Tired of your Flashlight dying while on the job? How about 3 times the run time. Bulbs are a pain to replace; how about 250 times the life span (50,000 hours). Ever dropped your flashlight and the bulb broke; how about a bulb that won’t break (or that is at least as strong as or stronger than the plastic housing it). One bulb (the last bulb you'll ever need) to work with all M12, M18, V18, V28 & all 9.6-28V Milwaukee incandescent flashlights.  

It’s all true for your current flashlight if you get the new LED upgrade kit from Milwaukee 49-81-0090. The cost for the upgraded LED bulb kit will be around $35-40 but could be worth it for all benefits it provides. With all the advantages and continuously cheaper LED bulbs hopefully it won’t be long until all work lights are LED. Probably never guessed your flashlight bulb would out live your children’s children did you?

PowerLuber 12 Volt – 1244 ($199)
- (2) 1201 Batteries
- Single Speed – High Pressure (2.9 oz/min)
- 6,000 PSI
- 3-5 Tubes per Battery

PowerLuber 14.4 Volt – 1444 ($248)
- (2) 1401 Batteries
- 2 Speed – High Pressure (3 oz/min) High Volume (8.5 oz/min)
- 7,500 PSI
- 5-7 Tubes per Battery

PowerLuber 18 Volt – 1844 ($267)
- (2) 1801 Batteries
- 2 Speed – High Pressure (3 oz/min) High Volume (9 oz/min)
- 7,500 PSI
- 8-10 Tubes per Battery

When looking at the stats it’s clear the 18V is similar to the already very popular 14.4V model but does improve the work time for each battery 30-60%. Which gun is right for you will depend on your specific application. The PowerLubers are used in a wide range of industries including automotive, farm equipment, heavy construction equipment, factory machinery, wind turbines, general maintenance & much more. It is recommended to use the Lincoln Lube Guardian Grease Tubes ($1.99) with the PowerLuber guns but there are many other brands and specialty grease that could work as well.

It was announced yesterday that after 4 attempts over the past 27 years Stanley Works has finally acquired Black & Decker in a $4.5 billion deal ($3.5bn stock & $1bn debt). Unfortunately this means about 4,000 additional jobs (10% of work force) will be cut from the business that has already seen dramatic cuts. Shareholders of Black & Decker will get 1.275 shares of Stanley stock and should see an increase in overall shareholder value from the merger.  

Stanley buys and sells companies faster than I can keep track, last year they sold CST/David White to Bosch Tools. It will be very interesting to see what shakes out from this deal. There are many arrangements behind the scenes with companies that have deals with Black & Decker to supply motors, parts, etc and they could potentially loose them under the Stanley brand. I guess the big question will be how will this effect the quality of the tools for DeWalt, Porter Cable and other brands. Black & Decker has had some problems in recent years with their loyal customers being disappointed in degrading quality. Is Stanley the answer?

In addition, both companies will host a joint investor lunch on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. ET in New York City. The live webcast of the meeting can be accessed at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com, www.stanleyworks.com and www.blackanddecker.com.  Read the Full Press Release Below:    

It was announced several months ago Milwaukee was coming out with a full line of Test & Measurement Tools aimed directly at Electricians and HVAC/R guys. Some of the tools use the Milwaukee M12 batteries while others work off standard alkaline batteries. The launch was pushed pack slightly to ensure best possible quality and competitiveness but now it looks like Milwaukee is moving forward. With this new promotion you can pick up a Free Voltage Detector Work Light 2201-20 ($25) with the purchase of any of these Measuring Tools: Fork Meter 2205-20, Fork Meter HVAC/R 2206-20, Clamp Meter 2237-20, Clamp Meter HVAC/R 2236-20, Digital Multimeter 2217-20 & Laser Temp-Gun 2266-20.

The promotion is a Mail-In rebate (full details here) that runs from November 1 until March 31 next year so you have some time to take advantage. If you are interested in anything for Milwaukee including Tools, Parts or Repairs, Ohio Power Tool has your answer email them at sales@ohiopowertool.com. Checkout the YouTube videos on some of these new products below:

Milwaukee Fork Meter

Milwaukee Clamp Meter

The much anticipated M18 Jobsite Radio 2790-20 has officially been announced and they solved all the problems with compatibility.  Now all 12V-28V batteries from Milwaukee; M-series, V-series and NiCd will work to power this radio. But before you ask, no it doesn’t charge any of them.  The weather sealed MP3 compartment will hold your iPod or other devices and keep them out of the rain. If you are concerned about durability they are made to the same standards as the M12 Radio 2590-20, checkout this YouTube that’s been working its way around.

The M18 Radio 2790-20 will be available soon but for more information on all Milwaukee M18 tools and accessories visit Ohio Power Tool. Read the full official Milwaukee Press Release below.  

Want a Makita 15 tool combo kit, Free? Makita loves their sweepstakes and this one is a pretty good one because there are 10 chances to win the $1,600 grand prize. The sweepstakes runs until the end of the year and takes only a minute to enter, with an easy op-out of future promo emails. Enter the Makita Sweepstakes and you’ll know if you are a winner by mid January.      

It seems like last year there were more power tool blogs and YouTubes about pumpkin carving with power tools(see the coptool post from last year). I just saw the Dremel tool for Carving Pumpkins on ToolGuyd, looks pretty similar to many of their other consumer tools but could be really handy for the once a year fun. 

If you want some really creative ideas this year checkout the Pumpkin Carving Contest on ExtremePumpkin.com.     

