The Milwaukee M12 hacksaw 2420-22 ($179, Ohio Power Tool) has been an incredibly popular seller, with the pistol grip it is far more user friendly for 1 hand cutting than your traditional reciprocating Sawzall. Milwaukee has also recently come out with high capacity M12 XC Battery ($79, Ohio Power Tool) which not only give the M12 hacksaw longer runtime but actually gives the tool more power.

Available soon you will have the option of an M18 Hacksaw which will come with either the M18 slim or XC battery. This will be a good addition for those that already have other Milwaukee M18 tools. For many professionals there will be plenty of justification to have both a Sawzall & Hacksaw on the jobsite.

The only difference I can see in the stats is that the M18 has a ¾” stroke vs M12 with a ½” stroke. Otherwise it looks to be the same 0-3000 SPM speed and Quik-Lok keyless blade holder. We will let you know more as these become available.  Checkout the youtube video below:

Posted by Jay A. at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you have ever had to remove a bunch of large cores (up to 6”) before typically you will find it’s not a terribly pleasant job. Commonly guys will use two screwdrivers and pry the core up and then try to grab the lip and pull it out. This core extracting tool from Diamond Products Core Bore makes the job much easier and will save you a ton of time and energy. It’s such a simple design, why was this not invented years ago. The Core Extractor ($36, Ohio Power Tool) is a little pricy for what it is, but well worth it for the time it will save you.   

Posted by Jay A. at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday Milwaukee Tool announced several new hand tools to be available very shortly. There are some new features that make these more than just shelf filler items. There is a new 11 in 1 screw driver with ECX bits, a new jab/rasping saw and 2 new utility knives coming next month.

Eliminating the need for users to carry multiple drivers, the 11 in 1 Screwdriver comes complete with 9 fastening functions including #1 Phillips, #2 Phillips, 1/4” slotted, 3/16” slotted, #1 ECX™,  #2 ECX™,  and 1/4”, 5/16” and 3/8” nut drivers. In addition, an integrated wire stripper and wire bending hole allow the user to strip and/or bend up to 12 gauge wire before fastening to electrical boxes.

“No other jab saw on the market integrates the cutting and rasping functions needed to expand holes,” says Tim Albrecht, Group Product Manager- Hand Tools for Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. “We are constantly looking for ways to make applications easier and increase productivity. The less time wasted switching from tool to tool, the more productive the user will be.”

To combat the likelihood of the blade bending or breaking, the new Milwaukee® Rasping Jab Saw features the most durable 6” Plaster/Drywall blade available on the market. The saw also features rubber over mold to increase comfort and prevent hand slippage.

Designed to activate the blade 3X faster than a 2-handed opening, the Fastback™ Utility Knife features a one handed blade opening for easy activation. In addition, a tool free blade change allows for fast and efficient adjustments, while a thin body design makes it easy for a user to store the knife in their pocket. An integrated gut hook and wire stripper also increase utility by allowing the user to make cuts without exposing the blade and eliminates the need to look for another tool to accomplish the task at hand.

Activated by a side sliding mechanism rather than a cumbersome top button, the Sliding Utility Knife also features a tool free blade change and wire stripper for increased efficiency. Complete with rubber over mold to increase comfort and reduce hand slippage, the new tool also includes on board blade storage to avoid looking for blades on the job and is designed to fit in a tool pouch for added convenience.

Expect more new hand tools from Milwaukee and they all feature a Lifetime warranty. Designed specifically for the professional tradesman market these new hand tools promise innovation and best in class performance. More news to come as these products are available.

Posted by Jay A. at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For anyone that does work with any of the Department of Transportation (DOT) across the country this may be a helpful list. The links are to copies of the approvals for your records. The list was provided by Powers Fasteners and you can order these products online from the Chemical Anchors & Fasteners page from OhioPowertool.com. Free freight and discount on pallet orders for all the epoxy, chemical anchors as well as Mechanical Anchors for Powers Fasteners. If you have additional questions call 800-242-4424.   

