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August 20, 2010

Power Tool Drag Racing Tomorrow in Columbus, Ohio

Yes just one day away is the 2nd annual Ohio Tool Racing Championship (www.toolraces.com) and things are getting pretty exciting around the Columbus Idea Foundry this week. Lots of people are piling in this week to get their projects finish. It will probably be a very late night at the shop tonight for some but we’d expect nothing less.

Our Coptool racer is 95% complete and a fairly menacing looking creation; after all there are some pretty big expectations on us. "The Reaver" is welded out of 1” steel tubes, powered by a 9” Bosch grinder pushing a 10” Milwaukee saw blade. See more pics in this Facebook Album. We are pretty confident she will smoke down the track and take any hits that come her way (although pretty inexperienced welder so watch out).

Continue reading "Power Tool Drag Racing Tomorrow in Columbus, Ohio" »

July 29, 2010

ToolStop - Our Tool News Source from Over the Pond

 

Today we had the honor of speaking with Neil & Mark from ToolStop (in Scotland) on their Podcast for the ToolStop Blog. Their blog site is a frequent read for us because they are very up to date on the latest tools being released in Europe which are often tools not yet available in the US. Although after speaking with our friends at ToolStop, apparently they read the Coptool.com blog site for the same reason so I guess it goes both ways. In addition to their Podcasts, Mark & Neil are also very active on YouTube shooting videos on all the latest tools & Accessories. Check this video out below for a new Bosch 18V tool, SDS Hammer Drill & L-Boxx, not out yet in US.

 

Also mentioned in their Blog Post & Podcast was the DeWalt financial numbers for Q2 - 2010 (see reuters.com) which show an adjusted increase in projected profits. This is good news for the tool industry, which has been beaten down for the past 2 years with a sharp decline in any new building. Unfortunately when you read into the report some of the increase is attributed to “inventory restocking” which they do not believe will continue but still somewhat positive for the “Construction and Do-It-Yourself” industry which they believe to be doing better-than-expected.   

     

July 09, 2010

MyFixItUpLife – Weekly Home Improvement Radio Show

If you haven’t had a chance to hear the MyFixItUpLife radio show, it’s a great 1 hour weekly show about power tools, home improvement and much more. The show is on different local stations around the country but I prefer to listen through the free podcasts channel, which has all their episodes listed with short descriptions. Most of their episodes feature celebrities & expert guests so it’s easy to find the topics that are most interesting to you. Recent celebrity guests include Mike Holmes, Christopher Lowell, Chris Grundy and many other hosts of DIY shows.

Their website also has some great articles and a library of videos which cover a wide range of different home improvement projects. The site was recently updates and am a big fan of the new format which separates all this information by topic (ie Tools, Flooring, Bathrooms) so in each topic you get a nice mix of different media. For instance when you visit the Kitchen page you will get a video on kitchen drywalling, blog posts and recent audio podcast interviews about kichen products. Mixing up the media helps me stay interested and also makes it easy to skim through.

    

June 30, 2010

The Mecca for Power Tool News and Other Worldly Knowledge

Wouldn’t it be great to get all the information you want for all the tool manufacturers, with multiple points of view from your favorite tool jockeys, filtering out the fluff, in a single RSS feed, updated continuously all day every day. If such a thing existed it might look something like this.

Well good news it does exist and it’s only one click away at Yahoo Pipes Power Tool News Feed. It combines stories from all your favorite sites like CopTool.com, ToolMonger.com, Toolsnob.com, Toologics.com, ToolCrib.com, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, ToolGuyd.com, Wood Magazine, ProToolReviews.com & Many Others. Then filters them to relevant topics and generates one simple RSS Feed, something like 5-10 updates per day. You can also clone the Pipe and make any changes to suit your own personal preferences.

Once you are loaded up on all this great Power Tool info simply visit OhioPowerTool.com for all your tool & accessory purchases.  

     

June 09, 2010

Bosch & Sortimo Join Forces On L-Boxx Tool Storage

Already in the last week we’ve posted on the new Bosch Glide Miter Saw as well as the new Bosch 2.3HP Routers but there are still many more products to go. Another innovative product from the Bosch Media Event was the new L-Boxx container system Bosch will be selling and integrating with their existing tool line. The L-Boxx system has 4 container sizes with a variety of inserts for sorting and accessory storage. Pricing on these hard case looks to be in the $50-70+ range however the good news, we just heard today officially, these will be available with some of the most popular Bosch Tools as early as this fall. Even better news the target retail pricing looks to be right in line with current street pricing. Bosch 12V drill PS31-2AL (target $159), Multi-X oscillating PS50-2BL (target $199) & a new Jig Saw (more info to follow) will be the first 3 items to launch in addition to standard storage case.

Continue reading "Bosch & Sortimo Join Forces On L-Boxx Tool Storage" »

June 07, 2010

Bosch New Line of 2.3HP Routers – MRC23EVSK

Another exciting product launch from the Recent Bosch Media Event was the new line of Routers. The MR23 routers are available in 3 different configurations: Fixed-Base Router MRF23EVS ($227, Ohio Power Tool), Plunge Base Router MRP23EVS ($244, Ohio Power Tool) & the Combo Router Kit MRC23EVSK ($309, Ohio Power Tool). These are expected to be in stores sometime in July but you can pre-order now on Ohio Power Tool to make sure you are the first kid on the block with the new toy. 

Continue reading "Bosch New Line of 2.3HP Routers – MRC23EVSK " »

May 07, 2010

Check Out the GarageJournal.com Blog & Forum

The Garage Journal is a great blog/forum site we were introduced to several months ago by the guys from The Garage Slab Magazine. Who knew there was so much interest in garages right, to have dedicated magazines and forums? Once you dive on in however my guess is, if you are like me, you will find far too much of it extremely interesting. The “garage” encompasses so much from cars, tools, woodworking, gadgets, beer making, construction and you could probably relate anything else you are interested in without stretching too far. Here was one interesting post that caught my eye, The Bunker Garage, which goes through the whole process of building this unique garage. In the blog they always seem to have lots of posts on tools and work bench designs (see Mega Bench). Check it out it’s worth a visit!   

   

March 31, 2010

Write a Tool Review on Tool-Rank, win $250 from Amazon

Tool-Rank.com offers possibly the most ways to voice your opinion of your favorite power tools and accessories. You can start a new thread in their forum, comment on Chris’s blog posts or write your own power tool reviews and have others comment on them. The $250 Amazon gift card however is only on the tool reviews. Your 1st-5th reviews you write each count as chances to win and as the drawling will be at random it would make sense to increase your chances with more reviews. Content ends July 31, 2010 so you still have plenty of time to enter. Here is a quick video on how to write a review on Tool-Rank.

        

      

February 22, 2010

Win a Craftsman MiterMate from Tool Snob and Sears

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.

   

January 19, 2010

Makita 12” Miter Saw LS1216L 4-Rail System

You may remember the 10” Makita LS1016L we took a look at several months ago. This saw added cut capacity while cutting the actual overall tool profile, making it much friendlier to use. I was really impressed at the time and the obvious question was when does the 12” come out? Chris over at Tool-Rank.com  tipped us off today and has all the stats up on his site as well. It looks like it shares many of the innovative features of the 10” but the capacity is obviously larger, up to 8” crown molding (nested). I look forward to getting my grubby little paws on one of these soon because it could be a serious contender for my next miter saw.  

The LS1216L will be available shortly from Ohio Power Tool with all the other Makita Benchtop Saws. If you have any specific questions feel free to call 800-242-4424 or email sales@ohiopowertool.com.  

    

December 30, 2009

Construction Distribution Magazine December 2009 Issue

I just had a chance to crack open the latest issue of Construction Distribution and it looks really nice. A recent shift in focus have made the publication a little more about the newest tools & applications and less about the “construction distribution” sales channel. Even for those in the tool sales channel I think this is a welcome shift and for all the readers of www.coptool.com most everyone can appreciate this magazine at this point.

Some of the articles this month include Designer Concrete, Pneumatic Nailing & New Technology in Diamond Hole Saws… , as well as lots of product features including a whole list of New Products.

     

November 03, 2009

Stanley Works Acquires Black & Decker (DeWalt, Porter Cable, Delta)

It was announced yesterday that after 4 attempts over the past 27 years Stanley Works has finally acquired Black & Decker in a $4.5 billion deal ($3.5bn stock & $1bn debt). Unfortunately this means about 4,000 additional jobs (10% of work force) will be cut from the business that has already seen dramatic cuts. Shareholders of Black & Decker will get 1.275 shares of Stanley stock and should see an increase in overall shareholder value from the merger.  

Stanley buys and sells companies faster than I can keep track, last year they sold CST/David White to Bosch Tools. It will be very interesting to see what shakes out from this deal. There are many arrangements behind the scenes with companies that have deals with Black & Decker to supply motors, parts, etc and they could potentially loose them under the Stanley brand. I guess the big question will be how will this effect the quality of the tools for DeWalt, Porter Cable and other brands. Black & Decker has had some problems in recent years with their loyal customers being disappointed in degrading quality. Is Stanley the answer?

In addition, both companies will host a joint investor lunch on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. ET in New York City. The live webcast of the meeting can be accessed at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com, www.stanleyworks.com and www.blackanddecker.com.  Read the Full Press Release Below:    

Continue reading "Stanley Works Acquires Black & Decker (DeWalt, Porter Cable, Delta)" »

October 27, 2009

2009 Pumpkin Carving with Power Tools

It seems like last year there were more power tool blogs and YouTubes about pumpkin carving with power tools(see the coptool post from last year). I just saw the Dremel tool for Carving Pumpkins on ToolGuyd, looks pretty similar to many of their other consumer tools but could be really handy for the once a year fun. 

If you want some really creative ideas this year checkout the Pumpkin Carving Contest on ExtremePumpkin.com.     

    

September 25, 2009

I Heart Power Tools – The Tee Shirts

A friend of Ohio Power Tool came up with this design and I laughed so hard I nearly feel out of my chair. The only thing to do was set up a CafePress store (http://www.cafepress.com/iheartpowertool) and stick the design on all the fun stuff they sell for anyone who wants one. Unfortunately, as it was pointed out by Jason on twitter, only 4 of the products are made in USA and one of them is a lady’s thong. There are plenty of styles and colors, check it out for yourself. But I think it’s pretty obvious your girlfriend/wife wants an I Heart Power Tools tee shirt.  

