Earlier this week we got the news from Bloomberg that the housing starts in 2011 are predicted to hit a 3 year high. Ever optimistic about seeing a return in new home starts we wanted to be excited but in crunching the historic numbers ourselves we were also a little disappointed. The chart below highlights in red the kind of number the report predicts for the 3 year high we should be seeing in 2011. If your company has survived the past 2 years this would represent a measurable uptick in new business. It should also represent an upward trend into better days. At the same time it doesn’t look like we will hit 2005 & 06 numbers anytime soon. Read the full Bloomberg Report for all the economic indicators predicted for 2011.

Happy New Year from all of us at www.Coptool.com and see you Next Year!  
      

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A few weeks ago we did a quick post on the new Rockwell BladeRunner ($179, Amazon), from our limited exposure at the STAFDA tradeshow (see here). Since that time we were lucky enough to get one to test out and provide some feedback. Additionally we got to test some of the accessories available and at the end of the day this tool along with several other Bosch Power Tools would end up in the well deserving hands of TheMetroSchool.org.

The Metro School is a high school in Columbus, Ohio that accelerates learning in math, science and technology in cooperation with The Ohio State University. Basically when someone finishes high school here they are almost 2 years into an engineering degree at OSU! Ohio Power Tool has become one of the school sponsors to get them equipped with their own arsenal of tools. In a time when most schools are eliminating shop class due to budgets and liability we are happy to support schools going the other direction and putting tools back in the hands of America’s youth. Check out robotics.metroschool.org to learn more about their robot building & competitions. 

When we were discussing what tools might be best suited for a group of high schoolers, the BladeRunner seemed like a good fit. The unit is smaller, safer and easier to control than a table saw but still able rip plywood straight as well as miter cuts in wood or metal. For precision cuts it handles much like a scroll saw and the easy blade change makes it pretty simple to go from plywood to cutting aluminum tube, perfect for building robots and doing other projects. Additionally with the vacuum attachment it almost cleans up after itself, very important when your workshop is also a classroom you will be learning college level calculus in next period.

Right off the bat we did find a few drawbacks with the BladeRunner, first the cord is very short, it doesn’t even touch the ground on a high work table, second the work surface area is pretty small and limiting. We understand the unit is designed specifically to be portable and Rockwell very much succeeded there but at the same time we wanted more support on the left side for larger material. Simple solution here was to build something ourselves. See the full Facebook photo album.

What better testing ground for the BladeRunner than to build its own tool storage unit that would give it more work surface as well as giving the school a place to store its new stash of tools. The design was simple and since we were trying to use the BladeRunner as much as possible we went with a predominantly plywood design. There are some drawbacks vs. using a traditional jig saw, namely when it was realized the tool cabinet was custom built for the perfect work height for me (6’6”) and not high school kids. The cabinet had to be chopped 10” from both the door and base just as it was about to be finished. No sweat for our trusty jigsaw, but could never have been done on the BladeRunner.

We also got 2 BladeRunner accessories to test out, the Picture Frame Cutter & Circle Cutter (Both $29). The picture frame cutter obviously has a very specific purpose, which we have never cut our own picture frame so unfortunately we can’t give a truly insightful view on that task. However for the purposes of the Metro School this jig is idea for measuring and cutting 45 angles into aluminum tubing which it does very well. The accessory is a little cumbersome to get out and put away as it has the tinniest screw which seems like it would get lost very quickly. Other than that this could be a very useful add-on for specific applications. The circle jig was a little more of a question in our heads, the BladeRunner does such a great job of giving the user very good cutting control (better than a regular jig saw), we were able to make very nice circles with a compass and freehand cut. The circle jig also requires you to use 4 screws to attach the piece to the jig so you may have to go back in and fill the holes afterwards. Again for specific applications, maybe robot wheels, this could be just what the doctor ordered but not necessarily for the BladeRunner to be an excellent tool.