Continue reading "DOT Approval List for Anchoring Systems by State" »

Posted by Jay A. at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just a few days ago this crew successfully tested the Heat-1X rocket which is slated to launch for the first time this summer. The purpose of the rocket will be eventually to launch a man into space within an incredibly confined capsule (seen above) at the tip of this rocket… You’d have to have balls like church bells to climb into that and get shot into space but I’m sure it would be a fun ride. Read all about their plans and building awesomeness at www.copenhagensuborbitals.com; also you can donate to the project if you want to support the cause. I really like the fact that a couple of buddies can build spaceships on their own with a few hundred grand of donated money and a time line of a few years. NASA on the other hand needs trillions and a few decades to put a man back on the moon. Anyway it looks like these guys are having fun.

Posted by Jay A. at 08:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As we mentioned yesterday Bosch has a 12V free tool promotion, so it’s only fair to mention Milwaukee also has a 12V free tool give away this month for the 2 beam plumb laser 2320-20. See the full Mail-in Rebate PDF, good until the end of May. You can get up to 5 free lasers on one order so stock up now. The deal is good on almost all the Milwaukee M12 Tools, shop OhioPowerTool.com.  

Posted by Jay A. at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you have ordered anything online in 2010 you may have noticed your shipping charges have probably gone up. Ohio Power Tool is looking to provide some relief on several of their popular brands including Bosch, Dremel, CST/berger & Rotozip for the month of March. The order must meet minimal criteria (over $99, under 70lbs) and you have to use Coupon Code in checkout “MARCH”, very important. You can also call in the order 800-242-4424 and let the nice people know you want the free shipping deal.

Bosch 12V MAX Free Goodies

In addition to the free shipping from OhioPowerTool.com you can also take advantage of this Mail-In rebate deal on most of the Bosch 12V Max kits. Get yourself a free Driver PS20, 12V Battery BAT411 or LED Flashlight FL11A. All are pretty sweet deals. You may also notice it says PS21-2A and if you view the PDF form you will get a first look at the new Pocket Driver which according to this rebate will be out before May!

Bosch 18V Free Goodies

Still good until the end of March is this Mail-In Rebate for a Free 18V battery or 18V flashlight. This deal is also a very nice one and good on almost every kit available including the compact drill/driver & Impactor. Checkout the Bosch 18V tools available from Ohiopowertool.com. Of course all these deals can be used together so take advantage for the free shipping in addition to the free tool mail-in rebates.

Posted by Jay A. at 09:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past week was the Pumper Show down in Louisville, KY and was very curious about the show so we took a drive down early on Saturday. Set up like other trade shows but there was an emphasis on end user selling for many of the vendors we talked to with show special pricing and some products even stacked up in booths. As far as the pumper products went we really had no interest although have to say I was really impressed with the Blacktie setup, classiest port-a-johns ever possibly.

Ridgid had a good sized booth and lots of interactive displays and challengers for using some of their machines. The big emphasis from Ridgid was on “going digital” with their new RidgidConnect service. It is very clear in this could be a great business tool for many plumbers, inspectors, etc. The best new product from the show was the final piece of this digital puzzle. The SeeSnake to Laptop connection system and software introduced as part of the SeeSnake LT1000. This platform sites on top of the SeeSnake Reels (fits mini & full size) and connects directly to a laptop or microExplorer ($690, Ohio Power Tool). The Ridgid LT1000 also has a full waterproof touch pad to control recording and keep your gloved hands off the laptop keyboard. Software is included for full viewing of most laptops, exact specs for laptop requirements coming soon. The LT1000 will run off battery or AC power and even includes new reel feet stabilizers to keep the reel in place.

The Ridgid LT1000 will be available in a few months; more information and pre-sale will be available on OhioPowerTool.com in the Ridgid SeeSnake section as we get closer to the launch date. The LT1000 should cost around $2000 and will include a 60 free trial to Ridgid Connect which with a wireless internet card would mean inspection could go from reel to office to customer in a matter of minutes. Checkout the YouTube video below for more info:

Posted by Jay A. at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I apologize in advance for the dry material but we get lots of questions about concrete core drilling and hopefully we can clear it up a few of the basics in this post. There are lots of options when it comes to coring drills & rigs in terms of price, quality, size, power source, etc. Each type of drill has its place and it’s not always easy to select the right one and not make the decision totally based on which is cheapest. Ohio Power Tool offers a wide range of different types of core drills to cover the majority of needs out there which we’ll look at but obvious there are dozens of other brands out there that could be matched up.

