It’s time for a catchall discussion of lots of minor tool-related topics.
This post is brought to you by… any reader who purchases the Mora Chisel Knife (~$16 at Amazon), Craftsman V-Series metric wrench set, which is backordered on Amazon but still a fantastic buy at $39.98, and anything at Home Depot.
We Caught a Harbor Freight Shill
I posted about Harbor Freight’s new Icon Pro screwdrivers, and thought my news or preview discussion post was matter of fact and fairly neutrally-toned.
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While the new Harbor Freight Icon screwdrivers didn’t look amazing, there’s not a lot design-wise to criticize.
Readers’ comments were also fairly mild. No one seemed amazed by the new Icon tools, but there also weren’t any comments sharply deriding them as garbage.
Fast forward two months, and here’s the comment someone at Harbor Freight left, likely thinking I wouldn’t know exactly who they were:
It is just interesting to see all the comments from not even a real visit to HFT store and tried the Icon Precision Set. Everything on paper, every judgment on mouth. Sad.
I tend to take shill comments somewhat personally, but this one struck a nerve.
If that individual said “I work for Harbor Freight, and we put a lot of effort into designing these screwdrivers, especially [features or highlights],” that would have been tolerable if not much-appreciated.
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It didn’t bother me that a Harbor Freight insider was leaving comments. There are actually a couple of Harbor Freight insiders who comment on occasion, and so far they’ve been fair, friendly, and helpful. I never mind that.
What bothers me is that they went out of their way to leave a comment like that, and they contributed zero value to the conversation.
Shout Out to Reekon Tools
Reekon makes some interesting digital tools (check out their Amazon store here).
I hear from a lot of tool brands, a lot of inventors, and just… so many people.
Christian Reed, the head of Reekon Tools, is a different breed of character. He seems genuinely interested in serving the needs and wants of tool users. He’s not alone in this – Mark Martinez is another name that quickly comes to mind – but it’s a rare trait.
@Christian – sorry, I know I owe you a response on the last email, I hope to catch up with emails this weekend.
Who Sent Me a Little Giants Ladder?
Can whoever sent me a Little Giant Ladder 6ft MightLite please let me know? I received the Mightylite 2 6ft fiberglass ladder with Type 1A, similar to what’s available at Lowe’s.
This ladder appeared at my door earlier this week, and I have no clue who sent it. It seems to have shipped directly from Little Giant, but I haven’t been talking to them and am pretty sure they don’t have my address.
I’m not complaining – it looks like a fine ladder, and I’m excited to give it a try. I just don’t know who to thank, or where to direct any questions.
Don’t Trust Strangers
There’s been an uptick in manipulative content, propaganda, and bot activity.
If you see comments or posts from someone you don’t know, don’t trust their motives until you do.
Dewalt Tstak
Dewalt’s Tstak tool box (presently $23 at Amazon) is still a great value for tool users that don’t have very demanding needs. If you need something different, or want to build a bigger system, it stacks and latches with other Tstak (and Versastack) tool boxes and accessories.
So-So Desk Calculator
My son asked for a calculator, so I got him this Casio for under $11 at Amazon. Its build quality is so-so, with the screen discoloring when touched.
I have a feeling it’s not going to last anywhere as long as my favorite TI scientific calculators. (See Scientific Calculators for Workshop Use?)
These Tool Boxes are Down to $5 Again
Amazon dropped the price of this compact tool box from $6 and change back down to $4.98 today.
I ordered 4 more. There’s a max order size of 4, and then it bars you from ordering more. It resets every x-number of days. So, I’ve been collecting a large number of these storage boxes, 4 at a time.
There’s useful for lots of random storage needs, and I now have enough to start labeling.
I wish the ArtBin ones were this price, but these Logix ones are very decent for the money.
Every couple of orders I’ve got to pay the “kid tax.” Hey dad, can I get one? Sure.
I Love Test Jigs
I always found tool test jigs and fixtures to be interesting. Maybe because they’re often an under-appreciated part of media events and tool demonstrations.
No Politics
The presidential election is coming up. This isn’t the place to share your political views.
I Need Small Woodworking Projects
I have a couple of major projects that I haven’t been able to find the time or space to work on.
So maybe I need some small projects. Thoughts?
Tool Brand “Ask Me Anything?”
Which brands? Managers of which types of tools?
What are some questions we should ask?
Don’t Be a Wimp, Wear Your Safety Gear
Wear proper PPE. Nobody’s going to think less of you. And if they do, they’ll laugh harder when you’re hurt, injured, or maimed.
Few people have ever said “oh man, I wish I regret wearing proper protective gear.
Your Favorite and Least Favorite Cordless Power Tool Brand?
Answer the question from the top of your mind, no thinking!
What Happened to CAT Cordless Power Tools?
I haven’t heard from anyone about CAT cordless power tools in years. Goodbye?
Bosch L-Boxx Contractor Tool Boxes!?
A couple of readers tipped me off about a new L-Boxx Contractor tool box series that was shown off in Europe. I then found this image on a Reddit post.
YES, PLEASE!!!
