I’ve always been a Leatherman guy, to tell the truth. So when I took a look at the latest offering from SOG, I had to make a conscious effort to clear my mind of any bias. With that said, I was more than impressed with the feel and usability of the tool.
Let’s start with the weight – it’s definitely not a lightweight tool, weighing in at just under 10 ounces. My old Leatherman weighs just over 5, for comparison. I don’t mind the weight, personally, and actually it seems to give a sense of quality. Perception is reality, after all.
Opening the tool is smooth and even. A good flick of the wrist opens it about ¾ of the way, so it’s do-able with one hand.
The grip is comfortable, thanks to the tool covers on each side of the handle. Older multi-tools that I’ve owned didn’t have these covers and the handles had a tendency to bite into my hands when I applied heavy pressure to the pliers. Yes, gloves would have cured that, but I’m not a glove-wearer – not even in cold weather. I like to be able to feel whatever I’m working on. One drawback to the covers, though, is that they tend to come off when pulled up too far. They’re easy to snap back into place, but it’s a bit of a surprise when they come off initially. Not a biggie, but something to note.
The tools themselves are terrific. The advanced torque gears built into the handle allow you to exert roughly twice the pressure as a tool without the gears. I like this feature a lot! I’m also a fan of the tool lock. Both handles have a spring-loaded lock that prevents the tools from folding back while you’re using them. Nice safety feature that actually works!
The knife has stayed sharp for the short while I’ve used it…more to come on that later in time.
The scissors perform well enough. I’ve had some difficulty getting them to lock into place, but once they’re locked, they cut smoothly and evenly; great for those situations when you don’t have a full-sized pair handy.
I think my favorite tool of the bunch is the wood saw. I was understandably skeptical when I saw it. Then I tried it…wow! It really works…and fast! Again, it’s a great feature to have available in a pinch.
Even the socket-driver works well. You won’t be torquing down head-bolts on a 350 Chevy, but you can certainly loosen or tighten an errant bolt for the short-term.
Overall, I’d give this tool an A in performance and value for the money. The only thing keeping it from achieving A+ status are those tool covers. I can just see one of them coming off and getting bent at the worst possible moment, then not fitting back into place. True, it hasn’t happened, but you know Murphy as well as I do.
For around $60 on Amazon.com, I’d add this tool to my belt any time! It comes complete with instructions and a nice fabric belt-case.
The Worx GT is not a new tool. You’ve probably seen the infomercial touting it’s merits for the last few years, but about a year ago, the tool was re-released with a 18V Lithium Ion battery. I always liked the features of the original Worx GT, but wasn’t thrilled with the battery life of the old Ni-Cad battery. While the battery worked fine when it was charged, I felt like mine only got a few charges before the battery died completely, and I heard that from several other people.
For this reason, I waited almost an entire year, using the Worx GT Lithium Ion periodically to see how I felt about this tool. This time I think they got it right. The Lithium-Ion battery is much lighter than the Ni-Cad predecessor, and the tool feels more balanced to me as a result. The only down-side to this is that all those people that bought the Ni-Cad version either have to keep buying more of the inferior Ni-Cad batteries or buy a new tool because they are not compatible.
As always, since the trimmer is battery powered, there is not gas and oil to mix, no cords to pull to get the darn thing started and no smelly emissions. In fact, because these batteries are so eco-friendly, the Worx yard tool line earned the Energy Star label.
The trimmer, with the LI battery installed, weighs just over 5 pounds, which is great in my book. That’s 35% lighter in weight than most competitive cordless brands. I don’t particularly care for doing yard wok and I want it to be as quick, easy, and painless as possible, and the weight of this tool helps with that. The telescoping shaft easily adjusts to fit just about anyone’s height…even mine, and I’m 5’2”! The trimmer cuts grass like a pro! I have no problems getting up to fences, around trees, and over rocky areas. I also like that you can easily adjust the angle to get under decks, and shrubs. And if you’ve seen the infomercial, you know they talk about their unique line system, and as far as I can tell it works well, and releases like it should. It won’t cut through thick brush or sticks, but no string-fed tool wheel… You have to move up to an actual cutting blade for that.
