Tool Snob

Tool Parts at Ohio Power Tool

2009-11-10T02:01:24Z

Our Bosch miter saw took a spill off the back of the truck the other week and the impact busted the handle up pretty nicely. Usually for this sort of thing we go to toolpartsdirect, but we had just read at CopTool (the blog arm of the tool retailer Ohio Power Tool), that OPT also sells tool parts. We thought we'd give them a shot and contacted them with the part numbers, made the order, and in no time, they were on their way to our place. The service was extremely fast and within hours of our original inquiry, we were contacted with pricing and shipping info. As it turns out, toolpartsdirect doesn't even carry the parts we needed.

Once the parts arrived, the repair took about a half an hour. We got lucky that the only damaged parts were the plastic casing and that nothing too complicated needed replacing. Our advice if you do anything like this is to take pictures and draw diagrams as you disassemble the broken parts. No matter how good you think your memory is, you're going to forget where some screw goes or which direction a spring sits or some little detail that's essential.

It looks like Ohio Power Tool only has parts for the brands that they sell, so you DeWalt owners might have to go somewhere else, but if you're in the Bosch, Milwaukee, or Makita camp, we suggest bookmarking this page.

For a complete list of brands that OPT sells parts for, and ordering information, go here.

New Products from the Stanley/Black & Decker Merger

2009-11-06T10:24:05Z

Harry Sawyers from Popular Mechanics has come up with a list of tools we might see as a result of the Stanley/Black & Decker merger. Of the new items, our favorite is the Dead Mouse, a combination of the B & D Mouse Sander and a Stanley dead-blow hammer. Harry has this to say about the stunning potential of the new tool:

The Mouse sander, a Black & Decker detail sander that has had numerous generations of design improvements, has nearly reached perfection. At this point, the clothing-iron-shaped tool could only be criticized for perhaps taking too long to sand a surface smooth. The solution: Combine it with one of Stanley's dead-blow hammers, creating a toolbox essential called the Dead Mouse.
Dead-blow hammers or mallets contain a soft, shot-filled head which absorbs impact as it strikes delicate surfaces. When incorporated into the Dead Mouse, these features could create a sander that operates by simply slamming into the workpiece repeatedly, quickly sanding material with each blow while minimizing impact on the user's arm. The most recent version of the Mouse contained a "Zone Touch" light that turned red when an operator pressed the tool too hard into the sanding surface. This feature would need revision in the Dead Mouse--the light must be reversed to display a warning when the tool isn't hitting the surface hard enough.

Check out the other new tools (the Fu-Buster, the Ready-Plane, the AlligatorVibe AntiLopper, and the AutoFat Tape Measure) over at Popular Mechanics.

Black & Decker TLD100 Thermal Leak Detector

2009-11-05T10:25:00Z

Now that we've moved to a drafty old house, we have the dream of getting our hands on one of those thermal imaging tools in order to have the nauseating experience of actually watching all the heat escape from our windows, floorboards, and walls. Unfortunately, even the most basic models are in the $1,500 range. But, interestingly enough, we saw that Black & Decker has another tool in their Energy Saver line called the Thermal Leak Detector (read our thoughts on their Power Monitor here)

Obviously B&D's $50 tool is going to be pretty rudimentary when compared to the ultra-pimped out professional models that come with tv screens, but still the smaller tool might be a good option for someone interested in doing some investigating into their house. In a way, the Thermal Leak Detector is just a laser thermometer that knows enough to give you an over/under. To operate it, you set a base temperature and then, as you shine the light around the room, it lets you know when there is a deviation from that temp. So when you're taking a reading from your wall (70 degrees) the light is one color and as you move it over your window casing (20 below zero), it changes to another color. You can also set the number of deviation from one to five to ten degrees, so the light doesn't change at every slight temperature change.

Like we said the Thermal Leak Detector is about $50 and it available in select stores.

At Amazon

Craftsman Blower Attachment for the String Trimmer - Review

2009-11-04T10:15:00Z

We've got this great Toro electric leaf blower and before we bought it we did all the right research and truly agonized over the purchase. We finally decided on the make and model we wanted and went to the local HD to pick it up. At our last house, it was a charm. With the yard hugging the house so closely we could get most everything with a 50' extension cord and when necessary, break out the dreaded 100' (*shudder*). Now, at the new place, everything is different. Our front yard is practically an orchard and threading between the trees with the cord (attached to the lone exterior outlet on the wrong side of the house), while do-able, is impractical and tedious. Thankfully, the folks at Craftsman were nice enough to let us test out their blower attachments for the string trimmer. Could this little guy deliver adequate power to get the job done?

So how is it? Honestly, it's pretty nice. It blows at a peak speed of about 150 mph so it's not the full-throated blowing madness of our electric blower which operates at around 230 mph, but it does work and it's certainly better than raking (which occurs at about 2 mph). The length of the attachment places the blower unit at just the right height, making it easy to get the air under the leaves and the convenience of not having an entirely separate tool for the task is a real space saver in the garage. We should also note that there are gas and electric blowers that operate in the 150-200mph range, so don't think that the Craftsman is a step down from the other methods.

Removing the trimmer head and attaching the blower is a really easy process, just turn the tightening knob and press a little button and the trimmer is off. Installing the blower is as easy as sliding it on the shaft and clicking the button into place.

For speed's sake, the leaves we can reach with the electric, we'll probably still do that way, but the ones way out at the horizon line can be easily done with the trimmer attachment. So all said and done, we see this little guy benefiting both our situation as well as someone who has a pretty small yard with maybe only a couple trees and limited storage space. It's likely that you already have a string trimmer, but do you also have the space for a full-sized leaf blower?

The attachment fits any high quality trimmer. If you've never noticed before, string trimmers are essentially a hand-held PTO with the trimmer being just one of the attachments. In fact, Craftsman also has an Edger that we're reviewing as well. The blower attachment costs about $70 so it's definitely less than a regular blower, it also takes up a fraction of the space.