   

August 26, 2009

Win A FREE Milwaukee M12 Driver with Facebook


You may have noticed we added a new Facebook page for Coptool which is a great way for us to upload lots of extra pictures from reviews, hopefully making for better reviews. It would also be a great way for other to comment and upload pictures from their own experiences. To encourage people to become Fans and use the new Facebook Page, Ohio Power Tool is donating a Milwaukee M12 2401-22 to be given away randomly to one of the Facebook Fans. If things go well an additional 2401-22 will be given away for each 100 additional fans (after the first 100). All you need to do to enter is Become a Fan by September 30th.

The Milwaukee M12 2401-22 is one of the most popular Compact Screwdriver and with the Milwaukee M12 tool line expanding as fast as it is, a great addition to anyone's toolbox. Currently the 2401-22 is on sale for $99 and is also applicable for the free M12 battery 48-11-2401 Mail-In Rebate. That’s a total of (3) M12 batteries which currently sell for $59 each.

 

July 10, 2009

Tool Talkies 2009 – The Very Unofficial Awards for Tool Blogs

The landscape of Power Tool specific bloggers has grown over the past year or so and thought it might be a good time to update the old Yahoo Pipe (combination of all these Power Tool Blog RSS feeds). I also thought it might be a fun idea to give some awards out for all the hard work these guys & gals put in writing tool reviews, making videos, answering emails, entertaining their readers and everything else that goes into running a tool blog. The good lord knows they aren’t doing it for the money.  

Most Likely to Give Himself the Super Awesome Award – Yep I won again – www.coptool.com  

Most Posts Award - In any given time period, days/week/months/ever, they win I’ve done the math. Even if you take out the daily TV posts they still are spitting out more posts in a day than I can read on any/every kind of tools imaginable. They are also very objective and do really nice work. -  www.toolmonger.com

Most Trusted Reviews Award – While he doesn’t produce the most posts by any means I tend to believe his reviews & recommendations more than most. A full time construction manager, when not trying to win the Tool Talkies, he really gets a chance to real world test products for a week or more before giving the reviews. - www.toolsnob.com

Best Looking Award – Erica a new comer, does videos on power tools, we’re not even sure if she can write anything and the videos are becoming less and less about tools but she defiantly wins the best looking award. (Only kidding, I’m clearly just jealous you’re not a professional journalist for Coptool.com) - www.hotfortools.com

Best How To Videos Award – The obvious winner goes to Matt Webber. He’s actually some sort of ninja with super powers, not to be messed with, who also happens to make How to Videos about proper tool use and remodeling projects. -  The extreme How To Youtube Video Channel

Best Woodworking Blogs Award – Now I should say we're only looking at strictly online publications here. All the woodworking magazines with their super fancy, gold plated, million dollar workshops don’t count for these awards. Not to take anything away from the winners. - www.thewoodwhisperer.com & www.toolcrib.com/blog/

Second Best Tool Blog Sponsored By a Tool Retailer Award –  Some people are skeptical to believe reveiws and articles from bloggers sponsored by a tool retailer, but if you were going to, Jude Herr from Toologics would be the only one, besides Coptool.com of course.  - www.toologics.com

Rookie of the Year Award – It looks like Chris’s first post was just shy of 1 year ago (August 2008) and already the website has become a very popular place for tool geeks to come together. The attached Forum is also very nice addition and seems to be getting lots of action. - www.tool-rank.com  

Rookie of the Year Award (Runners up) – If Chris should give up his crown for any reason the runner ups would need to cage fight it out for the title along with all the responsibly this title carries with it. Luckily there are no responsibilities for any of these nonsense awards. And the awards go to… - www.toolguyd.com (December 2008) & www.protoolreviews.com (March 2009) & www.professional-power-tool-guide.com (August 2008)  

Disclaimer to The Power Tool Media: The awards for the 2009 Tool Talkies were made up completely on my own, are strictly for fun, not to offend anyone and do not represent the wished of the high tool council we all must bow down before. That being said if you won an award or were a runner up (also a very significant honor) it would probably be wise to promote it very heavily on your twits, spacebooks or whatever else you kids are into these days.      

 

June 22, 2009

PTDRC – Now that was a Fun Time!

The first annual Columbus Power Tool Drag Races went off without anyone losing major limbs… Success! We also managed to have a ton of fun doing it. Typical of a first year event there was some kinks to work out and attendance wasn’t huge but overall the event went very smoothly. In total there were 10 racers and 50+ spectators but with the enthusiasm after the event you know the event is only going to grow by leaps and bounds next year and beyond. 

I taught a workshop before the race on how to build one of these racers and the design I came up with was simple but actually worked very well. In just 3 hours even the most inexperienced builder had put together a racer that was able to zip down the track and even look good doing it (stock cars 1 2 3 4).

My creation “The Flying Toaster” was heavy but fast, powered by a Bosch 9” grinder motor (see video). It was 90% welded together but as build time ran out (I also helped build the track, create a stock car design & teach a class) I had to use some zip ties to hold the side guide wheels on. After the one run the ties broke and the toaster never ran the same again. Unfortunately I was unable to beat TJ’s pig and his taunting fans… I shall have my revenge next year!     

There were high hopes for a few other racers including Mike’s “Little Cranky” which was definitely the most complicated design, almost 100% custom fabricated including gears and frame. The chain drive racer ended up being underpowered with the high RPM, low torque router motor.

One of the fan favorites was Alex’s “Bratzmobile Cruiser”; it actually fell apart during the first run but managed to drag its pieces parts across the finish line anyway and go on to make several more runs as is. It was a toss up weather that was the funnies run or when the Pig got Decapitated. It was a clean cut, who knew cardboard could do that.  

There will be more pictures and videos coming in, check http://www.powertooldragracescolumbus.com/results.html for all the links. The local Channel 10 news was there as well and had some good coverage on TV that night, I am working to get online. Thanks you again to everyone who helped put this together from the Idea Foundry, Fuse Factory and especially to our event sponsors who donated all the fabulous prizes Ohio Power Tool, Skil Power Tools and CH Hanson.

       

June 19, 2009

Power Tool Drag Races...

I wish I could say I was tired of posting on the Power Tool Drag Races, which will be held tomorrow, but I’m just not. This picture came in today from another equally excited individual. Hopefully I can beat the pig(??) or whatever that is.

Last Call: http://www.powertooldragracescolumbus.com/

 

June 18, 2009

Sharpening Your Tools & Accessories, Just Got Easier


We are always looking for ways to save money, I don’t know about you high rollers but last year and the year before I was still trying to save money. Something tells me I’ll be that way no matter what’s going out in the real world. I recently had an interesting conversation about two new products that appeal to my frugal nature the www.worksharptools.com & www.drilldoctor.com designed for sharpening tools and accessories. I’ll be reviewing the Drill Doctor 750x & Work Sharp WS2000 w/Knife sharpener next week and let you know what my thoughts are. In the meantime I’ll leave you with their official Press Release below…   

Continue reading "Sharpening Your Tools & Accessories, Just Got Easier" »

June 17, 2009

Power Tool Drag Races – This Saturday @ Idea Foundry

Have you ever wondered what that Pine Wood Derby Car you built when you were 8 would look like if you feed it steroids and powered it with a circular saw...

If you will be anywhere near Columbus Ohio THIS SATURDAY I would encourage anyone and everyone to come out for the 1st Annual Power Tool Drag Races. The event will be held rain or shine and there will be plenty of food and delicious BBQ but also feel free to bring your own food and beverages of your choice. If you want to build your own racer here are The Rules and you will need to register by Friday 4:00pm. If you don’t feel comfortable building one of these awesome machines on your own but would like to give it a shot, for just a few more bucks you can sign up for The Workshop ($30). All the needed parts and instruction will be provided but you are also encouraged to bring your own parts and stylistic design elements. The Workshop includes the $15 race fee so it’s really a great deal. The deadline for the workshop is also Friday 4:00pm but space is limited so don’t wait as we will stop taking registrations when it is full.

Thank you to Skil Power Tool for donating a 4 Tool Lithium Ion Combo Kit prize ($250), CH Hanson for a variety of prizes and Ohio Power Tool for various prizes and lumber for the track. I’m thinking most everyone could easily win more than the price of admission, thanks to all our generous sponsors this year.

If you just want to enjoy the BBQ, see something totally different and possibly witness some actual bodily injuries simply show up for the actual race around 3:30-4:00pm and pay $5.    

What:    POWER TOOL DRAG RACING
When:   Saturday June 20th, 2009
Where:  Idea Foundry - 2038 Leonard Ave (directions)
Times:   1:00pm - 4:00pm Workshop & 4:00pm - 6:00pm Races
Cost:     $5 watch - $15 race - $30 workshop & race
Who:     The event is open to anyone and everyone.
Web:     http://www.powertooldragracescolumbus.com/   

     

June 05, 2009

Promote Your Business while Reading Blogs


You're here reading our posts and hopefully even getting some knowledge out of it. Did you know you can also promote your business? If you have a website it’s pretty simple, feel free to take advantage. See at the bottom of each post where it says comments, simply click that, put the name of your business in the “name” field, then put your web address in and add a comment that is, on topic, somewhat knowledgeable and/or entertaining. The name becomes a link to your website and if people are interested they will click it. The search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc) also pick these up as links to your website and you could actually rank higher simply by commenting on other people's blogs and forums you are already reading.

Please do not put your links directly in the comment field or try and use the comment field as a way to promote your business, that is spam. People are smart enough if your name/link is Beachy Barns & Sheds or Chesrown Cadillac GMC everyone is going to have an idea of what you do. If you don’t have a website, you could also link to a Facebook or Twitter page if you have one. Over time it should help get your name out there and build links without taking much extra time from what you are already doing, given you are already reading this blog. We really want to see your business be successful, mostly so you can buy more tools from Ohio Power Tool but none the less we will do whatever we can to help.

 

P.S. it can take a little while for the comment to pass through the spam filter, don't worry they will go live shortly provided it's not spam.  

