Craftsman Nextec 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Hammerhead Auto Hammer

This looks like an interesting item. It's a small 12-volt impact hammer, perfect for times when swinging the 16" Estwing isn't practical. According to Sears, the Auto-Hammer can drive up to a 16 d nail (3-1/2").

The technology appears to be similar to that of a pneumatic palm nailer. Craftsman explains that their tool nails at 2000 impacts per minute. The tool also has a magnetic tip and a built in LED to light up the workpiece. Both of these are great additions, seeing as this tool is going to be particularly useful where it's cramped and dark.

At first we thought that battery longevity might be a problem with the tool, but then we started thinking about any 12-volt impact driver and how long those batteries can last, so hopefully that won't be an issue.

This tool costs about $100 and comes with a case, a little pry bar, a charger, and one battery. It will be available in December.

At Sears

Ryobi P232 Impact Driver

We stumbled across this at the local Home Depot the other day. Since Ryobi is notoriously lax at updating their website (they haven't even added their 4-Volt Screwdriver yet), there's very little information available about the tool.

What we do know is that the tool is part of the 18-volt line and it has an LED and a magnetic bit holder.

We swiped the image from ebay where a guy is selling the tool claiming that it is "Rare." Um. Since we spotted it on the shelves of Home Depot, we're not so sure.

We've been pretty surprised at how slowly Ryobi has been building their lithium-ion line. After all the hub-bub and hoo-haa last year with the unveiling of the 4-piece set, there's been little activity. It's strange considering the popularity of the line and the placement at Home Depot.

Eventually, it'll be on the Home Depot website, but for now, it's on ebay.

Milwaukee Hackzall - Review

The most interesting tool in Milwaukee's newly expanded 12-volt line of tools is, without question, the Hackzall. The easiest way to describe it is to say it's a 'one-handed Sawzall,' but we think that's like calling a sports car a 'mini-tractor trailer.' Sure, they've got some a few functional similarities, but beyond that, they are two entirely different creatures. The Hackzall doesn't just do what the Sawzall does but less of it, but by virtue of its size and reduced power, it creates its own to-do list and excels at tasks that you wouldn't even think of using a Sawzall for.

Continue reading: "Milwaukee Hackzall - Review"

Bosch PS50 Multi-X Oscillating Tool

Finally it's here! Bosch's long awaited entry into the oscillating tool world, the PS50 Multi-X. We've been looking at Euro-Bosch's pmf 180 e multi for over a year now, thinking that when they released it in the states, we'd be getting something identical, but that doesn't seem to be the case at all.

First, the new PS50 sits on Bosch's compact 12-volt battery system (much like the PS20 that we reviewed yesterday), so, if we're not wrong, this is the first battery powered oscillating tool out there. This also makes it a nice compliment to Dremel's corded oscillating tool due out in October (which isn't all that surprising actually, seeing as Bosch owns Dremel). Oscillating tools might be the most versatile tools in the market, so a cordless version only makes it more portable, more hassle free and just easier to use.

Continue reading: "Bosch PS50 Multi-X Oscillating Tool"

Bosch PS20 12v Max Pocket Driver - Review

A while back Bosch unleashed their 10-Volt, Lithium Ion-Driver to much acclaim; it was pretty powerful and very compact. But then, some other companies released similar tools that were more powerful by two volts. These new 12-Volt tools clearly out-matched the 10-Volt Bosch, so now, Bosch's 10-Volt has been upgraded to a 12-volt capacity.

Nope.

When Bosch released their original tool, they called it a 10-volt, because that was the nominal voltage. When the other companies released their 12-volt tools, they decided to pick the name based on the maximum voltage, even though the batteries were pretty much the same. So, you see, Bosch's 10-volt is, and always was, in the same class as their competitors' 12-volts. So, not wanting to get continually screwed by shoppers who rightly assume that 12-volts is more powerful than 10-volts, Bosch has recently re-released their 10-volt as a 12-volt. So those of you who own the 10-Volt, don't hang your head thinking that your tool has already been outdated, because it hasn't. Well, it sort of hasn't. The Bosch 12-Volt Max has an increased speed and torque, both about 25% higher than the previous model. But our point is that the battery is the same.