Dear Lowe’s… call up Bosch and MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
Halloween and Christmas News Season
Dear Retailers,
I appreciate that you still send press releases and affiliate promotional opportunities. I am happy to hear about your Halloween and Christmas decoration plans. But maybe also tell me about your new tools?
Ken
I’m curious what you mean by “manipulative content, propaganda, and bot activity.” I assume this refers to the comments section. Can you mention an example or two of what is going on? I see lots of crypto and other scams in YouTube comments but haven’t noticed anything like that here.
I saw the new L-Boxx video on YouTube and they definitely look interesting. Two things that stood out to me from the translated video were that 1) they were designed in the USA, with standard units of measurement, and 2) they are compatible with “old” (current) L-Boxxes. I have a bunch of “old” L-Boxxes and lots of Bosch tools, so maybe I’ll be buying into this system if only for the availability of appropriate custom tool inserts.
Stuart
I’ve noticed multiple patterns. It’s easier just to say don’t trust strangers on the internet.
For the tool boxes, designed in the USA but only announced in Europe?
I haven’t seen a lot, but it seems appealing thus far, certainly more so that the original L-Boxxes.
Dennis
This post is the first I heard of an L-Boxx upgrade. But it sent me down a rabbit hole and I found a bunch of stuff that made me giddy about L-Boxx again. Particularly that the system is backwards compatible. But also that it’s backwards compatible in 2 ways. The old boxes are smaller, so they click in on top. But they also have a “multi-shelf” product that houses a couple old boxes in the new stack, and you can pull the old ones out like drawers without removing boxes on top of them. The YouTube video did claim that they were releasing 8 products in the first quarter of 2025. With any luck it will be world wide, not just Europe.
Ken
The rep in the video states that the new L-Boxx system was designed in the USA with standard (inch) dimensions. Why would they do that if they didn’t intend to release it here? I’m cautiously optimistic.
Goodie
Are you editing out many of the manipulative content/bot/propaganda posts? If so, you are doing a pretty good job of it. I certainly haven’t noticed it in the comments. There’s certainly a case where some of us are more/less enthusiastic about brands, but what I generally see seems to be fairly organic to a site devoted to tool enthusiasts.
Stuart
I do. Most social media and public platforms don’t have gatekeepers.
I can see a lot of the same types of messaging that I detect here.
Kyle
Your hard work is appreciated.
I noticed a week or so ago that somebody had replied to your comment with something that looked suspiciously like ChatGPT. I didn’t say anything because I want to respect your platform.
ChatGPT or other generative AI garbage is in a very similar vein to your comment about a Harbor Freight shill. Content like that does not contribute anything meaningful to the conversation because it’s not even so much as a personal anecdote. It’s just the ghoulish echoes of trillions of pieces of data that were frankensteined back together that nobody ever asked for.
JML
I’m a Bosch fanboy – homeowner, not tradesman. I have multiple Bosch power tools: sanders, rotary, oscillating, router, jigsaw, lights, and especially their drills (12V and 18V) because I never found the Milwaukee drills as comfortable to use (esp. the 12V units). Bosch warranty service has been great on the rare occasion needed. Their L-Boxx fiasco is the only thing that ticked me off – because they failed to make inserts available in the US, dropped the blow-molded cases that fit specific tools, and then decided to sell tools without any hard-shell cases (or a bag, or without any case at all). These new boxes look great – hopefully they’ll provide inserts for their tools or at least some way to prevent them from banging around.
But I’ll believe it when I see it actually offered for sale.
MM
Speaking of calculators for kids, I really liked the old TI “Math Explorer”. It had basic scientific functions and it could also do fractions and fraction-to-decimal conversions. They were cheap and built tough because they were meant for use in schools. I think they have revised the model several times.
Kilroy
That’s a great point and a great idea.
Any calculator manufactured in mass quantities for middle schoolers should (presumably, hopefully) be relatively inexpensive for the feature set and pretty durable. Fraction capability is also a great function given how many of still use imperial units with fractions
Rog
I think these round-up posts should be more frequent. I enjoy the small bite, random nature of them.
Ted
Agree
Tom Roberts
Agree. These are great!
Rog
That’s definitely a shill comment because no one—and I literally mean no one—not one single real-world, non-employee calls Harbor Freight “HFT”.
S
:feebly raises hand: “I do”
Seriously, it’s far easier in discussions when all parties are aware of the store/brand being discussed than typing the entire thing out. My internet connection costs by the letter of course!
But I don’t really think it’s an hft shill such as a bot in the wrong place. Screwdrivers aren’t something that matters enough to anyone that an in-store experience would have any effect.
And even more so, hft doesn’t really have loads of product demo’s around their store to try them out even if you wanted to.
I’ve seen the same bots on vehicle forums, where the bot posts to decades-old posts and with similar nonsense. I believe the term is “planting seeds”. Because a few weeks later, the post will be edited to contain links to escort services, or similar. The goal is to ‘beat’ the early poster moderation que, but still advertise.
Really not a problem here though, as posts can’t be edited.
CMF
I think in conversation, no one will say HFT. But on boards and forums, just about everyone abbreviates or uses acronyms, to save time.
