Tools for the New Year

Upcoming M12 Circular Saw - Milwaukee

With the new year comes new tools, gear, and projects to think about. Here's the first of three posts on what I'm planning for 2015.

Read on to see the tools I'm most excited for this year.

Found Pocket Knives, Victorinox Budding Knife

My wife and I recently bought a new-to-us car. While we were cleaning out the old car to sell, I came across these three pocket knives in the very-full glove compartment (along with some hand warmer packets from the late 1980s). We figured these knives must have come from her father when he had the car years ago. I thought they were pretty interesting and worth a quick post.

Old Stanley No. H1249 Hand Plane

The last time I visited home, I mentioned to my dad how I had recently helped some friends install trim for a couple of windows. I told him the job would have been a lot easier if I had a hand plane to make fine-tuned adjustments to the fit of the trim. With that, he jumped up and ran out to the garage to give me this old plane he no longer had a use for.

Fiskars Cuts+More 5-in-1 Utility Scissors Review

How many of you have a pair of safety-scissors you "borrowed" from grade school 15 years ago? Come on, raise your hands. Are you really still using those? I think it's time you grew up and bought a pair of adult scissors. Kick-butt adult scissors, if you will. 

Bosch TW12AL Jigsaw Blades and Case

This Bosch jigsaw blade set caught my eye last winter. It looked like a good way to keep my various blades both organized and protected. Well, it took a few months, but I finally decided to buy it.

Bosch TW12AL Jigsaw Blade Set on Amazon.

Let me tell you, this is the Holy Grail of jigsaw blade cases. It has individual blade compartments (prevents blades from rustling around with each other and dulling), magnets to hold them in, and the quality is rock solid. Due to the design, I bet you could run this over with a truck and it would survive (don't ask me for a replacement if you try that and it actually breaks!).

Oh, and the blades are fantastic too. This set comes with a good assortment of wood-cutting blades (no metal-cutting in this set), ranging from thick to thin, and fine to aggressive. This will prepare you for pretty much any wood cutting task I can think of.

As far as value is concerned, I think it's a great deal. The case is just about worth it alone, and the blades make it a no-brainer. Bosch makes great blades and they have a few other sets available, but as far as this case and blade combination, I don't think you'll find a better offering.

Macro Pictures of Tools

I finally got a tripod for the DSLR today! Now I can use my macro lenses! Well, they're technically just filters; I'm cheap. Anyway, I took a few test shots I thought I'd share here.

Milwaukee M12 Tool Deals

I think I'm going to be a big fan of Milwaukee's M12 line of tools. A few weeks ago, I bought the 3/8 inch drill on a pretty good sale (it came free with the electrical fork meter for $99). I love that drill. It doesn't have the power of my 18 volt drill (obvsiously, 12 < 18), but it can easily handle 90% of my drilling needs.

Since I bought the drill, I've been looking for a good deal on the impact driver. Yesterday, I noticed some of Milwaukee's M12 line of power tools had a bit of a price drop, including that driver. I almost pulled the trigger, then I noticed an even better deal!

I did some checking, and here are some pretty good deals I've found. I don't know how new these deals are, but they aren't bad. If you're in the market for M12 tools, take a look here at Home Depot, as well as places like Amazon, Buy.com, and Google's shopping search tool. Note, these seem to be sale prices, but they aren't advertised as sales with Home Depot. Compare them to the "tool only" versions and you'll see how good of a deal they are.

M12 hammer drill, impact driver, and free multi-tool!

First, the kit I just bought. This comes with the 3/8" hammer drill, impact driver, and a free multi-tool, all for $199. I haven't gotten a good chance to try everything out, but I'm trying my best to think up some projects I can use these on this weekend. This is a great deal for $199. It comes with two Red lithium batteries, which are the newer model that promises even better performance. Here is the LINK. Oh, and make sure you are getting the one with the free multi-tool!
Update: As of October 23rd, it looks like the deal is no longer available online. It may still be available in stores, however. 

Next up, we have the impact driver by itself, HERE for $99. Again, make sure you're getting the right one. This one is the full kit with two batteries, charger, and a case. They are also selling the "tool only" version, with you guessed it, just the tool, for the same price!

Similar to the deal above, HERE is the Hackzall kit for $99. Again, this is the kit with case, batteries, charger, etc. This is the same price as the tool only version, so be careful (I'm not writing much about this because I'm trying to resist buying one!)

Drill Accessory Case Comparison 2 - Three From Milwaukee and a Skil

A few years back I did a COMPARISON of a few drill bit / insert bit cases I own. For girlfriend-scrutiny purposes, I like to keep the actual number of cases I own a mystery; however, I can say that it's more than five and less than 15. Anyway, I have a few more to compare today.

Last time, I inevitably came to the conclusion that you can't judge contents by their case, and vice versa. Also, we can't judge case contents by their brand. Unfortunately, everything is hit or miss. A brand might hit the nail on the head, so to speak, with one case, and completely miss the boat with another.

This time, I'm going to review three cases by Milwaukee, and one by Skil. Don't worry, there is enough variety to keep this comparison interesting, despite only two brands between four cases. Also, I'm going to avoid mentioning the quality of the contents. Well, I'll do the best I can.