    

June 01, 2009

Father’s Day Power Tool Gift Ideas - June 21, 2009

Father’s day is coming up quickly, just a few Sundays from now on June 21st. Here are a few suggestions for great power tool gift ideas. I hate to keep beating the same old drum but the Bosch and Dremel oscillating tools have proven to be extremely popular gifts and would be perfect for such a wide range of dads out there. Priced between $99-199 they are accommodating for most budgets and are so versatile it’s great for anyone from an occasional handyman to a professional contractor. If he already has one of these tools he may need some more accessories; while these kits do come with the basics there are many additional attachments for a wide range of different jobs. The accessories for these tools are not available at most of the home center depot stores even though they may carry the tools. Order online and have them in between 1-4 days.

Below are several models of Oscillating Tools as well as some other great deals on professional power tools your father will certainly be happy to put in the tool box. You can visit Ohio Power Tool for thousands of different power tools or if you need additional help feel free to call the experts at 800-242-4424 or email sales@ohiopowertool.com.

Dremel
Multi-Max 6300-01 - $99
A really great Oscillating Tool includes hard case and several attachments.

Bosch Multi-X
PS50-2A $179 or PS50-2B $199
Cordless Oscillating Tool which works with Bosch 12V Max batteries, the difference between the two is that the PS50-2B includes about $40 worth of additional accessories.  

Milwaukee M18 Compact Drill & Impact Kit
2691-22 - $199
This kit includes the compact M18 drill 2601, impact driver 2650, 2 compact M18 batteries, case and charger. This kit is normally $299, supplies are limited.  

Bosch 36V Hammer Drill Kit 18636-02 - $199
The Bosch 36V Hammer Drill has serious power and runtime. The kit includes the 2 fatpack batteries sell for $148 individually. The kit is a great deal, only a few left.

    

May 26, 2009

Campbell Hausfeld – Introduces 3 New Air Nailers

You may have read about the new Campbell Hausfeld nailers in a recent post on http://www.toolsnob.com but I though we might touch on it as well because there are some interesting features with these new nailers. Here are some of the high points:

- Low Nail Indicator Light – A light on the gun turns yellow when there are less than 10 nails and red when there are less than 5 nails.
- Quick Clean Latch – An easy tool-free way to clear out gun jams.
- Bubble Level – Horizontal & vertical to eliminate blow-out and increase fastening strength and stability.
- Laser Pointer Placement – A laser dot indicates exactly where the nail is going to go.
- Built-in Stud Finder – The finish nailer (15 gauge) has a build in light that indicates when the gun is over a stud.

Some other features include oil-free operation, swivel air inlets, tethered no-mar tips and Anti-dry fire to keep from damaging wood. These all sound great and I know the CH pricing is going to be targeting the economically minded. How important are some of these “new technology” features to many professionals? My guess would be not a fraction as important as strait up durability and some of these features might be looked at as just another thing that’s going to break and take the gun out of commission for several days/weeks while its getting repaired. In general features like lasers and built-in stud finders, I think sometimes can actually hurt a product in the pro market.

However for the DIYers out there looking for an inexpensive nailer for the occasional projects a built-in stud finder could be a huge advantage. I’d like to see some more details on this to make sure the lights no going to go off when it finds PVC, ducts, wires, brick, pipe, etc in addition to studs. Overall I think these guns should do very well, hopefully I’ll get my hands on them to test out at some point.

Check out the micro-site www.chnailers.com for videos and more product details on these new tools.

    

April 24, 2009

Twitter & Power Tool Business


As the resident computer and marketing geek I am all over any new form of internet technology. I had a different blog before there was the term “blog” and have been on any and every social network site since Al Gore invented the internet. I have never found much adoption among the Power Tool Aficionados to create profiles or groups. The wood working crowd has been ahead of the curve but general tool junkies only have a select few blogs and forums to poke around in.


Twitter.com over the past few months has changed that all around. Every single day lately I’m finding lots of new Twitter pages from individuals, retailers, media outlets and manufacturers all about power tools, projects, videos and other fun stuff that keep me from getting any work done.


Why is it so popular? My guess is it has nothing to do with Oprah or Ashton and everything to do with convenience and simplicity. Anyone who can use the internet can start a twitter page and once you are in all the info you want online is now condensed into simple 1 line posts that continuously update. Below are a few I follow everyday, please comment and add your own links:

Coptool
Power Tool Drag Races
Tool Snob
Tool Rank
Milwaukee Tool
Ridgid Plumbing Tools
CP Air Tools
Fine Home Building
About Wood Working
Wood Whisperer
Wood Working Journal
Rockler

  

April 10, 2009

Getting to Know Ohio Power Tool & CopTool

Ohio Power Tool

A few months ago Construction Distribution did a great article on Ohio Power Tool. Hopefully you got a copy or read the article online but if you missed it please take a minute and check out the full PDF Version now. Special thanks to Bosch, Milwaukee, Chicago Pneumatic, Ridgid, CST/berger, Hougen, Diamond Products, Ingersoll Rand, Wright Tools and Ajax Tools for helping out with the reprints.

Visit Ohio Power Tool if you are interested in purchasing tools made by any of these fine brands as well as many others.  

April 08, 2009

Power Tool Drag Race - Columbus, Ohio


Recently I joined a great community workshop, www.ColumbusIdeaFoundry.com, to collaborate on some different projects, meet interesting people and learn some new stuff. One of the ideas being bounced around as a collaborative effort with the www.thefusefactory.org was a Power Tool Drag Race. I am happy to say the event has come together and hopefully it will draw a nice crowd, be a ton of fun and build awareness for these two great organizations.

Most of you have probably heard about Power Tool Drag Racing before, there have been a few events on the west coast, plenty of youtube videos, news stories and other coverage of these events. On Saturday June 20th there will be an all day event in Columbus to build and race your own power tool drag racers.

This event has an optional workshop early in the day if you are interested in learning to build a racer and don’t feel comfortable doing it on your own. All building materials will be available although you are also encouraged to bring your own power tool, wheels and style elements. The actual race will start at 4:00 pm and open to everyone as spectators or racers. Racers need to register before but spectators can just show up. Check out this website for more info:  www.PowerToolDragRacesColumbus.com     

Stepping up as the main event sponsor Ohio Power Tool jumped in to supply power tool prize packages for the winners, materials for the tracks, advertising and other materials needed for the event. If your company is interested in also sponsoring the event I know they are open to more sponsors.  

  

March 25, 2009

RIDGID Video Contest 2009 - "Luck of the Draw"


Back for 2009 the Ridgid Video Contest is open and taking submissions until July 31st. That gives you a few months to write the screen play for the greatest plumber adventure ever, hire A-list celebrity actors, build elaborate futuristic sets, tie it all together with amazing CGI effects and submit the video… or get a case of beer, a few buddies, a video camera and give it your best shot on a Sunday afternoon. Either way it should be fun to make.    

Grand prize is $2500 in new Ridgid gear which is perfect because it times up almost exactly with the release of the New microDRAIN & DVDPak both in that price range. Top 5 semi-finalists get an all expense paid trip to Cleveland, Ohio for the Ridgid Round-Up and maybe more importantly you get bragging rights on the Ridgid Forum. If you have no interest in entering the contest no worries but you can still enjoy the videos from 2008, which you can watch on the contest site and check back in a few months for the 2009 new ones.  

   

March 24, 2009

Around the World – Milwaukee V28 Jigsaw


I was snooping around Milwaukee’s German site and found this little gem. I personally like this design for a jigsaw better than a traditional one. I’ve heard nothing about this coming to the US but hopefully we will see this sometime soon as it would be a very welcome addition to the lineup.

If you are interested in picking up some other Milwaukee V28 cordless tools in the mean time Ohio Power Tool is still running the free battery promotion on any tool kit or combo kit. That is a $150 value instantly. The promo will be good until the end of the month unless supplies run out before then.

   

March 20, 2009

Bosch vs Milwaukee vs Dewalt vs Makita

The chart above shows website traffic to each company’s main website. It doesn’t take into consideration tool sales, units sold, product specific websites (ie boschedge.com, boschdaredevil.com, etc) or any other outside factors. The graph simply measures web traffic reported from a 3rd party source. In my mind this is a good measure of what is popular and the overall trend of how a company is doing. Overall I think it is pleasantly surprising that the lines weren’t all strait down. Watch the news or read the paper and all you hear is about how the sky is falling, the economy is in the tank and we are all going back to the dark ages but the year over year numbers are up for 3 out of 4 of the largest power tool companies. Again these are just web traffic numbers and not sales or profit numbers, but that’s still pretty positive I think. 

The obvious thing that jumps out is what’s going on with Dewalt? Historically it’s been arguably the most popular tool brand, with tons of very loyal customers however recently the talk in forums has been a little more on the sour side. Black & Decker now owns Dewalt as well as Porter Cable and the overall perception I have read from loyal users is that the quality has definitely come down. The die hard Porter Cable guys are possibly the most unhappy (unfortunately they don’t have their own website; it’s a shared site with Delta and other products so we can’t look at it in the chart). Years ago Porter Cable was considered one of the highest quality professional tool brands on the market, now they are comparable to Ryobi, better for a DIY occasional user.

The second thing that jumped out to me is that Bosch Tools is up 95% in web traffic from last year. That is awesome! There have been some exciting new products including a completely new 18V cordless line, new 12V Max tool and a wide array of new accessories but overall I don’t think this is what is driving the gains. The brand remains very strong, continues to make a high quality product, great innovations in their new products, good marketing and very few layoffs while other companies in general have seen cuts across the board.  

Milwaukee Tools also had some serious gains of 26% in web traffic from the previous 12 months. They had probably the biggest product launches with the new M18 lithium ion line and M12 lithium tool line. Both lines I would consider very successful launches.

Makita Tools also had modest gains but without a new complete line of tools to launches I think they did a good job in keeping traffic up with the new products they did have as well as strong promotions and relationships with MLS, Suzuki, Rockstar and sponsored events.     

Overall I think these numbers are pretty positive and sure lots of people are just window shopping but I think it’s a good look at the overall popularity of the brands and the trends. There are plenty of other tool brands to compare or you might want to see your site’s traffic compared to your competitors, I would strongly encourage anyone to do some comparisons of your own at www.compete.com.     

     

March 19, 2009

Makita Sweepstakes - Win 2 Quads & 2 Motorcycles


The sweepstake does not require any purchase just fill out the very short form and you are in. If you are worried about get emails from them simply check the box “NO” about emails and they won’t send you anything. The grand prize is 2 motorcycles (RM-Z 450 & RM-Z 250) and 2 Quads (QuadSport Z400 & KingQuad 750AXi) total package is worth $27,000. Not sure why they didn’t spread the love around and do 4 separate prizes but the winner and 3 of his buddies are going to be very happy. Contest ends June 30th and rules say 1 entry per person, per email. Take the next 40 seconds of your life and fill it out, when you win and want to thank me just send one of your new toys, quad or bike I'm not picky.