Now, the Worx GT trimmer boasts that it’s 2 tools in 1. So, what’s the other tool? It’s very easy to rotate the head and convert the tool to a wheeled walk behind edger, so that you can trim along walkways and driveways. This is not my favorite feature of the tool. It works okay, in my opinion, but the real draw to this tool is the grass trimmer. To get really clean edges, again you need a blade and not a string-fed tool.
For the money, I’d say this tool is well worth it and since the Lithium Ion battery is compatible with other Worx yard tools like the hedge trimmer (which I really liked) and the sweeper/blower, you certainly get your money’s worth on the battery.
Snap-On has branded a 4-gallon wet/dry vacuum that is shaped like a toolbox. At first I was a bit skeptical when I saw it, thinking it was a bit “gimmicky”, but it’s relatively lightweight, and the design makes it easy to carry. It also makes it easy to pack into the back of a truck or SUV, so I found that the shape actually does have some functionality to it. There was very little assembly, which I appreciated. Basically, all that had to be done was insert the hose connector into the suction port, make sure the filter was in place, and connect the air diffuser.
There are several tools that come with the vacuum, including a flexible hose, a crevice tool, dusting brush, and a utility nozzle. The tools store away in a side compartment, and the cord neatly wraps around the back of the box to keep it tidy.
To empty the tank of the vacuum, there are two latches on the side (just like standard toolbox latches) that are unlatched, the top comes off, and the debris can be dumped. The process was much easier than emptying my regular wet/dry vac in the shop, and made much less of a mess.
I thought the vacuum had adequate suction for cleaning out the car, and for most standard jobs around the shop. The only thing I really didn’t like was the expandable hose. I have one on my household vacuum and I really don’t like it on there either. While it does make for less hose to deal with while you are moving the vacuum around, I don’t necessarily think it’s all that expandable… I feel like I really have to pull on it, but I know that it was part of the overall design to keep the unit neat and compact.
While, I don’t think I’d have this as my only wet-dry vacuum, I like its size, that it’s lightweight, and the design is easy to transport, so I’d say it’s a good tool overall. You can get it in amazon.com for $99.99. It is also available at www.jcwhitney.com.
I’m always a little skeptical when I hear about new drill bits. Someone is always redesigning the tip or the flutes or the geometry of whatever. All I know is that I want a bit that will cut clean and fast and will remain at that level of performance throughout its life. I know, people in hell want ice water.
Ryobi has just introduced a their latest design in the world of the forstner. Benjamin Forstner would be proud – he invented the forstner bit in the late 1800s for his gunsmith business. But I digress.
The latest offering from Ryobi claims a couple of “new and improved” features. The first, its 3 flat no-slip shank (say that 10 times fast) allows the chuck a firmer grip for better control. I can vouch for the fact that I noticed no slippage during my testing of the bits.
The second new feature, which is actually pretty cool, is Ryobi’s claim that the bit allows for 4 times greater visibility when compared to standard forstner bits. I’ll have to say that it can be a real pain trying to line up my old forstners. You have to duck and squint to see under the cutters and of course, then you’re fighting the shadow of the bit itself. Sure, it gets a little easier to see when the bit starts moving, but check out the view through Ryobi’s bit.
What you see is what you get. I was impressed. I guess it’s simple physics, meaning that since there’s less material on the business end of the bit, there’s less to get in the way of seeing your target mark. I just know that I can see much more clearly when making cuts using this bit. So, I can vouch for the “more visibility” claim. Whether it’s a 4 times greater view or not, I can’t say, but you can definitely see more clearly where you’re aiming!
Finally, the cuts have been smooth and consistent with the bits. I’m hoping that continues for months and years to come. We’ll see. They work well right out of the box, though!
Finally, the price tag. You get a 14-piece set that ranges from ¼” all the way to 1 3/8”. That’s a pretty decent selection all tucked neatly into a case that keeps them protected, for only about $49.95 at Home Depot. Compare that with a prestige set of forstners that’ll run you close to three times that amount. If you have a small shop and aren’t building 10 armoires out of rock maple everyday, this is a good investment. I’ll bet Benjamin would love to have a set of these…
Stanley has long been a leader in the screwdriver category, and last year they released the standard multi-bit ratcheting s
crewdriver, and to follow on the heels of that, they have recently launched the stubby multi-bit ratcheting screwdriver.