Bonnie
Acronyms sure, but I’ve only ever seen it shortened to HF, rather than HFT.
TomD
Favorite: Red Army. Got all and sundry.
Unfavorite: Hart – white power tool.
Eliot Truelove
It’s been awhile since I’ve checked in, and glad to see the content is still pretty quality Stu.
Objectively, over the past few months, I’ve grown more impressed with Metabo HPT/Hitachi tools as a contractor I’ve been working alongside has them as his mainline tools. They seem to be a step between DeWalt and Makita for me, which I appreciate.l, and are still Japanese for the most part.
The other guy (the main guy) has Milwaukee and a Festool track saw, the experienced framer helper has DeWalt, and the main framer guy he works for has Makita, Milwaukee corded, and Bosch corded.
I am pretty much all Makita, battery and corded, with some Milwaukee nailers on adapters, a yellow Mellif dust blower on Makita battery adapter, and a corded DeWalt 8″ table saw. I have a Makita dust blower as well, but I fizzled out the circuit board attempting to modify it with a ring light, and got the Mellif as a stopgap when waiting for it to be warrantied.
That being said, the corded stuff from all of us are all reliable, as always, and my massive corded SDS MAX Makita, model HR4013, is a beast. So glad I picked it up at only 2 years old from FB marketplace a year ago because the concrete guys company went all Hilti.
Back to the other guys Metabo HPT stuff though: their brushless multitool with pin retention ive recently gotten to use for a few minutes is like the phantom in-between of the XMT03 brushed and XMT04 brushless Starlock from Makita.
I have the older brushed Makita without the light, but the brushless Metabo HPT version felt like a spiritual successor to it. It’s a very decent multitool, comfortable in hand, and glides pretty well through materials.
While the other guys brushless Milwaukee has the power and glides throughout the material equally as well, I feel like I’m holding a desperate housewives plaything with how much it shakes, rattles, and rolls in its vibrations. Same with the DeWalt, although the blade change is decent.
It is the same with the other Metabo HPT tools he has, all feel like a more inexpensive utilitarian DeWalt like versions of Makita tools, with enough of the ergonomics and antivibration that makes Makitas desirable.
I know Metabo HPT is sold as Hikoki elsewhere, and I’m aware they have some impressive innovation in the international markets, but the Milwaukee style side buttons on the battery are a turnoff for me, so I’d likely run them on adapters if I get certain things from them.
The point is, this is the first brand with real in life testing I’ve done where id seriously consider supplementing in a large way my Makita stock with, although most offerings from Metabo I already have in the Makita version, so it may be awhile, if ever.
It’s nice to know though that there is another tool company for us guys that aren’t as traditionally brutelike as construction guys typically are, and at a cheaper price point.
That being said, my rankings have changed for my preferences:
1 Makita
2 Festool (if I could ever afford it)
2 Metabo HPT
3 DeWalt
4 Bosch
5 Ryobi
6 Milwaukee and others I have limited experience with.
Milwaukee rated last because the Milwaukee guy in 5 months working for him has had 3 batteries, 2 multitools, an impact, and a drill go bad, whereas the Metabo HPT guy has only had his older Multitool go bad early on, but he was able to order the replacement part, so that’s a big kudos to MHPT for “Right to Repair” compliance (and why Makita is number one for me).
Vards Uzvards
I have a few Hitachi / Metabo-HPT tools, all purchased in the last eight years, and as far as I remember all of them were made in China. They are good quality tools, I have no regrets whatsoever, but they are not made in Japan.
John
I’m really happy with my HPT tools, especially their grinders, impact driver, and portaband, but oh man do they suck at letting people know what they’re releasing. I don’t even pay attention to the US website because it’s useless. I just look at the Japanese website and their Amazon store. Really with we could get more info from a rep or something
AP
That Bosch tool box is looking mighty fine! I’d love to replace my hard plastic Bosch boxes.
William Adams
The classic small woodworking project is a box.
Questions become:
– material?
– dimensions?
– stock thickness?
– features?
Worked up a small box with hinged lid here:
https://community.carbide3d.com/t/as-funny-as-a-3-dollar-box/43013/18
(ob. discl., I work for Carbide 3D)
JR Ramos
Tool brand AMA:
Bosch – there’s been a lot of negative sentiment about them lately as to tool releases and not caring about the NA market, etc. It would be neat to get some input and perspective from them, as much as they might be willing to divulge (and that may not be much, but if there’s a willing contact who might offer more than a corporate statement, so to speak).
Wiha – they seem pretty accessible and they’ve had some major changes over the last 2-3 years. Direct sales, loss of distributors, shifting production countries, etc.
Toughbuilt – too soon? Haha.
Stuart
Bosch would never answer that. I think it all comes down to money, same as with Makita USA.
Wiha? I can’t pinpoint my finger on when this happened or why, but I’ve grown extremely unenthused about the brand.
Jim Felt
Agreed.
For some reason I’ve gone to Wera very happily.