Check it out: Makita Feel Innovation Sweepstakes 

    

February 23, 2009

Women in Bikini = Power Tools… In a Guys Brain

A recent CNN story makes it all legitimate with real doctors, university studies and everything. I think The Ridgid Tool Company did a similar study back in 1935 when they started their first pinup calendar with “scantily clad women” (the definition may have changed over the years) to showcase their tools. I would guess there probably were not any scientists, doctors or brain scans going on at the time but the concept that pretty girls might help sell product has been pretty well understood for a many years. I originally read about this article on Tool Crib post.

In related news if you would like a Free Ridgid Calendar simply purchase any item on Ohio Power Tool and email sales@ohiopowertool.com provide your order number and we will send you a free 2009-2010 calendar. We still have a few left. 

       

February 18, 2009

Power Tool Comparison Shopping


Recently I have begun to see many other power tool retailers online add the WinBuyer comparison shopping plug-in to their sites. This tool displays the price of other competitors so shoppers will feel more comfortable making a purchase right then. I looked into this feature and there are a few different ways to run the program. It can be run to show a cross section of all the competition with the lowest prices. However I have not yet seen any power tool retailers running it in this fashion. Another way to run the program is to only display competitors that are more expensive; basically misleading customers into thinking they are getting the lowest price in hopes of an instant sale. I’m sure this works and may drive a little higher conversion but at what cost? At Ohio Power Tool we try really hard to build good customer relationships and have people trust us; I look at this as basically a less hands on way to lie directly to customers. I think if you want to show competitor’s prices than show them all.

Please comment and let us know what you think about this.  

  

February 11, 2009

Valentine’s Day Power Tool Gifts for Everyone


Last year around this time we did a post; Women vs Men comparing gifts we typically get ladies to what an equal gift for a guy would be. This year I though a simple unisex list would work because I know there are lots of girls out there that really want power tools just as much as guys… I just don’t happen to be with one.

  1. Dremel Multi-Max $99 – I am mostly convinced that everyone on the planet wants one of these tools. Guy, girl, grandpa, your neighbors, everyone, the good news is a such a low price it’s within reach for almost everyone. If they already have one a few additional accessories would be a great idea.
  2. Bosch PS30 3/8” Drill/Driver $147 – This drill is small lightweight and comfortable enough for my grandmother to use. At the same time it is an incredibly powerful drill, with good battery life and recently held its own when compared with other brand’s 18-20 volt drills in a Popular Mechanics test.  
  3. Milwaukee M12 Hackzall $179 – This new “mini Sawzall” is incredibly versatile and great tool to have in almost any situation. Perfect for use with drywall, pvc, wood, metal, plastic and so much else. Around the house or on the jobsite this compact tool does an amazing job. Plus it has a FREE battery or flashlight deal.
  4. Milwaukee M18 4+1 Tool Combo Kit $459 – Some of the most powerful 18 volt tools on the market today the new M18 cordless tools either match or beat almost all other competition tool by tool. Lightweight and extremely powerful this is the ultimate tool kit. Includes: Hammer Drill, Circular Saw, Sawzall, Flashlight and bonus Impact Driver while supplies last.  

These are just a few general ideas maybe your sweetheart really wants a Tanaka Gas Drill? We are no responsible for ill suited gifts for your particular valentine. Really I just saw that picture of Cupid and laughed so hard I had to find a reason to post it on the site. If you have any questions about power tools feel free to email Ohio Power Tool at sale@ohiopowertool.com.   

 

February 10, 2009

World of Concrete 2009 Review

This year surrounding the world of concrete there was lots of talk about how the show size shrunk and how the economy is affecting the construction industry. This Las Vegas Review Journal article looks at those aspects of the show and managed to sneak in some key buzzwords like Obama, stimulus packages and unemployment. Not the most positive spin I’ve ever read.

In the area of power tools, new laws and regulations are requiring silica dust to be handled in specific ways; lawsuits have already popped up on the subject and are an area of concern for many people. Bosch has been one of the companies leading the way in creating new tools and accessories to combat the silica dust problem. Bosch has a new Dust Collecting ¾” Rotary Hammer 11250VSRD ($299) available now that is light weight and features a micro filter system that dramatically reduces any type of dust in the air. Bosch also has introduced a line of dust extraction grinder covers that work with almost all grinders from 4.5” to 9” and cover the work area and suck all the dust and debris out into the Bosch Airsweep vacuum or other wet/dry vacuums.

 

The World of Concrete website has a full list of all the 2009 MIP (Most Innovative Products) which you can see on the MIP page. You can’t find this page from their regular web page because WOC waisted no time and is now already planning from 2010.      

New technologies and techniques are making so much more possible with concrete. Checkout this short video I found on Youtube which highlights some of the different new processes.

   

January 29, 2009

Free Ridgid Micro Explorer 30063

The Ridgid microEXPLORER has been one of the most popular new tools in recent months. Never before have you had so much functionality in such a small inexpensive piece of equipment. This should be a standard piece of hardware for most tradesmen. Unfortunately it will not replace many of the jobs of the bigger 200’ SeeSnakes when it comes to seeing in lines and locating the problem.

The good news is you can now get a brand new Ridgid microEXPLORER 30063 for free. The current sale price on Ohio Power Tool is $690 plus an additional $102 for the 9.5mm head. If you purchase a Mini-SeeSnake Plus and LCD Monitor with DVD 23888 you will get the Explorer and additional 9.5mm head for free. Call the experts if you have any questions 800-242-4424.  

 

January 27, 2009

Making a Dremel Multi-Max Adaptor for Fein Accessories

 

The Dremel Multi-Max has received plenty of positive press from tool blogs, forums and national news sources and for good reason. This tool has been a huge success for Dremel, possibly bigger than they expected. It has been eating into Fein sales of the MutiMaster, I haven’t even seen the infomercials recently. One problem for the Dremel however is that it is not yet really compatible with Fein accessories. The Dremel tool does have a good selection of accessories at very affordable prices however they need to add many more and until these are released over the next year, Fein still has some nice specialty attachments not available from Dremel.

The Bosch PS50 Multi-X was smart enough to include an adaptor with every tool which allows them to work with Dremel & Fein accessories. The Bosch PS50, a very well built tool, has been less popular than the Dremel Multi-Max simply because the cordless oscillating market is much smaller than the corded version. Run times for sanding and scraping are pretty low however nothing beats the convenience of cordless for certain jobs. Bosch may also come out with its own corded version within the next year but I have not heard anything official yet.     

If you don’t want to wait until Dremel comes out with an official adaptor, which I’m sure is on the way, you can always make one. Recently I saw a post from a fellow Power Tool Blog on Tool-Rank.com where they make an adaptor from an old Dremel blade. From the pictures you can see the Fein blades fits perfectly over the Dremel mounts but with nothing to hold it in place it just won’t work. An additional washer of the right size could do the job but this keeps everything much more secure and what else are you going to do with a used Multi-Max blade?

      

January 26, 2009

2009 International Builders' Show Reviews & Round Up


Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to make it to this years International Builders’ Show which was held January 20-23 in Las Vegas. This show always features lots of great new products and exhibits. I will be keeping my ear to the ground for good blog posts or any youtube clips from the show. Here is what I’ve found so far but I imagine there will be lots of new stuff up all week long.  

Great daily posts from ConsumerReports.org 14 Posts Here

The WoodWorkersJournal has some good YouTube footage Here

Blog posts from Jan 20-23rd from This Old House blog, called “Hardware Aisle

UnderConstructionTalk brief show review (videos coming soon) 

Get the full 2009 interactive show floor plan & exhibitor list here

 

More to come, please add comments with any additional links…

 

January 13, 2009

Top 8 of 2008 – Tool Blog Posts


2008 was definitely a big year for Coptool.com going from a few posts per month to almost everyday. Below are the top 8 most popular posts from 2008 based on page views, feedback & popularity. It’s pretty funny to read the older posts and see how things have evolved. Hopefully 2009 will be as kind to us as we hope to continue to grow and improve the website.

8. Guide to Buying Power Tools Online – This article is about buying power tools online and things to look for to make sure you are dealing with knowledgeable legitimate companies.

7. Milwaukee M18 Tools – Making the Switch – This article was written as the new line of Milwaukee 18 volt tools was being released. In the article it compares the new M18 to comparable models of Dewalt, Makita and previous Milwaukee V18 tools.

6. Power Tools From Around the World – The very first look at the possibility of Bosch (and/or Dremel) releasing a tool to compete with the Fein MultiMaster. The PMF 180 is a Bosch corded version of the tool which I would still like to see the Bosch release a corded version in the US.    

5. Ridgid Calendar 2009-2010 – This was intended to be a very short post simply letting everyone know the new Ridgid Calendars were available but the post received a tremendous amount of traffic. Who knew pretty girls would get traffic on the internet? P.S. There are plenty of calendars still available, free with any order, just ask.

4. Milwaukee Seesnake Micro Killer – The first article written about the Milwaukee M12 M-Spector camera and how it compares to the Ridgid Seesnake Micro (or at least how it was supposed to compare as at the time we had not gotten our hands on the model).

3. Ridgid Micro Explorer Digital Inspection Camera 30063 – The first look at the Micro Explorer and some of the advanced features it had over the first generation of micro Seesnake.   

2. Milwaukee 4201-22 vs. Bosch PS20-2 – This post was one of the first real comparison tests we did back at the beginning of the year. The post had a fair amount of pictures and really gave readers a good feel for the differences between these two products.

1. Some Fein Lookin’ Tools – Bosch PS50 & Dremel Multi-max – The most popular post of 2008 was not surprisingly the first official post announcing the new Bosch PS50 & Dremel Multi-Max tools. These tools were probably the most hyped tools for the 2008 holiday season and were also the topic of our most popular YouTube video from last year.  

 
Honorable Mention: Future of American Automakers – Congressional Motors - This was a pretty funny post which got an incredible number of hits unfortunately it was because we were credited as the authors for a short time on Autoblog.com even though it clearly said we were not the authors.   