The screwdriver comes with six chrome vanadium bits (which are supposed to make them durable and rust resistant). The bits are stored inside the handle and slide easily into the magnetic bit holder. The handle is very comfortable and offers excellent gripping capability. It has 3 ratcheting positions, allowing you to ratchet in both directions and use the tool in the locked position.
It's so simple, but it makes so much sense! A stubby screwdriver that's comfortable to use, and reliable.
OK, I’ll have to admit that I thought I’d seen it all when it comes to drywall repair. After hosting and contributing to home improvement shows for well over 10 - ok, close to 15 - years, I’ve seen just about every gadget, gizmo and redesigned mousetrap out there.
And then along comes the BarryStick Drywall Repair Tool. Yup, I was skeptical, but open-minded. I’m always ready to look at new ideas – I just need convincing to go along with some.
The premise is simple: The BarryStick is a composite material shaped like a ruler, just over a foot long. It has an adhesive pad on one side and gradations for easy measuring. It’s also micro-perforated to make snapping it in the right spot easier. So far, so good. So what does it do? It’s designed to eliminate the use of screws when repairing drywall between studs. A couple of caveats – it’s for use only on holes measuring 10 inches or less and the repaired area shouldn’t be used for hanging heavy loads. That’s acceptable.
You start the repair in the traditional manner – cutting a piece of drywall slightly larger than the damaged area. Once you cut out the damaged area to match the patch, so to speak, the Barrystick starts to work it magic. Instead of installing wood supports inside the wall cavity in order to attach the new drywall, you simply measure, snap, and peel the backing from the Barrystick and apply it to the edges of the hole on the inside. This creates a kind of pocket into which you’ll press the drywall patch. No screws are used when you install the patch, because the adhesive strip on the Barrystick holds the patch in place.
You then mud without using drywall tape! That’s right – no tape. I can hear you skeptics…and I wondered the same thing.
My first question to the inventor of this unique product was, “Doesn’t the crack telegraph through the mud?” Nope – according to John Barry (the inventor), he’s had a patch in place in his home for seven years using his product and the crack has never shown up!
Interesting concept. The theory being (and apparently proved in John Barry’s seven-year-to-date study) that the adhesive holds the patch in the same plane as the existing wall. There is no flex, because the patch is essentially connected along every inch of contact. I’m no physicist, but it makes sense to me.
Each package contains enough sticks to repair the above-mentioned 10-inch hole and costs $14.95 on John’s website (www.barrystick.com). You can also see his demonstration video of the product in action at his site.
So while I can tell you it’s easy to use and makes a smoother transition from patch to unpatched wall, I can only pass along John’s story when it comes to staying power. Here’s my take – it’s worth a shot, especially if you hate mudding and floating drywall. Most drywall patches look lumpy and never seem to ‘disappear’ into their surroundings. The idea behind the Barrystick should allow you to make a (visibly) seamless repair that lays flat against the wall in little time. Give it a try and send me your thoughts.
I’ll start by saying I’m a little biased toward Paslode’s cordless nailers. I’ve used them for years and have always been happy (for the most part). I only had a few instances of the guns not firing when they were supposed to, but that was usually solved by changing fuel cells. A good cleaning at the suggested intervals also helps, I found out. I thought blowing them off with compressed air at the end of the day was cleaning them…hmmmm.
Maybe it’s the glut of new cordless nailers on the market that made Paslode take a closer look at their venerable hero, or maybe they really listened to users and took their suggestions to heart. I’ll put my money on the latter. The company is run by people who genuinely care about their products and your satisfaction with them – a rarity these days.
The tool looks the same as its predecessor, but there are some marked improvements in its design and function.
1.Fuel/Nail Combo Packaging. Instead of purchasing nails and fuel cells separately, they now come in ‘kit’ form. The theory being that there is enough fuel in the packaged cells to fire all the nails in that package…plus a little more. That’s a great idea, as long as you plan to use the Paslode nails. Some guys I know are pretty brand-loyal and have a preference that doesn’t always match the nailer brand. Personally, I like this concept and have had great luck with the new fasteners that Paslode designed specifically for this tool. They claim the new nails (called PowerBoost Black Tip Coating Nails) will drive in easily – even into LVLs. I found this to be true. The tool I used sank ‘em in on – and pretty quickly!