We mentioned is our previous post, but will mention it again, we are really happy to see this tool works with standard T-shank jig saw blades. We would be willing to bet there was a meeting or two in production of the BladeRunner where it was discussed to make accessories exclusively for this unit (to sell more Rockwell accessories) and someone vetoed the idea. Thank you. We already have a ton of jig saw blades for cutting every kind of wood, metal and ceramic and this tool is now 10 times more useful instantly. Also it is very reassuring to know if for some reason we didn’t have the right blade a trip to any hardware store in America would have us back up and running in minutes.  

Overall we were very impressed with the Rockwell BladeRunner for the price and its intended audience of home owners. Thinking back a few years ago living in a condo with limited space this would have been an ideal tool. On the otherhand for serious craftsman who already have a good jig saw, scroll saw & table saw this would probably serve little use, I'm sure you know where you fit. We think this tool will definitely grow in popularity similar to the Rockwell JawHorse ($169, Amazon) has and find its way into many homes in 2011. We think there would also be room in the market for a more heavy duty model with beefier motor and extension rails on the left side to support larger material. Just a thought to ponder Rockwell guys.
     

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Deep rooted in a long standing tradition dating all the way back to 2009, the Tool Talkies nearly went unawarded for 2010 but fear not, like a 8th grade book report we completed the list with minutes to spare. It would also be a good time to again point out all these awesome tool blogs can subscribed to in one simple Yahoo Pipes RSS feed, because it’s our feeling everyone needs to read at least 10 articles on power tools each day.

Best International Tool Blog – Our friends at www.ToolStop.co.uk  do a great job with keeping us up to date on the latest tools overseas. It’s rare for tools to launch globally so sometimes we get tools first and other times they will have them before us. I love to check in and find new stuff they have coming out. Also they do an excellent podcast we were honored to be on in 2010.  

Most Likely to Have a Chain Saw in Their Hands – This award will have to go to Doug at www.ToolSnob.com, in the 2010 year we have not only been further educated about the new chain saw models, proper maintenance but also on wood cutting and even a lengthy article on proper wood stacking. No doubt your house will be warm all winter. 

Rookie of the Year – This is basically a technicality but we are going to give it to www.ToolBoxBuzz.com while the site is new in 2010 Todd, Rob & Bryan are all season vets at reviewing tools and keeping up with / creating the latest tool news. Definitely a good one to add to the rotation.

Most Likely to Retire in 2010? – We haven’t heard much from Jude Herr at www.Toologics.com, the blog site for the Tool King store. Perhaps she retired independently wealthy (from something other than tool blogging obviously). There have only been a handful of posts since July. Will their blog go the way of their other web property www.HotforTools.com which stopped updating shortly after winning a 2009 Tool Talkie?   

Biggest Increase in Posts – Stuart at www.Toolguyd.com was a runner-up for Rookie of the Year in 2009 and vowed to us if he accomplishes nothing else in 2010 it would be to win a Tool Talkie. Nope that didn’t really happen but congratulations anyway you are a winner! From a few post a week to a few posts just about every day it is sometimes hard to keep up with all the latest on Toolguyd.

Most Likely to Break Out the Laser Tachometer – The guys at www.ProToolReviews.com are very detailed in their reviews. If a manufacturer says 2100 RPM it better produce 2100 or these guys will let us all know about it. They are very scientific about their reviews and we have a lot of respect for them because of it.

Most Likely to Get Me Fired – Marc at www.HomeFixated.com does a great job on their tool reviews and other articles on home improvement. He is also very detailed with his reporting of the news at popular industry trade shows and evening events, almost to a fault. They were Makita Girls… what am I made of stone. 

Least Likely to Care they Won a Tool Talkie – The winner is www.ToolMonger.com! But we know this is only because they are too busy knocking out posts every 9 minutes like clockwork. The grandfathers of the Tool Blogging game, they just sit back in their handcrafted mahogany thrones counting fat stacks of tool swag while letting the rest of us fight for the table scraps.         

Most Likely to give themselves the Super Awesome Award – 2 years in a row man these guys really must be super awesome www.CopTool.com!