     

January 09, 2009

Ohio Power Tool - Construction Distribution Cover Story

If you would like to learn more about Ohio Power Tool as a company read the cover story from Construction Distribution for the December/January issue. The article highlights some of the reasons we are different as a company and why you may want to do business with Ohio Power Tool. The “We Need it Now” article is a look at a few of the local customers and their perspective on what Ohio Power Tool does for them.

Distributor Spotlight: Be quick, be efficient! The future is now.
By A.D. "Butch" Horn

'We need it now!'
By A.D. "Butch" Horn

    

January 05, 2009

Workshop of the Future - Instructables

I have many regularly visited websites for tools, gadgets, projects and building stuff but one of my favorites has got to be Instructables. The basic idea of the site is it is a place where anyone can post a “How To” on building anything. It has a huge fan base of active uploaders for everything from fully working electric cars to simple cooking recipes.

Recently Craftsman sponsored a contest for the “Workshop of the Future” where the winner gets a $20,000 gift card from Sears to get all new tools for their workshop. Unfortunately the submission portion is over however the voting begins today, Jan 5th – Jan 11th. Help determine who should get the money from the 172 entries; there are some pretty good ideas here.    

    

December 22, 2008

Why Purchase Capital Equipment in 2008

Obviously I’m not an accountant and everyone's situation is different but the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 provides significant tax advantages for capital equipment purchased before December 31, 2008. Equipment purchased before this deadline is eligible for up to 50% bonus depreciation, plus standard MACRS deductions that you would normally take.
       

1st Year Depreciation
Without Bonus
With Bonus
New Equipment cost
$100,000
$100,000
Less: 50% bonus
n/a
$50,000
Less: Standard MACRS*
20,000
$10,000
Total First Year Deduction
$20,000
$60,000
*5-year depreciation of 20% per year
 
This may benefit your company in 2008 if perhaps this was an overall good year but you are planning for a slowdown over the next year or two. There is still time to make a purchase and have the equipment by the end of the year if you know there is something your business needs.
 
Any specific questions on tools, air compressors, shop equipment or anything else you can always ask the pros at Ohio Power Tool but again talk to your accountant to see if this is something that would have tax benefits for your company.     
              
    

December 18, 2008

Last Minute Online Shopping for Christmas Gifts?

Well if you get your order in by Friday 12/19, 2:00pm EST and you live within the brown region you should still get your packages by Tuesday with regular ground shipping (including Free Shipping on all Bosch Tools). If you live outside that area or wait any longer you will need to pay premium UPS rates. Then again if you are sending an awesome gift direct to someone far away they really shouldn’t mind if it gets there a little late right? Just blame us or UPS and you’ll be fine.

 

I personally would probably rather get a better gift and get it a few days late than know someone blew $50 having the gift overnighted. If you are placing an order and definitely need it there by a certain day you may be better calling Ohio Power Tool directly at 800-242-4424 and doing the order over the phone to make sure everything is correct and verify the item is in stock. Personally I have not bought a single gift yet so however bad you feel, know there are plenty of us much less prepared.

   

December 17, 2008

Small Family Business of the Year Award

 
Over the past few years Ohio Power Tool has been growing at a nice rate while making it a priority to maintain the same level of product knowledge and customer service.  We were lucky enough to be honored earlier this year as one of the Fast 50 (50 fastest growing companies in Columbus). More recently we have been honored as the Small Family Business of the Year. The Conway Family Business Center classifies small business as less than 20 employees and we were nominated with several other great Columbus companies. The profile below was featured in Business First.

Ohio Power Tool Inc.
Address: 1042 Dublin Road, Columbus
Phone: 614-481-2111
Web site: ohiopowertool.com
Business description: Sales and repair of power tools and equipment
Top principal/officer: James D. Amstutz
No. of generations/Year founded: 2/1983
Family members working for business: James, Suzanne and Jay Amstutz
2007 revenue: Would not disclose 

What has been the depth of your succession planning? In the process of evaluating succession plan options since our son, Jay, has recently started working with us.

If you have developed a strategic plan, what has it meant to how the company operates? Excellent customer service, top-quality brands, and employee knowledge of product have always been part of our mission. Web site presence has been our strategy to stay competitive the past few years, and with our son Jay’s marketing background and Web site development experience, we have exceeded our goals.

What challenges does turmoil in the financial markets bring to your company in 2009? The current financial market has prompted us to be more discriminating in extending credit to our customers. We are also seeking better terms from our vendors and not taking on any debt. It will also provide opportunities to excel where other companies may struggle.

Describe the greatest challenge in working with family members and what you have learned from the experience: The greatest challenge is probably taking family members for granted. A lot is expected at the workplace with everyone helping where needed, which sometimes interferes with family life. Another aspect is spending too much time working and thinking about business during times that should be devoted to family only. We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been able to work together while respecting and recognizing our individual skills and talents that complement the work environment. My advice would be to define specific roles for the family members that they are happy with and respect those boundaries.

When family problems weave their way into the work place, how are they resolved? Our philosophy has been to discuss things at home and try to resolve things on a personal level, rather than involve the workplace.

Articulate the benefits of working with family members: The greatest benefit is that we are all seeking a common goal, which is to see the company succeed. We also offer each other support and encouragement during rough times, as well as require accountability with all our decisions.

Are you more or less optimistic about the coming year for your company? We had a record year in 2007, and as of October of this year, we have exceeded 2007 sales. Because of our marketing and Web site, we are reaching more customers and are optimistic that sales will continue to grow through 2009. Even though the economy may slow down, we are continuing to gain a market share of the tool industry.

           

December 11, 2008

Interview with Chris Grundy from Cool Tools

Recently we had a chance to ask Chris Grundy, host of DIY Network’s Cool Tools some power tool questions. We used some questions we had received by readers at Coptool.com as well as some questions about the show in general. Read a few of the responses below.   

Q: With the holiday shopping season coming up many people will be buying tools for their friends and family members. How do you discretely find out what tools they might need and do you have any suggestions for tools that might be popular this holiday season?
A: You wanna buy someone some tools – ask their friends, neighbors and co-workers what they’ve been borrowing lately. If they’ve been putting their paws on someone’s recip saw, impact driver or whatever--- it’s probably time they get their own!
As for gift ideas, I think oscillating tools are going to be popular this season. They’ve got some pretty attractive price points with a variety of power options. I predict a lot of folks who didn’t even know oscillating tools existed will find they’re a must have. I can’t imagine doing a rehab job without one in my kit.

Q: A few years ago it seemed like all cordless tools were either 14.4 or 18v. Recently we have seen the addition of many tools with more power, such as 28 volt and 36 volt tools, while at the same time there are so many new tools at 12 volt of less. For your average do-it-yourself user who ideally would like all his tools to use the same batteries and charger, would you still recommend 18 volt tools or something else?
A: The 28 volt and 36 volt tools really supply the run time and power for pros on the jobsite. The new 12 volt Li Ions are great for pros and homeowners. Fourteen and 18 volts are great for serious DIYers because of a larger range of tools. I am personally fond of staying within a brand because chargers and batteries are usually compatible.  Chargers for the bigger batteries will do the lower capacity ones as well, and I don’t get stuck lugging around 17 chargers.

Q: Obviously the show is all about finding the Coolest Tools around, but in your search have you come across any real dud tools that are either impractical or just ridiculous? What are some of worst tools you have found?
A: I don’t like to dis innovators, but I have seen some multi-purpose tools that just do too many things and none of them well. People forget that the KISS rule applies to everything - even tool design. You know, Keep It Simple Stupid.  Oddball painting gadgets seem the hardest to use, unless you are the inventor.  To solve a problem, my advice is to think it all the way through and simply do one thing better than anyone else.

Q: When buying new tools we all want something that is going to last a long time for the best possible price. With such a wide range of products and pricing out there, how do you determine which tools are the best value?
A: I determine the value by my intended use. If I need the gizmo to complete a task that I am not planning on doing again I might skimp a little, but if it’s going to be a trusty sidekick, the old adage of “you get what you pay for” is especially true in tools. Quality is never cheep.

Also just a reminder; the Cool Tools Holiday Blitz is still going on and you can catch Cool Tools on the DIY Network every night in December at 8:00 pm est. New episodes are on every Thursday at 9:00 pm est. Also don’t forget to sign up for the Holiday Blitz Sweepstakes which runs through December 29th and is good for a $15,000 cash prize. Not bad for 30 seconds of typing. 
   
     

December 10, 2008

Future of American Automakers - Congressional Motors

My buddy that works for one of the American automakers emailed me this. It's pretty funny.  Couldn't find the original author online anywhere. Please let me know if you have any idea.
   congressional motors

It's in the way you dress. The way you boogie down. The way you sign your unemployment check. You're a man who likes to do things your own way. And on those special odd-numbered Saturdays when driving is permitted, you want it in your car. It's that special feeling of a zero-emissions wind at your back and a road ahead meandering with possibilities. The kind of feeling you get behind the wheel of the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition from Congressional Motors.

All new for 2012, the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition is the mandatory American car so advanced it took $100 billion and an entire Congress to design it. We started with same reliable 7-way hybrid ethanol-biodeisel-electric-clean coal-wind-solar-pedal power plant behind the base model Pelosi, but packed it with extra oomph and the sassy styling pizazz that tells the world that 1974 Detroit is back again -- with a vengeance.

We've subsidized the features you want and taxed away the rest. With its advanced Al Gore-designed V-3 under the hood pumping out 22.5 thumping, carbon-neutral ponies of Detroit muscle, you'll never be late for the Disco or the Day Labor Shelter. Engage the pedal drive or strap on the optional jumbo mizzenmast, and the GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition easily exceeds 2016 CAFE mileage standards. At an estimated 268 MPG, that's a savings of nearly $1800 per week in fuel cost over the 2011 Pelosi.

Even with increased performance we didn't skimp on safety. With 11-point passenger racing harnesses, 15-way airbags, and mandatory hockey helmet, you'll have the security knowing that you could survive a 45 MPH collision even if the GTxi SS/Rt were capable of that kind of illegal speed.

But the changes don't stop there. Sporty mag-style hubcaps and an all-new aggressive wedge shape designed by CM's Chief Stylist Ted Kennedy slices through the wind like an omnibus spending bill. It even features an airtight undercarriage to keep you and a passenger afloat up to 15 minutes -- even in the choppy waters of a Cap Cod inlet. Available in a rainbow of color choices to match any wardrobe, from Harvest Avocado to French Mustard.   