2.Redesigned Nose. I like this new feature. They’ve made it simpler to toenail at just about any angle – a HUGE improvement over the older tool which had a tendency to get rather fussy at extreme angles. They get an A+ for this new feature!
3.Faster Tool Performance. This is another area I’m happy they took the time to “fix”, so to speak. On the older version, I sometimes had the feeling that the tool didn’t want to work as hard as I did. It just couldn’t keep up with my rapid-fire trigger finger! The new one does! In my testing, it was sinking nails as fast as I could set the nose. Another A+ for the new tool!
4.Longer Between Cleanings. Paslode says the new CF325 will go through 50,000 fasteners before it needs cleaning. That’s good, because I will likely never clean it. The only reason my old nailer got cleaned was because we had a guest on one of our TV shows from the Paslode tech department. He cleaned it for me.
5.New Orange Quickload Fuel Cell. Another major improvement. I didn’t care much for the old fuel cells that needed to have a cap removed, a valve pushed in to set (which inevitably caused gas to leak out every time I did it – but I’m sure it was operator-error) and then had to be correctly set into the fuel cavity. I had to re-set fuel cells more than once. Not anymore! Another A+.
6.Quick Change Depth Adjustment. The good news? No tool required – just some strong thumbs! You can adjust the depth quickly and easily now. Truly, I think I gave up on adjusting my old tool. It was easier to come along with a hammer and sink the nails the rest of the way.
Overall, Paslode has taken a great tool and made it even better. Did they listen to their end-user customers and make true, meaningful improvements? My answer is yes. Sure, they added some handle overmold for comfort, but that means little to me. I wanted a nailer that was faster, easier to use and required less maintenance to keep it that way. Looks like I got my wish. Nice job, Paslode.
A battery charger is a battery charger, right? Not if it’s the Ryobi Intelliport Charging System. The charger charges up to 6 Ryobi batteries at a time, and they can be either NiCad 18V One+ batteries, or 18V Lithium Ion One+ batteries.
This charger is pretty self explanatory if you just take a look at the box, but after testing it, I found the claims to be true as best as I could tell. It has a 1 hour charge time, and charges each of the 6 18V batteries one at a time, in one hour or less… check, that worked in the test.
The next thing you’ll see on the box is that the charger helps to maximize battery life by keeping them cool, which in turn keeps them operating a peak performance. It charges the batteries only as needed, and the batteries that are stored on the charger don’t heat up too much, which is good since heat is a battery’s biggest enemy. I assume this claim to be true, as the batteries are always ready to go, and they are not at all hot to the touch. Another check! Also, they have the energy star stamp of approval as a qualified battery charger for a better environment.
The charger comes with a quick-release wall mount bracket that reduces workspace clutter. The charger releases from the mount easily and the batteries are securely locked into place for transport. The soft-grip handle at the top makes it easy to carry batteries to a jobsite or to your buddy’s house to help him or her finish the “honey-do” list.
If you use the Ryobi One+ line of tools, the 6 port Supercharger is a great accessory to have. Never be without power, and keep your batteries lasting longer! You can find the charger anywhere from around $100 - $150, but here’s a link for $99.95. Yes, that’s a chunk of change, but if time is money, you certainly get every penny’s worth.
Recently we attended the Stanley / Bostitch Press Event in New York, NY to introduce new tools coming out from Stanley, Bostitch, Porter-Cable, and a couple from Dewalt. Over the next few weeks we hope to test several of these and bring you the latest information on what’s coming out and if and why you might need it! Usually, at these events, they give everyone some time to put their hands on the tools, try them, and ask questions about them. That was the case at this event and there was one in particular I found especially interesting and wanted to give a bit of a “heads up”.