Disclaimer to the Power Tool Blogging Media: Clearly the Tool Talkie is a highly coveted award you should all be very proud to receive, and while there are no cash prizes, big trophies or even Sawzall blades with your names on them, you should know that is only a reflection of the tiny Coptool.com budget (we even reused the graphic we’re that cheap) and not in any way a reflection of our tremendous respect for all the winners. We wish you all the best in 2011!
   

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 08:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Well along with the Big Ass Fan we would also probably need a room large enough to handle its mighty 24’ wingspan. We might be able to find a place for the 8’ residential model although the industrial 24’ PowerFoil X is what we were thinking might look real nice in the living room above the Christmas tree. We were goofing around online today and found this video about the company that reminded us how much we wanted one of these. Seems like a great company to work for as well as made me think we should change our name to Bad Ass Tool Company. Happy Holidays!!!  

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When it comes to concrete dust collection accessories Dustless Technologies is one of the industry leaders. Recently they have redesigned both of their CutBuddie grinder attachments for improved performance and connectivity with various manufacturers. As you can see from the pictures above each CutBuddie comes with multiple connectors for various size grinders. We have not found a grinder yet that doesn’t fit. It’s possible there are non-compatible grinders out there but if you stick to common pro brands like Bosch, Milwaukee, Makita, DeWalt, etc you should have no problem working with the provided adaptors.

When doing concrete cutting or crack chasing dust removal is essential for personal safety but also to keep the work area clean. The clear polycarbonate case also helps to provide better visibility of the work space and swivel connector keeps the hose out of the way. The CutBuddie is available in 2 sizes for 4-5” grinders ($117, Ohio Power Tool) & 6-9” grinders ($155, Ohio Power Tool). These well built guards can easily last as long or longer than the tools they are on. Check out the Dustless video below for more info on the redesigned CutBuddie Guards. 

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 05:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The long awaited corded Bosch Oscillating Tool MX25EC, which has been talked about for several years now and may finally be the answer to a suitable rival for the higher priced Fein MultiMaster is final available and you can even get it in time for Christmas! Apparently Bosch has struck an exclusive deal with the Home Depot on the MX25EC-21 ($159, HomeDepot.com) so if you want it within the next 60 days it looks like you will be ordering it online on their site. This tool is NOT available in local HD stores and neither in-store or online sells any of the Bosch OIS accessories. Possibly the softest launch we have ever seen on such a highly anticipated tool, we had to call and order one ourselves to make sure it was for real. It is also a huge slap in the face to their network of the Bosch BSS Dealers they have been working to set up all year long, who were promised exclusive launch on new Bosch Tools, specifically this one.

Regardless of whatever kind of deals were made between the big wigs at Home Depot & Bosch Tools, this is a nice tool at a very good price. We’ve had limited time with the MX25EVS (now just called the MX25E but still includes variable speed) but we will have a proper Bosch vs Fein Multi-tool showdown as soon as we get our hands on the Bosch unit. If you don’t mind waiting Ohio Power Tool will have both the MX25EC-21 and the MX25EK-33 (includes more accessories) in early 2011. Regardless of when/where you get the tool if you need any accessories check out Ohio Power Tool as they currently have every Bosch OIS accessories available in-stock.   
   

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 01:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Less than a month away is the 2011 World of Concrete in Las Vegas and one of the highlights of the show is the Bricklayer 500 competition. Last year we were there for the 2010 World of Concrete and were really surprised at the turnout and excitement around this event. With over $100,000 on the line the competition is pretty fierce and many of the contestants have entire cheering sections with 20 or more friends & family. See the official press release below.  

MEQUON, WI, December 2010 Johnson Level & Tool, leader in spirit levels and laser levels, has become the exclusive level sponsor for the 2011 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® National, held in conjunction with the World of Concrete tradeshow, in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 19, 2011.