Inside, a luxurious all-velour interior designed by Barney Frank features thoughtful appointments like in-dash condom dispenser and detachable vibrating shift knob. A special high capacity hatchback holds up to 300 aluminum cans, meaning fewer trips to the redemption center. And the standard 3 speaker Fairness ActoPhonic FM low-band sound system means you'll never miss a segment of NPR again. Best of all, the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt is made right here in the U.S.A. by fully card-checked unionized workers and Detroit's famous visionary jet-set managers. Even if you don't own one, you can enjoy the patriotic satisfaction that you're supporting the high wages, good benefits, and generous political donations that are once again making the American car industry the envy of the world.

But why not buy one anyway? With an MSRP starting at only $629,999.99, it's affordable too. Don't forget to ask about dealer incentives, rebates, tax credits, and wealth redistribution plans for customers from dozens of qualifying special interest groups. Plus easy-pay financing programs from Fanny Mae. So take the bus to your local CM dealer today and find out why the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition is the only car endorsed by President Barack Obama. One test drive will convince you that you'd choose it over the import brands. Even if they were still legal.

 

December 01, 2008

Win $15,000 Cash from Cool Tools & DIY Network

If you had a chance to watch any TV over the busy holiday weekend, hopefully you caught some of the Cool Tools Holiday Blitz Marathon that ran all day long Thursday thru Sunday. If you missed it, not to worry there will be a full hour of Cool Tools on each night at 8:00 pm est all December long.

In addition to being a great show to pick up some gift ideas for the holidays, Cool Tools would also like to put a lot of cash in someone’s stocking. Register on DIYnetwork.com for free and you could win $15,000 cash. To increase your chances you can register once per day through December 29th.

         

November 20, 2008

How Shady You Are, Big Box Stores

 

Most people are aware the new Dremel Multi-Max tool is out and that you can buy it online but why bother everyone is selling it for around $100 might as well go to the local big box store and pick it up there for about the same price right? Ah but if you read the fine print the 6300-01 model which everyone else on the planet is selling is not the same as the box's 6300-02L (Wonder which store the L could indicate).

The regular 6300-01 kit is pretty lean on accessories in the first place, it comes with the MM610 Scraper, MM440 ¾” wood blade, MM450 3” round wood & drywall blade, MM11 sanding pad with several kinds of sand paper. This is just enough to get started and do a few projects. The 6300-02L looks identical in almost everyway to the 6300-01 except the different model number in the lower left corner. What’s the difference? The difference is the 6300-02L in missing the MM450 3” round blade, the most useful of the accessory in the original kit. The cost for this blade at a big box store $9.95 ($8.75 on OPT) that would make the kit 10% over everyone else price for the Multi-Max tool. I have no problem with the big box stores marking up their products and making bigger margins. They are convenient and you can go there for all sorts of junk and will pay a little more for things but don't lie to us. This is misleading and just plain old fashion shady. The intent from the start was to misrepresent this product as the same as everyone else and most people have no idea just as the box stores planed. If I went into all our 6300-01 kits and stole the MM450 blade then sold them as normal people would call me a thief right.

This happens all the time at the big box stores and nobody really says anything. I couldn’t sleep at night if I mislead and ripped off my customers like this. However that is probably why we have a single location in Columbus, Ohio and the Big Boxes are scouting new store locations on the moon.

                  

November 11, 2008

Cool Tools Holiday Blitz

What are you going to be watching on TV this thanksgiving holiday? Probably haven't given it a thought yet right. How about a 4 day marathon of Cool Tools (November 27-30th 7am-11pm). Cool Tools gives you an insider's look at the changing tools marketplace. From the newest innovations to improvements on old standbys, you'll see design, development, demonstrations and testing of the coolest tools out there.

Avoid the lines at the store and all the hassle that goes along with fighting the crowds to try and save $5 on a gift for your sister. She wants a Bosch PS20 anyway, so you might as well sit back on the couch watching Cool Tools on the TV, shop along at OhioPowerTool.com from the laptop and enjoy the weekend with too many left over turkey sandwiches.  

     

November 03, 2008

Business First Fast 50 for 2008 – OHIO POWER TOOL

 

Ohio Power Tool was honored in October as one of the fastest growing companies in the central Ohio area. The Fast 50 Awards program highlights the 50 fastest growing emerging companies in the Central Ohio area. The 2008 program was the 13h Annual Fast 50 with an “In Motion” theme.

Nominees must be headquartered in the Central Ohio area, be privately held and have at least one million dollars in revenue per year with a three year operating history. After an initial nomination has been turned in, a more detailed qualification form is sent to the nominee requesting financials for three previous operating years.  This financial information is sent directly to the accounting firm retained by Business First.



RSM McGladrey has taken on the responsibility of tracking and evaluating the qualification forms and materials as they are returned. They present the fifty winners after all qualification forms have been returned and tabulated. Actual financial information is not disclosed. The information shared with Business First and program sponsors includes only company name, contact information and an average rate of growth.

 “The Columbus Business First Fast 50 represents some of the fastest-growing privately held companies across Central Ohio. These companies are creating eight out of 10 new jobs across our region today and thus are extremely important to our region’s economy,” says Don DePerro, president and publisher of Columbus Business First.  “Especially now, in times of an economic downturn, the strength and growth of these companies helps to keep our economy from an even faster downward spiral. There’s no bad news here – these companies are agile and moving forward every day.”

Williams Interior Designs, Inc.
People To My Site, LLC
Destinations by Design
Strategic Systems, Inc
Portfolio Creative Staffing
Mission Essential Personnel LLC
Astor and Black Custom Clothiers
ERP Analysts, Inc
Three Leaf Productions
The Sophic Group, Inc.
Shift Global
American Business Solutions Inc.
Asset Strategies Group
Company Wrench
Navigator Management Partners
Yashco Systems, Inc.
Capital City Group, Inc.
Fast Switch, Ltd.
Lancaster Pollard Mortgage Co
Royal Document Destruction
Capital Media Group
ECNext
PharmaForce, Inc.
Equity
Teamwork Solutions, Inc.
The Joseph Group
Miles McClellan
Lasting Impressions Event Rentals
ARCOS, Inc.
Executive Mailing Solutions, LLC
Lancaster Pollard & Co.
Expesite
Centric Consulting LLC
Fugent, Inc.
Click4Care, Inc.
Professional Planning Consultants
Chute Gerdeman
Ohio Power Tool
ComResource, Inc.
ODW Logistics, Inc.
Relay Gear
Astute Solutions
Sequent, Inc.
CrimsonCup Coffee & Tea
Accel Inc.
BSA
New Product Innovations, Inc.
Progressive Medical
McKee Door Sales
Delta Energy, LLC

   

October 30, 2008

Make: Fire Ball Shooter

If you want to have some fun at that Halloween party this weekend you might consider adding some special effects to your costume. Perhaps shooting flaming fire balls up to 10 feet across the room will spice up the party. Warning: We are not responsible if you catch the guy in the polyester gorilla suit on fire. Checkout the video below for step by step instructions and visit the Make Magazine YouTube page for all sorts of other fun videos.    

October 13, 2008

Pumpkin Carving with Power Tools

 

Put down the tiny kitchen knife; move the kids a few feet back and this year take the Sawzall to a couple hundred pound pumpkin it took 2 of you to load in the truck. It probably won’t turn out that pretty but it’ll be much more fun than last year. Below is a video from the DIY Network on Pumpkin Carving with power tools.

 

 

October 01, 2008

Blogger's Choice Awards 2008 - Hobby Blogs

 

Hopefully there are some of you out there that enjoy reading about the different power tools and equipment we have written about. We are very excited to watch our blog grow and have some exciting things we hope to accomplish in the near future. We are working on developing some exciting new video content for our YouTube portal, currently we do have some product demonstrations but this will be greatly expanded in the months to come. Please also feel free to send us any suggestions or requests to this email.

 

In the mean time if you enjoy reading our blog posts please take a few seconds and vote for us on this years Blogger’s Choice Awards.

 

Vote Here

 

September 19, 2008

Power Tool Blogs & RSS Feeds

Obviously I am a big believer in getting my news through blogs. Daily I read dozens of blogs on Power Tools, Home Improvements, Cars, Computer Stuff, etc. The easiest way to keep up with everything you are interested in is to subscribe to RSS feeds and have the information sent directly to you through www.iGoogle.com (or your reader of choice). However these pages get really crowded really fast so a few months ago I consolidated all the RSS feeds into a few single RSS feeds based on the general topics by using Yahoo Pipes. Through the Yahoo Pipes service you can take all the blogs and news sites related to one topic and consolidate them all into a single RSS feed, filtered how you see fit. So when you want to see what’s going on in car world you can just check out the feeds for Car Blogs. I did these for my own use however over the past few months these Pipes have been cloned 100+ times and run 100,000+ times. Apparently other people liked these consolidated feeds as well.

The Power Tool Blog Pipe features all the most popular blogs including: ToolSnob.com, ToolMonger.com, CopTool.com, Toologics.com, Tool Geek, Toolcrib.com & Ridgid Forum. It is filtered for just the good stuff, I love toolmonger.com but I don't need the updates for what's on TV tonight. It might not make a lot of sense for us (as Ohio Power Tool) to promote the Tool King & Tool Barn blogs as they are the competition but in terms of good info we know we can’t provide it all and don’t have any delusions we are the only tool blog around.

My personal though is the more information people have the more they are likely to buy quality tools from knowledgeable companies and not cheap junk tools. More & more people are doing a little research online before buying anything and realize they can get better tools, cheaper online (or in the stores of companies which are competing online). I think, as a whole, companies that are providing customs with more information are collectively getting more and more business so we should try to provide as much info as possible.

Other collective RSS feeds you might be interested in:       
Home Improvement Blogs – Bob Villa, DIY network, many more
Green Building & Living – Treehugger, greenbean, dwell, autobloggreen, many more
Car Guy Blogs – Autoblog, Edmunds, Motor Trend, many more

 

     

August 18, 2008

A Great Web Hosting Company

We wanted to take a minute and apologize for not updating last week. We are 100% committed to daily posts however some technical difficulty did not allow for this last week. I would like to say special thanks to the guys at Nexcess.net for taking us on and fixing the problems so quickly. If you are ever looking for Website Hosting these are your guys. Really great customer support from their team, they went way beyond what most other companies would do. For Web Hosting these are your guys.

