Back in July we posted on these tools in their European versions (see here). Finally the Bosch Brute Tough Lithium Tools are here, well soon at least. These have been long anticipated and probably not a coincidence these tools will be released almost exactly at the same time as the new Milwaukee M18 line of tools. The Bosch Brute Drills have been the preferred cordless drill of choice by many for some time. The delay in coming to market with a Brute 18V may have caused some to switch brands but hopefully not too many. Bosch is making up for lost time with one of the most powerful 18 volt tools we have seen. The new hammer drill has 650 in/lbs and 0-475/2,050 RPM well above the current competition. The battery system will be similar to the 36 volt tools with SlimPacks and FatPack options.

The only down side of the release of new Bosch 14.4 and 18 volt tools is this means no more amazing deals on Bosch 36 volt which we have seen all summer long. Since Bosch didn’t have an equivalent 18 volt product they rewarded all their loyal users with 36 volt tools at 18 volt prices. A hammer drill kit for instance can still be picked up for $249 while a 4 tool combo is still only $497. These prices are part of a limited time promo and will go back up in September before the new tools are released.    

The new 14.4 & 18V tools both Brute Tough and Compact Tough can be pre-ordered at Ohio Power Tool and will be shipped in early October. We will all patiently wait for the different saws, lights and other tools that will work with these systems to be released.          

Read The Full Bosch Press Release Below:

Mount Prospect, Ill., August 25, 2008 – Building on the success of its award-winning 36-volt and 12V-Max Litheon cordless tool platforms, Bosch Power Tools and Accessories today unveiled its first Litheon-powered offerings in the popular 18V and 14.4V size ranges. The core of Bosch’s mid-range Litheon™ launch is a full range of cordless drill/drivers and hammer drill/drivers purpose-built to offer the best runtime, battery life, durability and performance in the industry.

At first glance it appears that there are many Kett Saws that all look very similar and it can be difficult to know which is right for you. Hopefully we can give a brief description that will make the process much easier.

The first thing to look at is the basic motors and for the saws there are basically 4 types: 2 pistol grips, a D-handle and a pneumatic model. From there you will select the head which there are 7 different types. Each of the heads work with multiple blades and there are 36+ different blades to choose from. The easiest thing I’ve found to do is work backwards. What type of material do you need to cut?

A. Mild Steel 14 to 15 Gauge
B. Mild Steel 16 to 23 Gauge
C. Mild Steel 24 Gauge and Lighter
D. Hard Aluminum
E. Soft Aluminum
F. Brass
G. Copper and Lead
H. Fiberglass
L. Plywood, Hardboard, Pressed Board, etc.
J. Alliance Wall, Color Wall, Mirawal and similar single faced metal laminated panels
K. Plastics, plain as Lucite, Plexiglas and decorative laminates as Consoweld, Formica, Micarta, Texolite and Panelyte

Once you have an ideal of the different material you will need to cut you can determine how deep would your deepest cuts need to be? From the chart below you can see all the different size Kett Saw Blades and if you look on the right you can match the letters with the materials from the above list.

Once you have a good idea which blades will work you can use the below chart to see which models of Kett saws the blades will work.

There are some obvious features hopefully you already know such as pneumatic vs. electric or if you need a vacuum attachment head or not. If you know you need to cut fiberglass up to ½” this is a much easier way to narrow it down to which tools are your best options.

On the Ohio Power Tool website you can see the Kett Saws with the blades that come with each saw as well as links to the different size saw blades that work with the tool.