The Bricklayer 500 is a national competition comprised of the best bricklayers in the world, who qualified in regional events throughout North America.  Twenty, two-man teams of a mason and mason tender, compete to lay the most brick within strict quality standards.  The masons compete before a crowd of 3,000 spectators for over $100,000 in cash and prizes, the largest purse of any masonry competition.

“Participating in 13 qualifying regional competitions and the national event puts us in direct contact with the masonry tradesman who uses levels and lasers every day. As a result of our involvement with masons, we developed an industry-first level, specifically designed for this trade, which we will introduce at the competition,” said Jeff Johnson, Director of Marketing at Johnson Level.

For more details about this event, go to www.johnsonlevel.com, or to www.specmixbricklayer500.com for a free webcast connection of the 2011 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® National.
     

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

 
This Bosch Table Saw in the standard of excellence on jobsites around the globe, these are very accurate and very rugged table saws. When paired with the Gravity Rise stand it is very easy to get this shop quality table saw anywhere you want to go. Until the end of the year or stock runs out, the nice folks at Ohio Power Tool are selling the Brand New (never refurbished products) saw & stand Bosch 4100-09 for $499! We have never seen a price that low on this unit and in fact if you search the other 50+ people selling it on Google Shopping you will see nobody is even close.    

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At the recent STAFDA trade show we had a chance to test out the new Irwin Universal Handsaws. We all have/use traditional handsaws and our guess is yours might be older, dull, possibly rusty, etc. If that is the case you should definitely consider one of the new Irwin Handsaws as a good option. There are 2 standard sizes 15” 1773456 ($20, Amazon) and the 20” 1773466 ($23, Amazon) which are very competitive with other popular saws that are using 100+ year old designs.

In actual use the Irwin saw with the new lower handle design did seem to cut much faster (not 3x faster, at least not when I used it) and smoother but what really got us excited more than anything was the 90° & 45° speed square markets on the top of the blade. This would be very practical and not a gimmicky thing which would never get used. Check out the two videos below for more details.

My parents live in the same house as when I was born and since then there have been many additions/improvements to the home including a new garage, master bedroom, sunroom, deck/patio (twice), front porch, remodeled kitchen, various bath remodels & many other projects along the way. Thinking back one thing that always sticks in my head was an image of dad with that pencil behind his ear, once that happened we knew dad meant business. It was time to stand back and watch the wood chips fly.

CH Hanson knows how important good marking tools are and is hoping to give folks a better pencil storage device with their new Retractable Pencil Pull 10570 ($3.49, Lowes). We have seen these types of devices before with keys but is a very handy application to have on your tool belt. Also these are the only pulls that work with carpenter pencils we could find, although we did see some other for sharpies and pens.

It comes with a half length pencil which works much better in the Pencil Pull. We haven’t even seen this size pencil sold but 3 seconds with just about any saw would give you twice as many of these sized refills. Still time left to pick one up before Christmas, it would make a great stocking stuffer for that handyman who already has a ton of tools.
          

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 05:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DEERFIELD BEACH, FLa.– On Dec. 11, 2010 in Montreal, Canada, Welterweight MMA Artist Thiago Alves will sport the Husky Hand Tools logo on his shorts as he takes on rival John Howard.

Husky Hand Tools aligned itself with Alves because of the similarities in traits between the brand and the fighter:  hard working, diverse and powerful.   

“Because of all the upfront hard work and innovative powerful designs, Husky Hand Tools and Accessories continue to deliver reliable performance that helps to make tough jobs easier” said Iron Bridge Tools Karen Gough.  “Just like when you use a Husky Hand Tool, in Mixed Martial Arts success comes by combining power with finesse and reliability; and that is also the winning combination you get with the passionate and committed Thiago Alves.”   

Thiago Alves, a native of Brazil and current resident of Coconut Creek, FL has been a winning MMA Fighter for 12 years. With a 22-5-0 record, Thiago a UFC and AFC Veteran, has been King of the Cage, Mass Destruction Champion, Reality Fighting Champion, Shooto America Veteran, 3X Brazilian State Champion Muay Thai, and more.  Alves, a determined and ardent winner overcame a potentially career ending health issue earlier this year,  and through a comprehensive new diet and strengthening workout schedule, Alves is back to top form and ready to win the December 11th match up!  

