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Father’s Day Ultimate Power Tool Gift Guide

Stuart — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:00:43 +0000

So far, we’ve discussed quite a few tools as part of our Father’s Day Gift Guide. There are still 10 days left to shop for the perfect gift for your father, father-in law, husband, uncle, son, nephew, or other dads in your life. To help you out, here are some of the power tools we’d recommend.

We may add a few more items in upcoming days, but these 7 tools (or tool families) are what we think are the must-haves of the year. Be sure to be on the lookout for sales flyers and weekly ads this weekend, as home improvement stores are bound to offer some great savings. (Or so we hope!)

Hitachi 18V Li-Ion Drill-Driver

While not the most bad-ass compact 18V cordless drill on the market, Hitachi’s DS18DSAL has a lot going for it. It’s lightweight, relatively compact, and packs a walloping 460 in/lbs of torque. Find it at Sears, Amazon, or the Hitachi distributor of your choice for about $150.

Bosch’s New 12V Cordless Drill/Drivers

Bosch’s new PS21-2A and PS31-2A compact cordless drill/drivers have only been out for a few weeks, but they’re already speeding to the front of the class. These are two of the fastest, smallest, and most powerful drivers that we’ve ever seen in the 12V compact cordless tool category. The PS21 is priced at ~$130 and PS31 ~$150.

Porter Cable Li-Ion 18V Combo Kit

We’re nearly done reviewing Porter Cable’s 18V Li-ion cordless tool kit, and from what we’re seeing, it is a fantastic kit. Our review of the 18V cordless drill went up nearly a month ago, and we were flabbergasted at how good the drill was. We recommend the Li-ion kit, but the NiCad kits are an option if you’re on a tighter budget. Available at Lowes for $270.

Ridgid JobMax Modular 12V Cordless Tool Kit

Ridgid’s new JobMax modular 12V cordless tool kit is extremely innovative. As we discussed in our previews of the general purpose kit and right angle kit, each kit includes a starter motor handle along with a few interchangeable tool heads. Only available at Home Depot, but the kits appear to be sold out online at the moment.

Dremel 4000 or Cordless Dremel 8200

We recently reviewed Dremel’s new cordless rotary tool, and are nearly done with our evaluation of Dremel’s 4000 series rotary tool, their current flagship. Both of these rotary tools are insanely powerful, and we like ‘em a lot better than the models they replace. Shop for Dremel at Amazon, or at any number of other local and online dealers.

Rockwell Sonicrafter Oscillating Multi-Tool

Do you wonder why there are so many oscillating multi-tools coming to market these days? Because these types of tools are highly versatile, and every manufacturer now wants a piece of the action. Rockwell offers the most flexibility by offering several different kit configurations according to your budget and needs. Available at Amazon and a handful of online distributors, starting at ~$120.

Bosch Power Box 360 Jobsite Radio

As we conveyed in our recent review, Bosch’s Power Box 360 sound and power system is awesome! It pumps great sound out in all directions, it serves as a nice charging and power station, and it’s built to endure tons of abuse. We’re sure that other brands’ jobsite stereos are decent, but can they sustain 10 foot drops like this one can? The basic and deluxe models are available at Amazon and a few smaller online retailers for $200 and $250 respectively.

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Father’s Day Hand Tool Gift Guide Part 2!

Stuart — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:31:45 +0000

As we mentioned yesterday in the first part of our Father’s Day Gift Guide, we’re giving you our gift ideas and recommendations in parts. Without further delay, here is the second part of our hand tool gift guide.

Do you have some hand tool gift ideas we didn’t mention yet? Don’t be shy, tell us about ‘em. Our last planned gift guide will offer a few power tool recommendations, but a user-submitted gift guide might be fun.

Wera Koloss Ratchet with Integrated Hammer

We talked about the Wera Koloss back in March, and then previewed it a month ago when it first came out. We’re still working on a full review, but one thing has already been made clear – it’s a BEAST of a great ratchet.
The Koloss is not well suited for tight quarters, but it is a tremendously well built ratchet. Available at ChadsToolBox.

Wera Kraftform Screwdriver Set

We wanted to add some screwdrivers to our gift guide, but it was tough to select just one brand. If your Dad (or yourself or your giftee) wants to break free of the boring 99 cent store drivers they’ve been using. give these Wera Kraftform drivers a try. They’re ergonomic and are very well made. Buy them at Amazon, or ChadsToolBox.

Kershaw Ken Onion Knife

There are [at least] two things that every man must have – a reliable flashlight, and a reliable knife. I love, love, LOVE Kershaw’s Ken Onion Knives. They’re razor sharp out of the box, open and close with ease (watch those fingers), and they’re affordably priced at under $50. Best of all, they’re made in the USA! Buy one at Amazon, or your favorite Kershaw dealer.

