Recently we did a simple 18V Hammer Drill Comparison Test of the Milwaukee Fuel vs DeWalt 20V vs Bosch 18V Brute vs Makita 18V Brushless where we drilled ½” holes into concrete until our hands were sore and the batteries were all empty. For heavy duty Hammer Drill/Drivers this is taxing but certainly within the range of duties we expect them to perform. The hammer drills is sort of the catchall tool, we have them do such a wide range of fastening and drilling applications into every type of materials including concrete, wood, metal, mix paint, power scooters, etc. After this test we were curious how would these units compare to a drill specifically designed for the application of drilling ½” holes into concrete like the Bosch SDS-Plus RHS181K ($313, Ohio Power Tool)?

We’ve started to follow the social media sites for the European power tool brands as they seem to want to go a little deeper and really explain every last detail about the products. We saw this in our recent Makita Compact Router Post but it seems to be true across all brands, perhaps the attention spans are just a little longer across the pond and that is what gets the views.

Another really awesome thing we have found is that the Power Tool brands sponsor Free Building Plans and How To’s like this “Build it with Bosch” Workbench. See the Free Workbench Plans Here and watch the video below.

If you have a pair of electric metal cutting shears whether it is a Kett Tools brand or Yellow, Red, Blue, etc chances are Kett is still the manufacturer of the head and blade components. This Cincinnati based company has made a very good name as the go-to guys in the metal shear world.  

The New Kett KL Series of shears features many of their same well known shear heads but with a new horizontal body. The new configuration may be preferred by some for a great feeling of control as opposed to the pistol grip configuration of the KD Series. The series also features two KL Series Nibblers in 18 & long neck 20 gauges. In total there are 8 styles in the KL Series and all feature interchangeable heads.

In 1924 SkilSaw invented the first wormdrive circular saw and was an instant hit. The Model 77 was introduced in 1937 and is now celebrating 75 years as one of America’s favorite circular saws. The name SkilSaw is often used on the jobsite as a generic term for all circular saw whether they are red, yellow, blue, whatever because it was the original.

The Dremel deal is only good for the Rotary Tools & Accessories. Promo Coupon Code DREMEL10 can be used on the first page of checkout for an additional $10 off orders $125 and above. Unfortunately this coupon is not good on the Dremel Multi-Max Tools or the new Saw-Max Tools.

Normally safety eye protection and designer sunglasses are two completely different things however Edge eyewear is doing their best to bridge the gap. Available soon in as part of the new Designer Series are 3 new polarized safety sunglasses, including Brazeau Skull TXB216-S, Brazeau Torque Black TXB236 & Brazeau Torque White TXB246. All 3 of the new styles are on sale for $29.95 at Ohio Power Tool, which in terms of designer polarized sunglasses is rock bottom cheap. Plus how many other designer glasses are certified to military grade ballistic specs. See all the Edge Eyewear glasses available (over 28 styles in stock) at Ohio Power Tool  or give the guys a call at 800-242-4424.
   

The Ridgid line of microREELs, microDRAINs and nanoREELS have become very popular inspection camera systems. These systems are more compact and very easy to take onto any job or into someone’s house. These systems are so portable and compact because the monitor, battery and recording system all based off of the CA-300 ($417, Ohio Power Tool) handheld inspection camera.

The SeeSnake Max 200’ camera shares many of the features of these other new systems including the removable drum, next generation push cable and improved reel mechanics. The new SeeSnake Max reel is available in 2 options 42338 ($5737, Ohio Power Tool) base unit and the 42348 ($6155, Ohio Power Tool) which includes the transportation kit. This seems like a pretty pricy upgrade for just the handle and some wheels however check out the complete unit in this photo album and you will see it also includes a top piece with some funky connectors. This will most likely be home to some kind of new monitor system that will run off the 18v battery system, as the CA-300 isn’t going to have the juice to run this. Also the handle locks into position to angle the reel, this gives full access to the controls and creates a very solid footing of the reel even when the camera is fully deployed (again see photo album).

From now until June 23^rd you can take advantage of either $20 or $40 off Bosch Tool purchases Online through select “Gold Level” Bosch Dealers. Ohio Power Tool is one of these top level partners and this is the first online exclusive promotion we have seen from Bosch. While we have seen several in-store deals this online promotion is a great way to get Dad (or yourself) a Bosch Tool up to 20% off anywhere in the country.

The promotion is only good for orders placed online at Ohio Power Tool using one of these coupon codes at checkout. For orders containing Bosch products between $100-$199 use BOSCH20 for $20 off. Any orders containing Bosch products $200 and up use BOSCH40 for $40 off the total order. Visit the Bosch Tools page on Ohio Power Tool for more details.
       