At Sears

Ryobi 12-Volt Auto Hammer

2009-11-03T10:00:00Z

Last week, ToolGuyd had a nice find with the new Ryobi 12-Volt Auto Hammer. By the numbers, the tool is nearly identical to the Craftsman version: 3,600 hits per minute, magnetic head, both under 2lbs. Also, like the Craftsman, the Ryobi comes with only one battery and a canvas carrying case).

We tested out the Craftsman and had some success with it, even though it's not going to replace your traditional hammer. Our Tool Snob review is here, and we also wrote about it for Popular Mechanics, even going to far as to smash our thumb with it.

Oh yeah, one difference between the tools is that the Ryobi is $89, making it $10 cheaper than the Craftsman.

Ryobi 12-Volt Auto Hammer at Home Depot

Stanley Agrees to Acquire Black & Decker

2009-11-03T01:28:15Z

Well, this is interesting. Stanley Tools has just agreed to acquire (or gobble, if you prefer) Black & Decker, which includes DeWalt and Porter-Cable. The new mega company would have an estimated worth of 8.4 billion dollars. Fax Max is now Massive Max.

We checked out an article at WSJ and it looks like the deal isn't set in stone yet and some feel there might be anti-trust issues to deal with:

The deal does raise issues about limiting competition, said David Balto, former policy director at the Federal Trade Commission under President Bill Clinton. "There are very straightforward antitrust concerns," Balto said. "These are clearly the two major American handtool makers and they compete quite directly on a wide variety of products."
The merger "would hit every handyman in the wallet," said Balto, who isn't connected with the deal.

That last part is awesome!

But we shouldn't jump to any conclusions yet. It'll take some time for the dust to settle on this one, so at this point we can only sit back and watch.

More information at Fine Homebuilding

October 2009 Monthly Roundup for Tool Snob

2009-11-02T09:45:00Z

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

Craftsman 12-Volt Nextec Multi-Tool - Review

Air Tools

Campbell Hausfeld WL6701 26-Gallon Compressor - Review

All Reviews

Bits and Blades

Delta Premuim Saw Blades - Review

Cordless

Distractions

Lawn/Garden

String Trimmers Reviewed at Popular Mechanics

Lithium-Ion

Measuring & Marking

DeWalt DW030P Distance Measurer - Review

Monthly Roundup

September 2009 Monthly Roundup for Tool Snob

Oscillating Tools

Craftsman 12-Volt Nextec Multi-Tool - Review

Power Tools

Promotions

MyFixItUpLife

Radios

Tool News

We're Moving

Crazy Details In Our New House - Part One

2009-10-29T09:05:00Z

Like we've mentioned earlier, we've just moved into a 1915 farmhouse. It's a wonderful, saggy, uneven structure with more character than Clint Eastwood's face. The house has good bones and most of the work associated with the man who built it and first lived in it is very nice. There have been other owners though who have been tinkerers and their work is...well...interesting. Interesting enough that we're going to start a new series, "Crazy Details In Our New House."

This first installment is of the creative plumbing that occurs as the waste line leaves the house. It's a beauty. The two small lines coming in from the top are a sink and a tub (why bother with two traps when you can just use one?). Unfortunately, the photo doesn't represent the whole effect. You're missing the strange patch further down on the waste line which has a slight leak, and there's no way to tell from the photo, but the plumbing system isn't vented, so every time we flush a toilet, there's a fantastic 'GLUG...GLUG...GLUG." Actually, now that we think about it, the corroded and abandoned cast-iron pipe that's stuffed with newspaper sort of acts as a semi-functional vent. Maybe that's why the glugging isn't as loud on the first floor.

Did we mention that we love this house? We really do.

DeWalt DW030P Distance Measurer - Review

2009-10-28T09:35:00Z

Laser beams. First they came for our levels and now it's our tape measures. Like some invasion of little red dots, lasers are being incorporated more and more into today's job sites. And with anything that is 'being incorporated more and more into today's job sites," it's not surprising that DeWalt is right there. The big yellow company has just released a new laser measuring tool, the DW030P and they were nice enough to let us test one out.

The DW030P is about the size of a point and click camera and the most basic function of it is to measure distance. To do this, just point the laser at an object and press the distance button and you get a static reading of how far that object is from the back edge of the tool. There is also a 'unit' button so you can choose how you would like the measurement to be displayed (meters, feet and inches, or just inches). If you hold down the distance button for three seconds, the DW030P goes into tracking mode and now displays the laser measurement as it moves. If that alone were the capabilities of the DW030P it would be pretty interesting, but there's actually quite a bit more.

The DW030P also has an area button and a volume button. To use these, just click the appropriate button and start recording distances. After two distances with the area button, you get the total area in whatever unit you have it set on, and likewise with the volume button after three measurements.

On top of all this, the DW030P can add and subtract distances from one another. Just click a distance, then hit the '+' or '-' button and click another distance. You can do this as much as you like and the DW030P keeps a running tally.

So that's what it does, but the question is, "is what it does actually useful?" Well, yes and no, but mostly yes. At first, the DW030P frustrated us because we were trying to use it like a tape measure, which is really impractical. You're not going to use this tool casing out a window or laying out 16"oc studs on a plate. First, it's not really designed for that, and secondly, even though it measures to the accuracy of 1/16th of an inch, any good carpenter keeps a little over/under going in his head with each cut. The DW030P can't indicate if a perfect cut is actually 3'-2 3/8" shy, it'll just tell you, 3'-2 3/8". It does help with inside corners though, giving accurate measurements without trying to read a bent tape measure.

But, the daily grind of carpentry aside, this tool did turn out to be an incredible time saver in a number of other departments. Doing a quick take off on materials, for example. The area button gave us an exact measurement of a number of walls, allowing us to figure exactly how much blueboard was needed to cover them. It was also a dream for doing a quick as-built of some soon-to-be-buried conduit. What is normally a two man job with the 200' tape measure, turned into a five minute click, click, click. And really with any measurement that involved a length more than that of our standard 25' tape measure, we called on the DW030P (it has a range of about 100')

There were a few things about the tool that we didn't like. First, the distance is measured from the back of the tool, right? So we're not sure why the back end of the tool isn't at right angles to the sides, or why there isn't a mark showing the exact point of the center line (where the laser projects from) on the rear edge. For a tool that can measure to the 1/16th of an inch.....We would have liked to have been able to put the tool on its side and be confident that the laser line is parallel to the surface the tool is on.