Woodpeckers Tools

We’ve been on somewhat of a Woodpeckers shopping spree lately, and for good reason. Woodpeckers’ woodworking tools are innovative, and very well made. They’re not exactly cheap, but they’re made in the USA, and are spectacular to use. You can find these tools at Sears, Woodcraft (under the Pinnacle label), and their homepage.

Craftsman Ball Bearing Tool Storage

Nothing says “we appreciate you” more than a huge toolbox! Well, maybe that’s not true, but many Dads, especially new Dads, are often lacking some real tool storage. This 52-inch 23 drawer behemeath by Craftsman (currently on sale for half-off) may be overkill for some, but there are also many smaller and more affordable units out there. Craftsman 52-inch ball bearing combo via Sears.

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Father’s Day Hand Tool Gift Guide Part 1!

Stuart — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:00:49 +0000

We have been adding quite a few decent tools and gift ideas to our Father’s Day Gift Guide series. Today we will be sharing with you 5 of our top hand tool gift ideas. There is a little bit for everyone in this list – woodworkers, DIYers, and hobbyists.

We’ll share 5 more hand tool gift ideas with you tomorrow, and then our power tool gift guide will come out the next day.

Rockwell Jawhorse

Rockwell’s Jawhorse has been gaining much popularity in recent months. It is highly versatile, portable, and built to last. The Jawhorse can be found at many online and local retailers. (On sale at Amazon)

Craftsman Ratcheting Elbow Wrenches

Craftsman’s new ratcheting elbow wrenches are a great addition to a mechanic or serious DIY’ers toolbox. These wrenches can be used in a “push-pull” manner for when clearance is tight, and the elbow joint can be locked in place to help reach past obstacles. Metric, SAE sets via Sears.

Knipex Pliers Wrench

Knipex’s pliers wrench is by far the best adjustable tool of its kind that we have ever tried. Its jaws are smooth and non-marring, and due to its unique design phenomenal gripping power can be achieved with little effort. Buy from Amazon, or ChadsToolBox.

Channellock V-Jaw Pliers

These are not the fanciest pliers around, but they’re darned handy, and at a great price point too. We reviewed the smaller 6.5″ V-Jaw pliers a few months ago, and loved them! You can find these made-in-the-USA tools at your local home improvement store, or online at various retailers. Channellock V-Jaw Pliers at Amazon

Gorillatorch Hands-Free Tripod Flashlight

We have been using one of these Gorillatorch flexible tripod flashlights since November, and we love it. The flashlight has three highly posable legs with strong magnets embedded at their ends. Wrap the legs around fixtures, or stick the torch to a ferrous surface. $25-30, via Amazon

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Dewalt Pilot Point Drill Bits – a ToolGuyd Favorite

Stuart — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:15:22 +0000

I am sometimes asked to recommend general purpose drill bits that can be purchased locally. Although this condition rules out many of the great brands available at online industrial suppliers, there are still a few decent options out there. By far, my favorite locally-sourced drill bits are Dewalt’s Pilot Point drill bits.

Pilot Point drill bits 3/16″ and larger all have a leading cutting edge that creates a smaller hole ahead of the bits’ flutes and primary cutting edge. This eliminates the need to drill pilot holes in a 2-step process, saving time and effort, and resulting in a more accurate hole.

These bits are suitable for use in wood, plastic, and metal. I often use these bits to drill through-holes in metals (mostly aluminum) and plastic (non-brittle types), but not for wood. The bits have split points so they don’t walk, and also no-spin shanks with three flats.

You can find these bits at local home improvement stores, as well as online at Amazon and most major tool suppliers.

Dewalt Pilot Point Drill Bits via Amazon
Product Info via Dewalt

Ikea’s Alex 6 Drawer Cabinet

Stuart — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:30:26 +0000

I’m a huge fan of IKEA’s ALEX series of drawer units, with my favorite style being the above-pictured 6-drawer unit. While the drawers are not fully extending, they’re quite spacious, and can handle a reasonable amount of weight for their size and construction. As with most IKEA products, assembly is DIY, but everything fits together easily and relatively quickly.

While I’ve seen ALEX units stacked two-high at my local IKEA showroom, that’s not something that I would readily do myself. If you’re not a fan of the casters, you can swap them out for separately purchased CAPITA cabinet feet.

I store lightweight tools and supplies in my ALEX units, and it fairs quite well despite being designed for an office setting.

