Toolamanjaro
Black and Decker is issuing a recall on about 192,000 orbital sanders. The models number RO400, RO400G, RO410, RO410K, RO410LW and FS3000ROS that have date codes between 200701 and 200920 are all being recalled due to a potential issue where the sandpaper backing plate can fly off or break apart or fly off altogether. If you have one of these sanders call B&D at (866) 220-1767 and they will send you a new backing plate.
Recall: Black and Decker Orbital Sanders
September 14th, 2010 No comments »Irwin’s New, Stronger, Vise-Grips
September 10th, 2010 2 comments »
Irwin has updated the vernerable Vise-Grip locking jaw pliers. Originally designed in 1924 by William Petersen, the Vise-Grips haven’t changed much in almost a century. Of course there have been a plethora of supposedly improved versions, but few of them worked better than the original. Irwin (who through the wonders of corporate mergers is now the same company as the Petersen Manufacturing) however has tried their hand at improving the design. They seem to have gone the smart route though, and kept the improvements simple, added a cushioned grip, and a new one-handed trigger-less release. They claim the new design provides 3x the locking power of the traditional too.
Source: Irwin
Milwaukee’s new Sawzall scraper ‘Blades’
September 7th, 2010 No comments »
Milwaukee has introduced a few new accessories for their Sawzall and Hackzall lines. The new tools, which should work with any standard reciprocating saw, take their queue from the Multimaster type tools, these new scrapers should make tasks like tile removal alot easier. Milwaukee also shows it being used for paint removal, although I suspect it might be a bit to harsh for a task like that. In addition to these new scrapers, Milwaukee is also introducing a grout removal tool, which features a coarse carbide grit on the cutting edge that will make short work of both epoxy and cementitious grouts.
Source: Milwaukee
Festool CXS Confirmed, plus a short video!
August 30th, 2010 3 comments »
A few weeks ago we wrote about the new compact drill-driver rumored to be coming from Festool. Well we have confirmation that it will be coming soon, launching in Europe in September. Spec wise it’ll be in the 12V class (actually 10.8 V which is the same as everyone else’s), and have a max RPM of 1200. Another nice tidbit is that the two slots on the front are meant to hold hex bits, and look to be able to hold about 6 of them. This is a fantastic addition as it would allow you to hold a few different sizes, in Phillips, torx and square drive all at once. That’s something that other little drivers such as the Bosch we recently reviewed are sorely lacking. There is also a video that gives a better understanding of the drivers size available at the German MyFestool site, which requires registration, or you can go straight to the video here as well.
Harbor Freight Pin Nailer Review
August 25th, 2010 2 comments »
Harbor Freight is a discount retailer in the truest sense of the word. Their products are cost just a fraction of what a similar tool would cost if it was made by a “brand-name” manufacturer. Of course all of their stuff is produced overseas, and not surprisingly the quality is at best questionable. However there are times when you’re willing to put up with a lesser quality tool in exchange for it being only 20% of the price of a good one. With that in mind, today we will look at the Harbor Freight 23 Gauge Pin Nailer, Model #97526. It’s sold under their Central Pneumatic brand name, as part of the Contractor Line. Read the full review after the jump.
It’s Offical! Ideal Industries buys SK Tools
August 23rd, 2010 2 comments »
It’s officially official, Ideal Industries has gone through with the purchase of SK Tools. The sale is expected to finalize on Wednesday, with Doug Spitler tapped to head the new company. Doug is currently managing IDEAL’s Retail and Industrial Divisions so he should be a good fit to run the new company. SK has said that they are dedicated to keeping SK Tools made in the US, however they haven’t decided if that will be at a brand new facility, the current SK facility, or a current Ideal facility. They expect to release a manufacturing plan in about a month. No word on existing warranty issues, however it sounds like Ideal will probably honor them in some fashion.
Source: Ideal
Bosch’s New Router
August 18th, 2010 3 comments »
Bosch has released a new 2.3 HP router. The MR23EVS router series has a handful of new features that look quite promising. It has trigger controlled power switches on both the fixed and plunge bases, something Bosch is claiming to be a first. The routers also feature LED lighting that is ‘always-on’. I’m curious if that means they’re always on whenever the router is plugged in, or just when the router is on. Hopefully they’re on their own switch. Bosch’s ‘Constant-Response’ circuitry claims to maintain a constant speed under load, which will be beneficial for getting high quality cuts. The plunge base also features a micro-fine adjustment mechanism, although it doesn’t appear to be adjustable from the bottom for easy table mounting. The new series of routers run from 10,000-25,000 RPM, and have both 1/4″ and 1/2″ collets. Three flavors will be available, the MRF23EVS fixed base, the MRP23EVS plunge base, or the MRC23EVSK which has both. The kit runs about $300, and is available now.
Source: Bosch
Dewalt Introduces two new Chipping Hammers
August 17th, 2010 No comments »
Dewalt recently announced two new chipping hammers, the D25831K and D25851K. Chipping hammers are the jack hammers little brother, and make short work of small amounts of masonry or even wood. Dewalt hasn’t released much information on their hammers yet, however they are claiming that with their new active-vibration damping system, they reduce overall vibration by 50%. If this claim is true, that would be a huge boon, as the vibration from this type of tool causes lots of fatigue and discomfort. The new hammers should be available later this summer, and hopefully we’ll get some detailed specifications soon.
Update: Got word back from Dewalt, the Specs for the chipping hammers are below:
D25831K – SDS Max Chipping Hammer
- Weight: 13.6 lbs.
- BPMs: 1,430-2,840
- Impact Energy: 9.5 ft-lbs.
D25851K – Round Hex Chipping Hammer
- Weight: 14.0 lbs.
- BPMs: 1,430-2,840
- Impact Energy: 9.5 ft-lbs.
Irwin adds Straight and Smooth Jawed pliers to its Groovelock line
August 13th, 2010 No comments »
Irwin’s Groovelock line of pliers, a variation on the familiar ChannelLocks used to only have one type of jaw, a V shaped all purpose jaw. This type of jaw is great when the the object you’re trying to grab fits in the V well, but sometimes its not ideal and a straight jaw would grip better. As anyone who’s ever used this type of pliers like has found out the hard way, the teeth in the jaw do a great job gripping onto the object, but can frequently dig in and mar the surface. In these situations a smooth jaw might be a better fit. Irwin has realized this and now offers three different types, their original all-purpose v-jaw, the straight jaw, and the smooth jaw. All three come in a variety of sizes, and they all feature Irwins ‘Magic Button’ which allows you to quickly and easily adjust the size.
Source: Irwin
Around the Web Reviews: Cordless Finish Nailers at Popular Mechanics
August 11th, 2010 1 comment »
Cordless nailers are becoming more and more popular these days however, there are many different styles of cordless nailer on the market. The most common is Paslode’s fuel-cell gun, which works in a similar manner to a 2-stroke gas engine. Dewalt has had a gun on the market for awhile now that uses a battery powered motor to spin up a mechanical flywheel, and recently Senco has come out with the Fusion nail gun. The fusion uses a battery powered motor to compress a small nitrogen tank, which is then used to fire the nail. All of these have their pros and cons, and Popular Mechanics takes a look at each one, as well as throwing in a traditional air-compressor powered Bosch into the mix. The Paslode was their favorite, all though they weren’t a fan of the smell, or the extra cost of the fuel. The Dewalt was easy to use, but a bit under powered and extremely heavy. The Senco basically split the difference, weighing more than the Paslode, but with the easy of a pure battery solution.
Source: Popular Mechanics