Posted by Jay A. at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It has been rumored Bosch was going to change from 10.8V to 12V for some time. Yesterday Bosch officially announced the launch the second generation of the PS20 which is a 12V Max tool, the new model number is PS20-2A. The upgrade for the originator of the ultra compact tool market features a 25% increase in power and speed to 100 inch-pound of torque and 500 RPM operating speed. Below is the explanation of the name switch from Bosch’s recent press release:

Posted by Jay A. at 08:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s no secret there has been some very big success in the Pocket/Micro tool market. It started with the Bosch 10.8v tools, then the Milwaukee 12v (newly named the M12 tools) and now almost every tools company has some form of these compact lithium ion tools. One of the common complaints for most of these tools is that they don’t have a standard chuck but instead a ¼” hex. This means you can’t use standard drill bits for pilots or any other form of drilling and if you need to carry two tools around that pretty much defeats the purpose. Obviously if you are going to do some serious drilling you may want to look at a slightly larger tool. Perhaps something like the new Milwaukee compact 18V Lithium 2601-22 ($199), still lightweight just over 3.5 lbs but it is built for heavy use. That being said you should still be able to do some occasional drilling and detail work with the 10.8v and 12v tool.
  

The internet is an amazing place to shop, compare and learn about products but I do feel there is something that maybe hasn’t been completely figured out when it comes to recommendations and accessories the way you get when you come into a store, hold the tools and talk to the guys behind the counter. A great instance of this is with the Milwaukee 38 Piece Quik-Lok 48-32-1500 set which sells incredibly well with any brand of the Micro & Pocket Drivers in the store because it just makes sense. The kit comes with 7 different sized ¼” hex drill bits, ¼” & 3/8” square socket adapters, Quik-Loc connectors and all sorts of different size driver bits. This is way more than just another driver bits which you already have but some however that gets lost online. With so much “upselling” going on it’s really hard to tell if this is really a recommendation from someone who know what they are talking about or simple a computer program matching compatible accessories, trying to add a few extra bucks on the sale.

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

The Ingersoll Rand impact socket sets are extremely well built sockets and can handle the toughest abuse. Each set comes in a hard plastic case which holds the individual socket into place. The cases feature strong metal latches and an easy grip handle for carrying. These socket sets are ideal for service vehicles or any mechanic. Price competitively against even the cheapest knockoffs you might as well spend the extra few bucks and get the Ingersoll Rand quality. Select from the standard sizes 3/8”, ½”, ¾” and 1” available in American (SAE) or Metric. You also have a choice of regular or deep sockets and even a few 1” sets specific to truck maintenance that feature both such as the SK8C5T & SK8H9T.  

Currently there are two great specials on Ohio Power Tool for free SK4H13 ½” socket sets with the purchase of either the 1/2" air 2135TiMAX ($249) or the 1/2" Cordless IQv Impact Set W360-LSP ($359). Each great deals on their own but with a $30+ socket set these are some of the best deals on the internet. If you would rather have the ½” metric set SK4M14 you can also place the order by phone and ask to switch for that set instead.  

Posted by Jay A. at 04:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In today’s global market and with the help of the internet, consumers are equipped with more knowledge and purchasing options than ever before. In the quest for the best power tools at the lowest prices many people from around the world have found that a weak American dollar and the highest amount of online price competition, the United States is a great place to buy tools and equipment. Even with a higher shipping cost and a few days longer wait for shipping it is often still much cheaper to purchase from the US. A big problem many international consumers face however is that most US companies will not ship outside the US or the company will only accept wire transfer payments and not foreign credit cards or paypal. From the retail side even if they take the order many companies even the largest ones are not familiar with proper international shipping practices to every country and many mistakes are made.

For years customers from around the world have used the company International Checkout to purchase a wide variety of products such as shoes, clothing, electronics, musical instruments, house ware and more from well known US based companies. The company has built a strong reputation over the years and received very favorable press, including being named on a list of the 50 Great Ideas of the 21st Century. Recently International Checkout has partnered with Ohio Power Tool as their one and only source for name brand Power Tools such as Milwaukee, Bosch, Ingersoll Rand Makita, Ridgid, Power Team and many more.