This ALEX 6-drawer unit is priced at $119, and there are several other styles available. Hopefully IKEA will roll out additional variations to this product family in the future.

IKEA ALEX 6-Drawer Unit on Casters
IKEA ALEX Family of Products

ToolGuyd’s 5 Most Enjoyable & Memorable Posts

Stuart — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:00:11 +0000

While we truly enjoy writing each and every post that we publish here on ToolGuyd, there are some that we find extraordinarily enjoyable to write. Following is a recap of the 5 posts that were most memorable and enjoyable to write during our first year of operation.

You may also want to check out our 5 most popular posts, which we mentioned the other day.

1. Hands-on reviews and DealGuyd tool deal finds. Hands-on reviews and deal finds are at the core of what motivates us, but since this is a list of 5 most enjoyable posts and not 40, we grouped them all into one slot.

2. This is the Story of a Screw – Electron Micrographs. This was by far our most favorite non-review and non-deal post. Not only did we enjoy writing the post and sharing the images with you, we thoroughly enjoyed taking the images as well.

3. The Workplace Safety & Insurance Board Wants to Scare You Safe. These safety videos are not for the squeamish, but they are somewhat entertaining to watch and do a great job at enforcing workplace safety.

4. Brown Dog Welding’s Incredible Hardware Sculptures. If you haven’t already checked out these awesome motorcycles and other models created from scrap fasteners and hardware, you MUST. Go check them out! Now!

5. 360 RotoRat Prototype Teaser. A few months ago we had the pleasure of checking out a new ratchet-type drive tool, and it was quite a fantastic experience. We took additional photos of the tool and will soon be publishing a follow-up post.

Both the uniqueness of the RotoRat and the excitement of getting a closer hands-on look at a pre-production prototype made this one of our most enjoyable and memorable posts ever.

May our second year and 2010 bring many more enjoyable posts, and hopefully you’ll have as much fun reading them as we have writing them!

The 5 Most Popular ToolGuyd Posts

Stuart — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:45:18 +0000

Believe it or not, five days from now will mark ToolGuyd’s first anniversary! This past year has been very exciting, and we’re glad that you’re here to share the occasion with us. There will of course be several special posts to help commemorate the event. Top start off, here is a recap of the five most popular ToolGuyd posts since our launch last December.

1. PB Swiss Insider Multibit Driver Review

Still one of my favorite tools, the PB Swiss Insider is compact and is the finest multibit driver that I have ever used. The bits are of exceptional quality, and if need be you can use load the driver’s cartridge with standard insert bits of your choosing.

2. Leatherman Freestyle Preview

Soon after the Leatherman Skeletool was released, we spotted images of a slightly stripped-down version, called the Freestyle. The Freestyle soon dropped off our radar and emerged several months later after being redesigned. The Freestyle is a bit too minimal in our opinion, but is an excellent tool for those that only need pliers and a knife in a pocket tool.

3. Time Lapse Construction of an F/A-18 SuperHornet Fighter Jet

We’re not surprised that this is one of our top posts ever. The only thing better than a fighter plane is watching an incredible time lapse video of its construction.

4. Ryobi Auto Hammer vs. Craftsman HammerHead Auto Hammer

Ryobi is the new kid on the block with its newly released auto hammer. We noticed striking similarities between it and the Craftsman Hammerhead, and so we compared the two tools. We found that the two tools are nearly identical, with the differences being the respective brand-specific battery systems, and Ryobi’s lower price.

5. Brown Dog Welding’s Incredible Hardware Sculptures

If you haven’t already seen Josh’s incredibe hardware creations, you need to check them out. Now.

By far, our most popular section has been our DealGuyd category. We love searching for and posting about hot tool deals, and it is evident that you enjoy reading about them.

We’re eager to hear from you – which are YOUR favorite ToolGuyd posts of all time? Was it a particular deal find, tool review, or one of our off-topic editorials? C’mon, don’t be shy, let us know via a comment!

Bosch Jigsaws and Why We Love Them

Stuart — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:34:42 +0000

We have used quite a few different brands of jigsaws in recent years, but by far our favorite brand is Bosch. We’ve been using Bosch’s 1587AVSK jigsaw model for about two and a half years now, and it’s reliable, durable, provides plenty of power, and still operates smoothly and efficiently.

Although we’ve heard the occasional complaint about this particular model and its tool-less blade change mechanism, we’ve never had any issues. Lift the knob, turn the knob, insert blade, twist the blade, turn the knob, listen for the click, depress the knob. How’s that so difficult?