Continue reading: "Bosch PS20 12v Max Pocket Driver - Review"

Bosch Releases 14.4-Volt and 18-Volt Litheon Tools

Bosch just sent out word that they're finally getting into the 14.4-volt and 18-volt lithium market. Up until now they've kept their Li-Ion tools at the extremes, with either the little 12-volt or the Conan the Barbarian 36-volt. But now, finally, they've discovered their middle ground.

The new tools are exclusively in the hammer/drill/driver category and from what information is available at the moment, they look pretty nice. In addition to there being the two voltages (14 and 18), there are two types of batteries as well. The Brute Tough tools come with a FatPack battery and the Compact Tough come with a SlimPack Battery. The systems are compatible with one another, meaning that SlimPack batteries fit on Brute Tough tools and vise versa. Got it?

The tools also come with a nice 2 year battery replacement policy.

The new tools are as follows:

• 18V Litheon BruteTough Hammer Drill/Driver
• 14.4V Litheon BruteTough Hammer Drill/Driver
• 18V Litheon BruteTough Drill/Driver
• 14.4V Litheon BruteTough Drill/Driver

...and...

• 18V Litheon CompatTough Drill/Driver
• 14.4V Litheon CompatTough Drill/Driver

The best news is that this is just the start. After the release of these tools in October, we can expect to start seeing more tools start to appear in the lineup, including a circular saw, a reciprocating saw, and a flashlight, all 18-volts.

Bosch tools at Amazon

Milwaukee Hackzall Arrives for Review

We always like to see something new and different, and that's just what Milwaukee is delivering with their new Hackzall, due out later this year. The easiest way to describe it is to call it a single handed Sawzall, but that's actually pretty far from the truth. For one, it's only 12 volts and when put up against 15 amps of destructive power, it's not up to the same tasks at all. But because it's so small, it doesn't even want to do those tasks, due to the fact that it's busy doing all the things that a full-sized Sawzall can't. Things like cutting in outlet boxes, cutting pipes in cramped spaces, and plenty of other things that you'll discover once you get your hands on one.

We were fortunate to try out a Hackzall at Milwaukee when they released the tool and there, under a very controlled setting, we really liked it a lot. We're curious to see how it does under less controlled circumstances.

Another thing worth mentioning is that when we were at Milwaukee, all of the employees, every single one, seemed very, very happy to be working there. It wasn't the pasted on smiles that you see at some press events, it was legit and almost unsettling. It had us thinking that either a) there's some pretty strong Kool-Aid in Milwaukee, or b) it really is a great company to work for. Our guess is the latter, due to the fact that everyone made eye contact when they spoke to us, as opposed to that having that glazed-over look that you see in George Romero movies.

Milwaukee M-Spector Giveaway

Looks like our friends over at Toologics are giving away a Milwaukee M-Spector to one lucky person. Entering is a snap, just to to their contest page and give them your name, email, zip code, social security number, and mother's maiden name (we're kidding about those last two).

They're accepting entries until 10/31 and the random drawing will be sometime early November.

Enter the contest here.

Bosch PS20 12-Volt Max Pocket Driver Arrives for Review

Since we're all in favor of a seriously strong driver that can fit in a nail pouch, we're pretty happy that Bosch has just released their 12-Volt Max Pocket Driver. It's sort of an upgrade of their 10.8-volt driver, but not the way you think. The new tool is capable of 100 inch-pounds of torque and a speed of 500 rpm, both 25% upgrades from the previous model.

The way it is not an upgrade is in the battery. We know you're saying, "what the eff? The new one is a 12-volt and the old one is a 10.8-volt! That's an upgrade, morons." Not really. What has happened is that when Bosch released the original tool they called it 10.8-volts, using the nominal voltage of the battery. But then other companies started putting out similar tools and referring to them by their maximum voltage, which is 12-volts. So the battery is the same (same look, same charger, etc.), but it just has a new name so Bosch won't get screwed on the shelves. Think about it, if you're at the store looking at a 10.8-volt tool and a 12-volt tool for the same price, you're going to think that you're getting a better deal with the 12-volt. We can't say we blame them for the name change.

