow the Sears Blue Tool Crew (http://twitter.com/BlueToolCrew). One winner will be randomly selected February 26th. The eligibility period runs from Feb 11th to Feb 18th. It looks like only new followers during that time will be entered, so if you're already following, you're out of luck.
The big momma prize consists of:
One (1) Craftsman 10" Laser Miter Saw( # 21236). Approximate retail value ("ARV") of $129.99
One (1) Craftsman Digital Miter Gauge (# 929939). ARV of $79.99.
One (1) Craftsman 30 pc Router Bit Set (#926366). ARV of $109.99.
One (1) Craftsman Bar Clamp (#31484). ARV of $19.99.
One (1) Craftsman Base Plunge Router (#17540). ARV of $89.99.
One (1) Craftsman 10" Table Saw (#21807). ARV $299.99
ARV of all prizes is $729.94.
We love the all or nothing vibe of this contest...no second place, no runner-up, just one completely dominant winner laughing at everyone else. Sort of like Thunderdome.
If there ever was a reason to join Twitter, this is it.
Rockwell seems to be maintaining its position as the company to watch with their new H3 Multi-Function Hammer Drill. According to the company, this 3lb tool is capable of drilling 1/4" holes in concrete. The fact that it's a mini SDS hammer drill is only part of the appeal though. Rockwell was smart enough to make it an all-in-one by including a 3-jaw chuck and a 1/4" bit holder.
With those adapters comes the ability to switch the tool from hammer mode to straight drilling mode. The tool is powered by a 12-volt li-ion battery that is part of Rockwell's 'Free Batteries for Life" program (no, really, it's true, free for life), and the charger comes with a USB port so it can also power up a cell phone or an iPod if you need it in a pinch.
We're constantly wishing we had an SDS/3-Jaw adapter for our rotary hammers because it would mean that in some circumstances we wouldn't even have to unpack the drill. But here, in the smaller package, it makes that much more sense. If this tool is as good as it looks on paper, it should join the JawHorse in Rockwell winner's circle.
The tool has a look similar to Metabo's BHE20 Rotary Hammer, which must be what Rockwell is getting at when they refer to the H3 as 'Euro-Styled.'
This looks like a great tool and it will be sold in the spring for around $180 at Rockwell and Amazon
The press release is after the jump if you're interested.
UPDATE: our review of the Ridgid JobMax is posted up here.
...And the innovations keep a coming. This time it's Ridgid adding some heat to the 12-volt world. It looks like what they've done is made a universal lightsaber base with a number of attachment heads that dramatically alter the function of the tool. From what we can tell, the attachments they have now are:
Right Angle Impact Driver
Right Angle Drill
Ratchet Head
Oscillating Tool
AutoHammer
This is a cool idea making us think you'll be able to buy all of the parts separately, but at the moment it looks like there are only combo kits available.
There's not much definitive pricing info at the moment. The tools were released at the IBS show last month, and the Home Depot website is behind the curve. They have a graphic showing the JobMax tool available in a kit with Ridgid's 12-volt drill selling for $200 (which is a good price considering the drill alone is $140), but any purchase links they have are dead.
The Ridgid website mentions two different kits; one of them with the JobMax and the drilling/driving attachments and the other with the JobMax, the oscillating head, the AutoHammer head and the 12-volt drill.
Sorry about the dinky image, but it's all we could rustle up.
If you're unfamiliar with metal connector nailers, they're essentially nail guns for joist hanger nails. Obviously, they're not for the casual DIYer, or even the serious DIYer. They're for framing crews and construction sites. They differ from framing guns in that they're usually shorter (so they can fit in a joist bay) and the tip of the nail hangs out of the nose of the gun a little so you can place it in the joist hanger hole. Like we said, not everyone needs one, but if you've ever built a deck, you can quickly see the value of the tool.
Paslode has recently released a new version of their gun. This one is specifically designed for 1-1/2" nails, the most commonly used size. It also looks like it has an adjustable exhaust and the same aluminum housing that we saw on their framer. There's no word on price, but something like this is going to be at least $200.
Paslode even has an interesting calculator so you can see how much money you'd be saving with a metal connector nailer here.
Have you ever been using an orbital sander and all of a sudden you realize that you've gradually gotten to the point where you're putting about 90% of your body weight on it? It seems to happen to us all the time. We're not sure why, but it's our natural tendency to really lean into it. We know that it doesn't improve the efficiency of the tool, but we end up there anyway. Apparently we're not the only ones with this problem because Skil has recently released a new orbital with something called Pressure Control.
Pressure Control is some sort of warning system that lets you know when excessive pressure is being put on the tool. From the image, it looks like there are a number of warning lights, sort of like the Homeland Security threat level system. The sander probably makes some kind of noise too. Maybe an electrical pulse as well.
In all other respects, this looks like a regular old orbital; it has a vacuum attachment, a filtered bag, a nice grip, etc. It costs about $40 which sounds like a good price.
For most of us, a can of WD-40 is all we need. It acts as a lubricant, a penetrant, a cleaner, and, for some, a deodorant. It's sort of a 'one can fits all' product. But for those who are really into their lubes, sprays, and foams, or for those rare occasions when the WD just won't cut it, WD-40 (the company, not the product) has just released a line of eight specialized items geared toward the heavy-duty and the hardcore, and, thankfully for us, they sent us a few cans to check out.