If our 1587AVSK ever calls it quits (or accidentally becomes attached to a cinder block before finding itself near a deep lake), we would promptly replace it with Bosch’s 1590EVSK. The 1590EVSK is more powerful – 6.4A compared to 5.0A, but we’ve never felt that the 1587 was underpowered in any way.

The major difference between these two jigsaws is that the 1590 has a much quicker and easier one-touch tool-less blade change system. Push the blade into the tool to insert it, and flip the lever to drop it.

You can probably find the 1587AVSK on sale for $100, but it may still be worthwhile to splurge for the 1590EVSK, which can be found for $140-$160.

Bosch 1590EVSK Jigsaw (Amazon)
Bosch 1587AVSK Jigsaw (Amazon)
Product Info (Bosch)

In case our Bosch 1587 really does fail we would also consider a Metabo jigsaw, given that we could find one to check out in person first. Never trust a manufacturer’s claims of a “quick blade change” without seeing it in person!

Xuron Pliers & Shears – ToolGuyd Favorites

Stuart — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:42 +0000

First of all, we absolutely LOVE Xuron pliers and shears. Yes, we know that we’ve mentioned this before, but great products like Xuron’s deserve the fresh attention. Second of all, we absolutely LOVE the above product image.

Here’s why Xuron products are among our favorites hand tools, and why we think that Xuron is an upstanding company:

great quality tools
impressive precision
reasonable prices and high value
pliers are ergonomically designed and comfortable to use
large selection of pliers styles
their customer service is great
Xuron tools are MADE IN THE USA!!

Xuron pliers and shears are well suited for electronics work, crafts, hobbies, DIY projects, and more.

Browse Xuron Tools via Amazon
Xuron Industrial Site
Xuron Consumer Site

Lastly, thank you again to Abby, Xuron’s rep on twitter, for forwarding to us the above photo at our request. We first saw the image in one of Xuron’s press releases.

Small Parts Inc

Stuart — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:40:24 +0000

Small Parts Inc is a fantastic distributor. While Small Parts specializes in – you guessed it, small specialty parts, their catalog now includes a huge selection of materials, parts, and tools.

This is why we love ordering from Small Parts:

Small Parts has a great selection of hard to find hand tools
They also have a great selection of raw materials, fasteners, and specialty items
Small Parts’ prices are often comparable to or lower than those of other distributors
Since orders with Small Parts are fulfilled by Amazon, “free super saver shipping” applies on orders over $25*
We subscribe to Amazon Prime, so we receive our orders in two business days, sometimes sooner

Some of the types of products we’ve ordered from Small Parts include PVC tubing, plastic sheets, Xuron shears, drill bits, fasteners, and screwdriver sets.

A few weeks ago, we mentioned that MSC Industrial was one of our favorite online places to shop. As you can tell, Small Parts Inc has a rock solid spot on the same list.

Shop Small Parts via Amazon!

*We’ve read a few accounts where the ‘free super saver shipping’ discount was not properly deducted due to a system bug. If this happens to you, an email to Amazon’s customer service should set things straight.

MSC Industrial Supply

Stuart — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:10:04 +0000

MSC Industrial Supply is an industrial distributor that we are quite fond of. Why is MSC one of our favorite tool shops? Well, their prices are fair, especially on products in their sales flyers, there is no minimum order requirements, they have no qualms about selling to ordinary consumers, their customer service is fantastic, and they ship orders out quickly.

MSC Monthly Specials Flyers
MSC Current Promotions
MSC Homepage

5 Great Tool Gifts for Under $10

Stuart — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:42:15 +0000

With Father’s Day on approach, everyone is asking themselves and others “what to buy?” Well, how about something useful. These five items are less than $10 each and are affordable enough to throw in with larger gifts.

Bucket Boss Mug Boss

Paired with a spare 10-12oz mug, the Mug Boss provides for nifty desktop organization of tools, pens, and doodads of all kinds. The Mug Boss’s pockets are well sized for craft tools as wells.

Victorinox Classic Swiss Army Knife

Not surprisingly, Victorinox’s mini pocket knife is a hit with both men and women. This is one of those classic gifts that everyone appreciates.

Pocket Ref (Alternate link with reviews)

Which material is harder, quartz or pyrite? Which decibel sound level is considering deafening? What is the clamping force of a grade 8 1/4″ bolt? What does a half-hitch knot look like again? The density of titanium? The pH of ammonia? The difference between silicon carbide and aluminum oxide abrasives?

This book is packed with 768 pages of useful information, diagrams, standards, and conversion tables.

Klein 5-in-1 Screwdriver

Not the best multi-bit screwdriver out there, but it’s cheap, made in the USA, and great for home, auto, office, or shop use.

