DeWalt is on the verge of releasing a new worm drive saw and at first glance it looks like a real monster with a number of practical features to assist the day to day framer.
What we like best is something called the Toughcord cord retention and protection system. We assume that this is a reinforced connection between the cord and the body of the tool, which likely stemmed from the developers visiting jobsites and watching ladder-bound carpenters raise and lower their saws with the cord. We see it all the time (and have been known to do it on occasion). Now, thanks to DeWalt, you'll not only be able to comfortably hold the saw's weight with the cord, but you'll probably also be able to swing it around like a bullroarer.
Another smart feature is the extra wide rafter hook, built with beefy engineered lumber in mind. There's also a 53 degree cutting bevel.
There's no word on price yet, but given the price of the competition, we would expect something in the $200 range.
Milwaukee has just announced the release of a new cordless grease gun, the latest addition to their ever-growing 12-volt line. Looking at a picture of it, about 20 unprintable jokes instantly pop into our head and although we're sure it's a handy tool, we have a hard time taking it seriously. Thankfully, Jay over at CopTool is far more mature than we are and has a very nice summation of the new item here.
We have mixed feelings when it comes to jobsite radios. On one hand we like having a little background music while we work, but on the other hand, we can't stomach the musical tastes of most other people. Really, how many times can the human mind listen to 'Slow Ride' before there's some mental damage (and don't get us started on sports radio or 'wacky morning DJs')? So we always get a little nervous when we see a sub contractor getting out of their truck with some massive, John-Cusack-from-Say-Anything, boom box.
But like we said, we're not opposed to music at work, so when Milwaukee sent us one of their 12-volt radios to test out, we were predisposed to like it. And as it turns out, we did like it, but there are some caveats. We were into the fact that it's very small and stripped down (no cd player, no race scanner, not even a battery charger). All it is is a radio (with 10 presets), a weatherproof compartment for an MP3 player, and a clock. That's it. Basic and small. Minimal bling.
Oddly enough, we had just won an iPod Touch at the company xmas party, so we thought we'd give it a whirl in the Milwaukee. Strapping the mp3 player into the compartment turned out to be a little tricky. In order to prohibit the iPod from moving once it's in, there's a little elastic strap that holds it in place. Because the elastic is so tight, wedging the iPod in is quite difficult and the compartment leaves minimal room to access the power button on the top left of the iPod. Also, the elastic runs across the center of the screen, so using the Touch was also a bit of a pain. Our general thoughts on these drawbacks are that once the iPod is in, it's in. You're not going to be taking it in and out all day long, so we would rather have the iPod well protected and have the twice a day hassle of the tight elastic. We just have to get used to the idea of playlists and shuffle.
So once the iPod was in, we got some tunes going and discovered that the sound is pretty good. Not mindblowing, but really solid. Definitely good enough for a job site, in fact, better than is really needed for a job site. But if you're the type who can talk at length about the subtle production values of Johnny Cash's American Recordings, you're not going to be satisfied.
As we mentioned before, the M12 radio does not having charging capabilities, which is a standard feature on larger radios. It can run off a 12-volt battery or off the AC adapter, but sadly, it will not charge your battery when it's plugged into the wall. This is unfortunate, but our guess is that the miniature size of the radio would be sacrificed were this the case. We've had the radio on site for about a week and so far we've gotten an average of about 7 hours of iPod time per full 12-volt battery. Since we're down with the Milwaukee 12-volt system, we always have at least one battery kicking around so it works out for us.
The radio is also durable. We dropped a few 2x4s on it by accident (they hit hard enough to eject the battery from the back of the radio), and the radio didn't even take on a mark.
We also tested out the weatherproofing of the compartment door by bringing the radio to the sink and giving it a good hose down with the hand sprayer. After a nice drenching, we opened the door and the iPod area was bone dry. It's nice having the confidence that it can handle snow flurries or a light drizzle.
For our needs, this radio is right on target. We like not having to lug around a massive piece of equipment and it's loud and clear enough for our needs. For the low price of $100 it would be tough to ask for anything more.
