But sometimes a little mistake can have huge consequences – severed fingers, cracked bones, a lost eye, or worse.

When working with power tools and even hand tools, it does not take a lot to suffer a life-changing accident. A small rush here, skipped safety precaution there, experience-borne complacency with certain tools – you get the picture.

With some of the incidents sensationalized and spread by the mass media, we all shake our heads and say that guy did something wrong. I’m much more careful and so that’ll never happen to me. Some accidents are just too outlandish to relate to. Who can really anticipate shooting themselves in the brain with a nailer?

But, as with driving a car, one small movement or one tiny moment of neglect can lead to disaster. The potential for harm is definitely real, and we must always be mindful of this. As mentioned, no one is immune to life-changing mistakes. Even the most experienced users might lower their guard at times.

So… here are a couple of real Everyday Joe injury stories – with photos – that woodworkers sent in to the Wood Whisperer.

Woodworking Injuries via Wood Whisperer

No, you shouldn’t be afraid of tools, but it’s okay to have a respect for what they can do to you. Reminders like this one may be redundant, but hopefully you’ll appreciate why it’s necessary.

In my opinion, brushless technology is worth waiting for, if you can mind the wait. If not, go out and buy yourself a current-gen model and rest assured that it won’t be rendered obsolete the day a brushless model is announced.

Of course, several brands already came out with their brushless drill/drivers – Milwaukee and Hitachi models are already on the scene. Both brands came out with brushless hammer drills at the same time, and Makita’s is also on the way.

But what about Dewalt and Bosch? And will Milwaukee and Makita release more compact and lightweight versions of their brushless drills?

It is unclear what’s on the horizon for Dewalt and Bosch. Dewalt just released their new brushless impact driver, but there’s no word yet whether a drill/driver or two are on the way. Bosch has kept mum about brushless, but if such tools are almost ready for market, Bosch may introduce them at their June media event.

If you bought into the Dewalt 20V Max lineup, there are plenty of great brushed drills to choose from. The same goes for Bosch’s 18V lineup of drills. You can wait, but if you need a new drill, buy one now. Even if both brands announce new brushless drills in June, it’ll be months before they appear on store shelves. Or you can go ahead and buy one of the other brands’ brushless kits. There’s nothing wrong with having a rainbow of colors in your cordless toolbox.

Remember – aside from Makita – most of the major brands are only now releasing their first generation of brushless tools. I guarantee that the second generation of tools will be even better. Oh, and the third? The third generation will make the first generation of tools look like play things.

There will always be better tools on the horizon. And be sure not to forget the risks of being an early adopter.

What’s so great about cordless tools with brushless motors? Here’s a quick intro to get you up to speed.

Everyday Commentary is a very informative review site about EDC gear. EDC, or everyday carry, entails all the sorts of tools, products, and supplies you might carry around to use on a daily basis. This includes knives, multi-tools, flashlights, and can go way beyond that.

I started subscribing to Everyday Commentary’s RSS feed a couple of months ago, and I really enjoy Tony’s EDC reviews. They’re very detailed, very helpful, well written, and very lean with no BS. He tells it to you straight.

So when Tony asked if he could interview me for the site, I jumped at the chance. I don’t often like talking about myself, but I love talking about gear!

ToolGuyd Interview via Everyday Commentary

You should definitely check out the interview and the rest of what Everyday Commentary has to offer. You’ll find out what I carry and use on a regular basis, which gear I’m pining for, and some of my tool and gear preferences.

(We’ve also got quite a few EDC-related tool and knife reviews here on ToolGuyd, and recently launched EDC Guyd as a net for some of the more off-topic coverage and product discussions.)

I don’t shop at Harbor Freight, but I know that some of you might. Earlier this year I had toyed with the idea of going on a $100 shopping spree there to pick up a couple of hand tools for review, but a severe lack of time and desire killed the plan.

Before my shopping spree plan fell apart, I asked my wife to pull the Harbor Freight coupon sheets out of the Sunday paper and weekly flyers. I now have a stack of Harbor Freight coupon sheets filled with 20%-off coupons, free with purchase coupons, and Super Coupons that apply to specific products. It seems that Harbor Freight is spending a fortune on these coupon sheets - a very potent marketing strategy to bring in customers.