The new products are:
Industrial Grade Silicone
Industrial Grade High-Performance PTFE Lubricant
Industrial Grade Dry Lube PTFE Formula
Industrial Grade Multi-Purpose Lubricant
Industrial Grade White Lithium Grease
Industrial Grade Contact Cleaner
Industrial Grade Penetrant
Industrial Grade Degreaser
Reviewing things like this isn't easy. It takes too long and is too tedious to rust a couple bolt/nut combos together just to test out the Blue Works Penetrant against the leading brand. So we just put the cans on the shelf and used them as needed. Of the products, we tested out the Penetrant, the De-Greaser, the White Lithium Grease, and the Silicone.
The one we ended up using the most was the silicone, which had no issues assisting us with a gummed up slider and a couple sticky windows, as well as a few stuck wrenches. The White Lithium Grease, we put right in the truck (our old boss once said, "every old truck needs a can of white lithium grease under the driver's seat), and the penetrant did actually help loosen a rusty nut.
We liked the products and the cans have a cool look about them. The Blue Works website has a boatload of information on each one, including the MSDS sheets and scientific-sounding test results that firmly establish their dominance against other brands. We take a lot of those types of manufacturer's tests with a grain of salt, but WD-40 has a great reputation, so even if their products aren't 50 times better than the competition, they're at least 5 times better.
So now when WD-40 isn't doing the job or you're looking for something a little more specialized, you now have a place to go.
There's a boatload more information (including the MSDS sheets) over at blueworksbrand.com
Our normal reviews go something like this: we find an interesting tool or get a press release on something new; then we query the manufacturer (or their PR company) and beg and plead that they send us a sample to test out; if they are kind enough to take pity on us and do so, it arrives at the shop and we spend a few weeks giving it the once over; we then sit down and write a Pulitzer-worthy review of said tool (making sure to comply with new FCC regulations and let you know that the tool came from the manufacturer). Well, this time it's different. We didn't just get our hands on our two Bosch Bulldogs, and we didn't get them from Bosch. We paid for them outright and to be honest, it's some of the best money that we've ever spent on any tools.
It's easy to review the precision or functionality of a tool, but when it comes to durability we usually combine 'general feel' with 'previous experience with that company's tools' and add in a few drop tests, and come to our conclusions. Here, that's not the case. We've had one of these tools for about five years and the other one (the dirty one) we had on an aggressively brutal jobsite for about 18 months. We can only say that these tools are phenomenal and that if you're thinking about getting one, just go ahead and do it. There were days when we treated these tools so poorly, you'd think that we hated them. They've been dropped, tossed, kicked, stepped on, and one of them was even lost in a snowbank for a short period of time. As far as tools go, they're like the paperboy from Better Off Dead; always there, ready to go, non-stop (minus the annoying voice).
In addition to the unreal durability, there's the power/size ratio which, in our eyes is perfect. If you're a carpenter, you really don't need some massive hammer drill, but you still want the ability to chip concrete and spend a day driving tap-cons. This tool does all that, and it doesn't take up that much room in the back of the van.
They cost around $200 and there are a couple different versions with different handles and features, but they've all got the same ass-kicking quotient.
First off, January 2010 is not the first month of a new decade, it's the first month of the last year of the current decade. So there's no 'dawn of a new era' vibe going on with this post. And it's going to be another year before we do any kind of mega-retrospective.
Our Tool of the Month is actually a book. The more we think about it, Insulate and Weatherize should be on the shelf of anyone who is even remotely curious about their house. It's not only very informative, but it is very engaging, which is quite a compliment about it book on insulating.
If you look in any carpenter's tool bag, there's likely to be something in there made by Channellock. The reason for this popularity is that most people are in the know that the company is one of the premier manufacturers of gripping, grabbing, and holding hand tools. We have a few of their tools kicking around; one in the tool bag, two or three in the shop, and (we think) one under the passenger seat of the truck. They're reliable and durable and that's really all we ask for out of a hand tool. So when Channellock sent us their new 6.5" V-Jaw pliers, we figured there was a good chance that we were going to like them. And, not surprisingly, we did.
What Channellock has done is miniaturized their popular V-Jaw pliers to make it easier to handle smaller round stock; things like 1/2" copper and small diameter PVC. That's all fine and it does work nicely for those uses (it's a perfect fit for 1/2" stock actually), but coming from a carpenter's perspective, and not a plumber's, we also found other good uses for it. In the past couple weeks, the 6.5" pliers helped us pull nails, fish a hard-to-get wire from a wall, and handle a sharp metal edge on a chimney liner. It wasn't long before we moved its status up to one of the coveted exterior pockets on our tool bag.
In our opinion, everyone needs at least one pair of pliers (and honestly, three or four extras don't hurt). For your first set, get the regular, big old kind that everybody has, but if you find yourself having a hard time with smaller materials or you just want some variety in your tool chest, the 6.5" Channellocks should be at the top of your list.
They're also made in America (Meadeville, PA) which is nice.
The little pliers cost around $13, a fine price for a high quality hand tool like this.
Columbia River Knife and Tool - Li'l Guppie Multitool
Continue reading: 
Newsletter
Subscribe - RSS
Megapro 13-in-1 Ratcheting Screwdriver - Review