The ordering process couldn’t be easier. Simply find the item you would like to purchase at www.OhioPowerTool.com and click the “Add to Cart” button. Once you are in the shopping cart choose the “International Checkout” button at the top or bottom of the page. This will import your entire Ohio Power Tool shopping cart to International Checkout. They allow for a wide range of shipping options at the lowest rates available and will accept almost any form of payment known to man.              

Posted by Jay A. at 01:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently Bosch Tools added several products to their Dust Extraction line which should make many peoples lives easier and healthier. Working with concrete specifically can create Crystalline Silica or Silica Dust. When this substance enters the lungs it can cause the lung disease Silicosis. Silicosis can be disabling or even fatal as it blocks the lungs from absorbing oxygen when inhaling. There is no cure at this time for Silicosis but there are many ways to prevent breathing in the Silica Dust in the first place. Simply keep it out of the air as much as possible and that is just what Bosch has made much easier and cheaper.

Bosch’s SG-Series (18SG-5E & 18SG-7) attachments are designed for concrete surfacing applications where aggressive dust removal is a must. Optimized for use with Bosch’s AirSweep vacuum system, the SG-Series attachments keep concrete dust out of the air and off of the work surface. A removable nose piece enables up-to-wall surfacing, while a replaceable brush ring maximizes the attachment’s lifespan in grueling environments. The SG-Series attachments are ideal for concrete restoration work and other surfacing applications.

Bosch’s DC-Series (18DC-5E & 18DC-6E) attachments are designed for efficient dust removal in masonry cutting applications and keep worksites dust-free without sacrificing performance. Featuring a large, stable footplate and fast single-screw depth adjustment, the DC-Series attachments allow for a full depth of cut and outstanding line-of-sight in precision concrete cutting applications. Like the SG-Series attachments, the DC-Series attachments are optimized for use with Bosch’s AirSweep system.

The new lines of grinder attachments feature vacuum outlets that are made to work with the Bosch Airsweep Vacuum 3931A. This system previously has worked amazingly well with the Bosch Tuckpointer Grinder 1775E and the 5” Concrete Surfacing Grinder 1773AK. These tools are both great to have on the job site but neither one is cheap or multipurpose. The new grinder attachments simply add function to your existing tools and for relatively little cost. If you don’t currently use Bosch Grinders they start at $75 at Ohio Power Tool.

Posted by Jay A. at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s that time of year again, where everyone lump Dads and Grads together so they can make snappy sounding sales promotions. Power tools, hand tools & accessory kits are no exception and they do make very popular gift ideas for Father’s Day or a Graduation. Power tools are probably more appropriate for college graduation or trade school graduation but a compact tool kit could provide useful for a high schooler headed to the dorms as well. Here are some inexpensive gift ideas you may want to checkout for your dad or graduating child, brother, sister, cousin, neighbor, friend, etc.

Father's Day & Graduation Gift Ideas

 
Milwaukee 20 Piece Thunderbolt Black & Bronze Bit Set
list price: $45.00 Sale Price: $19.95

 
Milwaukee 38 Piece Quik-loc Drill & Driver Bit Set
List Price: $47.00  Sale Price: $19.95

Wright 21 Piece 3/8" Socket Set
List Price: $99.84  Sale Price: $59.90

Dremel Cordless Tool Kit 10.8V
List Price: $183.59  Sale Price: $110.15

Bosch 10.8V Cordless Tool Kit (plus 2nd free Mail-in tool)
List Price: $235.00  Sale Price: $119.00

Milwaukee 14.4V Drill & Flashlight Tool Kit
List Price: $326.00  Sale Price: $137.60

Bosch 36 volt Cordless 4 Piece Combo Kit (+ Free 3rd Battery)
List Price: $1,156.00  Sales Price: $497.00

There are hundreds of other great gift ideas at Ohio Power Tool. If you have any questions or would like specific gift idea suggestions within a certain budget price range call 800-242-4424 and ask the pros.    