Looks? Ergonomics? Distribution? “Hand” as the Texas bootmaker once explained to me as a West Coast person?
fred
I too have bought more Wera in recent years than Wiha. Both were once family-owned businesses. Wiha derived its name from Willi Hahn – and is still owned by the Hahn Family. Wera’s name derives from the Werner and Amtenbrink family names – and ownership remained in the family until 2016 when the company was sold to Bitburger Holdings.
Both companies compete in some of the same markets – but I think that Wera has gained a name recognition edge over the last several years. Both companies started out with 100% German production – but Wera moved a lot to the Czech Republic – while some Wiha tools may come from Germany, Switzerland, and also Taiwan or Vietnam. I believe that they may also be producing some products in the US,
I bought my first Wera Tool in 2010 – while I bought Wiha tools starting in 1999. Quite a few years ago – I was in Germany shopping for a Wera 3/8 -inch drive socket set that my son-in-law had asked for (perhaps after seeing it online). I had a hard time finding it – and was dissuaded (as best I could tell from my poor German) from buying it in favor of other German brands like Stahlwille. My overall impression was that Wera might have a better reputation this side of the pond than in Germany. But that might just have been because I was looking for and asking about a socket set. In my estimation I like Wera screwdrivers and bits quite a lot – and more than some that I have from Wiha.
JR Ramos
Woodworking projects:
Make a classic wooden box with removable tray for a Dremel and accessories. I did that a few years ago and it was fun…needed expansion room for so many bits and accessories. I bought a cheap pine box from Amazon, added standoff supports to the inside corners of the bottom, put a 1/2″ baltic birch tray on top of those with a lift-out shaker peg handle in the center and eight million holes drilled for shanks plus a few pocket recesses with the router. The bottom holds the tool and a looped flex shaft, the StewMac vise holder, spares, etc. Takes a little careful measuring and some planning and layout time.
Nice hardwood hanging rack designs for OPE tools and such…superfluous but classy.
Ogees on the fence pickets?
Stuart
I have so many functional projects to do.
I’m looking for something random – maybe functional but with room for creativity.
I have a book about “box a day” ideas, maybe I should start tackling that.
Josh S
Cornhole boards if you don’t have a set already?
I am in the process of finishing up mine. Pretty simple, but with lot of room for creativity & additions (top design, bag storage, cup holders, scoreboard, etc)
IronWood
Something I’ve done over time when I get the itch to make something small is to make little storage blocks for shop tools. I have blocks for driver bits, forstners, Snappy bits, precision screwdrivers, nut drivers, etc, etc. Great way to use up that useless little chunk of madrone, or teak, or walnut that you just can’t bear to throw out. And I like having often-used things on a shelf or benchtop that I can see and grab.
MM
I do that too. I also make other little projects like sanding blocks, push blocks/sticks, clamping pads, wood or leather vise jaws for gripping delicate parts, etc. Tool handles are another good project.
Another idea which came to mind, but whose name I seem to have forgotten: I could have sworn it was called a “nasty box” but searching for that term online did not find anything. Basically it is a small finely made box with a sliding lid, and there is a mechanism inside that makes a small object pop out of the box and “attack” your finger as you open the lid. It’s a novelty item that serves no real purpose, it’s just fun. I hope someone recognizes what I am talking about and knows the name because it’s driving me nuts. But these absolutely are a thing, I’ve seen entire woodworking magazines devoted to them, I’m sure I’m mis-remembering what they are called.
DRT42
Are you thinking of a “Useless Box” ? It’s not exactly what you describe, but close.
MM
@DRT42
I don’t think so. As I understand it, the “useless box” is electric. You flip the switch, then it turns the switch back off again. The item I’m describing is 100% mechanical, there are no batteries in it.
I poked around on google and I found a product for sale similar to what I’m thinking of. It was called a “spider scare box”, where a fake spider pops out the top when you open it. That’s the same general idea, though the ones I’ve seen were nicely made and the thing that pops out the top would be carved from wood rather than a rubber toy.
Here’s an example of a crude one I found on Ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/285257309070
fred
How about a wooden toybox for the kids. There a plenty of plans for ones that look like domed lid treasure chests or like old linen chests. You can innovate by adding a sliding till and/or secret compartment.
JR Ramos
Make an atlatl and some long darts…if you have a big field at your perusal. They’re a blast, plus a smidgen of science involved. More fun than a hammer handle.
Or…..a trebuchet!
MM
I was going to suggest a model trebuchet or catapult. A crossbow would be fun too. The Youtube channel Tod’s Workshop has a few videos on building your own crossbow, you could easily modify the general ideas and make it as plain or as fancy as you want.
Jared
I love those V-series wrenches. Readers who don’t have them, should.
That’s got to be the best deal in ratchet wrenches. They’re like 1/4 the price of anything comparable. I just wish there were singles available for the missing sizes.
Vards Uzvards
The 12-piece set for under $40 – these are non-ratchet wrenches. They are good indeed, but an 8-piece *ratchet* wrench set is close to $85 in price, at the moment.
Jared
Oops. I didn’t check the link to see which set we’re talking about. it’s the Ratcheting V-Series wrenches I like so much.