Also, DeWalt gives a nice instruction manual with the Distance Measurer, but for some reason, they've made it the size of their other manuals, which is about five times the size of the carrying case for the tool. This kind of items deserves a quick reference guide. There's plenty of room in the case and we wished they would have enclosed one.

But these complaints aren't that big of a deal and so they shouldn't get in your way of considering this tool. Like we said, there were a number of job site situations where the DW030P was a real time saver. We also just bought a house and found it to be helpful in that process as well. Would the table fit in this room? click...click...nope. Is the real estate agent lying about the square footage of the finished basement? click...click...yup. Also this tool would be very useful to a niche market like realtors or interior designers. No more slinging a tape measure over someone's furniture in order to get the dimensions of a room.

So all in all, we grew to appreciate the DW030 and what it did for us. We just first had to get over the fact that it isn't trying to replace the tape measure.

$130 at ToolUp and FAO

Craftsman Labs

2009-10-27T09:15:00Z

Tool companies are always cranking out micro sites. Here's one for our new 12-volt line...here's one for our new glass cutter...and another one for the glass cutting blades! We tend to like them because they're usually made with a little more pizazz and creativity than the company's corporate site. But as far as we know, until now, no one has ever made a micro site dedicated to the straight-up abuse of their tools.

Craftsman's new Craftsman Lab is just that. The site showcases a number of movies of these three dudes (Kenny, Matt, and Sam) unleashing all sorts of interesting mayhem on a wide variety of Craftsman tools. At the moment there are videos of them beating on a drill, a socket set, a hammer, a vacuum, a radio, and a tool box.

Without question, the best video is the one with the drill. The videos are shot in this really stylized Michael Bay kind of way, but that's all quickly forgotten once you see the guys attach a mannequin to a bike, duct tape a drill to its hand and launch it off a rooftop. It's great entertainment, there's no question about it.

They're pretty cool videos and worth a look. There's also a place where you can suggest a tool for their next test, as well as the testing method.

If you just want a taste, above is a trailer for the series. For more mannequin action, check out Craftsman Labs.

Delta Premuim Saw Blades - Review

2009-10-26T09:30:00Z

We're carpenters, not fine woodworkers, so we want our saw blades to simply work. From time to time, we need something special, like a thin kerf or a dado, but for the most part, we're ripping down plywood, trimming a quarter inch off a poplar 1x6 or putting an angle on a 2x4 for an oddly framed corner. Our needs aren't great, but we do want something that's going to give us a good cut and that's going to endure the drubbing that gets administered to the job site table saw. Delta was nice enough to send us a few of their new premium blades to test out for reviewing purposes. Of the three, one of them was immediately put on the abused communal saw and the other two we compared head to head.

Before we get to the actual blades we want to mention that the catalog that Delta sent along with the blades is stuffed full of statistics and information on more available blade variations than you can possibly imagine, with differences between them being, at best, slight. Imagine a massive wine list but instead of Chardonnays and Merlots it's finish blades and cross-cut blades. For example the 35-7653 is identical to the 35-7657 except that the former has a hook angle of 10 degrees and the latter has a hook angle of 20 degrees. We've been working intimately with table saws for almost a decade now and we have no idea what a hook angle is, let alone how it alters our cut. But if you get excited about the difference between 'alternating top bevel' and 'high alternate top bevel' (and don't forget 'alternate top bevel with raker tooth') then the Delta website, with its blade selector, is a place where you want to spend some alone time. It's pure blade nerdery and although it's not really our bag, we can appreciate the nuances.

Along with the blade catalog, Delta provided us with some info describing how the blades are made. There's a lot to it, so instead of us rambling incoherently about something we know little about, we're going to direct you to this video, made by Delta, that explains the process. It's pretty interesting and if even if you're not into this sort of thing, you should watch it anyway and entertain yourself by pretending that they're making a Terminator instead of a saw blade.

The blades we tested out were the 35-1080HN5, the 35-1080T, and the 35-1050R. According to Delta the 35-1050R is best for rips so that's the one we plopped that in the table saw. The other two are better at cross cutting, so they each took turns in the miter saw making specific cuts.

The 35-1050R (in the table saw) preformed great. Nice clean cuts with no problem going right through mahogany. So far it's spent about three weeks in the saw and there's no sign of it slowing down or doing anything other than what it's supposed to do. As for the other two blades, we took a photo to try to show the variation in the blades themselves (the image is mildly successful). The two blades, while they look quite different, each has 80 teeth and similar capabilities, so we sent each through a pine 1x and examined the cut. Situated right next to one another, the cuts were different, but had we seen each cut at random points during the same day, we probably wouldn't have thought too much about the difference. But again, we're just cutting pine 1x's not a laminated surface or some other specialty item. Both cuts were nice and clean, but one (35-1080HN5) was much smoother than the other.

It strikes us that the bottom line here is that they're high quality blades and it's up to you how far you want to jump in the blade minutiae rabbit hole. Most people and even most carpenters will have no problem putting a general purpose blade in and abusing it until it dies or until some bozo comes to the job site and decides he's going to rip down a 1/4" piece of steel angle (we've seen it happen). But if you're a serious woodworker, or if your job puts you in constant contact with a specific material (a counter top installer, for example), then you have the option of getting the blade that is specific to your needs and it will make a difference too.

It looks like there is a wide variety of pricing for the wide variety of blades. The general purpose blades are at the lower end of the scale ($25-$40). Most of the other blades are somewhere in the $50-$80 range and the fine crosscuts are going to tiptoe up into the $100+ arena. There's also a great looking stacked dado set for about $150.

A good selection (but not all) of the blades is at Amazon. It looks like you should be able to find them at your local Lowe's as well.