Innovative, Reliable and Hard Working…that Means Husky Hand Tools and Thiago Alves!
   

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thank you everyone who entered the 12 Days of Bits & Blades contest. We had 20 winner including our Grand Prize winner (drum roll…) WILLIAM C. from Richland, MI. William we will be shipping out your Bosch 12V Max CLPK41-120 ($374, Ohio Power Tool) 4 tool combo kit this week, with plenty of time to wrap it and put in under the tree for someone deserving… or yourself! Either way is fine with us. For a quick recap of all the winners and each of the 12 Days check out our Bosch Tools page.

If you didn’t win anything, do not worry, Bosch will not let you go home empty handed. You can still get a FREE 3.5” OIS blade & adaptor ($30 value) just fill out this short form on BoschJoeThePro.com and give them the super secret code - OISC10. We have spoken with many who got in early and have already received their free goodies but many more that fill this out more recently and have been waiting several weeks. They are sending out thousands so be patient it’ll come but probably not until 2011.  
     

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 03:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

There is still time to register on 12 Days of Bits & Blades to win one of today’s 4 great prizes as well as the Grand Prize of a 4 Tool Bosch Cordless Combo Kit CLPK41-120 ($374, Ohio Power Tool). When all is said and done there will be 20 winners of Bosch tools & accessories and we wanted to thank the nice folks at Bosch for providing all the goodies and Ohio Power Tool for handling all the shipping & logistics. We Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday Season. Don’t forget Ohio Power Tool has great pricing on all Bosch Tools with Free Shipping until the end of the year.

Today’s Featured Product & Giveaway – Diamond Blades: Segmented 4” DB441 ($18, Ohio Power Tool), Turbo 4” DB442 ($15, Ohio Power Tool), Continuous 4” DB443 ($21, Ohio Power Tool), Turbo 7” DB742 ($26, Ohio Power Tool)

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Only 1 more day left and we promise the last one will be a good one. There is still time to register on 12 Days of Bits & Blades before the Grand Prize in selected! Today’s winner will certainly not have to worry about Driver Bits for a long time. The kit includes more than enough strait, Phillips, square, torx, new P2R2 driver bit as well as several sizes of nut setters. The nice hard plastic case makes storage very clean and organized. This is another kit that would be great gift for such a wide range of people this Holiday season. Check out all the Screwdriver Bit Sets on OhioPowerTool.com.  

Today’s Featured Product & Giveaway – 49 Piece Screwdriver Bit Set T4047 ($39, Ohio Power Tool)

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 06:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

 
If you think you are have tool Déjà Vu you are not alone. In a post almost 3 years ago, on Coptool.com (the long long ago) we announced Ridgid had come out with an Infrared Thermometer and Gas Sniffer. After some time those products went away but now they are back new and improved (apparently they dropped the "Gas Sniffer" name but sorry guys we'll never call it anything else). In the meantime however several new players have come to market with their own products and while the stats look pretty respectable on both new items they are probably not compelling enough to replace existing tools. They will both be available shortly on the Ridgid Handheld Inspection page of Ohio Power Tool. Below is more information from the official Ridgid Press Release.  

The RIDGID micro CD-100 combustible gas detector provides simple and fast readings to quickly identify the presence of combustible gases. The detector is designed to detect methane, propane, butane, ethanol, ammonia, hydrogen and many other combustible gases.

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We are in the final stretch of the 12 Days of Bits & Blades contest with some exciting new products still to give away, not to mention the Grand Prize which we will announce Monday! Today is no exception as we are featuring the brand new Concrete Carbide Drill Bits which we will select 5 winners!