In addition to Sunday papers and weekly sales circulars, Harbor Freight buys ads in many magazines. It of course makes sense to advertise tools and automotive products in appropriately themed magazines.

The other day I realized that Harbor Freight has upped the aggressiveness of their marketing campaign when I found a Harbor Freight coupon in a photography magazine (page 93 in May’s Popular Photography). There’s a 20% coupon, free scissors coupon, and 11 product Super Coupons. I can’t remember ever seeing pressure washers, 18V drills, and air compressors advertised in a photography magazine before.

So, I have come to the conclusion that one should never shop at Harbor Freight without a coupon. Certain product categories (e.g. tool cabinets) are now excluded from the 20%-off coupon, but most items are still eligible.

I know, saying that nobody should shop at Harbor Freight without a 20% coupon or Super Coupon sounds obvious, but a lot of people still aren’t aware of the coupons. A friend of mine just bought a hand tool set from there at full price. Later today I’ll send him a 20% coupon and Super Coupon and recommend he head back for a price adjustment.

With 20%-off coupons in most Sunday papers, weekly circular mailers, printed magazines – including some photography magazines now – and occasionally the web as well, it just seems that everything in the store may be overpriced. (This is a scary thought since some of the products already seem cheaper than the sum of their parts.)

Don’t get me wrong, while I personally avoid Harbor Freight, I have heard good things about some of the products they sell. I have also heard terrible things about some of their products, but that’s not the point here. My point is that you shouldn’t shop at Harbor Freight without a coupon if you can help it, unless what you want is explicitly excluded. If you come across their coupon sheets, and you probably will since they’re now buying ads everywhere, you can stockpile them since the coupons are usually good for 3-4 months (at least?).

Please note that I am not at all recommending or endorsing Harbor Freight. I’m just saying that if you’re going to be shopping at Harbor Freight, bring a coupon.

Final point – has anyone has success using Harbor Freight at Home Depot or Lowes? Most stores accept competitors’ coupons, but it seems iffy whether Harbor Freight can be considered a competitor since they’re not a home improvement center.

Where are the 12V brushless drills and drivers? I’ve actually thought about this myself a couple of times. While I haven’t spoken to any product managers or developers about this, I imagine that redesigning 12V drills and drivers around brushless motors would result in higher prices than most potential users would be willing to pay.

Oh, I’m sure such products are currently in development, but I wouldn’t expect to see them released quite so soon. In my opinion, premium-priced 12V tools just won’t be as marketable as 18V tools.

Would brushless 12V tools be more powerful than brushed versions? I doubt that the small form factors can handle it, at least with respect to ergonomics and user comfort. Would their greater efficiency allow for more runtime? Definitely. But if maximizing runtime is a major goal, it would be far more economical for brands like Dewalt, Makita, and Bosch to follow Milwaukee’s example and develop higher capacity 12V battery packs. Besides, this would also have broader appeal as such batteries can be used with any of the respective brands’ other 12V tools.

My understanding is that, as with Dewalt’s new brushless impact driver, brands probably won’t come out with brushless 12V tools until or unless they can factor in additional redesigns.

Most current-generation 12V drills and drivers are also quite new, and so I really don’t think brushless upgrades are imminent. That said, Milwaukee’s M12 drills and drivers have grown a bit long in the tooth. If I had to guess which brand* would be the first to bring 12V brushless drills/drivers to the US market, I’d point towards the red team.

*Festool and possibly other brands already brought 12V brushless tools to market, but it’s not fair to consider them in the same light as other major professional tool brands.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think we’ll see any 12V brushless drills or drivers by the major brands until either engineers figure out how to design the tools without an appreciable cost increase, or the tools are redesigned to incorporate additional groundbreaking features.

My expectation is that brushless 12V tools will trickle to market after users are more familiar with 18V models. Once users see and feel the advantages brushless motored tools bring, they may be more inclined to spend more on 12V upgrades.

We’re pretty excited about the cordless tool industry’s push towards brushless motors, at least in pistol-grip drill and driver-type tools. So when we were given the chance to grill Dewalt about their new brushless impact driver and other brushless-related matters, how could we say no?

(Here’s our primer on brushed motors vs. brushless if you’d like a refresher.)

A note about the format – there are 7 questions (bolded) with each followed by an answer from the Dewalt product development team. The answers are a bit markety in tone, but they do offer some nice insight.