When they go on sale – best get a set.
Christian Reed (REEKON)
Appreciate the shout out Stuart; I have always (long before REEKON) been a fan of this website and your insightful commentary surrounding the tool industry. I spend a lot of time as a student of tools, construction, and similar and always find something new in your posts (was very tempted to buy some eBay Ryobi Tek4 vintage tools for the collection after reading your recent Craftsman post)!
Joellikestools
I got your miter saw measuring tool on kickstarter after it was mentioned here. Neat tool. I got it for home and not work, so it has not seen much use unfortunately.
Christian Reed (REEKON)
Glad to hear it Joe! The M1 is a great tool for fast, short repeat cuts; i find myself using it a lot for blocking and similar work where its much faster than tape and easier than setting up a stop block when Im in the field.
Goodie
Brand I am enthused about: Metabo HPT. Great tools at good prices. Ergonomics are excellent. Would love to learn more about their new MultiVolt track saw.
Brands I would like to learn more about:
1. Festool Cordless – I already like their corded tools. Really curious to hear more about what is going on with their cordless and what they think their value proposition is. I’ve spoken with a (single) rep and posted here, but am interested to hear more about what they want to say.
2. Bosch – what are their new tools for North America and plans for expansion?
3. Makita – now that they are profitable in North America again, what are their plans to grow?
4. Ridgid Cordless – what’s going on with this brand? It seems they’re in a very narrow niche between the Ryobi HP and Milwaukee brushless tools…
Goodie
Stuart, one other area that I forgot to add, but that I am personally researching: finish/paint sprayers and dust collection systems.
1. Fuji HVLP sprayers – a friend is selling a Fuji HVLP sprayer. I am very interested in it but am a bit concerned about having to thin paint/finish to use it.
2. Graco sprayers – I’ve heard great things. How do they compare to the Fuji? I’ve heard these are “airless” and that there’s a minimum of thinning that needs to occur.
—
1. I am always looking at dust collection systems and working to improve the dust situation in my shop.
Nathan
As someone who spent far too much time looking into HVLP vs Airless vs Air-Assisted:
HVLP doesn’t need much, if any, thinning if you use 10+ psi, but that does mean a 5 stage sprayer for most manufacturers, so some money is required. There are some models which go to 11 at the compressor so you only drop to compliant 10 at the actual nozzle which is even better if you’re trying to spray without thinning. You can also play around with the needle size/caps to atomize a smaller amount of product if the pressure just isn’t there, but there are limits before you start getting aberrations in the coverage. HVLP allows you to change the spray pattern, the particle size, particle velocity, etc so you can fine tune for your working distance and product you’re using. It has the 2nd highest efficiency ratio of product used to coverage since the atomized particles aren’t moving at high speed, so less stuff in the air and more stuff on the project.
Airless won’t atomize as evenly and will still generate high velocity particles that bounce, but it’s also cheaper and will handle thicker material easier. It also puts out a lot more product per unit of time since you aren’t limited by what can be effectively atomized by the pressurized air available. To get the equivalent in HVLP you’d have to double or triple your SCFM (from what I understand) which isn’t practical for hand held applications. Since it just uses a super high pressure pump and a small orifice you have less control over the spray and fewer fine tuning options for the product at the gun. But almost all of the shortcomings can be addressed if you have freedom of movement relative to what you’re trying to paint, and you know how to doctor/adjust your product prior to loading. It will only mostly get the stuff on the target though, ~30-40% of it will bounce off into the air or the floor.
Air-Assisted Airless is the holy grail and strictly in the industrial range because man it’s expensive…but it gives you the best of both worlds, the pump allows high throughput with the air softening the atomized mist for transportation and allowing real time manipulation.
—————————————–
All of that said, what are you painting with and what are you trying to paint? If you’re looking for piano gloss finish on wood working projects, the HVLP (Fuji) is the way to to. If you’re looking for maximum versatility (Latex, etc) airless is hard to beat.
Goodie
Thanks. Very helpful. The unit I am looking at is a high end Fuji. I think that’s the one I want.
Patrick
I’ve been looking at Metabo HPT’s tracksaw but disappointed with some of its specs. As a late entry into that market, I expected it to include some competitors’s features, particularly some form of anti kickback protection but it has none. No scoring or anti-tilt features either. The advantages are multi track compatibility and the 120V/36V AC adapter option. Canadian price is reasonable.
Goodie
Good to know. Quality reviews on the Metabo HPT tracl saw have been scant. Price is reasonable here. My read on these are the Festool and Makita corded ones are the nicest (with Mafell being in a class by itself). Cordless, it seems Festool, Makita LXT (36v) and Milwaukee seem to be the ones to get.
Jronman
Do we really need another modular tool box system? Annoying that each store has a good half dozen different modular tool box brands and nothing is compatible. (Except tstak and versastak)
CA in NJ
Tool Brand AMA:
Wera – I picked up recently some of their stuff off of deals on Woot. I got the 1/4″ Zykops ratchet sets in SAE and Metric and also the ball-end hex sets in SAE and Metric – I think about $280 all in. I’ve used them a couple of times so far and pretty satisfied. Seems well built and good finish. The nylon cordura ratchet cases are pretty impressive. I hope they hold up. I feel very European when I use them – Every time I pick up a ratchet I have the urge to wear a beret and an ascot, smoke a cigarette and drink a pilsner.
