When you hear the name Porter Cable, thoughts of quality tools usually come to mind; so when we heard about the new PC418C-2 18V cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit we were pretty excited to check it out. This combo kit comes with most all the tools needed to dive into your own home remodel project including a 1/2″ Drill/Driver, 6-1/2″ Circular Saw, Reciprocating Saw and a Flashlight.
The RP4200 Tek4 4V 8MP Digital Camera is a semi-compact camera that comes with a convenient carry pouch that can be placed on a standard belt. It is quite rugged-looking and the buttons are oversized and easily activated with gloved hands. We tested this out thoroughly, feeling that a jobsite camera should include this feature lest it demands special treatment. The included 1GB SD card fits easily into the left side of the camera and the entire chamber is sealed with a rubber gasket affixed to the hinged door. The camera does include 64MB of internal memory – plenty of room for at least a dozen high-resolution photos.
The Tek4 4V Professional Infrared Thermometer delivers a constant readout of temperatures ranging from below 0 to over twice the boiling point of water. We found that this tool is most accurate when you are less than 2 meter from your target, but the tool can also measure from quite a distance away. The key to using it correctly is to understand that it has a 10:1 spot-to-distance ratio, so the closer you are, the smaller your measurement sample and the less it will be affected by the surrounding air temperature. This is an incredibly handy tool, especially for air mechanical inspectors and installers.
When you are working outside and want comfortable headphones that will both provide noise isolation and allow you to plug in your MP3 player, I can think of no better solution than the Ryobi Tek4 Noise Suppression Headphones. These phones provide over 25dB SPL of noise reduction. We used the headphones while trimming and mowing a 1/4-acre lot and found them to be extremely effective at reducing noise. There is a control knob on the right headphone that controls the volume for the microphones located at the front of the headphones. These microphones are filtered and allow and amplify only narrow-band speech while continuing to suppress external noise.
The Tek4 Motion Sensing Alarm is an easy-to-use sensor that delivers both chime and full-out alarm modes. It’s 110 degrees of sensing provide a wide range of coverage that can encompass a nice 800 sq. ft. area. We found it to be exceptional sensitive for larger moving objects and the 68 degree vertical range means that it works well when wall-mounted. The included remote means that, while you can program the device with a code (up to 10 digits), it’s not necessary to access the device to turn it on and off – should you decide to mount it out of the way. The remote can be attached to a keychain or clipped to a belt as desired.
This is by far the most sophisticated of the tools available currently in the Tek4 lineup. The Professional Digital Multimeter (RP4020) can measure AC/DC current and voltage, resistance, capacitance, and can check the forward voltage drop of a diode. It can test for continuity and has an internal speaker to give tones when buttons are pressed (and to indicate continuity). The voltmeter adheres to the Tek4 gray/green styling and includes an aluminum-style faceplate that is inset into the front of the unit, surrounding the mode selection dial, LCD screen and buttons. On the back side, the Tek4 Digital Multimeter sports a kickstand and a flip out “Convenience Hook” that lets you hand the meter off of conduit or any other material with a slight lip. We also enjoyed the built in probe holders, which secured the probes perfectly when they were wrapped vertically around the entire meter and left connected.
The RP4000 Self Leveling Plumb/Cross Laser represents one of the best values we’ve seen in a while. For pros and do-it-yourselfers alike, this is one tool that is priced as low, or lower than many of the non-rechargeable competition. The tool actually sits inside of a plastic jacket that contains a threaded tripod mount. Once the tool is lifted a bit and “unlocked”, the level is able to self-level and you can get effective results in any of the three modes. The modes are a combination crosshair/plumb bob mode which fires a horizontal and vertical beam as well as top and bottom lasers for use as a plumb bob. The second mode fires only the horizontal beam and the top dot. The third mode shoots a vertical beam with the bottom dot. For setting up cabinets and interior work this is going to be a no-brainer and a real go-to tool.
its Tek4 4400 High Intensity LED Flashlight. While not as bright as a competing 12V version we handled from a competitor, it’s also just half the price – and half the weight! The Tek4 4400 weighs in at just under 7 ounces and will run for 6 hours straight. That’s one heck of a worklight! The light turns on by twisting the neck of the flash light. It’s pretty much all or nothing. We liked the light output we got from this work light. It was bright and a more-or-less “white” light, whereas incandescents are typically a very “yellow” white.
Ryobi’s new Tek4 line of 4V lithium-ion products spans a range from measurement to safety to portable power backup. All tools share the same 4V rechargeable power source and sport an industrial look with Ryobi’s new signature green color adorning each of the dark-gray colored tools as trim. Since all of the new Tek4 tools use the same li-ion 4V battery (AP4001), delivering over 200 charges and longer-life than what you can get with standard Alkalines.
STIHL (which is actually pronounced “steel”—or “shteel” if you’re European) has introduced the new FS 56 RC-E, the top-of-the-line model […]