This is pretty cool. We just picked up several generic USB iPhone/iPad cables for like $1 each and made sure there was one for the car, work, on the Power Box with a few extras for around the house. This outlet makes sooo much sense to us and as other electronics providers all get on board our hope is we will see even more of these in hotels and public places. It is also the only UL approved device like this listed. See the full press release below for more info and Handyman Club comments on the product.

We got the most current top 4 contenders in the cordless 18V category and pitted them head to head to see where they stacked up. Two with brushed motors, two brushless, all with their highest 3.0 amp/hour batteries brand new and fully charged. Since we are talking hammer drills our thought was let’s see how the hammer action works and drill lots and lots of ½” holes in concrete… a test we later regretted but good news, feeling is starting to return to our hands. We also wanted to test out the actual torque for each vs what they claim and get an in/lbs number on the Dewalt hammer drill, to see how they stack up. See all 46 pics in this Facebook Album.

LaVergne, TN - Wilton, North America’s leader in industrial vises, wants to hear your story about Wilton vises in its Holding Strong Vise Story Contest. 

There are a lot of stories out there because Wilton has held strong on two main principles: staying true to their Made in USA heritage and manufacturing only the most durable workholding products on the market.  This has been a fundamental philosophy of the brand since 1941, when Wilton invented the first 40S Machinist vise. 

First off we would not consider ourselves serious woodworkers, being friends/colleagues with many whom we would consider at least serious hobbyists we have an appreciation for the depths of capabilities in the world of routers. Our router competencies are somewhat limited to giving projects round edges, material removal and some basic joinery. This does perhaps give us a perspective a little closer to many of the purchaser of this new Makita Compact Router Kit RT0700CX3 ($234, Amazon) which may be their first router purchase.

This kit comes with a lot of really cool router accessories including trim guide, (2) dust nozzles, (2) collects, fix base, plunge base, tilt base and even an offset base. All this fits nicely into the huge Teal Makita bag that looks like it might double as a beach cooler for a case of beer. There are several compartments and a few pockets on the inside of the lid but we do wish there was some kind of case to store all the loose odds and ends that come with this kit.

The New Milwaukee Fuel Brushless system has now been in the market place for a short time and already having tremendous success. These new drills in combination with the RedLithium battery platform are reportedly leading to some of the longest runtimes of any tool, even against higher voltage 28 volt and 36 volt tools. Ohio Power Tool will be providing a FREE M18 Battery instantly with the purchase of any of the new M18 FUEL tools while limited supplies last.

M18 Fuel Drill/Driver 2603-22 ($279, Ohio Power Tool) and Hammer Drill/Driver 2604-22 ($299, Ohio Power Tool) will each come with a FREE M18 XC battery ($119 value). These tools are also offered from Milwaukee as 2603-22CT and 2604-22CT kits which includes the same tool but (2) compact batteries. We would strongly advise using the XC batteries with these tools! When used with the compact M18 batteries these tools drop from 725 in-lbs torque to 650 in-lbs torque because the smaller battery does not have the juice to power the brushless motor properly. These kits were clearly a result of bowing down to the large box stores that demand a price point and are far less concerned with tool performance. We’d compare this to buying a Porsche and then putting 87 octane gas in it and wonder why it doesn’t perform like you’d hoped. As a tool lover it's just painful to watch.

A first for Bosch in North America, this new 10” wet saw is very well equipped for stone, masonry and tile cutting. The motor is a 15 amp 1.4HP with a no load RPM of 4,200 which is about the most you can get out of a standard 120v saw. Capacity is fairly sizeable with 24” rip cuts and 3-3/4” high cut depth. We did have a chance to see the unit in person and we have to say our first impression was of very solid engineering & construction. The Bosch TC10-07 ($1099, Ohio Power Tool) comes complete with the folding stand GTA10 and is in stock now, with the TC10 base saw unit and GTA10W roller stand to be available soon.

We recently had the opportunity to try out the new 12V Hammer Drill/Driver PS120-2A ($159, Ohio Power Tool) from Bosch but took the easy way out and let the wife try her hand at hammer drilling.

Rather than just going ahead and taking care of a simple picture hanging honey-do I threw the PS130 in her hands to see how she would do.  This one was especially applicable because she would need to utilize the hammer drill function to drill into the basement block wall. As I expected her to be intimidated and shy with the drill I was surprised to see her dive in.  Equipped with a ¼” carbide bit and a Powers Tapper the job was done in a seconds. Now that she’s realized hanging pictures in concrete is not much different than drywall, with the right tool, I am a little scared to see what else she’s got planned.