Power Tool Accessories
February 14, 2013
So Prolong has a product called SPL100 which is made with something they call AMFT (Anti-Friction Metal Treatment). At first glance, it seems like a WD40 type lube, something you could spray on just about anything to make it better. The Prolong website says that it can...
lubricate, penetrate, and prevent corrosion, free sticky mechanisms, displace moisture, stop squeaks, and reduce friction and wear on all metal surfaces. It cleans and protects metal surfaces, tools or any metal equipment exposed to water or weather.
Prolong sent us a few cans and spray bottles of the stuff to try out. We've used it in a number of applications, one in particular had an interesting result.
Continue reading: "Prolong SPL100 - Review"
January 2, 2013
Skil has recently hit the scene with a drinking tool. The Skil power corkscrew has been available in Europe for a couple years now (see our original coverage here) and it's now available in the states. Bosch owns Skil and in Europe, green Bosch is their DIY brand (read: Skil), so in all likelihood, the two items are exactly the same. Skil sent us one to check out and we were pretty interested in it. If it has to do with wine drinking and it flew in Europe, it has to be good, right?
Right?
Turns out, maybe not so much.
Continue reading: "Skil iXO Vivo Power Corkscrew - Review and Giveaway"
April 30, 2012
This is one of those odd little tools that has been floating around the shop for some time now. Prazi sent us one a looong time ago (probably close to a year, yikes), and we've used it off and on since then. We've always liked it, but it wasn't until our recent tile-a-palooza that we really got into the StirWhip way of life. Over the course of about two weeks, we tiled two bathroom floors and a tub surround. That was a month ago and now we're starting another bathroom and we realized it's well past time we spread the word on this valuable little item.
Continue reading: "StirWhip - Review"
February 16, 2012
So while we were floating around the web researching an upcoming post, we stumbled across this interesting little item. It's a joining system by Lamello called the Invis. Lamello is known for two things; 1) inventing the biscuit joining system and 2) manufacturing the most badass biscuit joiners on the planet. It's a Sweedish company and they have their niche (high end joining) and they're sticking to it.
Continue reading: "Lamello Invis MX"
February 9, 2012
We felt we had to emerge from our renovation coma to spread the word on this one. Festool's new (new to the US, at least) drywall sander. Even though it kinda looks like it was designed by H.R. Giger, we have the feeling that it might be pound for pound the most time/agony saving tool ever invented. We've never even touched the thing, but we've sanded enough joint compound in our time to know what a tedious, dusty, pain in the arse it is. Combine that horror-show with Festool's core belief in the eradication of jobsite dust and their freakishly high quality standards and you're talking Planex.
There's a lot to say about this tool. But first off, one of the accessories is a body harness. How wild is that?
Continue reading: "Festool Planex LHS 225 Long Reach Drywall Sander"
December 9, 2011
We were at Home Depot the other day and got a glimpse of where Ridgid is heading with their new JobMax system (our review here). If you're unfamiliar with it, it's a powered handle with a PTO at the end of it, and a series of interchangeable heads. Thus far, the heads have stuck with the standard fare, mostly fastening tools like impact drivers and right angle drills, but now they've branched off into cutting tools with a cool looking jigsaw head.
We checked out the tool a little (but not too much, due to the annoying lasso that Home Depot uses to ensure no one steals their display tools) and it seems like a neat item. The fact that there is now a corded JobMax makes us more comfortable with this kind of thing. It's our experience that cutting tools and 12-volt cordless systems don't pair up too well.
In the late summer we met with one of our pals from Ridgid and they let us know that we should expect a lot out of the JobMax system in the coming year and beyond. Sounds like there is an over abundance of accessories heading down the pike.
It's a cool tool (we closely examined it's capabilities at Popular Mechanics) and it's looking like Ridgid wants to go to the "only tool you'll ever need" realm.
Should be available at Home Depot online, but we can't find it. HD's website ain't the greatest.
August 10, 2011
It's really not our intent to be so heavy on promoting all of the various tool contests on the internet, but they do make for some quick and easy posts and they also mean that you guys can possibly get some swag. So here's yet another one. This time from Bosch. To enter this contest it looks like you have to upload an image of yourself being a 'daredevil' (which is usually a loose translation of, 'doing something stupid'). Info on how to enter here.
All the contest stuff aside, the point is the promotion of their Daredevil line of accessories, which is a good thing. We've checked out a bunch of them and it's an impressive lineup. The Daredevil spade bits in particular are absolutely savage when it comes to drilling holes in wood. It's sorta like shooting Styrofoam with a shotgun. Check out all of the products here.