Maglite AAA Mini Flashlight

Again, not our favorite flashlight (that title goes to the Streamlight Stylus Pro) but the AAA mini maglite is a nice petite flashlight for light usage. These are great for stashing in a bag, purse, or glove compartment, but are not robust or bright enough for serious or emergency use.

Stanley Portable 25 Compartment Organizer

Stuart — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:15:59 +0000

Stanley’s professional organizers are extremely durable, easy to stack and store (even vertically), and best of all the 25 compartments are removable, swapable, and reconfigurable. I now have six units in use holding all types of small parts and components – hardware, PVC fittings, servos, electronic components, grommets, and the list goes on.

These organizers are as affordable as they are portable, and will set you back about $15-20 each. You can find these organizers online or at home improvement stores. Our local Home Depot and Lowes stores don’t seem to carry the 25 compartment version anymore and instead only carry the less useful (from a small parts storage POV) deep 8-compartment organizer.

A word of caution – we have seen knock-off versions of these organizers, and while they look quite similar, their build quality leaves much to be desired. The Stanley version is manufactured by ZAG (now a Stanley daughter company) in Israel (at least as of May 2009).

Stanley 25-Compartment Organizer via Amazon
Product Info via Stanley Tools

The New Leatherman Freestyle – Preview

Stuart — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:37:36 +0000

Leatherman’s new Freestyle is due to be released in May, and we are very excited. Leatherman’s Freestyle is based off of their Skeletool design, but whereas the Skeletool is a full-size tool, the Freestyle is slightly smaller and lighter, making it a more pocket-friendly tool. Full-size knife? Check. Full-size pliers? Check. “I want one now” factor? Check.

A little over a year ago, we saw photos of the soon to be released Leatherman Freestyle. At the time, the Freestyle was intended to be a lower cost version of the Skeletool, replacing the bit holder with a single screwdriver tip, with Zytel used in the handle instead of aluminum or carbon fiber.

Freestyle, Knife Extended

Suddenly, however, news and images of the Freestyle disappeared. After a few months, it appeared as though Leatherman abandoned the Freestyle concept completely. Much to our surprise, the Freestyle design has recently reappeared, and it looks as if it underwent some drastic design changes.

Original Freestyle Concept vs. New Freestyle Design

The new Freestyle is a smaller and lighter adaptation of the popular Skeletool design. Rather than just being a lower cost Skeletool variant, the new Freestyle looks like it can hold its own as either a “companion” or stand-alone tool.

As you can see, the new Freestyle does away with the carabiner clip/bottle opener, as well as the screwdriver bit. I carry a Skeletool clipped to my pocket six days a week, and can confirm that the carabiner clip is bulky, and won’t be missed.

Freestyle (top) vs. Skeletool (bottom) Size Comparison

The absence of a screwdriver or bit holder will take some getting used to, but considering that I mostly use my Skeletool’s pliers and knife, I’ll surely get over it. Besides, when I know I’ll need a portable screwdriver, I carry my PB Swiss Insider anyways.

The Freestyle will be available in two versions – standard and CX. The standard version will come with a stainless steel body, combination plain and serrated edge knife, zytel insert, and kick-ass pliers. The CX version will come with a DLC-coated stainless steel body, plain edge knife made from a higher grade of steel, carbon fiber insert, and the same kick-ass pliers. The MSRP is set at $48 and $72, respectively.

Leatherman Freestyle
Leatherman Freestyle CX
Leatherman Press Release

Leatherman Skeletool via Amazon
Leatherman Skeletool CX via Amazon
(There are rumors that Skeletool prices may drop when the Freestyle is released, but we doubt it – the current prices are the absolute lowest that we’ve ever seen for these tools.)

Streamlight Stylus Pro – New Colors!

Stuart — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:00:39 +0000

We are absolutely thrilled at having just discovered that Streamlight is releasing three new Stylus Pro flashlights. In addition to flat black, Stylus Pros are now available in red, silver, and blue. Since my Stylus Pro is used as a tool for a total of 10 minutes a day, and carried as an accessory for 10 hours, a bit of color might be a good thing.

Streamlight’s Stylus Pro is a handy little flashlight that throws a surprisingly bright beam for its size. I carry a Stylus Pro clipped to my front pants pocket, and use it several times each day. Not only does it have a great output, it lasts over 7 hours per pair of AAA batteries, seems to be virtually indestructable, and costs less than $20.

As soon as these new Stylus Pros are carried by one of my favorite retailers, I’ll likely order up a blue one. Or maybe a red one. Then again, would there be anything wrong with having three of these flashlights in rotation?

Buy the Streamlight Stylus Pro via Amazon
Streamlight Stylus Product Page