The 12-Volt Max is going to cost around the same as the 10.8-Volt, which is in the area of $120.

We're going to bring this little guy to the job site and see how it holds up. More soon.

At Amazon

Ridgid microExplorer Digital Seesnake Inspection Camera 30063

The guys at CopTool have some cool information on Ridgid's second generation inspection camera. It seems that not only has Ridgid addressed any complaints with their first version, but they've added a whole lot more sauce as well.

New features include pan, zoom and a self-leveling camera. This is all well and good, but the real leap with this tool is that it can capture both images and video. And we're not talking about grainy 'here's my photo of the UFO I took in my backyard' resolution, we're talking about 1280 x 1024 images and 320 x 240 video. And once taken, the images and video can be easily transferred to a computer.

This looks like an amazing tool and a gift from the heavens to anyone who has ever had to track down a leak or find out what's in the way of that duct. But the impressiveness of the tool doesn't end with the features, it includes the price as well. This fella is going to go for a smashing $785. It's a boatload of money, but if it's a tool that you could use, it's a price worth considering.

Right now, Ohio Power Tools is taking pre-orders for a reduced price of $690. Order yours here.

Ryobi 4V Lithium Ion Screwdriver

It was just a matter of time before Ryobi got into the mini Li-Ion driver market and with their exposure at Home Depot, we're sure that this tool will be a hit.

Unlike a lot of the other low voltage screwdrivers, this one not only has a little LED light, but also a 12 position clutch. It also has a quick change chuck and comes with a carrying bag and a 6-piece bit set. These features elevate the tool from a simple around the house "picture hanging" tool to something that has some functionality on a job site as well, particularly during the punch list phase of the game. It's not as compact as the Dremel Screwdriver (which is twice as powerful), but it sure looks more "construction."

According to Ryobi the screwdriver can hold a charge for up to two years, so, not only can it help out on the job site, but it can also sit in the entryway closet until it's needed around the house.

All this is being sold for just a hair under $30, a very competitive price. We saw this tool at the local Home Depot last week and it's got some high visibility there and we expect them to be pushing it pretty hard in the coming months. But the bottom line is that it's a great price for what we'd bet is a solid tool.

At Home Depot

Duo-Fast 903000 Cordless 20 Degree Framing Nailer - Review

We were a little worried about testing out this tool. Up until now, we had only used one cordless nailer and it was quite a long time ago. Not only was the gun bulky (and smelly), but it kept running out of fuel and the battery couldn't keep a charge. But we thought that maybe the technology has been refined over the past handful of years so we cleared the slate and gave the new Duo-Fast Cordless Framing Nailer a fair shake.

Continue reading: "Duo-Fast 903000 Cordless 20 Degree Framing Nailer - Review"

Skil Power Cutter - Review

Skil has definitely shown themselves to be interested in innovation. We loved last year's Power Wrench and we're looking forward to the benchtop tools they're releasing this September. In the meantime, they've slipped out the Power Cutter. It's a light-duty cutter powered by an 3.6 volt internal lithium-ion battery.

The Skil Cutter isn't the most aggressive tool you'll ever hold in your hand and it's not supposed to be. It's meant for small tasks. The packaging says that it can cut selected materials up to 1/4" thick. The list includes leather, wallpaper, cardboard, and carpet.

Continue reading: "Skil Power Cutter - Review"

Milwaukee Digital Inspection Camera

Based on the great success of last year's Ridgid SeeSnake Micro (our review here), we've been wondering how long it would be before someone else followed suit with a similar tool. Well it turns out that it's Milwaukee and they've added a number of nice features, making their Digital Inspection Camera an across the boards improvement on the SeeSnake.

The basics of the tool are the same; there's a three foot long flexible hose with a camera lens on one end and a hand-held screen on the other. The lens end has a light and, like the Ridgid, hose extensions are available if 3' isn't enough length.

Continue reading: "Milwaukee Digital Inspection Camera"