July 1, 2010
It was an extremely good month here at Tool Snob. We reviewed some nice items (including a very cool soap, of all things), saw the release of Bosch's new freaky-deaky miter saw, made the trip to Baltimore for DeWalt's unveiling of their new 12-volt line, and in the process settled the Bosch Vs. DeWalt question once and for all.
Picking a Tool of the Month is tough this time around. We really liked the Paslode Positive Placement Nailer, and the Bosch PS31-2A is a perfect combination of size and power, but the winner has to be the old Derby and Ball scythe we found tucked in the back of the shed in our hour of need. We've used it a few times since we wrote the review and we just like the thing more and more. Our experience with it was a nice reminder that all of the technology and advanced doo-dads are only going to get you so far.
There's a lot coming this upcoming month that's looking promising. Make sure to check back early next week for a very cool contest we're going to be launching.
Tool of the Month
All Reviews
Air Tools
Clothing
Cordless
Distractions
Guides
Hand Tools
How-To
Lawn/Garden
Lithium-Ion
Magazines
Measuring & Marking
Monthly Roundup
Painting
Power Tool Accessories
Power Tools
Promotions
Repair and Service
Safety
Tool News
June 1, 2010
May is in the history books and with it the last of the nasty weather. With everything blooming outside, we've decided to abandoned all of our inside work to concentrate on the exterior of the house. Digging holes in the garden is slightly more appealing than tearing down plaster indoors. Go figure.
Of the items reviewed this month, the best of the bunch is the Bosch GLL2-80 Dual Plane Line Laser. It may not be the right item for the casual DIYer, but on a construction site, it's a real crowd-pleaser.
And at the moment, we're staring at a heap of tools on the desk that need reviewing, so June should be another big month here.
Tool of the Month
All Reviews
Benches, Stands, and Storage
Cordless
Distractions
Hand Tools
Lawn/Garden
Levels
Lithium-Ion
Magazines
Measuring & Marking
Monthly Roundup
Oscillating Tools
Power Tool Accessories
Power Tools
Promotions
Radios
May 3, 2010
The weather is finally turning and the to-do list seems to be growing at an exponential rate. Along with finishing up the standard spring items, we're starting to get into the organizational phase of the summer projects (ordering windows, checking scheduling and finances, talking to plumbers and electricians, etc.), generally getting the ducks in a row for a productive season of around the house activity. In addition to all this, we've been keeping up with the site and this past month, we managed to get our hands on quite a few new tools.
While there were a lot of good contenders for the Tool of the Month, the Ridgid JobMax is by far the top of the heap. It's practical, functional, and it's saves a ton of space. Check out our review here. Honorable mentions go to the uber-powerful Bosch PS21 and the multi-talented Rockwell H3 Hammerdrill.
There is going to be another load of reviews this coming month as well as some give-aways, so keep your eyes peeled for those.
Tool of the Month
All Reviews
Benches, Stands, and Storage
Books
Cordless
Demolition Tools
Distractions
Glues and Adhesives
Guides
Hand Tools
Lawn/Garden
Lithium-Ion
Magazines
Measuring & Marking
Monthly Roundup
Oscillating Tools
Plumbing
Power Tool Accessories
Power Tools
Repair and Service
April 1, 2010
Even though we spent about 2/3rds of the month down in the basement with a floor squeegee and a sump pump, we still had a good month. The snow is gone and we're now starting to spend some time with the garage door open. It's good stuff.
And speaking of garages, check out our review of The Garage Slab. It's a little niche magazine and worth a look-see.
We also reviewed a number of interesting items, including the very durable ToolRider GSR Suspension Rig, which get's the March Tool of the Month.
Also we have a massive pile of tools sitting on the desk, just waiting to be written about, so keep checking back in April. There are some very cool items on the way.
Tool of the Month
All Reviews
Benches, Stands, and Storage
Bits and Blades
Clothing
Cordless
Distractions
Fasteners
Guides
Hand Tools
Lithium-Ion
Magazines
Monthly Roundup
Oscillating Tools
Power Tool Accessories
Power Tools
Promotions
Rotary Tools
Safety
Sanding
March 1, 2010
Another good month is in the bag here. Between watching the Olympics and trying to wrap up a project at work, we managed to deliver some tool news and reviews. In our opinion, the most interesting things going on this month were the Rockwell H3, the Rockwell VersaCut, and the Ridgid JobMax.