Leo B.
I enjoyed this shorter, varied format a lot. If possible, I’m very curious about the new generation of rear handle saw Milwaukee introduced at Pipeline. The new trigger safety, the new top handle, etc. There hasn’t been a lot of coverage on it so far. Also curious about the new Milwaukee tapes- looks, new design features, etc. Also, generally speaking, why is Milwaukee moving towards encouraging full kerf blades? Do they just have that much extra power to spare? Thanks! The suggestions for projects have been good. Shop organization projects are always good learning experiences for me.
Stuart
For the tapes, the top of the line features longer and straighter standout. The smaller tapes have printed reference guides. Finger stops felt great.
Once they launch, each tape will have some benefit over its predecessor.
Everything also seems neatly segmented. I’ve got plenty of notes – which one(s) do you want specific info on?
I didn’t see the rear-handle at all, and only realized its presence from the press/media kit.
When brands move to thin kerf circular saw blades, it’s to conserve power. Thinner blades potentially flex or wobble more. Thicker blades – in theory – cut straighter.
It’s similar to how most modern cordless circular saws used to be 6-1/2″. Then when power allowed for it, they went to 7-1/4″. And now standard-kerf blades.
The higher the material removal rate, the more power is needed. Every time a saw blade tooth takes a nibble from a piece of wood or work material, it adds to the motor load. A bigger bite means a greater load. Increase the blade size with no change in RPM, and you have more bites per minute. Increasing the RPM does the same.
Leo B.
Thanks Stuart! I like the full size wide blade tapes a lot, and use a magnetic 25’ tape for framing. What will be the benefits of the new one over the old model?
That makes sense for the blades. I’m just curious why they’re moving in that direction with cordless, especially. I’d argue that at this point, thin kerf blades are more common than full kerf. It seems a bit wasteful of battery to use a thicker blade, unless the results are that much better. It’s a good place to be in, though, where you have too much power vs just enough in a smaller saw.
Thank you for your response!
JR Ramos
What we mostly see/use now are what used to be referred to as “ultra thin” kerf blades (for a brief period of time before they became the norm and people just said thin kerf). Original thin kerf were when electric was still the only choice for full size saws but advertised the same benefits (and had the same drawbacks) as they do today. They continued to get thinner to accommodate the new crop of cordless saws (as said, less load to help maintain speed/voltage and continue cutting satisfactorily).
The carbide is thinner but so is the plate. These really thin plates are easier to bend (e.g. user not tracking/feeding correctly or when you get bound up) and when they heat up they are much easier to warp and some will stay warped when that happens. Thicker plates/more mass help to reduce and/or prevent that. Mitigations like anti-vibration slots (I think started by Freud in 10″ blades but became ubiquitous in all sizes) do that job but can also help with cooling and keeping straightness to a degree. Better steel quality in the blank is also important (one of the biggest difference between low price cheap import blades vs. good blades)…some steels handle the abuse much better than others with or without slots and such and perform better in these thin plates that are still getting hot.
The new “thick” kerf blades are still very thin, about what we used to call thin kerf originally when those first started coming about. But the increase in power with current cordless saws allows them to step up the blade a tad and still maintain performance while mitigating the drawbacks of such thin blades. There are still tradeoffs compared to a stout blade on an electric.
The power of cordless circular saws has improved so much…really impressive and nice to run.
JR Ramos
All that to say that what Milwaukee has chosen to market as “thick kerf” is a misnomer…they’re still “thin kerf” blades and not at all thick or full kerf (the latter of which you’re only going to find on larger industrial table saw blades, dedicated rip blades, etc). Good chance that nobody in Milwaukee has been around long enough to remember the evolution of blades…..only said half in jest.
fred
I have a batch of zero-clearance inserts hanging near my Unisaw. There is one marked 0.1875 – for a blade that I probably no longer have. The Freud LM71M010
rip blade that I use, has a 0.153-inch kerf, The Forrest WWII blade that is normally mounted has a relatively thin kerf (0.094). As you move up in table saw blade diameter – plate and kerf tend to get larger. For a 7-1/4-inch (185mm) saw I consider something like 0.125 as being thick kerf – while 1.8mm (0.071-inch) seems like what some (like Mafell) sell as thin-kerf with their cordless track saw. Some of the Freud 7-1/4-inch blades that I own produce kerfs as narrow as 1.5mm
JR Ramos
I think 1/8″ was kind of standard for the most part in 7-1/4″ blades up until the…early 90s, mid 90s? Then I remember DeWalt introducing 3/32″ kerf as “thin” and Irwin was right on their heels, and there were no full size cordless saws then. Yeah…1/16″ now is “thin” and some less than that. I’ve forgotten already but I had to snoop around a lot once these new “thick” Milwaukee blades were announced and if I’m not mistaken they’re 1.8mm…just barely over 1/16″ and a far cry from 3/32 (1.5 and 2.4 respectively).
