December 29, 2010
It's a habit of ours to loudly announce to anyone who will listen that Cadex's 23 gauge pinner (the CPB23.50) is one of the best tools we've ever used. It's like the Fein MultiMaster of nail guns in that every aspect of it just reeks of quality. We recently heard that Cadex added another pinner, the CP23.30, to their line (their third pinner) and we were pretty excited when they sent one our way for a review.
So here's where the new gun fits into the Cadex pinner family tree (this gets a little confusing): The 23.50, the one that we love, has a pin capacity of up to 2" and it can also shoot slight-headed brads as well as pins. Cadex has another gun that can handle both pins and brads (the 23.35) but this one only has a fastener capacity of up to 1-3/16". This pinner and the aforementioned 23.50 also have a number of other features that set them over the top (muffler, blow gun, etc). The new gun, the one being reviewed here, the 23.30, shoots only pins and...well...that's about all the tool does. It's basically Cadex saying, "OK, how minimal can we go and still deliver quality at a good price." Literally, everything unnecessary has been removed from the tool. Even the trigger.
Most pinners have a second safety trigger that nests under the main trigger. To operate, first pull the secondary trigger to release the safety and then you're free to pull the main trigger to shoot the nail. The 23.30 works slightly differently. Instead of a second trigger there is a little toggle piece that sits directly behind the trigger which prohibits it from being pulled. With a little tap of the forefinger, the stop on the toggle shifts to the side and frees up the trigger. Unlike the double trigger, the toggle does not automatically reset to the safety position, but another tap of the thumb puts it back in place.
There are other pinners out there that have this single trigger set-up, but this was the first time we had any hands on experience with it. We were initially skeptical due to safety reasons, but once we got used to it, we started to not even notice that we were flipping the safety toggle back into position when we were setting the gun down.
The 23.30 has a pin capacity of 1/2" to 1-3/16" which is more than a lot of the $100 pinners out there, most of which only seem to go to the 1" mark. We had no problem shooting some 1-3/16" pins into oak. This new little Cadex is plenty powerful.
The bottom line here is that the Cadex 23.30 is another solid gun from Cadex. Does it have a muffler, a blowgun, or an adjustable exhaust? No. Does it have a case? No. Does it have a larger pin capability than most guns in its price range? Yes. Does it offer the essentials at Cadex-level quality? Yup. Do we recommend it? Absolutely.
At Amazon.com
December 22, 2010
After the Big Bosch Laser Bonanza that we had going on a little bit ago, we thought we'd never want to write another word about laser levels. But we got to talking to the folks at Johnson Level and Tool and they suggested that we test out their new Self-Leveling Cross Line Laser. We had a bunch of projects coming up that would be perfect testing grounds and we were really impressed with their Laser Level and Angle Locator so we happily agreed.
Continue reading: "Johnson Self-Leveling Cross Line Laser - Review"
December 21, 2010
We're not feeling particularly verbose at the moment, but we'll just say that the new DeWalt wet/dry tile cutter looks pretty cool. We only like to set up our wet saw when we're going to be using it all day long, so we can see the value of this for smaller projects.
The press release is after the jump with all the information you need on the tool.
Continue reading: "DeWalt 4-3/8" Wet and Dry Hand Tile Cutter"
December 20, 2010
This past weekend Reader Jerome gave us the heads up about Bosch's new corded oscillating tool and, honestly, it's about time this tool was released. We simply don't understand why Bosch led with a 12-volt cordless model. Bosch Europe has had their PMF 180 E Multi corded oscillator for a while, but for some reason Bosch US went with the cordless, leaving the market wide open for the corded Rockwell SoniCrafter. As we've repeated over and over and over, the battery life of a 12-volt cordless oscillating tools is simply not compatible with a lot of the tasks that the tool can be used for. Less than 10 minutes of sanding time (for a battery that takes 30 minutes to charge) doesn't work on a jobsite or in the garage workshop.