1. Why is this the right time for DEWALT to introduce a brushless impact driver?

A: Great question! In recent years, impact drivers have become one of the fastest growing tool categories in the industry. Many of our users find themselves reaching a bit less for their drill/driver – and more and more for their impact driver. Impact drivers offer several advantages over a traditional drill/driver, most notably being a smaller size/weight, faster speed of application (RPM) & non-reactionary torque output (tool will not try and “spin your wrist”).

Our cordless fastening team has spent the better part of the last five years researching and developing this new Brushless (BL) impact driver. The DEWALT designed and built BL motor works more efficiently compared to brushed motors, and provides our users with 57% longer run-time* (vs. the leading competitor).

That being said, this impact driver is more than just a motor upgrade. The tool is packed with innovative features that make it our best impact driver to date.

*Compared to standard DEWALT and competitive impact drivers with brushed motors.

2. Are there any other tools in the pipeline slated for redesign around brushless motors?

Yes, we are always interested in researching, developing and ultimately providing our users with a tool that delivers one of their most important requirements; run-time.

[Ed. Note: we didn't really expect an answer here, but had to try. It also doesn't help that we asked this as a yes-no question.]

3. Will we see brushless motors in tools other than drills and drivers?

Although I can’t be specific, I can say that we are looking at all options. Brushless motor technology provides the largest run-time improvements in drilling and fastening tools – and I think that is where most users will really want it.

4. Can you tell us more about the design work that went into the new push-button hex chuck lock?

Sure, one of the most common requests we began receiving from users in the field, was for a quicker and easier way to change their accessory bits. Our goal was to create a chuck that would allow contractors to complete one handed accessory changes – with the push of a button. It’s definitely one of the standout features of this tool and will be something that surely saves our users time and frustration.

5. The new brushless impact driver is 5-1/4″ long. Were there any significant hurdles in making the driver such a compact size?

There are always challenges to making tools shorter. Luckily, this project was a complete ground-up design – so we determined very early on that the tool’s overall length had to be a priority.

[Ed. Note: during a new product intro a year ago, it was quite enthusiastically shared that the product development team was thrilled that they were able to shave a fraction of an inch off of the length when redesigning the 18V impact driver for the 20V Max platform.]

6. The 3 speed and torque settings appears to provide clutch-like maximum-torque control. Does this feature provide any other less obvious benefits?

As impact drivers have gotten more and more powerful – and faster and faster in recent years – it became clear that users needed a way to “dial-back” the speed and torque for smaller and more delicate (ex. Brass hinges) fasteners. Although significantly different from a mechanical clutch, it does provide users with more control when performing a variety of fastening applications.

7. Are there any aspects of the brushless impact driver that you hope to improve or upgrade in the next revision?

We are constantly searching for new ways to innovate all of our tools. At this point, we have not yet identified any opportunities for improvement.

[Ed. Note: we didn't really expect them to highlight any perceived flaws in their brand new driver, but thought it was worth a shot.]

Made it this far? Great, we hope you enjoyed this Q&A session! We love chatting it up with product managers and development teams. If this is something you’d like to see more of, comment below or email us with your requests.

We recently moved to a new apartment. A smaller apartment, or at least it feels smaller. I lost my shop space, and we traded a very spacious storage room for a large second bathroom. I’m trying my best to unpack with a plan, but there’s just so much stuff that needs to be put away!

I have near full control of the second bedroom, where I will work on smaller projects and ToolGuyd-related photography and writing activities. But there’s just not enough room for everything! So… I am now using the second bathroom for temporary storage. And that is why there are power tools in the bathtub.

I kind of knew this would happen, and bought a couple of small and medium Dewalt ToughSystem tool boxes and Bosch L-Boxxes to help contain things. It didn’t work.

How Did this Happen?

It comes down to one pretty simple explanation – I bought too many things. Too many tools, too many accessories, excessive supplies. Part of that comes from my desire to try out and review new or unfamiliar tools, but it’s also always been in my nature. I’m pretty sure it’s hereditary, but my tendency to have too many hobbies should shoulder some of the blame.

Let’s say I need some hardware for a project. I’ll start off with a $10 fasteners and parts order from MSC Direct or Enco, and turn it into a $100 order that includes a bunch of tools, additional fastener sizes, and accessories from my wishlist or for a future project. After all, I should make the most out of the shipping fee, right?