The Tool of the Month has to be the Craftsman MiterMate. While it's a little awkward to use in certain circumstances, it shows Craftsman's willingness to take risks and at the same time add a little spice to the boring old miter saw. Also, we'll be announcing the winners of our MiterMate giveaway later this week. Oh, and make sure to check out InspectApedia if you have any curiosity about how your house works.
Tool of the Month
Air Tools
All Reviews
Bits and Blades
Cordless
Demolition Tools
Distractions
Glues and Adhesives
Guides
Hand Tools
Lithium-Ion
Monthly Roundup
Oscillating Tools
Power Tool Accessories
Power Tools
Promotions
Repair and Service
Sanding
February 2, 2010
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.
Tool of the Month
All Reviews
Bits and Blades
Books
Cordless
Demolition Tools
Hand Tools
How-To
Lithium-Ion
Monthly Roundup
Oscillating Tools
Our House
Power Tools
Promotions
Radios
Recalls
Sanding
January 4, 2010
This post puts a cap, not only on December, but 2009 as well. It was a good year, filled with all sorts of interesting things, which we're trying to get to in a post later this week. But for now, let's take a look back at the final month of '09.
December's Tool of the Month is Fein's orbital attachment for the MultiMaster. We liked it, not only because of its functionality (right up there with a traditional orbital), but also because it proves that Fein isn't just going to coast along on the notoriety of their great oscillating tool.
And speaking of oscillating tools, we put together a chart on which accessories fit which tools. That's here.
Tool of the Month
All Reviews
Bits and Blades
Cordless
Distractions
Glues and Adhesives
Hand Tools
Lithium-Ion
Monthly Roundup
Oscillating Tools
Our House
Power Tool Accessories
Power Tools
Promotions
Sanding
Sharpening
Work Lights
December 1, 2009
Well the first blast of the holiday shopping season is over (so far no casualties!). If your bank account hasn't been completely depleted by Kindles , Wiis, and Bananagrams, and you've got a DIYer on your list, we've put together our annual gift guide.
In other November news, the Tool of the Month is a hand's down Dremel 4000. Each time we use it, we're more impressed with it. Check out our review here.
We're also currently giving away five Black & Decker Ready Wrenches. To enter the contest, you just have to leave a comment at the post. Pretty simple. Even a chimp could do it. More information is here.
Tool of the Month
Air Tools
All Reviews
Benches, Stands, and Storage
Cordless
Distractions
Guides
Lawn/Garden
Lithium-Ion
Measuring & Marking
Monthly Roundup
Power Tool Accessories
Power Tools
Promotions
Repair and Service
Routers
Sanding
Tool News
November 2, 2009
Moving into a new house made for a busy October for us. But still with all the chaos, we managed to review a number of new tools. Of the four that we looked at, we're going to give the Tool of the Month to the Craftsman Multi-Tool. Like we said in our review, it really blew the doors off our expectations with a few nice innovations. That said, the CH Compressor, the Delta Blades, and the DeWalt Distance Measurer are all nice tools as well.
October also saw the debut of MyFixItUpLife, a new DIY radio show that's on every Saturday and is available for download here.
Stay tuned in November for reviews of the new Dremel 4000, some interesting new DAP products, a number of leaf blowing products, and more.
Tool of the Month
Air Tools
All Reviews
Bits and Blades
Cordless
Distractions
Lawn/Garden
Lithium-Ion
Measuring & Marking
Monthly Roundup
Oscillating Tools
Power Tools
Promotions
Radios
Tool News
October 5, 2009
This month we reviewed Bosch's great Impactor Impact Driver, a cool carbide knife from Striker and the iRobot Roomba, which completely blew the doors off the place and gets the big old Tool of the Month Award. They're expensive, but the amount of time they save you is beyond charting.
Like we said in our earlier post, things should be back to normal soon. Which is good, because we're starting to get a good sized pile of tools back-logged, waiting to be reviewed.
Tool of the Month
All Reviews
Books
Cordless
Distractions
Guides
Hand Tools
Lithium-Ion
Magazines
Measuring & Marking
Monthly Roundup
Oscillating Tools
Power Tools
Tool News
Vacuums
Work Lights
June 2010 Monthly Roundup for Tool Snob
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