But anyway, now that that's out of our system, Bosch's MX25 looks pretty sweet. It's powered by a 2.5 amp motor (Sonicrafter has a 2.3) and has a variable speed adjustment dial. The speed ranges from 8,000 opm to 20,000 opm, so the high end isn't as fast as the Fein, but the low end is slower. Unfortunately, it looks like it has the Allen wrench chuck system, so the advantage in that department remains with Fein and their stellar quick change system.
Home Depot is selling these for $160 which is $20 more than the similar Sonicrafter kit and about $40 less than the Fein. Is this where the tool lands with regards to quality as well? Our guess (and this is only a guess, so don't get all jumpy in the comments) is: 'probably.'
At Home Depot
December 20, 2010
Marlowe the SuperCat took a break from his exhausting sleeping schedule, donned his fancy clothes, and picked a winner in our Dremel MultiMax contest. The lucky reader is Kelly the architecture student, whose first project with the tool will likely be a shoe rack.
We want to thank everyone who participated. We also would like to thank Dremel for supplying the contest winnings. There's a good selection of Dremel items at Amazon.com if you're interested.
Also, in other contest news, the Milwaukee radio went to Reader Tom. Also, the fingernail will be falling off soon.
December 17, 2010
We just got word that Sears is taking donations for their Heroes at Home Wish Registry. What they do is take all the collected money and turn them into gift cards which they distribute among all of the military families that have signed up. We think this is great, we're all for it. Particularly when we think of how easy we have it compared to the guys (and gals) who have to spend Christmas an ocean away from their families. Seriously, think about that for a second.
Sears has set up a web page for the program here. It has letters from past participants and a couple videos. At the moment, there is almost $3,000,000 raised.
From Sears:
With thousands of active-duty military fathers and mothers away from their homes fighting for our country, Sears' Heroes at Home Wish Registry helps to bring the holidays home for many deserving families. Many families that were helped by last year's efforts shared their stories - this video is inspired by real letters from soldiers and their families:
You can help Sears as they fulfill military heroes' wishes this holiday season by making a contribution to the Wish Registry either in-store or online at http://www.sears.com/heroesathome (donations are accepted until Dec 31). This is a great way to give back this holiday season and say "thanks" to the nation's troops.
Sears' Heroes at Home Wish Registry has helped more than 51,000 military families and has raised more than $12.2 million. For many, the wishes fulfilled in years past have been simple and practical, including everything from warm clothes to new toys for their children to a Christmas tree and other holiday decorations for their homes.
Please note that donations made to the Wish Registry are not tax deductible and will be used to purchase Sears gift cards that will be equally distributed to all registered families.
While this might seem like something from an Onion article, it's not. There really is something called the i-Drill. It has just hit the scene and it has some interesting mojo to it.
The i-Drill is a 12-volt drill/driver with a standard three-jaw chuck. It's got two gears and a variable speed trigger. As far as function goes, it appears to be a standard 12-volt drill driver (minus the part where it looks like it's made from Stormtrooper armor).
But there are two things that are unique about the drill. First, it comes with a number of international plug adapters for the charger, like you get if you travel overseas and get an international cell phone. With these adapters the tool can be used in "99.9% of the countries in the world." Our guess is that if you live in that unfortunate 0.1%, you've got larger problems than not being able to use the i-Drill. But this universality is certainly good for online retailers who can sell the drill to just about anyone in the world. It's also good if you spend your weekends in Iceland, helping your friend Bjerg tinker around with his geothermal heating system.
The other interesting thing about the tool is the look of it. There are a lot of companies out there who try to capture the 'non-tool' market, whether it's making pink tools to target women or giving tools easy-to-use features. But to us, this looks like the first tool to really succeed on that front. It has a really stylish and smart look about it with none of the 'you-don't-know-anything-about-tools' pandering that we see elsewhere. But we can't seem to shake the feeling that we've seen the general aesthetic before. We can't quite place it but there's something very familiar about it...