Posted by Jay A. at 02:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Jay A. at 07:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you haven’t picked up one of the Bosch 10.8V tools yet, now is the perfect time because you will get a free tool! Purchase any of the driver kits PS10-2, PS20-2 or PS40-2 and you can mail-in to receive a FREE PS20. The free tool is a bare tool only so you don’t get batteries, charger or carrying case but it’s still a great deal. It’s a tough decision between the i-drive PS10-2 or Impactor PS40-2 they are both great tools but I would probably go with the Impactor. Bosch is planning to release additional tools expected to hit shelves soon which will work on the same battery system. I would expect to see some new cutting tools, drills and probably some different woodworking or craft type tools. The 10.8V battery is great but probably won’t be powering a 6.5” circular saws anytime in the future.

If you have any questions call the pros at Ohio Power Tool 800-242-4424.  

Posted by Jay A. at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Titan Milwaukee Work Carts came out well over a year ago and has served many of us very well. Around the internet you will see these selling for $300-600+ depending on the model. The main difference in the two models is the 48-60-5015 has a lockable cabinet on the bottom shelf while the 48-60-5010 is open on the bottom. Both carts have a lockable drawer and work with the same add-on accessories. Milwaukee made an entire site to showcase how these carts can be configured and videos to show how well these carts are built.
See the Milwaukee Titan Site.

Ohio Power Tool is selling the 48-60-5010 cart for $175.00, which I can’t find anything for even double that on any site across the internet. These are brand new in the box from the factory and Made in the USA. Checkout the Google Shopping search on this product  for our everyone's prices. These will move fast at this price. If you have any questions call Ohio Power Tool at 800-242-4424.

Posted by Jay A. at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently Bosch drastically reduced their price on the 36 volt Litheon tools to the point they are actually cheaper than some of their own 18 volt NiCd tools. In addition to these new low prices they have also supplied Ohio Power Tool with an additional FatPack 36 volt battery for every drill/driver kit and 4 piece combo kit sold. (Get the battery with kits, no mail-in rebates) I am having a tough time finding comparable brands that have a better deal on 18 volt NiCd Drill/Driver kit with three batteries.

My assumption is they are basically giving these tools away at little profit or most likely a lose. This is a common practice in other industries such as video game consoles where they lose money to get you into the system but then make up for it over the next few years with video game sales. Bosch makes exceptional power tools and the 36 volt Litheon tools are probably their most impressive line up. These tools have not however made their way into most peoples hands. People tend to be loyal to one brand until compelled to make a switch. I think Bosch is trying to make that compelling argument, a 36 volt drill/driver kit with 3 lithium ion batteries priced at $229.00 is pretty compelling. A full 4 tool combo kit with 3 lithium ion batteries is only $499.

Clearly the goal here is to get more 36V tools and more importantly batteries into the hands of as many consumers as possible. Bosch is looks to the future and plans to expand their Litheon tool line up. Future success with any cordless line is very much dependant on how many users currently have the batteries. Lose some money upfront, gain more users for years to come.

Bottom line is if you are looking to upgrade some older tools or looking for a completely new cordless combo kit, now is the time to take advantage. These tools give you the same power as if you were plugging strait into the wall and with 3 batteries there is essentially zero down time. The Bosch 10.8v tools also get a price drop PS20-2 to $119 and PS40-2 to $169.

If you have any questions about Bosch Tools or any other tools call the experts at Ohio Power Tool, 800-242-4424.  

Posted by Jay A. at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are a small number of people that use a mag drill on a daily basis and you are well aware if you are one of them. These tools are becoming more popular for much more than just working on I-beams. If you are considering a mag drill or an upgrade there are several important things to consider.

Hougen and Milwaukee are probably the two best known and most reliable makers of mag drills. Magnetic drills vary greatly in their size, weight, height, depth of cut (d.o.c.), amp power, RPMs and several other features. Hougen makes the smallest mag drills available, HMD115 & HMD150, which have an extremely low profile. The small sizes makes these incredibly useful for working in tight spaces such as with automotive and trucking applications.

