The Bosch NailKiller Auger Bits (In-stock now at ohiopowertool.com) newly developed auger bits claim a 900% better lifespan than what is currently in the market today. It also offers a 61% reduction in torque response, vastly improving the user experience. I had a chance to see these bits in action at the 2009 STAFDA show, see video below, and they went through nail after nail with no problems. Also it eliminates the need for separate Ship Augers and Spur Augers, available in short 7.5” and Long 17” lengths. Checkout the full Bosch Press Release below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bosch 12V MAX Free Goodies

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

Bosch 18V Free Goodies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Litheon 18V Cordless – SDS & Grinder

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