Milwaukee 12-Volt Radio Endurance Test

2009-10-23T09:34:51Z

Yesterday, we mentioned the itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny 12-volt radio that Milwaukee released this year. It's not surprising, but it, like all other Milwaukee tools, is built to take a few hits. To demonstrate this, the guys at Milwaukee have put together a video of them doing everything they can to disable, destroy, and in all ways defeat the small radio. The video is called a 'drop test,' but it's more like a 'drop, throw, toss out of a car, and kick test.'

We're immediately attracted to any video that starts with a disclaimer saying that what you are about to see will void the warranty of the tool. The third test is our favorite. There's something hilarious about the way the guy throws the radio and how it arcs through the air.

The cynical side of us keeps chiming in with the thought that somewhere at Milwaukee HQ there's a dumpster full of all of the 12-volt radios that were destroyed in the making of this video, but we've seen some incredible endurance out of other Milwaukee tools, so this is unlikely.

We first saw the video over at Toologics.

Milwaukee M12 Radio at Amazon ($100)

DeWalt DC012 Worksite Charger / Radio

2009-10-22T09:10:00Z

Dewalt's charger/radios are pretty ubiquitous on construction sites. They were the first ones to deliver on the idea and that initial foothold has done them well. Other companies have released nice products, from the Bosch cube to the new Makita box to the adorable little Milwaukee 12-volt radio, but it's the DeWalt that we see the most often. Knowing that the competition is fierce, DeWalt has recently updated their radio/charger.

The new model, the DC012 features 3 AC outlets, an iPod nest, an auxiliary port, a roll cage, presets, and best of all, a bass boost so you can shake the glass at coffee break with a little Milli Vanilli.

The most interesting feature on the radio is its ability to charge any DeWalt battery from 7.2 volts to 18 volts. And this is true across platforms, both NiCad and li-ion batteries are compatible here.

More details are in the press release, which is after the jump.

At Home Depot

DEWALT LAUNCHES NEW WORKSITE CHARGER / RADIO New model features enhancements including multi-chemistry charger and improved sound quality
October 2009 - D EWALT, a leading manufacturer of industrial power tools, launches a new worksite charger / radio (DC012) that includes several enhancements to increase performance and meet the needs of professional end users who use their worksite charger / radios daily, including plumbers, electricians, remodelers, HVAC, service and repair contractors, trim installers, and many other trades.

"We were the first to launch the worksite radio category in 1999, and the popularity of the D EWALT charger / radio has continued to grow over the past ten years," said Christine Potter, Director of Marketing for D EWALT. "We're pleased to offer a new best-in-class model that includes innovative advancements such as a multi-chemistry charger for increased jobsite productivity."

With a multi-chemistry charger, the new DC012 is the only heavy-duty jobsite charger / radio in the industry that can charge Ni-Cd and Li-Ion battery packs. Within one hour, the new model can charge any D EWALT 7.2 to 18-volt Ni-Cd or Li-Ion battery (excluding Univolt®), even while the radio is playing. A heavy-duty roll cage protects the unit from damage related to jobsite abuse and ensures that the new models are designed to withstand even the toughest environments.

For increased performance and sound quality, the new AM/FM charger / radio features 4" HD weather resistant speakers, bass ports and a bass boost. The digital tuning feature offers end users better reception, and pre-set memory buttons allow users to program their favorite stations for quick access.

Three AC outlets and an auxiliary input and iPod nest offer maximum versatility.

Campbell Hausfeld WL6701 26-Gallon Compressor - Review

2009-10-21T09:00:00Z

Campbell Hausfeld is in the process of releasing a full line of pneumatics for the DIYer. Among the items are a finish gun (our review here), a framing gun, and a brad gun. Since you need a compressor to operate all of these tools, it makes sense that they're going to be releasing some of those as well. Turns out that in their new line, they've got two 8-gallon models and a mondo 26-gallon model which comes complete with some extra goodies for the DIYer. It's this last one that we were lucky enough to test out, courtesy of the fine folks at CH.

First off, the usability is great. the knobs are all easy to use and are very well marked. The on switch is a bright red foot pedal, so even if you've been drinking heavily you won't be missing it. The compressor also comes with a handle and a cool three wheeled bottom which makes it very easy to move even over the uneven and cracked cement floor of our shop. The whole package sort of reminded us of the robot from Lost in Space.

Usually, compressor space is dead space for anything else, but CH has thought this through and flattened the top of the unit. It's specifically designed to hold other CH air tools, but obviously you can really put anything there.

The compressor also has two different ports for hoses. One, lower down by the foot-operated on-switch, comes hardwired to a coil hose. At the business end of the coil hose is an air gun, and to make things easy, CH has supplied a number of different inflator tools to attach to the gun. So whether it's a car tire, a soccer ball or a bike tire, you've already got what you need. The coil hose is great too. It stretched from the garage all the way around the truck with no problem. After the first stretch, we lost some of the coil tightness, but that's no biggie. The second air port is up by the controls and is the standard female coupling you'd see on a regular compressor.

The most interesting aspect of the compressor is something called No Wait Inflation. What this means is that the coil hose fills with air first, so if you're just going to just top off the tires, you don't have to wait for the entire tank to fill (which takes a while). Because we're so busy lately, we've become pretty impatient, so this feature is a great addition in our eyes.

We were floating around Amazon the other day and saw that someone had written a review of the compressor giving it only one star. They said it was loud and that it took forever to fill. Sounds to us like they just described every compressor we've ever used. It's no question though, the CH compressor doesn't fill up in record time, but it's 26-gallons of compressed air. What do you expect? And if you can't wait, there's the recoil hose. That's sort of why it's there in the first place. If you're going to use the tank for a pneumatic gun, just get the compressor started first and by the time you're set up, you're good to go. Or be like everyone else and never drain the thing.

The bottom line is that this would be a nice compressor for anyone who is looking to bring their home workshop to the next level. It costs about $350 so it's a bit of an investment, but it's less expensive than other compressors of similar size and it comes with a number of useful attachments so you can get right to using it. Also the No Wait Inflation is great in a pinch.