One of the most popular mag drills and a real work horse is the Hougen HMD 904. This model is light weight at 27.5 lbs, powerful with 450 RPM and d.o.c. of 2”. It has a height of 16” and easy to work with if not in a tight spot. This model is also available as the HMD904S which features a swivel base. The swivel base allows you to get the drill close to the hole and then do a more precise line up with the tool in position. This is an especially huge advantage when using a mag drill in the horizontal or overhead position.

For more heavy duty applications consider the Hougen HMD925 with Powerfeed or the HMD505 that has a d.o.c. of 3” and 2 RPM speed options. The Milwaukee mag drills on OhioPowerTool.com are larger machines ranging from 57-72 lbs. heavier than any of the Hougen drills available although they do have some good features. These Milwaukee units feature adjustable bases for lining up your hole exactly. Also the Milwaukee drills feature keyed chucks which can use regular drill bits, hole saws or the Milwaukee Steel Hawg Cutters up to 6”. Milwaukee does have a smaller Hougen style mag drill 4270-20 but there are many reasons why the Hougen outperforms it. Please comment if you disagree, this will probably be a future article.

When considering drilling into solid metal the drill bit itself is a large considerations. Hougen features several varieties of Rotabroach Annular Cutters engineered to be one of the best metal cutters on the market. The Rotabroach cutters will work with other mag drills but will not work with chuck type mag drills. The smaller Hougen drills use different cutters all together which are more compact the Rotaloc (HMD115) and Rotaloc Plus (HMD150). If you are looking for cutters that work with a 3/8" chuck, the Milwaukee Steel Hawg Cutters work with traditional chucks and range in size from 7/8” to 6”. For cutting thin metal, such as sheet metal, Hougen makes several kits (RotaCut & Holcutter) which work in a traditional chuck style hand drills.    

Deciding which type of mag drill and cutters you will need is not an easy decision and not something you can determine easily by reading a quick blog post. I would recommend calling the professionals at Ohio Power Tool (800-242-4424) if you have any questions.

Posted by Jay A. at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In a recent post we briefly compared the Bosch 10.8V Pocket Driver PS20-2 and the Milwaukee 12V Micro Driver 2401-22. At the time we had not receive the Milwaukee 12V tools so it was more of an on paper comparison. Now that a few months have past and we have some customers using them it is time to take another look.

I would like to start off by saying both these tool lines have been incredibly successful and I really feel these are professional tools that just happen to be very small. The Sub Compact Tool category has a very legitimate place in many professional tool boxes. An estimated 80-90% of our customers are professionals who come to us for their tools and repairs and we wouldn’t sell any products we don’t stand behind.

The Bosch PS20-2 claims to be able to drive 100 3” screws on a single charge and I though a good comparison would be to see if that was true and then see if the Milwaukee 2401-22 could match it… then though about screwing in 200 3” screws and decided against that particular comparison.  

On paper it looks like the Milwaukee Micro Driver has a serious advantage over the Bosch Pocket Driver.

Milwaukee 2401-22 Micro Driver   –   12 Volt   –   120 ft lb

Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver   -   10.8 Volt   -   80 ft lb

Some interesting information on the PS20-2, the rating is actually on their “average power” not the “initial power”. The claim from Bosch is that their starting power rating is actually above 12 Volts and the initial ft lb torque is also higher, presumably around 120 ft lb like the Milwaukee 2401-22. The entire line of 10.8V Bosch tools will actually get a name change to “Bosch 12 Volt Max” at some point in the near future. This explanation leads me to believe their will be no real changes to the components only the name will change to reflect their “Max” power rating. This information is from Bosch so you should consider the source; Milwaukee probably has a completely different view on comparing the two products.