I’m quoting straight from the press release:
Bostitch® announced the introduction of the world’s first line of clamping levels – models 43-723 and 43-727– during its new product luncheon at the Westin Times Square in New York City. Strategic Business Unit Leader Phil Cox said, “These levels offer the distinct advantage of a hands-free operation while positioning wood to a level or plumb setting.” Until now, users were forced to hold the level in place as they tapped the wood into place, which often led to re-adjustment and incorrect measurements. The new clamping levels by Bostitch® provide a faster, more efficient method for professionals performing applications such as framing, roofing, decking, fencing, etc.
I gave the levels a try on the demo that they had set up and found the to be quite innovative, just as they’d said. I have small hands and often have trouble with things that require clamping, but this was really easy. Just pull back on the clamping mechanism and put it up to the stud, and release it to let it grip the wood. The clamp can accommodate 2X (1-1/2”) dimensional lumber as well as 4X dimensional lumber (3-1/2”). The body of the level is constructed from aluminum, and there is a bridged center vial so that you can make a continuous mark when using the level for marking.
And I won’t claim to be an engineering expert, so here’s another snippet from the press release:
“Engineers designed the block vials to ensure an accurate read is always achieved, regardless of the angle from which you view the bubble. This is why Bostitch® machines its leveling lines (or graduations) on the inside of the tubes (or barrels) of the vials. This special machining process prevents parallax, otherwise known as the distortion that occurs when viewing an object from a challenging angle.”
Just to make sure you don’t destroy it the first time you use it, the level has shock absorbent end caps to protect it from drops. And it has a 100 year limited warranty… that’s not bad.
From the first day I saw a one-handed, quick-adjust clamp, I've thought they were pretty clever and useful shop helpers. The price always seemed a little steep, but darned if I didn't have four of whatever was the newest model hanging in my shop. Granted, they didn't provide “true” clamping pressure, but did a pretty good job for most simple assemblies. When a couple of manufacturers designed models that could be used as spreaders (by reversing the non-lever end) this was clever, but honestly I don't use a spreader clamp all that often. But when I saw the newest version from Jorgensen, I actually got that old excited feeling again.
The company known for any number of clamping innovations had done it again. I've been “hooking” clamps together to increase their capacity for years, but it was always an awkward and frequently unsuccessful exercise. But the new Jorgensen ISD3 (the 3 is important here) added a very simple feature that changed the clamp's versatility completely. By adding a “dovetail” of sorts to the non-levered clamp head they made my life easier. By first reversing the non-levered head, then slipping the two ends together you not only double the capacity, but actually add 6” more! Very cool. No struggling or falling apart. One of those “why didn't I think of that” moments.
Is it perfect? Not completely. With two 18” clamps linked together and tightened across a flat surface, there was noticeable sag in the bars. But not enough to negate the benefit, and it was providing some pretty good pressure across the 42” span. I can live with that.
The clamps work well in single clamp mode as well. Again, good clamping pressure, a comfortable grip and an easy “release” lever built into the back handle. And the new quick release knob on the non-levered head (another upgrade from the earlier ISD model) gives a positive click lock, so you know it's going to stay in place. The protective (and replaceable) pads are a good size (1-1/2” x 2”) and the 3” throat depth (to the bar) makes them a nice all-purpose clamp.
Pricing from Amazon.com has the 12” model at $17.99, the 24” at $29.06, and the 36"at $33.86. The ISD3 is available in 6”, 12”, 18”, 24” and 36” lengths. The ISD stands for Innovative, Superior and Dependable. Yup, I agree.
A battery charger is a battery charger, right? Not if it’s the Ryobi Intelliport Charging System. The charger charges up to 6 Ryobi batteries at a time, and they can be either NiCad 18V One+ batteries, or 18V Lithium Ion One+ batteries. 
I’m quoting straight from the press release: 
The company known for any number of clamping innovations had done it again. I've been “hooking” clamps together to increase their capacity for years, but it was always an awkward and frequently unsuccessful exercise. But the new Jorgensen ISD3 (the 3 is important here) added a very simple feature that changed the clamp's versatility completely. By adding a “dovetail” of sorts to the non-levered clamp head they made my life easier. 
By first reversing the non-levered head, then slipping the two ends together you not only double the capacity, but actually add 6” more! Very cool. No struggling or falling apart. One of those “why didn't I think of that” moments.
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