More information at CHCompressors.com

At Lowes ($339) and Amazon ($459)

String Trimmers Reviewed at Popular Mechanics

2009-10-19T08:55:00Z

We recently reviewed three new string trimmers over at Popular Mechanics; the Worx cordless, the Craftsman Propane Trimmer (powered by Lehr), and a brand new Troy-Bilt 2-stroke. We compared the tools in a number of categories including noise level, ergonomics, and power.

Read the review here. We also took a closer look at the Craftsman Trimmer here.

We also helped out Timothy Dahl (of Charles and Hudson) with an article for Shelter Pop. That article is about buying tools and can be found here. We definitely recommend putting Charles and Hudson on your blog rotation and Shelter Pop looks like it has some cool stuff too.

MyFixItUpLife Debuts Tomorrow

2009-10-16T09:15:00Z

The new DIY radio show, MyFixItUpLife kicks off Saturday at noon, eastern time (4pm for all you Icelandic listeners!). We mentioned the show earlier here.

The first show is going to have an interview with Tony Eschmeyer, senior product manager at Simonton Windows. Looks like he'll be talking about the energy tax credit. This is of particular importance to us seeing as we just bought a house that is so drafty you could fly a kite in the living room.

More information on the show and how to listen, check out the MyFixItUpLife site. If you miss the broadcast, the shows will be available for download.

Craftsman 12-Volt Nextec Multi-Tool - Review

2009-10-15T09:40:00Z

And why shouldn't Craftsman make an oscillating tool? Everyone else is doing it; Dremel, Bosch, Chicago Electric, Proxxon, even the creepy guy down the street has one half made in his garage. But is there really anything that Craftsman can do to improve on the tool in this quickly saturated market? Well, they were nice enough to send on one of their new 12-volt Nextec Oscillating Tools so that we could take a look and find out for ourselves.

As is immediately obvious from the name, Craftsman has elected to release a cordless oscillating tool. It's part of their new 12-volt Nextec line which also includes the interesting AutoHammer. Because of the low voltage, it's not going to be a testosterone power house. But even so, in our experience, 12-volts can get a lot done.

Over the past few weeks we used the Craftsman multi-tool quite a bit. More than we expected actually. Our first thought was that it would be one of those things we use a few times for reviewing purposes and then it finds a place in the back of the garage and in a few years it might discover a second life propping up an uneven table leg or something. But in addition to providing the power we were looking for, the Craftsman had a few design features that really put it over the top.

First is the dust collection system. What's cool here is not so much that the system works well (it does), but that it is actually built into the handle. Here, the Craftsman outdoes all of the other oscillators that we've used, even the Fein. With the others, the dust collection, if they even have any, is a sleeve that clicks onto the underside of the tool and tends to easily fall off after some use, and usually needs constant supervision in order to keep all of the pieces connected. Not the Craftsman. Here there's just one little vacuum attachment that solidly clicks into the base of the handle.

The dust collection system does thicken the body of the tool, but this dovetails into another aspect of the Craftsman that we really liked and that is the fact that Craftsman has embraced the 'pistol-grip' quality of the oscillating tool. The others sort of force a 'sword-handle' grip, which is fine for cutting, but a bit awkward for sanding. The Craftsman, on the other hand, is molded so that you can easily choke it up at the head, giving you a tremendous amount of control over the tool, still leaving room for a second hand, if needed.

But then there's battery life, which seems to be the Achilles heel of cordless oscillating tools. With the Craftsman, it's not all that bad. We clicked in a fully charged battery and worked it with some extremely aggressive sanding and got just a whisker under 10 minutes with it. It's not a ton of time, but it's manageable, particularly if you're going to be using the tool for small things and are unlikely to have it running for ten minutes at a time.

Another thing that we have to mention is that the Craftsman comes with only one battery. Due to the relatively short battery life, we find this unfortunate. If you have other items in the Craftsman 12-volt line, say the AutoHammer, then you're in the clear with another battery, but if this is your only one, you should be aware that you may have to call a halt to your project while you wait the 30 minutes for the battery to charge. The single battery thing also takes this nice tool out of the hands of contractors, who need the second battery for work continuity and puts it firmly in the hands of the DIYer.

The Craftsman is also single speed, humming away at 15,000 opms. This puts it pretty close to the middle of what the variable speed oscillating tools offer (the Dremel is 10,000 to 21,000 and the Bosch is 5,000 to 20,000). It's a nice speed and if you're not used to the variable speed, you likely won't miss having the feature.

So what's the bottom line with this tool? To be honest, it exceeded our expectations. It's nice to see that Craftsman wasn't satisfied to just speed an oscillating tool to the market, rather they were interested in seeing what they could re-engineer in order to make it better. So it's a nice tool at a good price ($100) and if you've been hearing all about oscillating tools and you don't know which one to start with, it's worth considering this one. Just keep in mind the limitations of the battery.

At Sears

What is it?

2009-10-14T09:11:26Z

Reader John sent in some photos of a mystery tool that he came across. His description is as follows:

It's 4 1/4" long; the "wheel" is 3 1/4" in diameter; each measuring section is 3/4" wide; it comes apart at the acorn nut so you could turn the wheel the other way around; neither the number of "teeth" nor the number of openings between the teeth correspond to the numbers on the wheel.

We've never seen anything like it before. If you can tell us what it's called and what it's used for (with some sort of evidence to back you up), we'll send a random tool your way. Drop a line in the comments section.

Milwaukee M12 3/8" Right Angle Drill/Driver

2009-10-13T09:33:12Z

We're quite enamored with our Hitachi 12-volt Right Angle Impact Driver (in fact, we had to use it yesterday), so we're happy that Milwaukee is expanding their already impressive 12-volt system with a new right angle drill/driver. It looks like a very useful tool and with a 3-3/4" head length, it should fit in some awkward spaces with no problem. It's also got a little LED and 12 clutch settings.

We also noticed that it only comes with one battery, which is too bad for anyone who hasn't bought into the Milwaukee M12 line. It makes sense though, as it's unlikely that the tool will ever get a full day's workout. But still, any cordless tool that only comes with a single battery makes us feel like we're somehow getting short-changed.