If this is the case essentially these two tools are even more similar than they appear. When you look at the batteries they look almost identical in shape and size. It is not hard to believe the power output would be very similar as well. The chargers and cases are also very similar as you can see in the picture below. I did test these both out on a few screws and from that basic test I couldn’t feel any real difference in power although I wasn’t exactly testing the limits.

Currently Bosch has 4 tools in their line-up while Milwaukee only has the 1 but both companies are planning to have 20-30 tools out for each line in the next year or two. It will be very interesting to see what new tools we will see in the sub compact tool market. Milwaukee for instance has plans to create a product that will compete with the Ridgid Seesnake Micro 25643 so we are going to see all sorts of new tools outside traditional saws, drivers and drills. This makes the comparison much more difficult because you always want to choose the line that will have the most versatility using the same battery system.

Bosch does currently have a special for a free ESPN fleece with all 10.8v purchases until April 11th if that might effect your buying decision.

So who wins the ultra compact driver comparison between the Bosch vs. Milwaukee? I personally would have to give a slight advantage to the Milwaukee 2401-22 and this is under the assumption the power output and torque are more similar than the numbers say, which I can believe. The Milwaukee had a few features over the Bosch that makes it stand out. First, the quick bit-loading 1/4” hex chuck is really nice and easier to use than the Bosch. Second the Milwaukee has a battery gauge, where the Bosch doesn’t. Finally the Milwaukee 12V Driver just looks cooler. Now the Milwaukee did come out 6 months later so they had time to really make more improvements. Both tools have build in light, weight about the same and feel very similar in hand. What would really make the decision much easier is if I knew what 20+ products were going to be added to each company’s line up. These are just the drivers; I can’t wait to see how competitive this gets in the next year.

If you have any opinions about either of these tools or any other sub compact tools feel free to post a comment.  

Posted by Jay A. at 07:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The Seesnake Micro 25643 has been an incredibly successful product. The price is affordable, it’s easy to carry around, extremely useful and just a lot of fun. There have been a few complaints. It is after all a brand new product. Specifically customers have had problems with the heads breaking during heavy use. Also the neck is not always flexible enough for different plumbing jobs. Many of our customers have used the regular Seesnakes for years and know the Seesnakes are durable machines. I think perhaps some users got a little aggressive with their micros and had it doing jobs they maybe should have used something like a Seesnake Compact 95542 instead.   

If you have found yourself in this situation there is good news. Ridgid has come out with a new 3’ camera head that is more flexible and the head is 9.5mm (current model is 17mm). Another big advantage is the new camera head will be made of aluminum, instead of plastic, so it can take more abuse without cracking. There is no immediate plan to replace the heads on all new Seesnake Micros so everyone will still need to buy the regular Micro 25643 and then also buy the 9.5mm 3’ camera head 30068.

Good news is you can pre-order the 30068 Camera Head for $99.95 at Ohio Power Tool. The bad news is it won’t arrive until May and there will only be a limited supply so if you don’t pre-order you could be waiting until mid summer before you get your hands on one.    

Posted by Jay A. at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We love to see Milwaukee adding more tools to the V28 Line. Earlier this week we had mentioned the Cordless V28 toolbox Vacuum which just came out as well. The great part about the V28 system is that it actually has the power to run tools like an angle grinder. It seems like there are a lot of other tool brands that will make tools that are for all intensive purposes useless but the idea is cool. If you start loosing power within the first minutes of use, should they really even be making the tool. The V28 on the other hand has the power to get the job done when an outlet isn’t around. Will a single charge run all day…no of course not but with a extra battery alternating on the charger (and a 5000 charge V28 guarantee) you should be able to get some serious grinding done.

