Gerber recently announced its new Groundbreaker multi-tool (31-001440), a robust model designed for electricians. The Groundbreaker features industrial-grade wire cutters, wire strippers, locking utility knife, locking drywall saw blade and driver with 6 interchangeable screwdriver bits. It comes with a heavy-duty belt sheath and 5 knife blades.

The Groundbreaker is about 9″ long when open and 2.85″ wide. It is mostly composed of 420J stainless steel, and appears to have a black oxide finish. Are you wondering where the utility knife, drywall saw and bit driver are? The Groundbreaker’s handles are detachable!

MSRP has not yet been announced, but according to preorder details, street price should be about $105. The same preorder pages mention that the Groundbreaker is made in China.

More Info via Gerber

Klein recently announced 3 new products – 2 Lineman’s wrenches, and a milled-face hammer.

The new 4-in-1 insulating box wrench features a chrome-plated finish, see-through insulated handle, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, and 3/4″ 12pt socket sizes. The ratcheting box wrench sockets are reversible as well.

The 5-in-1 non-insulated Lineman wrench  features a through-bolt design, 9/16″ and 3/4″ sockets, and a 3/4″ and 1-1/8″ combination square socket.

Designed for pole-line work, the milled-face Lineman’s hammer features milled and smooth faces to meet a range of driving tasks. The forged and tempered steel head is under 4″ long to allow for clearance in tight spots.

More info via Klein

All-Spec is running a neat photo contest through December 31st, 2011. To enter, dig down at the bottom of your tool box and pull out your old Weller soldering iron or gun. Then snap a photo and send it along with your address to the All-Spec email address listed on their contest page.

Just for entering, All-Spec will send you a free Bucket Boss Mug Boss like the one featured in our very first tool gift guide. The person that sends in a photo of the oldest working Weller soldering tool will win this premium soldering station.

All-Spec Weller Soldering Tool Contest Details

To sum it up, old Weller soldering tool + photograph = free Mug Boss and a shot at a fancy new digital soldering station with all the bells and whistles.

Milwaukee Tools is adding yet another new tool to their cordless testing and diagnostics lineup, a fluorescent bulb and ballast tester. We have heard a couple of rumors and leaks about the new tool in recent months, with those discussing it usually using words such as amazing, unbelievable and incredible.

The new lighting tester can check all types of T5, T8 and T12 fluorescent lamps, bulb pin connections, and is optimized for diagnosing T8 electronic ballasts.  The kit will come with an adapter, AA batteries, and carrying case.

There is no word on launch date, pricing, or whether an M12 12V version will follow. A copy of the press release is on the next page:

A few months ago, Channellock improved their 369 9-1/2″ high leverage lineman’s pliers by shrinking the pivot rivet and shifting its location closer to the jaw. As we were able to show, there is a measurable difference between the older and updated lineman’s pliers.

The 368 is a slightly more compact 8″ lineman’s pliers, and is the second release to feature the new high-leverage design. Weighing in at less than one pound and measuring 8.38″ in length, the 368 pliers is intended for use in tighter spaces where other common-sized lineman’s pliers are too large to fit comfortably.

Like its big brother, the 368 features high-carbon laser heat-treated C1080 steel, knife-and-anvil cutters for proper cutting edge alignment, and a built-in crushing area.

Going by tool geometry alone, these high-leverage pliers do in fact provide greater leverage compared to older tool designs. Shrinking the rivet slightly and shifting it closer to the cutting edges does provide a measurable improvement.

In using the pliers, I did notice that I was able to cut cables and wire with less effort than when making the same cut with other lineman’s pliers. Concerned that I was biased by what I new about the improved pivot geometry, I passed a review sample around to a few professional friends and colleagues of mine, along with a larger 369 lineman’s plier. They all liked the pliers, but it wasn’t until they used them to cut tougher materials such as hardened steel and ACSR wires that the improved design showed its advantages.

The bottom line is that Channellock’s new 368 is a very capable lineman plier. I would say that the 369 is still the way to go for heavy-duty repetitive use since its additional length allows for maximum leverage. But if you’re looking for a more compact lineman plier that can still hold its own in any situation, the 368 is a great choice.

I’ve never found a Channellock plier that I didn’t like, and that doesn’t look to be changing. As with their other pliers, the 368 is made in the USA. The 368 is no different and is great on paper and in-hand.

Channellock 268 Lineman Pliers via Amazon
Product Info via Channellock

Hakko has introduced the FX-888 soldering station, which is on the way to retailers this week. The FX-888 replaces the 936 soldering station, which is often called the best soldering station you can buy for under $100.

In addition to a much smaller footprint, the Hakko FX-888 provides “up to 30%” increase in thermal performance and faster thermal recovery time.

The new soldering station features a 200°C – 480°C temperature range, adjustable temperature control with lock/set screw, ceramic heating element, a Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature display, and 65W soldering iron hand piece.

Compatible T18 tips will be released next month.

Hakko FX-888 Soldering Station via All-Spec
Product Info via HakkoUSA

The Hakko FX-888 is also now available via Amazon

Over at Bolty.net, Stacy’s written a series of tutorials on Soldering Techniques for the Reluctant Motorcyclist. The articles are well written with great visuals, with the most recent one discussing how to tap a wire. These procedures mainly deal with the larger guage wires used in motorcycle and auto systems, but can be carried over to general purpose and hobbyist electronics projects as well.