We also want to applaud Milwaukee on their press release. We read a lot of these things and most of them are filled with all sorts of business market share talk. But instead of going down that route, Milwaukee lays out the tool with this dead-on quote:

"A right angle drill driver is similar to jumper cables for a car," says Paul Fry, Director of M12™ for Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. "Many people do not realize they need one until they are in a tight space and need help."

it looks like this guy's going to cost in the arena of $140-$150, which we think is an entirely reasonable price.

At Ohio Power Tools

Read the entire press release after the jump.

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation expands its LITHIUM-ION system with the new M12™ Cordless 3/8" Right Angle Drill Driver. With a head size of only 3.75" and a 3/8" single sleeve ratcheting chuck, the new right angle drill provides maximum control and versatility in tight spaces or unpredictable situations.

"A right angle drill driver is similar to jumper cables for a car," says Paul Fry, Director of M12™ for Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. "Many people do not realize they need one until they are in a tight space and need help."

The first sub-compact right angle drill driver with a spindle lock chuck, the MILWAUKEE® M12™ Cordless 3/8" Right Angle Drill Driver is the most versatile right angle drill in the industry. Leading the way in the advancement of power tool electronics, the 2415-21 features an electronic clutch, fuel gauge, speed control and built in overload protection.

With the introduction of the new right angle drill driver and plans to grow the M12™ cordless platform in the future, MILWAUKEE® continues to expand its leadership position in the sub-compact category. The M12™ platform will include over 20 tools by the end of 2009 that offer innovative solutions in power, productivity, and portability.

Specifications (2415-21)
3.75" Head Length
3/8" Keyless Chuck
2.43 lbs
100 in-lbs of torque
0-800 RPM
Variable Speed
11+ Drill Clutch Settings
Integrated LED
Includes 2415-20 right angle drill / driver, (1) M12™ LITHIUM-ION Battery, 30 minute charger, and carrying case

MyFixItUpLife

2009-10-08T09:41:09Z

Our good friend Mark Clement, a walking encyclopedia of tools and construction, is starting his own radio show. The show is called MyFixItUpLIfe and he's co-hosting with his wife Theresa. You can go the website to get a flavor for what the show will be offering, but it looks to us like a blend of all things DIY-oriented. Everything from what tools to use to energy-efficient appliances to how to juggle raising a family in the midst of a catastrophic renovation.

The MyFixItUpLife website also looks like a good destination site and not just a place-holder for the radio show, so we suggest a slapping bookmark on that one. Both Mark and Theresa have blogs at the site and there's opportunities to win plenty of free stuff, not to mention check out the guests for upcoming shows. Mark also has a few tool reviews up (under the Gear section). Thus far he's given his thoughts on the great Rockwell Jawhorse and the Ridgid Fuego mini-recip.

The show is going to debut a week from Saturday at 1pm. We're looking forward to checking it out.

More information at www.myfixituplife.com

Roomba Art

2009-10-07T09:25:00Z

Yeah, so we're obsessed with Marvin, the little iRobot Roomba Vacuum that we tested out a couple weeks ago. He not only cleaned the house but he entertained the cats and Tool Snob Jr. as well. In our review we mentioned the indecipherable pattern that Marvin uses to clean a room and if you didn't believe us on that point, we present to you: Roomba Art.

So it apparently all started when some guy set up the Roomba, turned off the lights and took a long exposure photo. It's a great idea and it reminds us of those fractal images that were popular with the incense crowd in college.

Check out more information and photos here.

Thanks to the great Mr. Foster for the link.

Dremel 4000

2009-10-06T09:26:52Z

Dremel has once again advanced and improved their rotary tool, this time with a model referred to as the 4000. It must be quite an item to warrant the jump from the 400 series. From the hundreds to the thousands? Ten times the series? What exactly can this thing do?

First off, just the look of it is impressive. We've always thought that Dremel's rotary tools were some of the most ergonomically advanced tools in the world, but this one makes the older models look like cave tools. It's a sleek looking item and could be used as a prop in some glossy science fiction flick. It also has a new electronic feedback systems that maintains a constant speed under a tougher workload.

Also, the tool is compatible with all Dremel accessories, in addition to some new ones that the older models are unable to use. Two of these newer attachments are being released in conjunction with the 4000 and they are a pistol-grip handle and a sanding/grinding guide.

The changes made to the 4000 were done so based on user feedback, so they're likely all positive improvements. For the basic kit (30 attachments, 2 accessories), it looks like the 4000 is going to cost about $75. If you're buying a kit with more the attachments and accessories, the price is going to be higher, but will max out around the $150 range. It's a little higher than their older models, but not at all unreasonable for a new item with all the extra bling. For more information on what accessories come with which kit, check out the Dremel website here.

Dremel 4000 with two attachments and 30 attachments at Amazon ($75)
Dremel 4000 with 3 attachments and 34 accessories at Amazon ($85)
Dremel 4000 with 6 attachments and 50 accessories at Amazon ($140)

September 2009 Monthly Roundup for Tool Snob

2009-10-05T09:20:00Z

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

iRobot Roomba Pet Series - Review

All Reviews

Books

James Krenov RIP

Cordless

Distractions

Krenov Scholarship Fund Drive at Tool Crib

Guides

Tools We Keep in the Truck

Hand Tools

Lithium-Ion

Magazines

Midi-Lathe Reviews at Woodworker's Journal

Measuring & Marking

DeWalt DW030 Distance Measurer

Monthly Roundup

August 2009 Monthly Roundup for ToolSnob

Oscillating Tools

Tools We Keep in the Truck

Power Tools

Tool News

Vacuums

iRobot Roomba Pet Series - Review

Work Lights

Tools We Keep in the Truck

We're Moving

2009-10-04T17:58:50Z

If you've been wondering why we've been so lame about updating the website, it's because we're in the middle of moving. It's all been very hectic and time-consuming, and unfortunately the website has suffered a bit. At the moment, we've sold our house and are now officially homeless for a week. We close on the new place this Friday. The two real estate transactions have been so bizarre and manic that even Donald Trump would be unsettled. We're going to be updating the site this week, but we might end up taking a day off here and there. Thanks for the patience...

iRobot Roomba Pet Series - Review

2009-09-25T09:40:00Z

VS.

