When you look at carpentry tool reviews, cordless sanders may not seem like a first choice. Even so, tools like the Makita orbital sanders and others have made incredible strides. Some of our guys swear by them as they save tons of time in setup. Another unusual tool that has taken off is the cordless finish nailer. Now, Milwaukee, Makita, Senco, and others have tools in this growing category. With these tools, you can get in and out without using a compressor or dragging an air hose. Our carpentry-focused reviews include best cordless circular saws, best compact miter saws, best orbital sanders, best nail guns, hand tools, and other woodworking tools. In carpentry, quality, convenience, and portability are key. A lot of times you deal with built-ins or other locations where you need everything on-hand. Newer cordless tools are helping, and so are advances in hand tools to do more with less. Above all, quality tools make the difference, so every tool gets a thorough exam against those high standards.
There are a few select products that define entire market segments such as what Skillsaw is to circular saws, Xerox is to copiers and what the Milwaukee Sawzall is to reciprocating saws. Milwaukee’s new 6519-31 Reciprocating Sawzall stays true its original roots, yet boasts more power, longer stroke length, less vibration, and a bargain value price point.
The new 4310 10″ dual-bevel sliding miter saw from Bosch builds off the success of its award-winning predecessor, the 4410 and has many of the same features and specifications. Ideal for woodworkers, finish carpenters, remodelers and others, Bosch’s 4310 packs big-saw performance into a more compact and affordable 10″ chassis. The make-or-break measures of any miter saw are the power and speed to get the job done, and the 4310 seems to deliver. Operating at 4,800 RPM (800 RPM faster than the nearest competitor) and powered by a gutsy 15-amp motor, the Bosch 4310 seems to want to sit at the top of its category in a big way.
I still have the age-old question in my mind: If nothing sticks to Teflon, how do they get it to […]
Makita announced the new GA4534, engineered with non-protruding brush holders and an innovative motor housing that reduce the barrel diameter to a scant 2-3/16″. In addition, the GA4534 has an ergonomic grip for added comfort, and weighs only 4.2 lbs. for reduced operator fatigue. The side handle is positioned at an increased 20-degree angle for added comfort and control, and the paddle switch has a no lock-on mode for added user preference.
Skil Power Tools recently launched its new 7302 Octo Multi-Finishing Sander. The novel thing about this particular sander is the presence and inclusion of eight assorted attachments. The options make it uniquely suited to sand hard-to-reach areas and multi-task by hitting multiple surfaces at once, or more effectively sanding particular, or hard-to-reach places. Skil also added something it calls Pressure Control Technology to the 7302. The technology involves a series of pressure control lights that indicate when the user is pressing too hard, too light or just right. It’s a neat idea that is meant to help keep scars and marks off the wood and ensures optimal surface smoothness.
It might sound like a misnomer to say both heavy-duty and lightweight in the same sentence but this is exactly what DeWalt calls its DW368 Heavy Duty 7-1/4″ Lightweight Circular Saw. This saw has been a mainstay on job sites for many years and for good reason. With a decent set of features, a reasonably cost and plenty of power, many construction workers have chosen this as their sidewinder of choice. While we normally like to review the latest and greatest products that come to market, sometimes is fun to step back and see what the average Joe is using and why.
We’ve tried about every Bosch nailer to-date, and it looks like, with the BNS200-18 18 Gauge Brad Nailer, the company just may have saved its best for last. It’s smaller than most brad nailers we’ve seen to-date. It’s also extremely light at just over two pounds. It feels natural in the hand and is extremely maneuverable, with above-average ergonomics and features that really count – like dry-fire lockout and a tool-less trigger mode change. In a word, it’s fantastic.
As if a reciprocating saw is not handy enough, Milwaukee is making it more helpful by adding two new reciprocating saw blades to their line-up; one is a scraper and the other is a grout removal tool. Compatible with all Milwaukee Sawzall and Hackzall reciprocating saws, these new accessories convert several slow and strenuous hand tool applications into fast and effortless tasks.
Metabo Corporation, an international manufacturer of professional grade portable electric power tools and abrasives for industrial, construction and welding applications, has introduced a new cordless circular saw with a high efficiency motor. The KSA18 LTX cordless circular saw is ideal for projects that require fast straight cuts with relative accuracy through heavy material like cutting paneling, ripping lumber and making cross, miter and angled bevel cuts.
Whether it’s hanging a door or setting drywall into place overhead, there are a number of instances where it would simply be nice to have a friend to help out… or maybe just have a more versatile clamping system – one that doesn’t take coffee breaks and never drops stuff. The “new” Rockwell JawStand seems to fit that bill nicely, and it does it in a lean and mean package. We put ‘new’ in quotes because this tool has been out before from a company called Triton (MSA200) and is now appearing under the Rockwell name – something that, if it increases availability and distribution, can only be a good thing for consumers. Rock on, Rockwell.