There were an awful lot of complaints and returns for those early 3/32 thin kerf blades. After maybe a year we were sitting on thousands of a couple DeWalt models that were not selling at all anymore. Same thing happened with Makita framers a little while later even though they were great blades.
Leo B.
Interesting, thank you for the insight! Makes you wonder if we’ll keep working our way back up the thicknesses, with more and more power available.
MM
@fred
Wow, 3/16″ is seriously thick for a 10″ blade. That’s an even wider kerf than I’d expect from a thick stock rip blade. Maybe that was for some kind of grooving blade?
JR Ramos
I don’t know if thicker-still blades will be a thing again for portable tools. Less load is good, and that’s what thinner gives, and the blades now are pretty decent. I think it took manufacturers a little bit to adjust and minimize the drawbacks. And since virtually nobody ever resharpens portable blades anymore, the smaller thinner carbide probably makes more sense overall.
MM, would have to see if any old catalogs have solid info to share but I’m kinda recalling 3/16″ as being the norm for 10″ and 12″ blades, at least in the 90s. The Delta and Oldham and Vermont American blades were mostly all around that chunky width and I believe the Freud were as well although I know they did have some thinner 10″ at the time. Supposedly Freud did an awful lot of techy testing as they were introducing their new laser cut anti-vibration slots and they toyed with almost every aspect of a blade when doing that. When we bought into the line we actually had a (rare) Freud rep accompany our usual multi-rep who handled that line and he had a whole binder of information on the testing results and benefits of the slots…neat to look at but I’ll be darned if I can remember it all now. They introduced the silicone goo later on and I never got a definitive answer as to why the did that (given the information previously shared) but now you see it on most blades.
JR Ramos
And I mean 12″ table saw blades. 12″ miter saws were barely a thing yet.
fred
But there were bigger radial-arm saws and swing saws still in use with 12-inch or larger blades. 20 -inch Dewalts – while not the biggest sellers – might be found in some lumberyards. My first stationary power tool was a Craftsman RAS bought in the 1960’s. It came with an all-steel blade. I think that Sears advertised it as “chrome edge”. Carbide teeth were still pretty uncommon back then for the general market.
John
I’ve been using that Casio calculator in my wood shop for years, and it has held up like new. Haven’t noticed any screen discoloration, but I am wondering why you’re touching the screen.
Stuart
I took it out, and there was a mark on the screen. I brushed it away, and persistent lines appeared all over the place.
The overall build quality feels much worse than comparably priced TI pocket calculators. Not bad enough to send back, but it stood out.
Bill
Small wood working project. Book shelf speakers. Plenty of great designs. You will be cutting circles, soldering, finishing, the whole thing. Then you have a very useable project in the end
fred
I made several jewelry boxes over the years. On at least 2 – I used many different woods to give them some different look. One that my wife still uses has a top decorated with an intarsia cat.
Bill
Favorite and least favorite cordless tools. Bosch when they have what I need. Smooth quality. Black and Decker. So clunky and cheap.
CMF
Sorry, I had to go back and read it a couple of times;
“It is just interesting to see all the comments from not even a real visit to HFT store and tried the Icon Precision Set. Everything on paper, every judgment on mouth. Sad”
I do not see how this is necessarily a shill comment.
If only a few people shop at HFT, that’s fine. They may have some good stuff, and probably a lot of crappy tools. This opinion is more from what I hear as I have never been inside an HFT, and made only 2 purchases online.
I can’t comment on those ICON screwdrivers or many of their tools, but it amazes me how so many have there negative opinions on many products because 1) it is HFT product 2) from the picture it looks…. 3) I think is a lot of hearsay or word of mouth being repeated.
So whether I agree or disagree with this comment, I do not see it in any way a shill comment.
Stuart, I am somewhat surprised at how easily you throw around “shill” at comments or people, when you personally do not take kindly to being referred to one at times. Your responses take on a different tone when someone calls you one.
Anyway, not aimed at you, or anyone else of particular note, but that comment could be made about just about any tool. Meaning, the same comment and replacing HFT with any brand, can be somewhat true.
Sure, we are all entitled to opinions. But I often wonder how qualified they are.
fred
What I see as a problem with relying on online reviews, opinions from bloggers, those from known professionals, what cousin Charlie had to say, and most everyone else – is that it is often hard to put things in context. Even if you can figure out where the commentor is coming from – how do you translate to your own use case. Then even if you trust the integrity of the review and reviewer – was the tested tool perhaps a one-off (either bad or good)? It is probably true that all reviews and expressed opinions have a built-in YMMV.
When we tried out tools in our businesses – a review or rating may have been the impetus for initiating the first purchase – but no matter how good I thought the tool looked or performed – it was the crew members (users) who were the final arbiters. I can say that my personal prejudices and those of each of our workers sometimes came into play. So, if a carpenter disliked brand-X before even trying a new brand-X tool – it might be hard to convince him otherwise even if his compatriots liked it. Conversely, if that same carpenter liked brand-Y he might tell us that a brand Y tool was OK even though his compatriots all thought it was a no-go for purchase. Both examples might have been ergonomics or some other factor coming into play – but it might also have been ingrained prejudice.