Home Fixated, one of our daily stops in the DIY/tool blogging world has recently undergone a full site redesign. The new look is much easier to navigate through and since they're always giving stuff away, we suggest you taking a look for yourself.
Aside from the monthly giveaways and great tool reviews there are also sections for coupons, videos and how-to.
"If a 1/8" caulk joint is good, then a 1-1/4" caulk joint must be better"
That seems to be the philosophy governing the construction behind the shower in the master bath. There's really no other way to explain the massive blob of waterproofing that surrounds the shower pan. Our best guess is that it took about two full tubes of caulking to complete. It's so thick it looks like it was applied with a trowel or maybe a frosting knife. And it doesn't just stop with the pan, it's also slobbered in around the faucet and fixtures as well.
And to top it all off, we just noticed a leak appearing in the living room ceiling, just below the shower. So it looks like the caulk joint might not even be effective. Awesome.
Liberate Blades for the Fein, Bosch, and Dremel Oscillating Tools
A while back, we reviewed some oscillating tool blades that were sold under the name of Yaeger Blades. Soon after the review, the company went dark, which caused us to get a lot of emails that went along the lines of, "WTF? Why can't I access their website?" As it turned out the fellows at Yaeger were in the process of redesigning their blades so as not to infringe on any patent issues with Fein.
We just got the email the other day that Yaeger Blades 2.0 is up and running. The new company is called Liberate Blades and you can access the website here. According to Liberate Blades,
The redesign allows for incremental angling of the saw blades just as the OEM blades do, which is not seen in any of the other aftermarket oscillating saw blades. Even though the connector opening is round the unique design allows the blades to lock into place no mater which machine they are being used with. Additional changes have been made to attach the blade to the connector which provide amazing consistency in the manufacturing process, which equates to a better product for customers.
The new blades are compatible with the Fein, Bosch, and Dremel tools. The cost is $10-12 per blade, which is a good savings when compared to the $15 or so that the Fein blades are sold for (assuming the quality is exactly the same). Liberate blades are also available in a 10 blade variety pack for $105.
At our last house we had this massive snowblower that was actually more of a "snow cannon." We really loved the thing and always enjoyed blasting snow onto our neighbor's yard. But, because of the tricky driveway, we sold it with the house and now we're left with a much smaller hand-me-down blower that works fine, but it takes a little longer and our chest doesn't hardly puff up at all when we're using it.
So here comes Sears with a chance to win a Craftsman snowblower. To enter to win, you need a Twitter account (which immediately disqualifies anyone over 35 years old). First, you need to go to Craftsman's Snowblower Finder in order to find the right model for your needs, and then you log on to Twitter and follow @BlueLGCrew and tweet in the following:
Following @BlueLGCrew and went to http://bit.ly/6KxG5t to find my ideal #searssnowblower - model XXXXX - I'm entered for a chance to win it!
Don't forget to replace the "XXXXX" with your model number AND follow @BlueLGCrew. Once you've done that, you'll be entered for a chance to win the model number you tweeted.
The contest is ending on Jan. 13th.
Small print official contest rules are here and the press release is posted after the jump, if you're interested.
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.
We just noticed that Stiletto, the makers of some oddly expensive hammers, has found a way to add on an additional $14.99 to the price of their tools with a personalized engraving service. To be honest, the engraving price strikes us as more than reasonable and as long as you're sacrificing your child's college education to purchase a hammer, you might as well make sure no one steals it.
You can personalize a brand new hammer, or get the work done on a Stiletto that you already have.
Black & Decker has released a number of energy saving and monitoring products as part of their Energy Series. We've already covered the Thermal Leak Detector and the Power Monitor so now we're moving on to the last of the line, the Black & Decker AutoSwitch.
The AutoSwitch is a unit that you place over an existing light switch which converts it to a motion sensor light. The unit has a switch, so there's still a manual override and you also have the ability to set it to a sensitivity of 1, 5, 15, or 30 minutes.
If you're the type who comes home from vacation and realizes that you left every light in the house on for over two weeks, then it might be a product worth looking into.
DeWalt DWS535 Worm Drive Circular Saw
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