It has also been suggested that I have a screwdriver problem. Maybe June will be screwdriver-review month so I can start culling my collection.

In addition to my own purchases, I have fallen a bit behind with submitted review samples. Most readers (and PR reps) don’t realize this, but it takes a LOT of time to review tools, especially power tools. Mixing in real-world project usage with controlled testing is not something that can be done in 20-minutes. Photography and detailed writeups also cannot be rushed. Some samples are returned or given away, but I hold onto others that I know will be useful for future comparisons or followup review. And whether in off-site storage or my bathtub, benchmark tools take up space.

You don’t even want to know how huge my stockpile of raw materials and supplies have grown. Here’s just one example – I still have a couple of 12″ x 12″ acrylic sheets that I bought 10 years ago for a robotics project, and an 18″ x 18″ red UV-activated plastic panel I purchased 6 years ago for a computer modding project.

What Can I Do About it?

I have arrangements to give a couple of things away. My brother in law is getting my huge Canon photo printer (it was $50 after $400 rebate and the ink was compatible with my everyday printer!), my cousins are getting some unused school supplies (index cards, looseleaf paper, and 168 cheap pencils which were 5¢ per pack of 8), and most of my tool chests already went to my father, wife’s cousins, and wife’s brother in law.

There’s still a LOT of stuff. Some will go to off-site storage, and some will be given away. I haven’t yet decided whether to donate tools off to Habitat for Humanity or a local Hackerspace, but I’ll make up my mind soon. I can probably send some of the random spare materials to the Hackerspace as well.

But giving things away won’t solve my stockpiling issues. I need to:

• stop buying tools (temporarily?), or at least give away more tools than I buy
• review tools, especially ones I purchased for review months or years ago, at a faster pace
• stop buying more supplies than I need
• exhibit more self-control when I come across hot deals

My eyes are bigger than my tool boxes and storage cabinets and it needs to stop. After all, our second bathroom, including the bathtub, is currently filled with tools. That’s not exactly normal, is it? Yes, I’m the editor and primary contributor to a tool blog and also write for others as time permits, but that’s not as valid an excuse as I like to believe.

Not having a basement or garage does limit the types of projects I can work on at times, but right now having too much stuff and too little free space is a much bigger issue.

Prevention

• one project at a time – too many aspirations and nothing will get done
• do you REALLY need to buy those tools? (No, I did not need that set of Gearwrench X-Beam ratcheting wrenches, but the deal was just too good to pass up!)
• do you really need to buy that right now? (Don’t store something you only *might* need someday.)
• don’t buy anything without purpose just because it’s on sale – this goes on hand in hand with the second bullet

What Happens Now?

Honestly, I’m not 100% sure. The apartment is a humongous mess since we just moved in and started to unpack. I plan to use the unpacking time to determine what stays and what needs to go, and items I cannot use in the next couple of months will go to storage, with a few exceptions of course.

It will be tough, but I’m going to have to be strict with how I determine what to keep and what to part with.

And there will be a new rule – with the exception of necessary new tools and accessories, I won’t buy something unless it takes another tool’s spot. Who will determine what’s necessary? I think I’ll give that role to my wife (wish me luck!!). Seriously, though, whenever I’m on the fence about a purchase, she usually does a fair job of throwing me one way or another.

And before anyone asks, no, I won’t take any photos, not until I have the situation under control at least. Honestly, it’s just too embarrassing at the moment.

There’s also the fact that today’s 12V li-ion compact drill/drivers outperform some 18V models from just a couple of years ago.

A couple of years ago, the trend was to go for bigger, beefier tools. 18V became the norm. But now? Well, some people still brush aside smaller tools, fixated on how bigger is better. After all, isn’t that why “12V” cordless tool batteries are described as 12V Max instead of 10.8V? Even so, professionals are equipping themselves with more compact tools at an increasing rate.

Take a look at some of the 12V tools that we previewed recently: a one-handed M12 cordless band saw, M12 fluorescent bulb and ballast tester, an affordable infrared thermal imager, a compact 3/8″ hammer drill driver, pivoting reciprocating saw, and a 12V jig saw.