With small cordless power tools – for the remodeling business – we bought mostly Makita for many years but started migrating to Milwaukee. In the plumbing business – we started with Dewalt and migrated to Milwaukee. In our cabinet business – the installers seemed to like Bosch. We never considered Harbor Freight – not because we tried out any of their tools – but mostly based on prejudice. Perhaps that was unfair – but my partners and I thought that HF had a business model that was focused on cost more than longevity or quality. They are certainly trying to change that image – and recent radio and TV advertising seems to emphasize good tools at a price that will be easy on your wallet. When I sold up and retired – that was not the case – and we did not want to align our businesses or present a face to our customers with what were perceived as bargain basement tools.
Now retired many years, I still have a keen interest in new tools and use a few (some new and some vintage) in my woodworking hobby and on the occasions when my extended family call for help with projects – although age is slowing me down with both. I also garner pleasure in buying tools to give as gifts to family member who might try to make do on the cheap rather than buy a best-in-class tool. I read Toolguyd rather than other tool blogs – because I think that Stuart really tries to be objective, be transparent in his thinking, apply his scientific education and then allow his readers to express pertinent opinions contrary to his own or offering perspectives from a different vantage point.
CMF
I agree with what you say.
I was just expounding on the comment, to which I can see where the person is coming from, and as you also stated, HFT has a built in prejudice by many.
I found myself agreeing with the comment and failed to see how it was interpreted as a shill making the comment.
MM
I’m assuming that Stuart could tell on the backend, from the Email address or perhaps IP address of the person making the comment, and was simply triggered by the fact that this person didn’t disclose their affiliation.
The other thing that’s ironic about that comment is that if you go back and read all the earlier ones above it….none of them, not even one single comment, was critical. Some people mentioned other brands they happen to like but not one single comment said anything negative about HF or those Icon screwdrivers. It’s as if this person at HF was complaining about a bashing which didn’t actually occur.
fred
The reader comments on Stuart’s May 29 post – seemed balanced to me too. JJ’s (identified by Stuart as a HF shill) seemed out of place in that context. But folks (me included) have a tendency to react to the “look” of a new tool, on-paper specs or past experience with a vendor (actual or hearsay) when thinking about a purchase. If we all had the ability to try every new tool out for ourselves, we might make better decisions, But, that in part, is where Toolguyd has been valuable – with Stuart showcasing many new tools (more in total than any of us are likely to purchase) – and he and his readers providing their perspectives.
I often give advice to new tool buyers to try to put a prospective purchase into their hands and see how it feels. That doesn’t test it out – but at least provides some better info than buying sight-unseen via the internet. That was easier in my younger days – when the local hardware store or even business supply house had loose tools or in packaging that allowed you to do this. Now the best alternative seems to be buying from a source that either has samples on display or has a very accommodating return policy.
Stuart
Because that’s a Harbor Freight insider attacking public commentors in an unfair and unwarranted manner.
That individual works for Harbor Freight corporate.
Festool USA has done similar.
Rich
“Dear Lowes, call up Bosch and MAKE THIS HAPPEN.”
God no, please don’t. I’ve got no issue with Bosch or their L-boxes, but Lowes can’t see to support the brands and systems they have. The last time I checked, they had seven different modular tool box systems. That’s way too many and most of them don’t do anything to separate themselves from the pack.
What’s more Lowes doesn’t really support Bosch any more. The only reason I visit that aisle is to buy omt blades or router bits.
Vards Uzvards
In my local Lowe’s – which I have nothing really bad to say about – they did a few re-arrangements recently, in the tools section of the store. I can easily find Bosch 18V and corded tools, but 12V tools – it’s a complete mystery to me now, where did they hide these.
But after a recent visit I do know that Flex has Starlock Plus blades, made in Switzerland, on offer, although these are ten bucks more expensive than comparable set from Bosch, on the shelf next to Flex’s. There is no Flex OMT on the shelf though.
MattT
“ Dear Lowe’s… call up Bosch and MAKE THIS HAPPEN.”
Are we sure they didn’t already but they didn’t tell anybody and also the stuff is just in some random corner of the store? Or maybe it’s online-only but impossible to find on Lowe’s
website?
Brian Collins
Stuart
It may be too big a project – build a little free Library and put it in front of your house
ToolGuyDan
A couple small things:
1) You refer to Icon’s new screwdrivers as “wrenches” in the lede.
2) You misspelled Christian’s name as “Christain” when @-ing them.
3) My current small woodworking project is a chess board. Still too big? How about a tie-tac-toe board? Or take a look at BorisDigital’s home automation control panel. Alas, most of my own small woodworking projects tended to be practical, and have been supplanted by 3D-printing nowadays, so I have fewer suggestions than i otherwise might.
Stuart
Oops, *fixed*. Thank you!
Honestly, I have so many functional projects on-deck that I just want to do something fun or creative. It might have to wait, it’s looking like this might be a cleanup week.