V28 Grinder / Cut-off Kit 0725-21 (includes battery & charger) - $348.21
V28 Grinder / Cut-off Tool Only 0725-20 - $199.20

• V28 Motor delivers 8,000 RPM for fast cutting and grinding
• V28 Li-Ion Battery 75 Cuts of 1/2" Threaded Rod.
• Fuel Gauge indicates remaining run time.
• Overload Protection prevents overheating and extends tool life.
• Soft start reduces start-up torque and improves gear life.
• Slide on switch reduces user fatigue
• Spindle: 5/8" - 11
• Kit includes:  One battery, charger, side handle, grinding guard, cut-off guard, flanges, wrench, grinding wheel, cut-off wheel.

Visit our Milwaukee Tools home page for all the latest tools and accessories.    

Posted by Jay A. at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Milwaukee tool has developed two portable tool box style wet/dry vacuums, 0880-20 (V18) & 0780-20 (V28). These vacuums are battery operated using the V28 and V18 series lithium ion batteries. Suction is 20% higher than the competition with 40% higher air flow. Battery life is 11 minutes with V18 and 16 minutes with V28 for continuous operation. The 1-1/4” hose and accessories are housed on board the vacuum. Total capacity is 2 gallons in this compact, stackable design. Both models are priced at $97.20 at Ohio Power Tool.

This is a great design for all sorts of technicians and service professionals. It works with existing cordless tools and along with the Milwaukee name it’s backed by a 5 year warranty. If you don’t already have batteries and a charger you can pick up a 48-11-1833 kit for $179 which includes 2 V18 batteries and a universal charger (charges 18v, V18 & V28). Let us know what you think.       

Ohio Power Tool has a wide range of Milwaukee Tools in stock every day. Visit our Milwaukee Page or give us a call at 800-242-4424.

Posted by Jay A. at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently I was visiting with a friend of mine at Turbo Charging Dynamics who manufactures BMW turbos and other performance accessories, mostly for BMWs from the 80’s and 90’s. He has a great job basically playing with cars all day and make insane horsepower with turbo systems they designs. He had an interesting project in the shop, a customer with an older M3 that was getting it striped and putting in a GM LS motor (corvette engine). TCD wasn’t actually putting the motor in, just doing some of the other BMW specific performance work but it seemed like an odd paring to have a GM motor replace a BMW motor. I wonder if this is probably fround upon by other hardcore BMW enthusiasts (TCD forum). However if you are going to put a new engine in an older vehicle of any kind these aluminum small block LS series motors seem to be a very viable option. They are relatively small, light weight, easy to install and rather cheap. They even make plastic engine templates the exact size of the motor so you can fit everything in place without constantly using an engine crane and knocking around any other components. (more on this project soon)

This was the best Crate Motor site I found with LS2 engines 400hp under $6,000 and a LS7 engines 505hp just over $13,000. These engines are used in everything including some planes because they are so light weight and compact. Hopefully in the not to distant future we can put together a project car using one of these engines which will give us plenty of opportunity to demonstrate some of our Automotive Power Tools and I can play mechanic on company time. Let me know if you have any links to interesting project car sites.   

Posted by Jay A. at 06:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

During the month of February if you order over $1300 of any Hein-Werner equipment you will receive free shipping to anywhere in the continental US. At first glance that might seem like only a modest deal. Then you realize some of the larger floor jacks weight in at 400+ lbs while the larger shop presses can weight almost as much as a small compact car. Freight would differ by location but this could probably be several hundred dollars in savings.

Hein-Werner is a well known name in automotive equipment from floor jacks, air lifts, engine lifts, transmission jacks, shop presses, jack stands and many more. In additional to being top of the line equipment, all our Hein Werner products are manufactured right here in the United States of America. If you have any questions about any of the Hein-Werner equipment contact the professionals at Ohio Power Tool and we would be more than happy to help.

Posted by Jay A. at 05:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Over the last year Ridgid has come out with several great new products that take some fairly advance technology and make them cheap enough for use by anyone. Three good examples of these are the IR Thermometer, Micro Seesnake and the Gas Sniffer.

