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!)
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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.
rob says
I love that right angle Ridgid kit. Too bad I have no kids so I guess asking for it for Father’s day won’t work too well….
julie says
I follow on twitter and hope to win my dad some awesome gifts he deserves it ty @waterbluffy
concord carpenter says
just found this blog – real nice!
uthscsaedu says
I got a feeling the Ridgid Jobmax kit is going to be hugely popular for father’s day. It’s something different and I think it’s just about the right amount of tool for the DIYourselfer
Stuart says
You’re right, from what we hear, the JobMax kits are flying off the shelves!