The SEMA Automotive Show is the premier aftermarket car show in the world, which appeals to a very wide range of people. The show itself covers 2 million sq. ft. with such a wide range of products and industries including car parts, stereo & electronics, restoration parts, power sports, car care, accessories, paint supplies and of course Tools & Equipment. Some of our favorite brands will be on hand including Chicago Pneumatic tools who will be on hand with Rich Evans and his H20 Knight car. For more details on that checkout CP’s latest issue of the Cranked Up Newsletter.  

Unfortunately the SEMA show is not open to the general public, but with such a wide audience from car deals, tool suppliers, collision repair, electronic installers and so many more it shouldn’t be hard to go if you really want. Checkout the SEMA 2009 Car Show website for more info and details on this year’s festivity.  

The new Bosch GLL2-80 ($272) acts more like an interior rotary laser but still priced like a less expensive line laser. This compact laser provides 2 independent line lasers with full 360 degrees of continuous coverage. Each line, vertical and horizontal, can be operated independently and feature “Pulse” receiver mode for long distances or for use in bright light conditions. Accurate to 1/4" at 100' this laser ideal for all types of applications such as cabinet hanging, tile work, drop ceiling and much more.     

This laser is also very easy to use, with single button operation that requires little training. Included with the GLL2-80 is the WM1 ($46) laser mount with both ¼ & 5/8 tripod mounts, magnets for use on metal track and perfect for use with poles or attaching to a wall surface.

Check out Ohio Power Tool for a wide range of laser levels including line lasers, rotary lasers, tile lasers, dot lasers and more. If you would like more specific help finding exactly what you need feel free to email sales@ohiopowertool.com for a speedy response.   

I was recently introduced to a great publication which goes by the name, The Garage Slab. This magazine is all about the American Garage. Unfortunately the website doesn’t give the full articles but I would encourage you to visit the site for more info The Garage Slab. If you want a FREE copy come into Ohio Power Tool there are a limited number of copies on the counter.

Some of the Topics you may be interested in from the Last Issue: Famous Garages (includes garage from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Visit to the Good Guys Car Show, Shameful Garages pictures, Garage Design: Thinking in Height & Dimension, Show us Your Slab (reader pics), The Motor Lounge (look at a nice lounge/garage that houses a 1956 Bel Air), Perched on Lake Erie (a garage move & restoration story), That’s One Heck of a Beer Bill (Garage Brewery), Sweet Home Chicago, Under the Hood (look at a Lamborghini Murcielago), Pluggin it In (selecting the right size extension cord for Power Tools), Loud & Out of Control (Raiders of the Lost Garage Sale), The Desert Slab (military garages in Iraq & Afghanistan) and much more!

It seems like everyone has “economic indicators” to judge their own business and industry. One of our big ones is Tool Repairs. When things are good and there are lots of projects going at once, people are breaking tools left & right. When things slow down, however what happens is they don’t need as many tools going simultaneously so there become backup tools, the broken tool can collect dust in the corner and they can use the working tools they got. No need to fix them or buy new ones.

Earlier this year tool repairs really slowed down, which wasn’t a big surprise, as the sky was apparently falling. Then things leveled out however the good news is for the last month or two we have seen a consistent increase in tool repairs. Which means for one, people are working and they either broke all their unused tools or maybe are actually increasing the amount of tools they need to use simultaneously again. Both are good news for the tool repair business and everyone else who wants to see the economy turn around.

If you do your own tool repairs check out this page for links to many of the Manufacturer’s Parts Breakdown pages. Also if you need parts from any of these manufacturers Ohio Power Tool stocks a wide range of tool parts.   

While supplies last, at Ohio Power Tool you can get a Free 3^rd Battery instantly with the purchase of the CLPK40-180 ($475) or the CLPK50-180 ($550) combo kits. The CLPK50-180 is actually the CLPK40-180 kit with the Impactor 25618B, but for only $75 more it’s one great deal. The free 3^rd battery ships right away with your tool (no mail-in rebates) and is the light weight slimpack BAT609 ($77) which is great for the light, impact, and many uses of the hammer drill. Bosch is also the only major tool brand that allows any of the 18V tools to work with both the slimpack or fatpack batteries.

Price comparison websites are not new by any means however www.Tools.com is the first I know that was specifically built for power tools, hand tools and accessories. There is a large selection of participating internet retailers such as Northern Tool, Amazon, Tool Barn, Tool King, Ohio Power Tool, CPO sites, and several others. The site claims over 90,000 tools from 500 brands. Since the site is still fairly new the reviews haven’t gotten filled in on many of the products yet (only 125 total thus far) but I am pretty confident over time these will be a really good resource for unbiased reviews. Perhaps they should give away Free T-shirts when you write 5 reviews like www.ToolCritic.com.

If you want to learn more about the back story for Tools.com there is a great interview article on www.ToolSnob.com. Here are just a few gems that you will find in the full post on ToolSnob:

How on earth did you manage to score that URL?
There are two stories. One is that we won it on a riverboat poker game from Mr. Tools in the late 1890s. The second one is that our partners owned the domain name and approached us with it.

If Tools.com was an animal, which one would it be and why?
A goat. Because their needs are so simple but they give so much - just like Tools.com. You know?  

Just wanted to throw it out there for reps, vendors, manufacturers, PR ninjas and others we will be attending the STAFDA show, which is just a few weeks away at this point. If you are have a new tool product or represent any specific brand and would to be featured on Coptool.com please contact us and we will be happy to stop by your booth or meet with you anytime. If you would like to meet up to buy me a beer and tell me how awesome the website is I’m open to that as well.

It also looks like we will be headed to the 2010 Builders Show as well so if you are not going to be at STAFDA perhaps we can give you some coverage then.