At Amazon.com and i-Drill (they also have a few other tools on the platform. An oscillating tool, an impact driver, a smaller drill, and a flashlight)
December 16, 2010
Festool has just updated their Rotex micro site with more information and pictures of their new geared sander, the first of its kind. If you missed our earlier post on the tool, the deal is that the sander has three distinct modes; an aggressive one which Festool likens to a grinder, a standard orbital mode, and a delta mode which requires switching out the circular pad for a triangular one (similar to an oscillating sander).
They've also posted up a couple videos. Here's a general intro to the tool...
...and here is the aggressive mode in action. Looks feisty.
They've also given a March 1st release date.
It's now to the point that whenever we're at a loss for something interesting to write about, we head over to the Ergodyne site and see what kind of unusual outerwear they've got going on. First, they rocked our socks with the Extreme Balaclava, then it was their Chill-It's Cooling Towel that raised our eyebrows. Well, we've gone to the well once again and we see that they've just released a warming vest that is inflated with Argon. How's that for 'out of the box?'
So they've got a vest that shares characteristics with an insulated window. Because Argon has low thermal conductivity, why the hell not put it in clothing? Ergodyne takes the idea even further and allows you to regulate the amount of gas in the vest via a little inflating control. Feel like you've got a little too much insulation? Release the valve. Then, when you need a little more oomph, take a small Argon canister (three come with the vest) and gas yourself up. It's kind of like wrapping yourself in a stylish life raft and heading off to work. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Argon isn't flammable. Wouldn't that be a trip...
But the thing with this item is that it all makes perfect sense. The reason why we chuckle at Ergodyne isn't because the ideas are silly, it's because they're so unusual.
The vest has a retail of about $230.
More information at Ergodyne
December 15, 2010
Bosch has created this little circular piece that fits on the nose of any oscillating tool and allows it to be compatible with Bosch accessories. They're also giving them away for free (along with a blade). To get your grubby little hands on one, go to the Bosch Joe the Pro website here and enter the code OISC10.
The OIS certainly makes things easier for the oscillating tool owner, but we're a bit jaded that it renders our oscillating tool accessory chart obsolete. That's like three hours of life we'll never get back.
Thanks to Jay from CopTool.
Campbell Hausfeld has started bundling little 1-gallon compressors with various tool sets, specific to particular DIY audiences. They've got a Home Decor kit well-suited for the artsy craftsies, a Home Maintenance kit which seems to center around drain cleaning and putty spreading, and finally, a Home Improvement kit, which is the one that interests us the most as it's created around carpentry tasks. Campbell Hausfeld was nice enough to box one up and send it our way so that we could check it out.
Included with the kit is the little compressor, a pneumatic brad/stapler, a pneumatic caulking gun, a few air hose attachments, and a pouch full of hand tools.
So what are the hand tools like? Well, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The rafter square looks like it would last about 22 second on a job site, but the pry bar looks as good as any we've seen. The utility knife is really basic; the level works fine, but is plastic; and the 5-in-1 looks good.
The brad gun has a nice feel to it and it's only the non-bumpered nose that bums us out. It's the kind of nose that's going to dent the workpiece no matter what you do. But other than that, it's a fine gun. It shoots both brad nails and crown staples.
It was actually the caulking gun that we liked the most (and trust us, we were pretty doubtful). We put in a tube of cold Liquid Nail and it didn't have any problems getting some to squeeze out as if it were 90 degrees out.
But let's cut to the chase here. This kit isn't about the subtleties of the tools, it isn't about how ergonomic the handles are, it's about value. It's about bang for the buck. And the bottom line here is that it's a lot of bang, for a-lot-less-than-what-you'd-expect buck. The CH Home Improvement Kit costs about $140 which is pretty nice for all of this in one box.
We think that really anyone would be happy with this kit. It would be good not only for the first time DIYer, but also the carpenter looking for a quick and easy set-up for punch list tasks (after throwing out the rafter square, of course). Or better yet, for the young carpenter who is looking to get some tools, but might not have the cash just yet to get the really aggressive stuff.