It’s obvious that manufacturers are dedicated to their 12V platforms and are thinking outside the box. Expect to see more diagnostic tools, and more tool varieties. Brands want you to buy their 18V tools AND their 12V tools, reinforcing the need for innovation and unique functionality.

Right now Milwaukee’s brushless 18V drill/driver closely approaches the torque specs of their 28V drill/driver. While there are still reasons for some users to step up to the 28V model, the gap between 18V and higher voltage platforms may narrow further if Milwaukee upgrades other M18 models with brushless motors.

It is a strange feeling, drilling through brick with a puny 12V drill the first time. Cutting through a pipe with a tiny band saw. Slapping a 12V battery into a an IR non-contact thermometer or other nontraditional power tool.

Power tool trends are a-changin’, and we’re very excited to see where things are headed next. Maybe we’ll even see some of the features we imagined when writing up the “game-changer” April Fools Day preview.

We caught glimpse of a game-changing cordless drill driver design that we absolutely had to share with you! News of the drill is not exactly supposed to be made public yet, but its features are so innovative and its styling so kick-ass that we’ll risk a few angry phone calls to bring you this preview.

(This is one of the tools we were talking about in yesterday’s venting about keeping new tool secrets.)

Still, since we’d like to limit the number of angry voice-mails we are bound to receive, we have decided to at least keep mum as to which major tool manufacturer plans to release the new driver. We’re told that the project is so secretive that the brands’ marketing and PR contacts haven’t even been briefed about it yet.

We’ve been told that this project has been codenamed “Batman” internally, with the vision and goal to create a super-compact drill-driver with advanced features that could be carried on-person. It is hoped that, eventually, several other cordless tools could be scaled down without there being a sacrifice in features or power.

One question thus far – what color will the utility power belt be? That’s right, there’s a utility belt in the plans as well, AND it charges your tools as you work. Our source preferred not to discuss the kinks that “set this project back a few years.”

Heck, we’re already seeing 12V hammer drills and a 12V compact band saw that can be operated with one hand. Smaller and lighter is the way of the feature. But what sets this drill/driver apart from other minified tools is its impressive high-tech features.

1. Body Composition and Brushless Motor

The body of the cordless drill/driver is made from high-strength plastic and magnesium, making it incredibly lightweight and durable. This might change in the final version, but it sounds pretty reasonable.

The drill will feature a brushless motor, but we are not privy to additional details. If/once we find out more, we will update this post accordingly.

2. Optical Trigger Switch

The drill features a true optical trigger that senses flesh or any normal glove material.

The idea of an optical trigger switch is not exactly new, but current designs, most notably Hitachi’s new brushless drill, still require a traditional trigger to toggle an internal optical switch.

3. Secondary Trigger Safety

When you toss the drill into your bag or holster with a bit still in the chuck, you don’t want it turning on by itself. There are three optical sensors in the handle that must be covered with your hand before the trigger switch can be used to operate the drill. One sensor is at the back of the handle, and there are two more on opposite sides that allow for right- or left-handed operation.

4. 1/4″ Hex Chuck

As we discussed previously, we’re not exactly in-love with hex-chucked drills. But at least we can pop in 1/4″ hex-to-drill chuck adapter. We know that a traditional 3/8″drill chuck model is in the pipeline for later release, but until then we consider this drill/driver more of a driver than a drill.

5. Auto-Adjusted Speed Control and Max-Torque Settings

There’s a whole lot of technical and marketing mumbo jumbo used to describe this feature, but we’ll cut to the bottom-line. A microcontroller chip is used to control both speed control and maximum torque settings, automatically. A special sensor (see feature 6, below) aids in determining the proper settings.

Electronic torque controls are built into Dewalt’s new brushless impact driver, and Milwaukee’s FUEL brushless impact driver. However, the technology that allows for such control also limits the maximum speed (RPM) that can be achieved at a given torque setting.

The tech behind the speed and max-torque of this new drill/driver, on the other hand, can control the speed and torque settings independently.

6. Worklight Plus Speed and Torque Control Aid

A white LED worklight illuminates low-light work areas. Right next to it are two LEDs (or lasers??), spaced about 1/2″ apart, that pulse a red beam several times a second. What this does is measure the thickness of a drill bit, if you’re drilling a hole, or fastener you are driving in. This ensures that the tool is always operating within 10% of the recommended speed.