The IR-100 infrared thermometer is probably my new favorite toy around the shop. This is a great technology with an extremely convenient application and after using it for only a few times you’ll think, how did I get along without this before. There are many obvious applications for HVAC, plumbing, mechanic, electrician, home inspectors and the list goes on and on. Then of course there are those age old questions man has struggled with for years which can now be answered such as… how hot is this McDonalds coffee really?   

The Micro Seesnake, which hopefully everyone is pretty familiar with by now as we have mentioned it several times is another gret new hi-tech gadget. Really there was nothing around before this for the price that was so versatile. Great for plumbing, HVAC, home inspection, electrician, mechanics and everyone else, it has a million uses. For plumbing it can’t really replace the larger Seesnakes for most plumbing work but with up to 30’ of extensions and at a fraction of the cost it does save lots of lugging around the big equipment for the smaller jobs.  

The CG-100 Gas Sniffer is another great new Ridgid product. This tool makes finding combustible gas leaks very simple with an easy to read LED meter and audio or vibrate modes. Again this is a great technology with a very simple application to making many people’s job not only easier but also much safer. And at the price of only $242 it should be an obvious choice for many toolboxes.  

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What do you really want for the holidays? Here are some ideas for dream gifts for those who want to do a little more around the house… or perhaps build another house. Personally I’m obsessed with tools and I’ll look for any excuse to get all the new tools. The Micro Seesnake is a good example of that. How did anyone ever live without this thing? Some of the things on the list are defiantly overkill but for the most part pretty reasonable, in my mind.

First off everyone needs a good set of cordless power tools. The Bosch Litheon 36 volt 4 tool combo kit CPK40-36 should work nicely. At $642.50 with the $100 off tool trade-in deal, these tools are within reach. The Bosch 36 volt Litheon tools are some of the most powerful on the market today and with 2 FatPack batteries you’ll be able to work all day long without waiting for batteries to recharge.

In addition to a good set of cordless tools you’re going to need a really good saw that is portable enough to travel but still make extremely accurate cuts. Most likely you will already have a circular saw and reciprocating saw so the next step would be to get a miter saw and/or table saw. If you have a nice big work shop you might as well get both. On the other hand if you do need to do some work away from home base it’s great to have something that travels easily. In the past a table saw was not a good option for portability.  This is not the case today, check out the Bosch 4100-09 10 inch table saw. It is extremely portable and sets up in about 5 seconds. Bosch also makes several amazing 12 inch miter saws checkout the 4212L and 5412L models.

For working at home an item many of us would like to have in their garage is a lift. Is that really out of the question? Not with the Norco 2.5 ton air lift jack. These fine lifts have wheels so you can store them away when not in use and move them into position when you are ready to turn your garage into a full blown mechanic shop. For $865.33 each these are a great investment for any garage.

Once you got that hot rod up on the lift you are going to need to get some work done. Ohio Power Tool sells a wide variety of other automotive tools and everything you might need to really make a lot of noise in the garage. Obviously the first place to start is a good air compressor to run all your new pneumatic tools. No need to mess around with a wimpy little compressor for the garage that can barely keep up. Ingersoll Rand makes a nice 5 HP, 80 gallon, two stage compressor that will ensure you never run out of juice. For only $1807.20 this monster will power your home workshop all day long. 

For those people that really what to get serious the perfect gift to have under the tree would be a Power Team shop press. I don’t know if Santa can haul the 600 lb unit into my garage or shell out $3936 but it would make for one sweet Christmas morning. This unit is a 25 ton press with a 6.25 inch travel and provides plenty of punch for any home or shop.

These are just a few suggestions for under my dream Christmas tree. I’m sure I’m missing something obvious like a light weight portable magnetic drill and new 35lb jack hammer which I would easily find some uses. See some more reasonable gift ideas on Ohio Power Tool where they have a list of 12 more reasonable items and thousands of other tools that will make great gifts.      

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