At the moment, there is no online availability for the kit, but if you're interested, call 1-888-CHPower (247 6937)
December 14, 2010
This is pretty cool and very good news for Starrett. Seems like they've now become the official supplier of precision measurement tools for the Porche GT3 Cup car. So if you weren't convinced of the quality of Starrett's tools before, you have no excuses now.
And speaking of Porsche teaming up with a tool company, remember that goofy hammer drill that Porsche and Metabo made a while back? Wonder whatever happened to that thing...
PORSCHE MOTORSPORTS NORTH AMERICA DESIGNATES STARRETT AS OFFICIAL SUPPLIER FOR PRECISION MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGIES
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, (December 9, 2010) - Today, at the 2010 Performance Racing Industry Show, Porsche Motorsports North America Inc. (PMNA) and The L.S. Starrett Company announced that they have entered into a partnership agreement designating Starrett the official supplier of PMNA for precision measurement technologies.
This is the first partnership of this type that PMNA has entered into in many years. Under the agreement, Starrett will supply the Porsche team with precision measuring tools to provide a wide variety of technical procedures to inspect and evaluate Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.
"With such close tolerances engineered into the components of our race cars, and precise measurements needed to extract the top performance from both the chassis and drive train, Porsche Motorsports North America is pleased to forge this partnership with L.S. Starrett Company for use of their tools and measurement devices for our racing effort." said Jens Walther, president of Porsche Motorsports North America, Inc.
In addition to providing precision measuring tools from the Company's broad offering, Starrett will continue to develop custom-engineered measuring solutions to meet PMNA's special requirements. With a half century of experience creating innovative custom solutions, a unique approach to a measurement application developed by Starrett may well give PMNA an advantage in their fiercely competitive sport.
"In performance motorsports, Porsche has long been the standard by which others are measured," said Hardy Hamann, Starrett vice president of Marketing and Business Development. "Similarly, Starrett is a leader in precision measuring tools and has been for well over a century." Hamann continued. "This partnership between our two companies is a perfect match."
Founded in 1880, The L.S. Starrett Company manufactures and markets precision measurement tools, metrology equipment, band saw blades, power tool accessories, jobsite and shop tools and offers custom-engineered solution services. Long known as "the world's greatest toolmaker," Starrett continues to set the standard of excellence through practical innovation, exceptional quality and unmatched precision.
December 13, 2010
Bosch, being fully aware of our Trebubsession, has been nice enough to give us the first look at their new Power Box Beatdown video, in which the cubical radio goes head to head with a wonderful looking trebuchet. Actually, the term, 'head to head' indicates that there is a proactive stance from the Power Box. There isn't. It simply gets hurled about 150 feet. But what a great scene it is. Watch this Tool Snob Exclusive for yourself....
Now we've been very critical of tool demolition videos (see our lunatic ranting and raving here), and while this one breaks our cardinal rule of editing (once the demolition is in process any edits always make us think that the whole scene is rigged), it has a number of other things going for it...
1. Cows. No idea why, but the shot of the cows made us laugh out loud.
2. Music. The music selection made us feel like we were watching the Helm's Deep battle scene from LOTR (which is always a good thing).
3. A bunch of 'out-takes' at the end where we get to see the trebuchet from a number of different angles.
Also, we should note that in our big tool demolition video post, we called for the use of trebuchets in tool demolition videos. Little did we know that as we were writing that, Bosch was already in the process of putting this video together.
The apparently indestructible Bosch Power Box at Amazon.com
December 10, 2010
Hand tools coming equipped with LEDs...
Is it stupid?
Our first snap judgment was 'yup,' but now that we've thought about it, we're not so sure.
We have two points to make on the subject:
1. We thought LEDs in power tools were dumb the first time we saw them. Um...yeah...we were wrong that time....
2. Our MegaPro ratcheting screwdriver (reviewed here), came with a little light that attaches to the stem of the tool. Again, we rolled our eyes when we looked at it, but these past few months, we've used that goofy little thing at least 100 times. It's nice not having to haul out and set up a work light (with an extension cord) if you only need to see the head of a screw or the angle of a nut.