Without a mechanical or physical trigger with pressure-sensitive contacts, or optical trigger with position encoder, this is the only way to provide variable speed control.

The maximum-torque setting is also set based on the thickness of whatever fastener you are driving in. Taking into account different fastener materials, the drill starts with the lowest max-torque. It measures the distance between fastener-head and the surface of the workpiece, and increases the torque setting if the max is reached before a fastener is driven flush.

Once the fastener is driven flush, the drill/driver turns off. This can be easily overridden as necessary.

7. Reverse Switch

Here is another optical switch. Touch or cover it once to engage “forward” mode, twice to engage “reverse” mode, and a third time to lock the drill/driver. The LED changes from green to red, and then off.

To save battery life, the drill goes into sleep mode if locked for more than 30-minutes, but it can be woken up by inserting a drill or screwdriver bit into the chuck.

8. Inductively Charged Battery

The drill/driver is powered by a 12V (10.8V actual) lithium ion battery that is inductively charged. Capacity is 800 mAh, which seems to be a bit on the low side, but runtime is claimed to be 90-minutes under continuous average load. It takes 15-minutes to fully charge the battery via the included charger. We assume this was done to reduce the upfront cost of the package.

We searched around a bit more and found that one distributor already put up a preorder page:

Availability & Price

We’re told that these neat little drivers will start shipping ~12-months from now, around April 1st, 2013. MSRP is estimated to be $1 more than you can afford.

Update: it looks like one distributor already put up a preorder page!

Buy Now

Image Source: David Miller, a very talented industrial designer. You can see more of his work at Dave Miller Design.

Earlier this week, I came across a few new tool images and bits of information that really got my heart pumping. It turns out that I came across MAJOR news that’s not supposed to go public yet. Or at least it seems like major news to me. But as soon as I started asking around about the new products, I hit a brick wall.

I thought about posting the images here – of course I saved them before they were taken down from the source pages – but without proper details, specs, or information of any kind, there’s not much that can be discussed.

So I’ve been reaching out to everyone who may be familiar with the tools in question, asking for more details. The only thing worse than my burning curiosity is the unsuccessful pursuit of information.

So for now, I’m forced to keep secrets. Not because I want to, but because experience has told me that if I post a teaser photo with no details at all, chaos will ensue. Press and media contacts will call me up asking for retractions. That part I can deal with. What I can’t really handle is the flood of questions via email. Questions I cannot answer, and questions that violently fuel my own curiosity further. It’s not really fair for me to share my curiosity with all of you, is it?

If this sounds like a somewhat immature rant, sorry about that, I just had to vent a little. Embargos and non-disclosure agreements I can deal with. But when I find out about new tools nobody’s supposed to know about, my curiosity drives me a little bonkers.

The good news is that I’m told more details *might* be available next week. And once that happens, I’ll go public with the teaser photo and preview. The bad news is that my excitement is usually deflated a bit once I know the full story.

Maybe I should just put the teaser up over the weekend and accidentally turn my phone off on Monday. But only if I can find additional sources of information. Rest assured that I will NEVER post teasers or details if leaked information can be traced to an individual.

The Craftsman Experience over in Chicago was a pretty neat place, even if it did fail to meet my “tools as far as the eye can see” expectations . I was there back in June as an instructor for their “Blogger’s Summit.” I met lots of cool people and did lots of fun things. There were also interesting decorations, such as a Craftsman ratchet toiler paper holder. Many cool project videos came out of the social-media-oriented studio, such as this Craftsman toolbox speaker build.

Over at Craftsman’s Facebook page, there is news that the Craftsman Experience is being completely overhauled. A photo album shows that it has been completely gutted, and is destined to become the Kenmore Craftsman Brand Live Experience Studio.

While eager to see how the new studio turns out, I can’t say that I will be completely thrilled to see the floor space shared between Craftsman tools Kenmore appliances. My preference would have been to see the Craftsman Experience filled with more tools, more demo stations, and perhaps more public workshop sessions.

There used to be separate Craftsman Experience and Kenmore Live Studio locations. Is Sears in so much financial trouble that they had to consolidate the two studios into a single location?