If you read this site with any regularity, you might be familiar with our feline co-pilot, Marlowe. But what you probably didn't know is that there is another cat living at Tool Snob HQ named Grover. If they were humans in college, Marlowe would be the guy with the Jimmy Buffet tickets and Grover would be the kid who spends all of his time in his dorm room doing weird oil paintings and listening to The Cure. He's an odd little duck. But personalities aside, Grover also has the amazing ability to shed his gray and white fur at will. And it's apparently something he wills quite a bit. We bought one of those Furminator brushes and even after weekly sessions, each one harvesting enough hair to make a third cat, we still have problems with pieces of Grover all over the house.

It is with all this in mind that we were overjoyed when iRobot agreed to let us test out one of their pet series vacuums for a couple weeks. Could the spooky little frisbee have enough stamina to keep up with Grover?

The general overview of the iRobot is that it's an automated vacuum that wanders around an area cleaning as it goes. It moves in a seemingly random pattern and it easily travels over thresholds (and knows not to go down the stairs) so in order to get the most efficient cleaning, it's best to contain it to a single room at a time. This is done with these little things called lighthouses. What you do is set them up at the doorway and they create a virtual wall that the iRobot will not cross, thus keeping the little automaton in a single area. What's cool though is that the lighthouses have a second function that causes the iRobot to fully clean one room and then, when it's done, to move on to an adjoining room in order to clean that and then on to another room. If, at any point, the iRobot gets low on batteries, it heads back to its docking station to charge up. There is also a scheduling feature which allows you to schedule a cleaning once per day, up to seven days a week.

We set it up in the living room (Grover Ground Zero), with the two lighthouses keeping it contained to the space, and turned it on then left to go have a few cold beers on the porch. It was already the best vacuuming experience we'd ever had. When we came back inside 30 minutes later, the iRobot was busy recharging and the floor was freaking spotless. Hardly a hair anywhere. We were expecting 'sorta clean' but what we got instead was 'military clean.' The iRobot was far superior to our standard old vacuum.

We then took the iRobot on sort of a Tool Snob world tour. We arrived at Mom and Dad Tool Snob's house with the little guy under the arm and set it loose. This house contains a massive, Newfoundland dog that makes Grover's shedding look like amateur hour. Again, we set up the iRobot (or Marvin as we had started calling it), and off it went. 30 minutes later, another spotless room conquered by the strange little vacuum.

Since then, we've vacuumed just about every room in the house at least once, most of them twice, and as far as the living room goes, three times. The Roomba is great, especially for us. With the 8-month-old crawling around, there's not a whole lot of time to allot to house cleaning. Just think about it: you've got your house on a rotation. Monday morning, set the Roomba up in the living room. Tuesday, it's the Dining room and the kitchen. and Wednesday and Thursday, you're vacuuming the upstairs. All with a combined total of 15 minutes of effort. Then at the end of the week, take another 15 minutes and clean out the brushes as recommended. There you go: clean house.

But, before we get too hopped up, we have to say that the iRobot can't do everything. Our vacuuming habits do include the top of baseboards, the stairs, and up on the wood stove hearth, all places that the iRobot can't get to. So you will need some sort of supplemental vacuum, and for this, you could probably get away with a really good hand held. Before testing, we figured that another weak spot for the Roomba would be any a situation where you've spilled something and need a concentrated clean in a single area, but iRobot is way ahead of us on this one. The vacuum comes with a spot cleaning mode which keeps it operating in one three foot square. Also, when it's going about its regular clean, if it finds a particularly dirty spot, it'll concentrate it's movements for a few moments in order to give that area an extra clean. Spooky.

Which leads us to another point worth mentioning, it is sort of spooky, or as Mrs. Tool Snob put it, "it's cute....and strange."

We have also observed the iRobot with a number of different people and nine out of ten of them will happily stand there and spend 20 minutes attempting to figure out the little robot's movement pattern (an exercise, we've since deemed impossible). It's like some odd parlor game. Who needs twister when you've can just turn on your vacuum. And regarding the movement pattern, it really does hit every possibly spot in the room multiple times.

Another thing worth noting is that the Pet series is the fifth generation of iRobot vacuums so they've had plenty of time to work out all the kinks. The introduction in the manual states that they made changes to the technology based on feedback from iRobot owners. Knowing this, it's not all that shocking that the iRobot completely blew away our expectations.

So what does all of this luxury cost? Well, the unit we tested out (the 562) runs just over $350, but there are other models as inexpensive as $250 or ones that get up in the $500-$600 range. As far as quality vacuums go, it's a standard price range. And while there's no question that the iRobot saves a lot of time, you first have to hold your nose and leap into the deep end of the "new technology" pool. We did and, man o man, were we impressed.

Roomba 560 at iRobot
Other iRobot vacuums at iRobot and Amazon

Black & Decker MSW100 Ready Wrench

2009-09-24T09:05:00Z

Our socket set is a mess. It's fine when it's sitting in our shop and we're the only ones using it, but the instant it enters the construction site, pieces start disappearing. It's like there are ratchet-eating elves living under the excavator or something. And oddly enough, it's always the most common sizes that vanish, so it doesn't take long for the kit to be rendered practically useless.

Black & Decker has come up with a new tool that might help the situation. The Ready Wrench is an interesting looking item that's sort of one-stop shopping for the 16 most popular socket sizes. Each end of the tool has a rotating piece with 4 different socket sizes. It looks like they get to the 16 number by including both SAE and the similar metric size, which actually aren't identical, so there's likely a little slop in 1/2 of the sizes.

This looks like a potentially handy tool. Probably more of a space-saver than anything else, or something for the DIYer who has no need for a complete wrench set. It reminds us of the space-age HK1 Adjustable Wrench that we reviewed way back in February. While the HK1 has a wider range of sizes (it's fully adjustable), the B&D looks easier to use on the fly.

The Ready Wrench costs about $30, which could be worth it if the tool has some durability to it.