Today’s Featured Product & Giveaway – Speed-X 5/8” SDS-Max Carbide Hammer Bit ($40.50, Ohio Power Tool)

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 04:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Oscillating tools are all the rage these days and the 2010 holiday season is no exception. Oscillating tools and accessories will again be one of the most popular tool gifts given/gotten this year. An important thing to consider when giving a tool gift however is how easy will it be to get the accessories. Some brands only work with their own accessories which means it will be very hard to find them. Bosch has created the universal OIS system for these accessories and with adoption from Milwaukee, Ridgid, Skil and other big names coming it looks like this may easily be the standard within the next year or two. Register on the 12 Days of Bits & Blades today, this is not a prize you will want to miss out on!

Today’s Featured Product & Giveaway – 25 Piece of OIS Accessories ($123, Ohio Power Tool)
    

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's winter time here in Ohio and we just had our first decent snow fall. Only two weeks ago we were enjoying a nice Indian summer but it looks like we are well beyond that now. When it comes to serious BTUs (50k-150k per unit) from a portable electric heater there are a few options. If you have already moved past the less expensive kerosene & other gas options for what ever reason there are some real advantages to electric including cleaner, safer, easier. Here are the different types to choose from in the way the electric heaters actually heat.

Infrared Heaters
Portable infrared heaters use long wave infrared radiation that travels across the area, makes contact with a solid surface and transfers radiation into heat energy in that object. Actually it sounds pretty scary when described like this but we are assured we would not morph into super heros, no matter how long we stood infront of the heater. If you have ever waited outside a restaurant those orange overhead heaters are infrared heaters and they are definitely very warming out in the cold. The advantage to this type of heat is that a breeze in the air will have no effect on the heat you feel from the lamp and that you can “aim” the heater in a specific direction. Another situation for this type of heater would be in a shipping & receiving department where the constant opening and shutting of delivery doors might rob the room of ambient warm air.

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are under the belief that every independent man & woman should have a drill & driver bit set along with some kind of basic drill. Even the most novice apartment dweller will occasionally need to assemble an Ikea desk or hang a curtain rod. At the same time even the most skilled craftsman can also appreciate the organization and convenience these kits have to offer. If you have several kits you can just take the most relevant kit and you are off to do the job. Today’s prize in the 12 Days of Bits & Blades contest is just such a kit and we think one of the best we have seen.

Today’s Featured Product & Giveaway – 39 Piece Drill & Driver Set T4039 ($29, Ohio Power Tool)

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 05:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

True to their word Milwaukee has launched their cordless oscillating Multi-Tool 2426-22 ($149, Ohio Power Tool) prior to the 2010 holiday season. These have been flying off shelves everyday with more coming in each week, still plenty of time to get one before Christmas. Some cool features of the new tool are that they include 2 of the new Red Lithium M12 batteries which give it up to 40% better runtime against the competition but the same compact size.  These batteries will also give your other current Milwaukee M12 tools a boost in power, torque & runtime.

Another great feature we were happy to see is that Milwaukee got on board with the new industry standard of OIS accessories for this tool. Basically this means it will work with other manufacturer’s blades that share in this standard which include Bosch, Skil, Ridgid, older Fein & promise of some of the other big power tool players who don’t yet have oscillating tools. This gives the tool a huge range of options right out of the gate. Milwaukee has also developed an adaptor which they include in the kit that allows the tool to use even more accessories not on the OIS system such as the newer star shaped Fein accessories.

We had a short chance to use this tool several months back and it didn’t strike us as having any more or less power than the Fein, Bosch or Dremel cordless tools. Adding the longer battery life is helpful but for how much juice these tools require a Red Lithium XC battery might be just what the doctor ordered. The other big selling feature would be the 30+ other tools in the M12 line making it the strongest 12V line by far in terms of number of tools. As we see new tools like the 3/8” hammer drill 2411-22 and Palm Nailer 2458-21 also selling well it is clear professionals have adopted this line of tools.
           