These next few weeks however should be some of the biggest news weeks in a while for power tools so check back regularly, we will be updating at least once per day.    

 

July 23, 2008

Recycle Power Tool Batteries, Cheap & Easy

After using your power tools continuously for several years the batteries are probably more useful as a paper weights than they are at powering your tools. This is of course to be expected from any battery and even with longer running lithium ion technology; they will eventually stop holding a charge as well. At that point you may want to simply pitch the battery in the trash can and be done with it but there is a better option. I have yet to meet anyone who preferred Nickel Cadmium in their drinking water but maybe it’s delicious.

There are 30,000+ locations around the country that will take your batteries and recycle them for free. You are most likely going to need to pick up a new battery anyway so you might as well get it from a dealer who will take the old battery as well. Plus the spokesman is Al Borland from “Home Improvement” how could he steer you wrong? Their website is www.rbrc.org and you can find hundreds of locations in you area by using your zip code on the Find A Drop Box page. This program is also good for cell phones, laptops, cameras, camcorders and all other types of rechargeable batteries. The most common types of batteries are Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion) and Small Sealed Lead (Pb). Just make sure it has the RBRC recycle seal on the battery somewhere, which all major brands do.   

If you are in the central Ohio area, you can drop your rechargeable batteries off at Ohio Power Tool and of course pick up a wide range of new batteries from Milwaukee, Bosch, Ingersoll Rand, Lincoln Lube, Makita and more.  

  

July 15, 2008

Electric Cars Run Off Lithium Power Tool Batteries

It seems more and more people are getting excited about electric cars these days. With cars like the new Tesla Sports Car which does 0-60 in 3.9 and can drive 220 miles on each charge I’m pretty excited about the idea myself… although the 6 figure price tag slows that excitement down pretty quick. How far away are we from plug-in cars that are affordable and priced reasonable? Are the “evil” oil companies really buying up all the new technology, slowing the progress, so they can keep oil above $4 gallon? I don’t know and after watching too many movies I partly believe men in black suits are out there and might find me “expendable” if I start theorizing about that. I will tell you there are many people, tired of waiting for Toyota or GM to figure it out, are building their own electric cars and motorcycles. All over the country people have formed Electric Car Clubs while others share their projects on websites like Instructables or make their own sites like www.driveev.com. 

Coptool.com probably isn’t the first stop for most people when they are planning their great EV build. We do however get many questions about the Monster Garage episode which ran a few years ago where Jesse James and the guest crew turned a 1962 Chevy Bel Air into an electric car drag racer which ran solely off Milwaukee V28 Lithium Ion Batteries. Unfortunately there is no footage from that show on youtube. Here is Milwaukee’s short clip of the show (If anyone knows where the full show can be watched online let us all know). Some quick math on the cost; 384 V28 Batteries at $150 each from Ohio Power Tool = $57,600 for the batteries alone but I’m sure you can get a volume discount if you call.      

This type of build might be out of your price range but there are dozen’s of applications power tool batteries do prove very useful. The Milwaukee V28 ($150) and Bosch 36 volt ($142.50) are good candidates, also there is a Milwaukee V18 kit with 2 batteries and charger for $179.   
 
For more info on the Milwaukee V28 Bel Air here is another good blog post with some details on the systems including pictures from Brian the “Power Tool Geek” View Post Here. Also the original Milwaukee Tool Press Release can be read in full below.


02/03/2006 - Milwaukee Press Release 

Jesse James and the Monster Garage re-power a 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air with Milwaukee V28™ Lithium-Ion batteries!

Milwaukee’s V28™ lithium-ion batteries are getting noticed in more than one way at recent trade shows. Contractors and builders from across the nation checked out Monster Garage’s latest mechanical marvel, a 1962 Chevy Bel Air that has been re-powered to run off of 384 V28™ lithium-ion batteries.

The car made its first public appearance at the International Builders’ Show held recently in Orlando and will be featured on the cable TV show, Monster Garage on Monday, April 10, 2006. (Show airs on The Discovery Channel at 9:00 PM Mondays, Eastern Time)

The car was designed and re-built in five days by cable TV’s car-star Jesse James and his crew at his Monster Garage in Long Beach, California. It did standing quarter-mile runs in 14.533 seconds at 93.3 miles an hour, says Jon Zick, Milwaukee’s chief engineer of new concepts. With racing tires, he says the Milwaukee-red, cool-looking car could do the quarter mile at over 100 MPH!

The batteries in the car were connected in series to produce about 336 volts at 3,000 amps. The batteries drive twin electric forklift motors.

In every day life, the batteries drive Milwaukee’s new line of V28™ cordless tools that includes a portable band saw, impact wrench, Sawzall® reciprocating saw, circular saw and hammer-drill. V28™ users can expect up to 40-50% more power and up to twice the run time when compared with 18-volt NiCd batteries.

Milwaukee will introduce a V18™ 18-volt Li-ion tool system later this summer that will retrofit on existing Milwaukee 18-volt NiCd cordless tools.


View Milwaukee’s original Press Release
 

    

July 10, 2008

Milwaukee Sawzall Wins the Showdown Every Time

57 years ago Milwaukee invented the reciprocating saw so it is no surprise they still have the best tool in the game. The Milwaukee Sawzall has been copied by almost every competitor out there and although there are some other good tools, Milwaukee is still numero uno.

Popular Mechanic conducted the comparison below a few months ago which I though did a pretty good job creating real testing subjects with multiple materials. The two tests were named the “Nail Biter” and “PM House Sandwich”

The Nail Biter - Two 2 x 4 pieces hammered together with an entire box of 16d common nails.

PM House Sandwich – Smashed together 1/2-in. drywall, 2 x 6 lumber, 1 x 4 lumber, 1 1/4-in. PVC pipe, steel conduit, two 12-ga. cables, two pieces steel strapping, insulation.

Milwaukee 15 Amp Super Sawzall | $187.50, OhioPowerTool.com
Blade Damage: A /// Smoothness: A- /// Power: A- /// Overall: A-

The Nail Biter: Two pieces of wood and a whole pile of nails were no match for our winner—it took just 6 seconds to slice through the 2 x 4s with a remarkably smooth and straight cut.

PM House Sandwich: The Milwaukee ripped through all 10 layers in just 14 seconds. The almost-pristine blade that emerged impressed our team of testers.

Craftsman Professional 12 Amp Variable Speed | $110, craftsman.com
Blade Damage: A- /// Smoothness: B+ /// Power: B /// Overall: B+

The Nail Biter: In the showdown's biggest surprise, a Craftsman bested a DeWalt saw across the board for the first time in recent PM history. Slicing the wood took just 8 seconds.

PM House Sandwich: Again, the Craftsman proved to be a pleasant surprise, carving through our sandwich in just 16 seconds with hardly more effort than the champion Milwaukee needed.

DeWalt DW311K Heavy-Duty 13 Amp | $170, dewalt.com
Blade Damage: B- /// Smoothness: B /// Power: B /// Overall: B

The Nail Biter: Cutting the lumber took 11 seconds—and required a fair amount of force to push the blade through the boards.

PM House Sandwich: The DeWalt split our sandwich in 23 seconds, and required far more muscle. The blade sustained about three times as much damage as the Milwaukee's.

Black & Decker Firestorm 9.5 Amp | $80, blackanddecker.com
Blade Damage: C- /// Smoothness: D+ /// Power: C- /// Overall: C-

The Nail Biter: Our least expensive tool barely cut it, taking 25 seconds to complete the task—more than twice as long as the second slowest finisher—and requiring an enormous amount of effort.

PM House Sandwich: This saw is simply not powerful enough for most demolition jobs. It finished slicing in 29 seconds, but the rickety feel left our hands sore, and the blade was rendered unusable.

Test Results from Popular Mechanic 


No Surprise that the Milwaukee Super Sawzall took the prize. I wish these tests could be done over and over to see which tool lasts the longest and I’m sure the Milwaukee would stand completely alone on top.

The tools themselves are obviously the most important consideration to overall performance but do not overlook the importance of blades and accessories. See the Ice Hardened Sawzall Blade Comparison Video. These were both done using the same Sawzall, so keep that in mind next time you buy blades.

At Ohio Power Tool the primary focus is professionals that rely on their tools everyday to make a living. In an effort to provide the best deal, on the best tools with the best accessories the Milwaukee 15amp Super Sawzall 6538-21 is on sale for $187.50 (currently lower than any big box or well known internet retailers). In addition to simply providing a great price the deal also includes a free 14 Piece Ice Hardened Blade Kit 49-22-1131 ($29.98) which features six 9” Torch Blades.

   

July 01, 2008

Power Tool Pinup Calendars

Having grown up around power tools and repair mechanics all my life I have very fond memories of going to the shop and playing with huge equipment I probably had no business near. Luckily I made it out with all my fingers. Part of those memories involves a strange phenomenon where each of the repair guys would have dozens of calendars at their benches. Why would anyone need more than one calendar? Perhaps it was the different tools showcased each month but most likely it was the nice young ladies modeling the tools that might have gotten their attention.

These days the number of annual power tool calendars printed by companies has dwindled greatly. With the consolidation of some of the companies and the increase in political correctness some companies have opted to stop printing calendars all together. I don’t think it was because they were ineffective marketing tools, as a high percentage of these calendars do end up on walls and many even stay up long after December 31st. This is much more than I can saw for any other 12 printed page of marketing material you might get on any other given day.  Ridgid Plumbing Tools continues the pinup calendar tradition started back in 1935 which many other have given up. You can order a Ridgid Calendar from ridgid.com for $10. Years ago these sat in the showrooms stacked up by the hundreds and every tool customer got one. Hopefully the tradition will continue for Ridgid and the few remaining companies that still print the pinup calendars. Plus I don’t want to see Miss Makita of get fired.        

View Full Size Calendar Image

  

June 25, 2008

Power Tools to Anywhere in the World - International Checkout

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.              