Continue reading "Selecting the Right Concrete Core Drill & Diamond Core Bits" »

Posted by Jay A. at 01:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Continue reading "New Milwaukee Sawzalls 6509-31 & 6519-31" »

Posted by Jay A. at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New to the Ingersoll Rand Max family is the 3445MAX ($227, Ohio Power Tool) 4.5” air grinder. The Max family of tools indicates the top of the line in terms of Power & Comfort (power/weight). It looks as though IR is really expanding the Max line to include not only impact wrenches, but also ratchets and now grinders. Checkout the video below for full stats on the new 3445MAX.

Posted by Jay A. at 02:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's out in their shop and all boxed up, waiting to be sent out to one of you. To enter the contest, drop a comment on their post here - ToolSnob, telling what makes you so special and why you should be the one to win the tool. The winner will be decided by random drawing Friday, Feb 26th. Looks like a nice saw and at this point there are less than 50 comments. Since the reason why you should be selected has no outcome on if you are selected I would suggest being be creative; stories of dragons, wizards, aliens, Swedish bikini models, etc. would all be totally valid.

Posted by Jay A. at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At the World of Concrete this year Bosch had several impressive displays inside, outside and even sponsored the tools competition. It was also a great opportunity to get a sneak peak at many of the new tools which will be coming out in the next few months. Some new things in cordless, lasers, detectors, new Power Boxes, innovative accessories and much more. Here are just a few of the highlights; as we get more info and get closer to the launch dates we will circle back and do full posts on each of these.

Litheon 18V Cordless – SDS & Grinder

There were 2 very interesting products I had the opportunity to try out for the Bosch 18v Litheon line. First was the cordless grinder which was set up along with the Makita, DeWalt & Milwaukee cordless grinders. All had cutting wheels and we were cutting a standard size metal pipe. The Bosch held up amazingly well compared to some of the competition, the Bosch was clearly more powerful and with their battery protection system I was assured would far outlast in heavy use. Bosch also had a SDS-Plus 18v cordless drill on hand to demo. I’m not sure how the power/battery compares to 36v 11536-2 ($522, Ohio Power Tool) but it felt very solid and would be ideal for setting tap cons or more heavy duty applications.

Continue reading "Bosch Power Box & Other New Products for 2010" »

Posted by Jay A. at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kett metal shears are the standard in the business, if you are using another brand chances are you are still probably using a Kett head and shear blades. One problem with most metal shears however is it can be difficult to make tight radius cuts or work with corrugated metals. The new Kett Profile Shears KD-446 ($265, Ohio Power Tool) uses a different style head specifically designed to be more maneuverable while cutting. The profile shear can cut a radius as tight as 3” but only does 28” per minute in a straight cut while the less expensive KD-200 ($199, Ohio Power Tool) can do almost 300” in same time. If your primary need for an electric shears is for cutting spiral duct, wire mesh, corrugated siding or roofing this might be the right shear for you. Checkout the KD-446 in the video below:

Posted by Jay A. at 09:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Milwaukee posted on their website an interesting new tool. It is a new Milwaukee M12 screwdriver that has 3 torque settings: 60 in-lbs, 80 in-lbs & drill. The main purpose of the new drill/driver is to install no-hub couplings most accurately to their specifications. The M12 2455-22 ($299, Ohio Power Tool) is the first if its kind in the industry and designed to install 300 clamps per charge and only needs recalibrated every 25,000 clamps. Every no-hub coupling give a specific torque setting threshold and there are manual tools on the market but nothing cordless in a package this compact. Obviously this won’t be a tool for everyone with such a specific application but it does reinforce the idea Milwaukee is making tools for professionals even in their 12 volt tools.

The 2455-22 should be in-stock in the very near future. The Milwaukee M12 Tool line now has over 20 models available, check them out on Ohio Power Tool and feel free to email sales@ohiopowertool.com if you have any questions about Milwaukee Tools. Read the full press release below.     