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 02:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

With the growing popularity of impact drivers it is only a natural progression that more accessories would follow. Bosch has created a line of Impact Tough accessories to handle the more torque created by these tools like you will find in the 2 tool CLPK23-180 Combo kit ($219, Ohio Power Tool) but that will also work with the ¼” hex shank. Today we have a great example of one of these innovative new kits as part of our 12 Days of Bits and Blades contest.  

Today’s Featured Product & Giveaway – Thin Metal Hole saw Kit HTWS ($45, Ohio Power Tool)

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today’s Featured Product & Giveaway – Demolition Reciprocating Saw Blade Set RD12PK ($35, Ohio Power Tool)

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 04:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Back in March of this year Bosch revolutionized the ship & spur auger bit market with the introduction of the NailKiller Auger Bit. This eliminates the need for 2 different types of auger bits and is made a bit that could last up to 9 times longer when nails were involved. Register on the 12 Days of Bits & Blades page for a chance to win Bosch prizes everyday for the next week as well as the Grand Prize which we will announce the following Monday.

($19.76, Ohio Power Tool)

Check out the video below for more on exactly all the features that make these bits so different.

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In 1946 a man was tinkering around thinking of a better way to make a cut and stuck a saw blade on his wife’s sewing machine… That’s all I needed to hear, this guy is my new hero! We never heard if his wife left him or not but with this stroke of genius he became the inventor of the first Jig Saw for Bosch Tools. Later Bosch was the first to invent the T-Shank (now industry standard), first to have a tool less blade change as well as several other firsts which were copied by every other jig saw manufacturer in the world. Register on 12 Days of Bits & Blades to win this and other Bosch prizes. 

Today’s Featured Product & Giveaway – Bosch 18 Piece Jig Saw Kit T18CHC ($26, Ohio Power Tool)     

This kit includes (2) T101B, (3) T144D, (2) T119BO, (3) T118A, (3) T118B, (1) T123X, (2) T234X, (1) T345XF, (1)T101BR in a reusable hard plastic storage box. Basically everything you might need for cutting wood or metal with any jig saw. This is another great stocking stuffer gift idea for anyone who is even the least bit handy. Checkout all the Bosch Jig Saw Blades from Ohio Power Tool (free shipping for orders over $99), there are several other kits and dozens of blade packs. Check out the below video we shot a while back on the Xtra Clean T308B Bosch blade, we just wish the resolution could be much higher to show the cleanness.  

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 05:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

At one point not long ago Fein MultiMaster enjoyed a literal monopoly on the oscillating tool market. They ran infomercials and sold these units around $400 with accessories ranging from $20-$50+ a pop. Over the past 2 years however that has all changed as many more players have come into the market. You can pick up a Harbor store version for very cheap, possibly less than the money you spent on the gas to drive there and back. 
    

That being said there is no question the Fein MultiMaster is still the uncontested best oscillating tool on the market today, while Bosch has plans for the MX25EVS which could be an equal rival for cheaper, it won’t be here until next year sometime. Pretty sure IOUs don’t have the same effect under the Christmas tree. The great news for this holiday season is you can pick up a MultiMaster now for under $200 thanks to this Mail in Rebate for $50 off all the most popular Fein kits.

If you do pick up one of the Feins and want to save even more money on your accessories you might checkout the Bosch OIS system which will work with the MultiMasters as long as you get a FREE adaptor and 3.5” blade (which actual work on any oscillating tools even the cheaper ones). Simply register on this website and use the Tool Blogger's secret code – OISC10. All together this adds up to some serious savings!
    

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When it comes to driving Tappers into concrete you are going to need several accessories and may even be using several tools. First you need to use a carbide bit and a rotary hammer to drill the right size hole in the concrete. Second you need to switch to drill mode (or seperate drill) and use a different bit to anchor the Tapper screws. Today’s Giveaway Prize makes this process so much easier. There is still time to register on the 12 Days of Bits & Blades page, plus 8 more days of prizes and the Grand Prize still to come!

Today’s Featured Product & Giveaway – Anchor Drive Installation Tool Kit HC2309 ($38, Ohio Power Tool)
 

Posted by Jay Amstutz at 06:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)