Tapping Wires, via Bolty

Photo credit: Stacy|Bolty.net

Our post on cheap mini pliers caught the attention of Lindstrom, who then sent us two cutters and two pliers for evaluation and comparison. After using them for a bit, I can honestly say that they beat the springs off all the other precision and mini pliers that I have ever used. Calling them tools is a bit of an understatement; they are better described as finely-tuned precision instruments.

If you use precision pliers on a daily or regular basis, you will definitely want to give Lindstrom a try. They offer a range of precision tool sizes and styles and cater heavily towards users in the electronics and jewelry making industries.

A formal review of the Swiss-Made pliers and cutters will be in the works for the future, but my opinion of the tools will likely remain extremely high.

Lindstrom Tools via Amazon | via Techni-Tool
Product Info via Lindstrom

I found myself needing to upgrade from the wire crimpers found on my all-in-one wire stripper tool. During a stroll through the local home improvement store, I found a few affordable options and ultimately chose Channellock’s 909 crimpers.

I’ve been working with terminals and butt connectors more often, but not enough to justify the purchase of a costly crimper. The Channellocks ended up being about $22, and they seem to be very well made.

What do you think, was this a good choice?

Channellock Wire Crimper Tool via Amazon
Product Info via Channellock

I’ve noticed Wiha’s Chip Lifter mini pry bars before, but hadn’t really given them much thought. These chip lifters are designed and properly sized to be used for the removal of IC chips and other electronics components.

Reader JeffD wrote in about his experience with these mini prying bars:

Sometimes you come across a tool that makes you say “damn, I gotta have that”. I recently placed an order with Wiha USA for a Chip Lifter #27920 after I saw some of their internet specials. How many times have we all cursed when trying to “pop a chip”? After receiving the Chip Lifter, and trying it out, I can say it’s well worth the $8!

Thanks Jeff for the tip! I might just have to pick one up for my own use. These also look quite a bit more versatile than the typical tweezer-style IC extractors.

Wiha Chip Lifter via Amazon
Wiha ESD-Safe Chip Lifter via All-Spec | Non-ESD-Safe
Product Info & Direct Sales via Wiha

Channellock is giving away a 5-piece tool set every other week until July 4th. To enter, you must submit your contact information and rate how inclined you are to recommend Channellock tools to others. One entry per person per drawing period are allowed.

Aside from the great prize, Channellock really nailed it with the sweepstakes title and description. Play the Red, White, & Channellock Blue Sweepstakes, and declare your independance from unreliable tools.

Channellock Tool Kit via Amazon (in case you don’t win but want to buy the same set)

Enter the Sweepstakes Today! (Good Luck!)

I came across a rather enlightening shop tip over at the ShopNGarage forum, that demonstrates the use of a wire stripper’s loop holes. Most of my wire strippers have similar holes, but they’re all unlabeled and I never stopped to think about what they could be used for. Well, now I know!

The Shop Tips thread over at the new ShopNGarage forum is choc-full of useful tips and suggestions.

Credit for the shop tip and photos goes to Stephen, and here is a direct link to the tip, with additional example photos.

In case you missed it, we previous mentioned another ShopNGarage tip that discussed the use of an Altoid tin to hold small parts for cleaning.

Update: The Shop N Garage forum is defunct, so the broken links have been removed. Sorry about that, this was out of our control.

Xuron produces superb precision tools - we love their pliers, shears, and scissors. Xuron tools are durable, comfortable to use, provide exceptional performance, are very affordable, and are made in the USA.

Our favorite Xuron tools are their non-serrated short nose pliers (pictured above), fiber cutters, and tweezer nose pliers. We are also huge fans of Xuron’s flush-cut micro shears (also shown above), and hear that they’re especially popular with hobbyists, crafters, and jewelry makers.

Xuron’s American-made pliers and shears will set you back roughly between $5 and $15, depending on the style.

Xuron Tools via Amazon
Xuron Industrial Site
Xuron Consumer Site

The charged up Sog Kilowatt is a quality liner-lock pocket knife for anyone who might need to strip wires or cables at a moment’s notice. The Kilowatt features a 3.4″ blade, a zytel handle, a conventional 12-24ga wire stripper, a spring-loaded wire stripper, and a “hole stripper.”

The Kilowatt’s electric-centric aesthetics are well matched to the functions of the knife; the Kilowatt is accented with an electrical tower pocket clip, schematic markings on the handle, and an electrical receptacle engraving on the blade.

Sog’s Kilowatt is priced at slightly less than $40.

Sog Kilowatt via Amazon
Info via Sog Knives, Manufacturer

For a limited time, Sears is offering a Craftsman auto-ranging multimeter for $20, after a $10 discount. If you take a closer look, you will notice that this model is identical to the Extech MiniTech MN26 – an excellent meter that normally sells for $40.

Unfortunately, I won’t be taking advantage of this deal; I have been using the Extech version of this meter for about 4-5 years now, and the darned thing just keeps performing flawlessly! This is a very capable meter, and is perfect as one’s first meter, or as part of a portable kit.

Buy the Craftsman Auto-Ranging Multimeter
Extech MN26 (for reference)