Photo Gallery via Craftsman Facebook Page

(In case you’re wondering, the above photo was plucked out of the Craftsman photo gallery for a reason. I found it amusing that, with all the Craftsman cordless tools available at the location, at least one Dewalt product was brought on-site.)

Makerspaces are similar, but focus on offering creative and educational project opportunities for youngsters. I’ve been following news behind the nascent Makerspace movement with great interest, but cannot say that I’m pleased with their recent tool and supplies recommendations.

What Not to Buy for a Hackerspace or Makerspace

Stay away from cheap tools. Inexpensive tools are alright, but cheap tools will cause problems. If the club organizer has to go out and buy a replacement tool that fails the second time it’s used, there’s a drain in time, effort, and resources, not to mention lost time for anyone waiting for the tool.

Professional tools aren’t necessary, but stay away from super-cheap brands and retailers. All but the most specialty tools will be used often in a Hacker/Makerspace, and many homeowner-grade tools are not designed to meet such demands. Spending a little more upfront will greatly reduce replacement costs down the road.

What to Buy, and How Many of Each are Needed?

This is a tough question to answer, and I am working on preparing rough guidelines. The Makerspace list is a good start, but I disagree with many of their examples.

For general-purpose tools, such as pliers, cutters, and common screwdrivers, there should be one set for every 5-6 people. In a Makerspace setting built for 25 students, there may be times when the group is split up into smaller groups of 5. You want to ensure that each group has a set of tools.

For necessary but less frequently used tools, such as ball pein hammers, cordless drills, hacksaws, and wrench sets, perhaps start with one each for every 10-15 people.

For more expensive tools, those that won’t be used often, or tools that take up a lot of space, such as miter saws, drill presses, and scroll saws, plan to buy just one as space and finances allow.

Compromises can often be made if not enough tools are available. If a line regularly forms behind the scroll saw, you can purchase several coping saws or fretsaws instead of a second unit.

Look for Deals

If you’re buying $1000 or more in tools, there’s no reason to pay full retail prices. Look for quantity deals, and check out industrial suppliers as well. Smaller distributors will be more likely to cut you a break on pricing than large big-box retailers.

Share Your 2 Cents!

Please share your own opinions and recommendations! What would you do if tasked with choosing and buying tools for a 25-seat Hackerspace or Makerspace?

The idea behind Tomboy Tools is sound – they don’t want to just sell tools to women, they want to pass along know-how and a willingness to get down and dirty with a DIY project. And this makes sense from a business perspective. Women who eagerly work on DIY projects will buy more tools.

Many of Tomboy’s tools are said to be ergonomically designed to better fit women’s smaller hands. This also makes sense.

But to be honest, it looks like most of Tomboy Tools’s products are generic import designs with a pink premium. We’ve seen something similar at stores before – no-name “women’s DIY tool kits” that cost way more than they should, just because they’re pink.

Pink paint tray: $12. You can buy one for $2 at a local hardware store or something sturdier for $6 via Amazon.

13oz hammer: $15. 12oz and 16 oz hickory-handled hammers are at the same price or even cheaper at most hardware stores. There’s a Great Neck Essentials female-specific model for $13. If you must have pink, here’s a Pink Box 12oz model for $12.

6-inch pliers: $8-9 each. I would recommend 6-inch Stanley pliers that cost significantly less, especially if you pick up a 3 or 4-tool set.

19-piece socket set: $59. The same price will get you a 95-piece Craftsman set with money left over for a couple of additional accessories.

T50 1/4″ staples (1000): $8. $3 will get you a pack of 1250 Arrow staples from the local hardware store, buying online will set you back $4.50 via Amazon.

Again, this is an objective hands-off discussion. In theory, there are quite a few tools that would be great if redesigned for women. Take a staple gun, for example. Some staple guns are notoriously difficult to squeeze and give your grip quite the workout. The Tomboy model, priced at $29, is described as having an ergonomic handle, but there’s no mention of reduced squeeze resistance.

I cannot fairly judge the tools without seeing them first-hand, but they seem a tad overpriced, especially some of the accessories.

The pink premium is not often justified, but with Tomboy Tools, customers do seem to benefit from hands-on demos and instruction. With tool-truck brands, customers often pay a premium for service and on-site access to their sales rep. With Tomboy Tools, customers pay a premium for pink female-friendly styling and at-home instruction.