Continue reading "Milwaukee M12 Cordless No-Hub Driver 2455-22" »

Posted by Jay A. at 04:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is pretty safe to say Rotozip has gone well beyond a handy tool for cutting out drywall at this point. The inventor of the spiral saw is still the best option for quick cutting in drywall but now the tools come standard with attachments to use the XWheel & ZipWheel saw blades. This changes the whole functionality of these tools and opens the gates to a wide range of cutting in metal, tile, masonry, stone, wood, grout removal and other materials. While these new Rotozip Accessories have been out over a year now, some of the trades they are best intended are just now adopting them.

The RZ2000 Spiral Saw Kit ($167 Ohio Power Tool) is the latest kit to come out and includes an even better saw attachment head with a handle. The saw is more powerful at 6.0amp, variable speed (15,000-30,000RPM), ideal for the growing range of applications. The kit also has a variety of saw blades and rotary bits all packed into a nice new case.

Checkout all the different options for Rotozip Spiral Saws and Accessories as well as the very popular Tile Dock ($69 Ohio Power Tool). You can see the Tile Dock and Diamond bit in the video below. Rotozip is a part of Bosch Tool so you know the quality is excellent, it also means the cordless Rotozip works with the Bosch 18v litheon batteries. If you have any questions about Rotozip tools email sales@ohiopowertool.com.   

Posted by Jay A. at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Dremel Multi-Max was the most popular power tool of 2009, which is truly an amazing fact. The oscillating tool category is one of the fastest growing and it has become a staple in most tool cabinets, Pro or DIYer. Dremel has some new accessories recently launched with more coming out later this year. If you still aren’t sure all the different applications for the Multi-Max, here are several videos that should cover most of the current accessories.

Posted by Jay A. at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This was the first year anyone from coptool.com has had the opportunity to attend the World of Concrete. As a first timer I have to say it was a very impressive sign to see. Perhaps, down from last year but still just an amazing show with all the indoor and outdoor exhibits, vehicles, competitions and hands on demos. There is a true art to a trade show of this proportion, what kind of freebies you got, how you run the hands-on and demos, floor placement, how pretty the girls are if you have any and its probably important that you’ve got good tools as well. Just the shear effort alone that went into the setup and the volume of concrete poured just to destroy everyday… Checkout this time laps video of the effort it took to set up just one of the hundreds of outdoor exhibits.  

Competitions

All week long there were several competitions which were really interesting to watch and/or take part in. The Bricklayer 500 would have to be the main event where teams build brick walls in 60 minutes and get judged on speed as well as accuracy and precision. There was also a Bosch Tools skills challenge open to anyone and several truck & large equipment contests for anyone with a license. The artistry in Decorative Concrete was surely the most skillful competition. Some real head scratchers as to how they did some of this amazing work. (See some pictures here)

Exhibitors

Everyone in the concrete product business was here it felt like. Some personal highlights in tools; seeing Concrete Cutting Saws & Wall Saws in action from Diamond Products, Bosch had nice hands on demos for breakers, hammer drills as well as a few new products (post coming very shortly), Makita had some attractive girls I wasted some time talking with and alright Hilti’s booth was kinda impressive (which is saying a lot because Hilti is my mortal enemy). For the bigger equipment like the Ride on Trowels and smaller compaction, Wacker had a huge area (see video below) as well as Multiquip and a slew of others. Two days of 9 to 5 walking and I still didn't see close to all the booths.

All in all it was a great show and really could not even begin to do it justice in just one post. There are new videos popping up every minute on YouTube and www.ForConstructionPros.com. Also checkout all my photos in this facebook album.   

Posted by Jay A. at 04:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Another outstanding LumberJocks Woodworking Awards event is over. The results are in and it’s time to officially announce the winners. The winning projects were selected from the record breaking 151 total submissions in an online voting held from February 1 to February 7. 252 votes were cast during this period. And here are the winners…

1st: Owenusa - Earthquake Box 
2nd: Rj - Dislplay Table   
3rd: Andy - Eye Candy
4th - 10th: See Here 

Posted by Jay A. at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)