 

June 06, 2008

Dremel Tools Father's Day Giveaway from Tool Snob

 

The guys at Toolsnob.com are giving away 3 Dremel 300 Series kits for Father's Day and they couldn’t be easier to win. The contest has 2 ways to enter; the first is to submit a funny story about your DIY mishaps. I’m thinking Tim “the Toolman” Taylor type mishaps. These stories get sent to NewsTips@ToolSnob.com and there are 2 of the Dremel kits given away for the stories. The second way to enter the contest is simply to subscribe to their RSS feed, with 1 Dremel kit given away randomly this way. If you still haven’t figured out the beauty of RSS feeds it couldn’t be simpler and you won’t know how you lived without them once it is set up. The easiest way to set up RSS feeds is through iGoogle http://www.google.com/ig select “Add Stuff” then “Add Feed or Gadgets” and enter the URL. Coptool.com also has a RSS feed you can subscribe to here http://feeds.feedburner.com/coptool.

Ohio Power Tool has recently added some of the Dremel Tool line to its web store. All of these models would make great father’s day gifts but if you haven’t already pick one up for yourself, get that done first. As always if you have any questions call the power tool pros at 800-242-4424.

     

May 23, 2008

Power Tool Drag Racing

It’s hard to get any work done headed into the memorial weekend. I think everyone else has the same idea because not too many people are buying power tools today. Probably won’t get many readers on the blog either but there maybe a few people trapped at there desk for another few hours bored to tears searching the internet for entertainment.

I just spent some time checking out some of the sites dedicated to Power Tool Drag Racing. The Seattle guys http://www.powertoolracer.com/ (or http://hazardfactory.org/ think it’s the same people) and the guys in San Francisco http://www.powertooldragraces.com/. It looks like there are some events coming up in the next few months if you are in those areas.   

Unfortunately there are no brilliantly insane people in Ohio who have annual power tool races otherwise I would love to build some kind of fire breathing monster and race it. Probably unfair as there are pallets of used tools and several tool mechanics a few hundred feet away from me who would probably get a kick out of turning Sawzalls into drag racers.     



May 14, 2008

Ohio Power Tool - Website Update

Some of you may have noticed that OhioPowerTool.com received a much needed update earlier this week. At first glance the visual changes seem modest which was the intention so current customers wouldn’t need to relearn the site. Some of the functional improvements include an easier to use navigation system, related products, international checkout, order tracking, a Top Deals section and many other features which shoppers are looking for from a professional ecommerce site. You may also notice the expanded product lines including Makita Power Tools, Simplex Hydraulic, Atlas Copco Construction, Tanaka Gas Drills among others. For the current lines such as Bosch, Milwaukee, Ingersoll Rand there have been significant increases to the number of products and accessories in-stock and sold online. If you have a minute I would encourage you to take a look.

What is in the future for Coptool.com? Any Blog is only as good as its last post and if the last post was a week ago you’ve got a problem. Coptool is committed to daily posts during the week and if you have any suggestions for posts please let us know. We are happy to have readers participate; send us questions to answer, ideas for tool comparison tests, post information about new tools, deals you found, projects you worked on or perhaps some other topic that might be relevant.

  

February 27, 2008

Guide to Buying Power Tools Online

Buying power tools online is like buying anything else online, there are some shady companies out there and you need to watch out. There are also many reputable companies who have been selling power tools for many years before the internet was ever around. There is no reason to be concerned if you are buying from a reputable company but how can you tell who is reputable or not?

Who Are These People

Any company doing business on the internet should tell you who they are. There should be an About Us page where they tell you about their company’s history and background. Ohio Power Tool for instance has been in business 25 years; I imagine it would be pretty hard to stay in the local tool business 25 years without a lot of happy customers. Also how knowledgeable are the people on the other end? Do they know tools or is it just a warehouse of products and no one really know anything about the tools. Some times it may not matter to you, if you know you need a V28 SDS Hammer 0756-22 does it matter if they know what they are selling? Maybe not but if you had a choice of who to do business with wouldn’t it make sense to deal with someone who can knowledgably compare it to the Bosch 36V Litheon Hammer. Also a company who could repair the tool or send you a part if something was to get damaged? Are you ever going to buy another power tool in your life? Wouldn’t it make sense to deal with a company you can trust, ask questions and order from again?     

The Old Switcharoo

The internet is great because you can find such good deals and compare everyone to each other. There are also those deals that are too good to be true and on the internet that is probably the case. There are several reasons tools on the internet might be much cheaper than the competition.

The first is pretty obvious; sometimes a cordless tool is sold without batteries as a bare tool. This is good for people who already have several tools in a line and don’t need new batteries. Double check to make sure you are getting the kit which has two batteries and a charger, on some website this is not clearly marked.

The second reason a tool may be cheaper is because it is a recondition tools, basically tools that were defective or broke and then repaired. These are sold as reconditioned, which can be a good deal although not the same as a brand new tool. For professionals we do not recommend these tools but for your DIY weekend warrior on a budget I personally would feel better with a reconditioned Milwaukee than a new discount junk tool special. If you buy a reconditioned tool it is very important to make sure that the tool was reconditioned by the manufacturer and not some shop overseas. Ohio Power Tool doesn’t sell any reconditioned tools, only brand new tools. The big problem with the internet is when retailers sell reconditioned tools without disclosing it has been reconditioned (basically as a new tool). This is extremely dishonest and a problem in the industry. If you purchased a new tool that is actually reconditioned you just got ripped off, email the manufacturer and let them know where you bought it.

The third reason you will find cheaper tools is the “Grey Market” which could be a wide range of things but basically is when a retailer gets products from outside proper distribution channels. Did you ever watch the Sopranos toward the end when they were selling all the stolen power tools? I always think of that when I see super cheap tools online. These products might be stolen, brought in from over seas or a variety of other scams I don’t know about. These can be dangerous, you may not have a vaild warranty or worst you may be in possession of stolen property. A good way to see if a company is legit is to visit the manufacturer’s site and see it the company is authorized to sell the tool. Check out these Manufacturer’s “Where to Buy” pages: Bosch, Milwaukee, Ridgid or Hougen although not all manufacturers list these. This doesn’t always assure any specific level of service from the company but it at least assures they are buying products from the manufacturer.  

Anyone Home

Personally I never do business with any company that doesn’t provide a phone number and their address. This isn’t always your first though when purchasing an item but trust me after the first time of waiting 3 weeks and not hearing anything on where your product is you are going to be extremely dissatisfied with that email form that goes to the land of no response. With power tools especially sometimes you may need the tool for a job right away. Wouldn’t it make sense to be able to call, see if it is in stock and see if the tool or part will go out today? Just like dealing with someone as if you went up to the store counter. 

What are Others Saying

The internet is great because there are many third party resources for learning about a company. Ohio Power Tool does not hound its customers for positive feedback as some other companies do but our feedback is all very positive. Here are a few good resources for customer reviews epinon.com, shopping.com, ebay.com as well as forums such as the Ridgid Forum where you can ask others about a company.

Hopefully this has been helpful. Please feel free to comment and let us know if you have any other suggestions!

 

February 07, 2008

Women Vs. Men - Thoughts on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day seems to be more about doing stuff for the woman in your life. As a guy there are lots of expectations, you are suppose to take her to a great dinner or do something romantic in addition to nice gifts. Maybe you will buy extremely overpriced flowers that were 1/3 the price the week before or maybe you are going to step it up this year and buy her jewelry. Perhaps her standards are not that high after several years of marriage so she is just going to go out and buy herself something with the Master Card then say thanks for her valentines present.

Women are great and they deserve lots of appreciation, gifts and praise. As guys we should be celebrated as well for our contributions made to our respective relationships. With all the commercials on TV it might be easy to think this is a holiday for women but valentine’s day is really for everyone willing to put in the time to make a relationship work. Flowers and jewelry might not be exactly the ideal gift for most men but power tools are always the right choice for any occasion.  

Here is a simple little comparison of Men & Women valentine gifts:

Dozen Roses  = Wright Socket Set  | Girl’s though: “At least he remembered but that’s not very creative” Guy’s though: “Wow I didn’t even remember it was valentines until my way home from work and now I have an awesome socket set”

Large Vermont Teddy Bear = Infrared Laser Thermometer | Girl’s though: “That’s sweet but what am I going to do with a huge teddy bear” Guy’s thought: “Lasers, that’s sweet there is so much I can do with this IR-100”  

Diamond Earrings = Milwaukee V28 3 piece set + add another tool free | Girl’s though: “Wow these are really nice, what did he do wrong now” Guy’s though: “Wow these are really nice, what did I do so right”

 

December 04, 2007

Holiday Gift Ideas Part 2 - Dream Gifts

 

 

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.      

October 31, 2007

Most Popular Power Tool Blogs

power tool blogs

This is a list of the most popular Power Tool blogs on the internet today. Sure these guys are the competition (as they mostly represent retail sites) but they are all good resources for anyone interested in power tools, DIY projects and industry news. If you subscribe to RSS feeds we have put together a RSS Feed which includes all of these sites. VIEW THE ULTIMATE ALL-IN-ONE POWER TOOL BLOG RSS FEED  

CopTool.com – Obviously you’ve already found us and know this is your number one source for power tool news. We focus on top manufacturers of professional tools and equipment so we don’t cover many of the discount DIY power tool lines. Blog posts have been every few days but we are adding some good people to the team and will be blogging daily very very soon. Visit Ohio Power Tool to purchase tools and equipment.

ToolMonger.com – Tool Monger is a great site! Multiple posts per day, good projects, and wide variety of topics covered. As far as I can tell there is not a close association with any one retail outlet so I feel they have fair reviews. 

Ridgid Forum – This is a great forum for power tools and especially for plumbing tools (for those that don’t know more than the Home Depot line, Ridgid is king of plumbing tools). The power tool section is extremely useful as well on all makes and models; you can talk about whatever is on your mind. There is a blog section where users can create there own blogs which hasn’t taken off yet but could potentially be very interesting moving forward (similar concepts work well for careers like Real Estate Agents). 

Power Tool Geek – The first really popular power tool blogger, Brian has been at it for several years. They represent ToolBarn.com so probably should be our mortal enemy but these guys are pretty good, although we haven’t seen many articles from them recently. 

ToolCrib.com – Mostly focused on woodworking tools this blog is fairly well written and useful. It appears to have some active users who comment frequently. New posts every few days and they must have a referral account with Amazon because they have lots of links to Amazon to sell tools. 

ToolSnob.com – This blog is alright but all over the place. Run by blogpire which appears to be a large network of random blogs, it looks like it writes about who ever is paying them at the moment. Never the less there are some good posts in here from time to time.

As I mentioned above, all of these blogs are available in a single RSS feed: Get it Here

 

 

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