In addition to participating in Rockwell’s new Free Batteries for Life program, the new Lithium Ion tools have a compact design, are lightweight, and feature high torque capability and a fast charge time. The new kit includes an 18-volt 1/2-in. drill/driver (#RK2810K2) and an 18-volt, impact driver (#RK2800K2). It also includes an 18-volt lithium-ion battery pack (#RW9161), and 18-volt lithium-ion charger (#RW9162).
We ran into Scott Murray of Goldblatt Tool Company who was showing off their new Bladerunner Drywall Cutter. What makes this tool unique and special is that it uses proprietary blades and a magnetic grip to cut both sides of the drywall at the same time. After the cut, it’s just a snap of the board and you’re done. It was kind of hard to believe that the tool actually worked. After trying ti a few times I can say that it’s one of the more innovative tools I’ve seen in a while. With practice it might just end up pushing your drywall knife out of the tool bag.
We met with a representative of Flair-It Plus who demonstrated to us a new tool for joining PEX tubing to an all-new range of plastic fittings. The tool is going to be priced at under $50 and will be available later this year. What’s exciting is that it eliminates all brass fittings and seems perfect for markets such as California, Nevada and other states which have extremely corrosive water and eat brass fittings quickly.
The Rockwell 12A vibrafree Reciprocating Saw RK3637K features Rockwell’s patented active vibration canceling technology. This technology allows for up to a 70% reduction in vibration which translates into less user fatigue.
DeWalt showed us a product that has been on the market for a while, but which is still pretty impressive in its own right. The DC927KL is a 1/2″ hammerdrill/drill/driver that is built for high power, high speed use. The high efficiency motor delivers 425 unit watts at max power to ensure that all drilling and fastening applications are met with plenty of power and speed.
Perfect for tiling projects in and around the house, the Ryobi WS730 tile saw includes a 7-inch diamond cutting wheel, wheel wrench, hex key, rip guide, bevel block, end of cut reminder, splash guard and operator’s manual. Ryobi has a motto: “Pro Features, Affordable Prices”. Since this is the first overhead motor tile saw to be offered at under $200 they’ve certainly seem to be delivering.
This week we got to do some hands on with the new Swanson Savage Torpedo levels. These new levels are made of solid billet aluminum and feature new “Brightview” vials which almost seem to light up from within. The way they are designed they really tend to suck in light to make the level easier to read, even in dimmer areas. The Savage series of levels (including the Lil Savage) have 4 really strong rare earth magnets which, in the demo we tried, allowed us to pick up a 12 pound block of steel without losing grip. If you’re doing commercial work with steel studs this could really come in handy.
We first got our hands on the Swanson Wood Magnet at the 2009 International Builder’s Show (IBS) in Las Vegas. […]
With a nifty color scheme and futuristic styling, the Hitachi NT65MA3 2 1/2-Inch 15 Gauge Finish Nailer has the good looks to back up its strong performance and fancy features. With the 34 degree nail magazine, you will be able to get the head of this nail gun into the tightest corners. Don’t let its light weight of 4.4 lbs fool you either because it packs enough power to drive 2-1/2†finish nails into almost any material.
Dealing with copper plumbing is a job I love to hate. Not because I don’t understand it. Not because I can’t accomplish the plumbing tasks that I set out to achieve in various projects. No, I hate dealing with copper because it’s unashamedly unpredictable.