Spade bits at Amazon
July 26, 2011
Last week we had the honor of attending this year's Milwaukee Product Symposium. It's their big annual to-do where they announce all of their new tools for the coming year. There were big tools, little tools, new tools, classic tools, and most of all embargoed tools. It's this last category that is driving us a little batty at the moment. These are the tools that Milwaukee is on the verge of releasing, but they're not 100 percent ready to make the public announcement yet, so all of us press types got to look at them, play with them, hear about them, but we can't talk about them. It's killing us too, because some of these tools are great. As in really great. One in particular (to us the highlight of the show) is so bizarre and off the beaten path that it makes their 12-volt Pex Expander look like a common everyday item. But enough about the things we can't talk about and on to the things that we can...
Continue reading: "Milwaukee Product Symposium 2011 (aka: EmbargoLand)"
April 25, 2011
We've noticed that as tools become more and more advanced and specialized, a large obstacle that presents itself to the tool makers is educating you, the consumers. With some of these tools now, it's not always obvious exactly how they can benefit the user. Take the new DeWalt Impact Clutch Accessory Holder for example.
So it's a clutch system for your impact driver. Right. But what does that really mean and how does it affect your productivity? We had these questions floating around the back of our heads when DeWalt sent us this great video that gives a very detailed explanation of the item. The video was made especially for Tool Snob (woop woop!) which is something that we think is very cool and demonstrates how highly they regard you guys, our readers. They also sent us a sample which we've been beating on at the site, so we'll have a review up soon (preview: it's pretty sweet).
In the meantime, check out this very cool video and to read more about the item, the press release is after the jump
Continue reading: "DeWalt Impact Clutch Accessory Holder - Video"
April 22, 2011
Trucks are a total mixed blessing. Great cargo space, but when it rains...not so great cargo space. Most tools can be kept dry either by their cases (if not out for too long) or by tossing them up in the front seat (which can be a real pain in the rear). But the table saw, cursed by its size, can only sit in the back and get soaked.
Well, not anymore. Kerry Woodworking, makers of all things pouchy, have just devised their most intriguing item to date, the Kerry Saw Pouch. The concept is about as basic as they come: a fitted tarp for your jobsite table saw. They sent us one so that we could get a look-see and here's what we thought...
Continue reading: "Kerry Saw Pouch - Review"
January 12, 2011
Craftsman tipped us off to this new item about a month ago and because they made us promise we wouldn't say anything until its official release today at the Builder's Show, we've been chewing on our knuckles and shoving socks in our mouths in order to not spill the beans. The news is that their new 12-volt Nextec charger can do something they refer to as "QuickBoost."
What this charger does that no other charger can do is put 25% of a charge back on a dead battery in three minutes. That means that in the time it takes you to boil an egg, you could have your tool powered up enough to finish your project.
And don't sit there rolling your eyes thinking that 25% of a full charge isn't that much. According to Craftsman, three minutes of quality time with the QuickBoost means another 70 screws (1-1/4") driven by their Right Angle Impact Driver (which we reviewed here). It also means another 4 hours for their flashlight. So we're not talking just enough to put in one or two more screws, but rather enough to finish the last third of your project.
This three minute charge is twice as fast as their current charger which takes approximately six minutes to get to the 25% mark. Might not seem like a huge difference, but if you're standing there propping up a half-installed upper cabinet, it'll all make sense.
This gives Craftsman a nice step up against their 'one-battery' competitors (companies that offer two batteries with each tool are on a different playing field because, if you're smart about it, you'll always have a full battery ready to go).
So as it stands, all Craftsman 12-volt tools released from here on out will be sold with the new charger. And because it's compatible with all existing 12-volt Nextec batteries, the charger will also be available as a stand alone for a slightly higher price than the existing charger, which currently sells for about $30.
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.
November 22, 2010
The Dremel EZ Lock is a nice quick change system for their line of grinding wheels. We started using it when one came with our sample of the Dremel 4000 and it's great. Their older system was based around a screw that was so small it looked like it fell out of a watch, so this is a big improvement and one that we really appreciate. The EZ lock system won't rattle the tool world like the Senco Fusion, but it will make Dremel users smile.
We'd try to explain how it works, but why bother when there's a video...
It looks like you can pick up the stem for less than $4 and the wheels have a range in pricing. And as always with Dremel, there are infinite mix and match kits available. See what's out there at Amazon.com.
November 9, 2010
With impact Drivers on the rise, tool companies have started to offer accessories that can handle the particular type of abuse meted out by those tools. Thus far, this has meant the development of new, stronger bits, but now DeWalt has come along with a special bit holder that, according to them, increases the life of the bit by as much as five times.
It looks like a good item and it's going to set you back about $20 (including two of their Impact Ready tips - more info on those here). Is it worth it? Depends on how fast you're chewing through bits. In the press release, DeWalt specifically mentions 'commercial jobsites,' so this is really an item for those who give their tools a real workout.
And finally, what's up with the product number on this one (DWHJHLD)? It's like our worst scrabble nightmare come to life.
More information in the press release after the jump...
Continue reading: "DeWalt DWHJHLD Impact Clutch Accessory Holder"
Prolong SPL100 - Review
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