At Amazon

Krenov Scholarship Fund Drive at Tool Crib

2009-09-23T09:05:00Z

We mentioned the passing of James Krenov the other day. At the time we didn't get into any details on his life, but one of the things he is known for is that he founded the Fine Woodworking Program at the College of the Redwoods.

So in memory of the self-described 'stubborn old enthusiast,' Tool Crib is donating $5 to the scholarship fund for every comment and newsletter comment that they get (until Oct 15th). They've got a cap of $300, so it would be nice to make sure that they hit that mark, which would mean that some young woodworker might get a chance to go to a great school. For more information on how to activate the donation, click here.

In addition to the scholarship drive, Tool Crib has put together a marvelous compendium of Krenov links. If you've never heard of him and are wondering why we're making such a big hooplah, you can learn more about him there.

We snagged the image from the College of the Redwoods Fine Furniture page (here).

Bosch 18-Volt Litheon Impactor - Review

2009-09-18T08:40:00Z

Bosch recently added an 18-volt impact gun to their Litheon line and we've had our hands on one for about three months now. We skipped any staged testing protocols (i.e. how many 3" lag screws can it drive) and just brought it to work. So for the last 14 weeks we have treated this tool in such a way that we now understand what red-headed step-children have to go through. Instead of carrying the gun down a ladder, we threw it. Instead of packing it up in its case, we lobbed it in the back of the truck, instead of putting it under a tarp, we left it out in the rain. If this thing is going to be a job site gun, it's got to survive basic training. So on to our thoughts...

First, the Bosch comes with a few practical features, but thankfully, nothing audacious or gimmicky. It's got an LED, a nice little bit holder at the base of the handle and a belt clip that can be placed on either side of the handle (with just the removal of one screw), depending on the task at hand, or whether you're a righty or a lefty. The belt clip is nice, but it's one of those things that will hop off your hip going down a ladder or crouching over. It's handy for a quick holster, but nowhere near as secure as a Prazi Monster Hook, so we would still recommend picking up one of those or something like it.

And as for day-to-day functionality, the Bosch Impactor is really a top-notch gun. It laughed at our rough treatment and easily and consistently drove 6" Timberlok screws into wet 4x6s. It's shorter and stubbier than our old Makita, and it feels better in the hands.

Our one gripe with the tool is that the nose of the gun has a protective rubber sheath on it, which is great and prevents surface marring in tight spots, but the piece is removable and somewhat loosely fit. On more than one occasion, the piece would come slightly loose and snag on something (one time even causing the gun to hop off our hip and fall onto a finished floor). Why not just make the piece permanent? This might sound like nit-picking, but with Bosch so close to making a perfect impact driver, this loose flap of rubber really bothered us.

And as always, Bosch provides a great case with the tool, capable of holding extra batteries and bits and with enough room left over for a few hand tools as well.

We also had the opportunity to check out the difference between the Bosch slim pack and fat pack Litheon batteries. Obviously, the fat pack are going to be stronger (they were) and last longer (they did), but it all comes at the cost of a heavier unit (and a more expensive one). Both batteries held charges for quite some time, but the fat pack were tremendous on this front. Sometimes we would go a few days on one battery. Keep in mind, we weren't doing production work, but still, under the same load, we would have had to hit up the Makita charger at least three or four times. The way we see it, there is really no way you'll ever find yourself in a situation where you're standing around holding a dead battery, waiting impatiently for the other one to charge.

The bottom line here is that this is a fantastic tool. It's durable and powerful, and to be honest, this tool integrated itself so well into our life that we forgot we were reviewing it. If Bosch keeps the battery line alive, this is a tool that you could potentially have for a long, long time. But this kind of quality doesn't come cheap. The Bosch Impactor costs anywhere from $250 to $380 depending on the package you get. You can get the gun with either 2 fat pack batteries or two slim pack batteries. Our opinion on this is that if you're going to be working the gun pretty hard, the fat pack are worth it, but if you're an electrician or someone who won't be using it full time or for particularly strenuous tasks, the slim packs should do you fine.

Bosch Litheon Impactor with 2 Slim Pack Batteries at Amazon
Bosch Litheon Impactor with 2 Fat Pack Batteries at Amazon

James Krenov RIP

2009-09-17T09:11:35Z

James Krenov died a week ago yesterday. His Cabinetmaker's Notebook, sort of a Zen and the Art of Cabinet Making, was a book that really hit home with us when we first read it, and still to this day, it provides inspiration and clarity.

Around originality there is no doubt a law of diminishing returns; nowadays there has to be. Though maybe we are drowning not so much in the original as in the imitation, in just things. For many of us originality is a pressure; we are being pushed around by people wanting something new, different. Then there's the other pressure of doing the new without borrowing too much from the old, or at least without getting caught at it. Students are forever running to libraries to get various books - on peasant art, Scandinavian modern, Shaker, Colonial, Indian - one this and one that. They fill their heads with all these images, and then frantically try to come up with something of their own. As though you put these ingredients in a kettle, add water, stir, and cook for two hours. What do you get? Pottage. Pea soup.

There's a nice rundown of his life over at Fine Woodworking (here).

Cabinetmaker's Notebook at Amazon

Striker Carbide Utility Score - Review

2009-09-16T08:40:00Z

Striker is a pretty new tool company and so far they've released a number of items that we've been impressed with (mini LED light, utility knife) and one that we were less impressed with (mechanical carpenter's pencil). Lately, we've been testing out their new carbide utility score, which, aside from basically two parts (the flip out blade and the blade holder) is exactly the same as the utility knife.

Because we were fans of the utility knife (it's going on six months as our go-to knife), it's no shocker that we liked the carbide score as well. The same large handle is there, as is the durability and easy flip action. So far we've diced up two bathrooms worth of cement board and it's been a great tool to have. Like the knife, it has a rasp on the side of the blade, so shaving off a whisker is not a problem. There's also a nice belt clip. The overall look of the thing is pretty cool and just about everyone on site who is under the age of 25 makes sure to tell us so.

It's a nice tool and way better than those el cheapos that are usually available at hardware stores. The Striker costs about $20, so if you're a pro, it's worth it to get a tool you'll be proud of.

At Amazon