Maybe hand tools with lights on them will become the standard. That seems to be the situation that StreamWorks is hoping for. It doesn't look like the company is selling the tools as much as they're selling the technology. StreamWorks appears to be a development company in search of a buyer. This looks like the kind of thing that Milwaukee might incorporate into their tools, or maybe Irwin or Channellock. Or maybe none of the above. Maybe it is a silly idea.
More information at LightTools
December 9, 2010
It wasn't long ago that we were griping about tool videos and the lack of trebuchets therein. Well, it seems that Craftsman is getting it right...or at least half right. They're making a trebuchet, but unfortunately they may not be launching their own tools with it.
The company has enlisted the aid of Joseph Budka from Pagoda Studios, Inc. to build them the trebuchet. Budka is a very creative man. How do we know this? Because he has a very creative mustache.
Here's a preview:
So if you're interested in watching the whole thing get made:
This Saturday and Sunday evening, logon to Craftsman's Facebook page to check out how the trebuchet is put together, step-by-step, and to see what the Craftsman team threw with this cool device, all live from inside the Craftsman Experience in Chicago.
But Craftsman is at a loss as to what exactly they should be launching. We think it's obvious...they should launch a Craftsman table saw. So what if it travels 600 feet in the air and smashes into little, tiny pieces? The fact that they'd be willing to trash one of their own tools for the sake of the spectacle would shoot their credibility through the roof.
If you have an idea, leave them a note at their facebook page. To us, anything less than their own products would be a disappointment.
Oh wow. We just checked out the current suggestions over at Facebook and it's brutal. Right now, there are about 80 comments and probably about 70 of them are 100% moron. They're filled with more misspellings and exclamation points than a warehouse full of Amazon customer reviews. Here's a sample:
"How about a chic in a port-a-potty and call it a "Turd Hurller"...lol"
"How about kittens...make it a "catapult"."
"imma go crush sum castles ftw."
"Puppies lol"
"ANGRY BIRDS!!!"
...And we didn't even get into the political ones. Is it just us, or is this insane? Times like this make us feel very honored that we have readers like you. We've done a ton of write-in contests and never have we seen anything close to this level of Cro-Magnon mouth-breathing. Lordy.
Actually, now that we think about it, we'd like to hear your best impression of one of these knuckle-draggers. Drop a comment at this post, pretending your lips move when you read, and let us know what ridiculous item you'd like to launch with the trebuchet. Misspellings are welcome, proper use of punctuation will be frowned upon, and capitalization is optional. We'll pick the one that makes us laugh hardest and send you a tool. And no cuss words allowed.
We also want to make clear that we're not poking fun at Craftsman. We think their trebuchet idea is a great one, we just can't get over the people who think that a "turd hurller" is lol.
Anyway, so back to the Craftsman trebuchet. If you want to watch, here's the official schedule:
-Saturday, December 11, 6:30 pm-7:00 pm: Trebuchet Assembly 101, featuring Joseph Budka
-Sunday, December 12: Trebuchet Holiday, 6:30 pm-7:30 pm
UPDATE: We did a little research on Budka and found that he really is a very talented guy. Check out his portfolio here. He's someone who seems to be comfortable with all kinds of materials and the end results are consistently fantastic. A guy with that kind of skills can have any mustache he wants.
December 8, 2010
We're pretty sure that if Hell has carpeting, it's not really carpeting at all, but wall-to-wall tack strips. We can't think of a more insidious building product than the tack strip (possibly Ice & Water Shield on a hot day). These terrible pieces of nail embedded wood, which are used to hold carpeting in place, are better suited as torture devices or as Christmas presents to disobedient children. They destroy gloves, rip clothing, and turn any trash bag into a piece of shredded plastic.
So we're not sure how to take the news that Duo-Fast has just released a new high-powered, two-part epoxy to adhere these horrible strips down. We think it comes down to a net positive for the consumer and a net negative for the DIYer who doesn't like wall to wall carpeting.