Although, it looks like all you need to become a reseller is $149 or $289, plus a monthly or annual fee, depending on the starter package you choose. The starter package also includes access to online training materials and a TT Guide to Home Improvement.

It’s tough to analyze Tomboy Tools. Just going on prices, most of the tools seem overpriced compared to other homeowner and DIYer brands. Other than being pink, many of the tools and accessories offer no added female-friendly ergonomics or design features.

Update: we’ve just learned that Tomboy Tools’ consultant commission on sales is an average of 30% of the retail cost, with unspecified downline commissions.

Sales consultants want to sell more tools, and it is uncertain what their “training” entails. Maybe they’ll show potential customers how a certain project requires half the tools in their catalog – if I were selling tools that’s what I’d do.

And yes, I know that the company gives back to women’s causes and non-profits. It shows on their website that they gave 5% of total 2011 profits to the Avon Foundation for Women, half for the Breast Cancer Crusade, and half to Avon Speaks Out Against Domestic Violence.

Let’s say $100 in tool sales results in 10% profit after a consultant takes their 30% commission. This means that $0.50 goes to women’s causes. Why not buy similar non-pink tools from nationwide brands and retailers at much lower prices and then donate part of the difference in cost to women’s causes directly?

Let’s say the corporate profit on the $12 paint tray is $4, leading to a 20-cent donation. One could alternatively buy the $6 premium Wooster paint tray for $6 and donate $2 to a cause. The donation amount is 10-times higher, and the customer still has $4 in their pocket.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a respect for what Tomboy Tools says is their goal: to inspire, share, create, and empower. They seem to want women to become more confident in their DIY abilities. Maybe pink tools help that. But from where I sit, it looks like they’re just trying to sell a whole lot of overpriced pink tools to women with little to no experience shopping for tools. Maybe I’m wrong – I’d love to be wrong.

Have you used TomBoy Tools products? PLEASE share feedback with us.

While Williams and Bahco tools were previously advertised as Snap-on Williams and Snap-on Bahco by many retailers and distributors, the official name change means that such branding has become even more widespread.

Michael Carr, director of sales for Snap-on Industrial, has said that ”by renaming our business unit Snap-on Industrial Brands we are strengthening the direct link between our distribution brands and Snap-on Incorporated, our parent company. Our intention is to accelerate the pace of innovation and new product introductions…”

We’re fans of Williams tools, especially their hard-handle screwdrivers, and own a couple of Bahco tools as well. But this move to rename the Williams and Bahco brands does not sit well with us. And we’re still not thrilled with the random licensed Snap-on tools that have appeared in recent years.

We’ve seen a number of complaints on the web already, where buyers of Snap-on Industrial products appear shocked that they didn’t receive bona fide Snap-on tools.

View “Snap-on Industrial” tools via Amazon

Our warning to watch out for Snap-on Industrial tools is not really a reflection of quality. Although they might not match up with Snap-on tools, their quality may still be quite good. Our concern is that retailers and resellers may accidentally (or “accidentally”) leave off the Williams or Bahco branding.

It is obvious that Snap-on is leveraging their name and reputation to further tap into the consumer tool market. It will be interesting to see what happens in a couple of years.

With Snap-on’s name appearing on professional tools, “industrial” tools seemingly aimed at consumers, and licensed tools and products, will they experience growth or will their reputation be diluted?

Dewalt’s DW788 20-inch variable-speed scroll saw looks to be the most popular model on the market. At a recent Woodworking Show, I took notice of the 3-4 scroll saw demo stations and woodworking club booths, and all of them featured this Dewalt scroll saw.

For a moment I considered that perhaps Dewalt sponsored these booths, but the saws all looked very well used. That, and if the scroll saws were provided by Dewalt, I would at least expect them to have a demo model at their own booth as well.

Although the Dewalt saw is quite a bit more expensive than the very many entry-level models on the market, it looks to have earned top-dog status among woodworkers and crafters.

One of the reasons I was eyeing the scroll saw stations was because several readers have emailed-in recently, asking for scroll saw recommendations. I usually point to the Dewalt and Delta models as being higher-end options, and tell them to flip a coin when choosing sub-$200 models. But if there’s greater demand, I might look into possibly reviewing one or two units – please let me know if this is something you would be interested in.

Dewalt Scroll Saw via Amazon