When we detach ourselves and think of things from the consumer/installer angle there is a lot to be said for the new adhesive. First, it comes in a 10oz tube that fits a standard caulking gun. Second, it sets up in 5-7 minutes and does a complete cure in 2 hours. Third, because it's so powerful, you'll only need to dab it on in a few places, meaning less product lasting longer.
But as for ripping the strips up. That's probably another story...and one that we'd rather not think about right now.
Press release with more details after the jump
Continue reading: "Duo-Fast Jet-Tac Tack Strip Epoxy"
December 7, 2010
This one has been sitting down in the basement for waaaay too long. It's pretty shameful that it it took my months to get around to fixing it. It's a miracle that I didn't end up with a basement full of water.
I don't think I've ever seen pipe corrosion quite this extreme.
But the other night I carved out some time and 20 satisfying minutes later, peace and order was restored to the tiny village.
If you've never sweated a copper pipe before, you should giver it a shot, it's not difficult at all. Here are a couple links with the basics:
easy2diy.com
One Project Closer
Made Manual
December 6, 2010
Yes, you read that correctly...
December 3, 2010
Have you ever sharpened a chainsaw by hand?
It blows. It really does.
It's time consuming, tedious, and we always seem to end up with bloody knuckles by the time we're through. There's the alternative of bringing the chain to the hardware store and having them sharpen it, but who wants to deal with that? So now there is a third option: the PowerSharp Chainsaw Sharpening System. Its maker, Oregon was nice enough to send us a sample to try out. In order to test it, we first had to dull the chain, and to do that, we did horrible, horrible things to our chainsaw. Things that went against everything we believe...
Continue reading: "PowerSharp Chainsaw Sharpening System - Review"
December 2, 2010
We noted with sadness a while back that the Husky website had been taken down and replaced with an automatic redirect to Home Depot's front page (it has since been updated to a Husky micro-store within the HD template). It had been obvious for quite some time that Husky had become a house brand for Home Depot, but still we wished that they had kept some kind of website up, if only to create the illusion of independence.
So we perked up a little at the news that Husky once again has an online presence, at least in a kinda, sorta, kinda sorta way. Huskytoolnews.com highlights 12 new tools and tool sets from Husky, complete with videos. The site doesn't look or act like a company website, but more like the digital version of one of those massive Husky Home Depot displays that we see during the holidays, complete with screwdriver sets, Stubby kits, and wrench sets.
We actually still have most of our original Stubby Set and, for the price, we think that the Husky sets are a real steal. Not to mention that they're "guaranteed forever."
More information at HuskyToolsNews.com
December 1, 2010
One Sander to rule them all, One Sander to find them,
One Sander to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
If you signed up to Tool Nut's weekly email blast, you'd already know about this all-powerful sander that's on its way from Festool. The newest tool in their Rotex line, the RO 90 DX, has the functionality of a grinder, a standard orbital and a corner sander. This tri-action is the result of two different aspects of the tool; 1) it has interchangeable heads (one circular, one triangular) and 2) it has gear settings that not only seem to regulate the speed of the tool, but the style of orbit as well.
From what little information there is available, the RO 90 DX has three distinct modes; aggressive, random orbit, and delta. Festool says that, "the aggressive mode delivers material removal like that of a grinder" which is an intense feat coming from a tool that doubles as a fine finish sander. The orbit mode behaves as you think it should and thankfully, according to Festool, "it's like a Zen sanding experience." Finally, there's the delta mode which, we assume, alters the orbital motion to better accommodate the smaller sanding pad.
There's no pricing yet, and not much else in the way of details, but to see some cool pictures or sign up to get more information as it becomes available, go here. This one sounds like a winner to us.
November was good to us this year. We got the woodpile squared away, hung out with Yoda, got the lowdown on the latest and greatest from Ridgid and Ryobi, put our hands on three terrific new tools, and got a few posts together to assist with the holiday shopping. And don't miss our guide to making tool demolition videos.
The Tool of the Month is, of course, the Bosch Axial Glide Miter Saw. The Skil Flooring Saw and the Porter Cable Quik Jig are both outstanding, but the Bosch Glide Saw is just too much of a show stopper for there to be an competition.
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