First up, I have a case of spade drill bits from Milwaukee.
Milwaukee 4220175 8 pc Flat Boring Bit Set

Pros:
The case is solid. Bits fit firmly, but easily snap into place. There is enough room for even large fingers to remove the bits. Rubber on the outside is slightly gimmicky, but it does help keep the case from sliding around when placed on smooth/wet/slanted surfaces.
Cons:
When closed, the two halves of the case can shift around with a bit of pressure, but this isn't a big issue by any means.
Verdict:
This is a near-perfect case. Hmm, maybe I should have ended with this one...

Next I have a pretty standard Milwaukee drill bit set.
Milwaukee 48-89-2800 14pc Thunderbolt Black Oxide Drill Bit Set

Pros:
Again, Milwaukee does a great job here with a drill bit case. Bits securely slide into place and can be removed without too much effort. The case doesn't feel cheap, and the sliding lock has a picture of a drill bit on it so you can tell at a glance what the contents are (this is actually helpful for me and my 5-15 cases). The two holders for these bits can even rotate up for easier access.
Cons:
Again, nothing major to complain about. The one thing worth mentioning is that this case holds 14 bits, and only 14 bits. It would have been nice if the case was either slightly larger, or had another smaller bit holder for more bits.
Verdict:
Overall, this is a great case, but I feel Milwaukee is missing out on an opportunity to add more storage for savvy users. I've noticed most of their cases are somewhat modular. They aren't all interchangeable, but I wish Milwaukee would sell individual bit holders to help users make custom cases.

The third case from Milwaukee is a set of insert bits.
Milwaukee 48-32-4401 29-piece  Shockwave Impact Driver Bit Set

Pros:
On the right side of the case, the bits fit snugly, yet are easily removable/replaceable (see a pattern here?). The case closes firmly, and it features rubber pads on the outside as well as a general picture of the contents on the locking slider.
Cons:
Unfortunately, the left side of the case features a poorly executed storage compartment. First of all, there are three vertical sections with no dividers. That means all of your bits, screws, parking meter change, whatever, will be sliding around. Even worse, the leftmost section gets almost completely blocked by the hinged door! I love the idea, but it just doesn't work.
Verdict:
This case makes very poor use of internal space. The right side seems to have wasted room between the bits, and the storage compartment is a joke. I like what they were going for, but frankly, I wouldn't buy this one again (ok, maybe I would because mine came bundled with that 14-piece drill bit set for a good price).

Lastly, I have a Skil case containing almost every bit imaginable.
Sorry, but I couldn't find a link at this time.

Pros:
This tri-fold design is the first I've ever seen for a case, and it works pretty well. Overall, it's no thicker than the last Milwaukee set, but it has 50% more space (by my unscientific estimate). It feels fairly sturdy. Drill bit sizes are printed next to their storage locations.
Cons:
I love the innovative design, but many of the bits are difficult to remove/replace. This case may have a great variety of drill/insert bits, but actually using them can be a pain. Also, the hinge on the back is huge! I'm sure this is due to the tri-fold design, but it does make the case wider than most when closed.
Verdict:
This one is a toss up. I like the overall design but the bit holders could be a lot better. If you're not as picky as I am about these things, then this is a great product.

Conclusion:
Milwaukee is generally regarded as a professional, high-quality brand, and it shows with two of their three cases here, but the last one is big letdown. Meanwhile, Skil, which in my experience is often overlooked or at least not well known for drill accessories, has a really innovative case design.

My "Newest" Drill

I found one of my very first tools the other day. It's a drill from my childhood. At first glance, it may not look like much, but it does have some nice features in common with even the best modern drills:

- Keyless chuck.
- All-metal gears.
- Long lasting battery (needs to recharge only once per day!)
- Variable speed.
- Best of all, no plastic pieces!

Sadly, the chuck is a little worse for wear, but I think I could get it working again.

I actually used to have another drill like this, although that one was about twice the size. It worked pretty well for certain applications. Sometimes I enjoy using self-powered hand tools when I get a chance. There's something relaxing about it. Well, for a few minutes anyway.

Measuring Square Comparison

A measuring square is an essential tool for framers, but also quite useful for handymen. It is essentially a triangular piece of flat metal (or plastic) with a base on either side of one edge. Originally, one of its main uses was for assisting with laying out rafters, specifically, cut angles. Nowadays, it probably doesn't see too much use for that purpose, but it is still helpful when cutting angles. However, the uses don't stop there.

I primarily use my speed square for checking that corners are square, and as a cutting guide. It is definitely worth it to have one for those tasks. It can save a huge amount of time and needless frustration.

These are my two measuring squares. The one on the left is made by Swanson (the original Speed Square inventor) and the one next to it is a generic version. They both cost roughly the same amount of money - about $8-10. But there is quite a difference in quality and usefulness between the "original" and the "copycat."

First, the quality. They are both one piece of solid aluminum, but the Swanson is much beefier. The generic one is some sort of aluminum alloy. It doesn't feel like a strong metal. It kind of reminds me of cheap pewter jewelry. If I wanted to, I'm sure I could practically fold it in half. However, the Swanson feels much more solid. I can't help but notice the metal stamp of "SWANSON TOOL CO. INC. FRANKFORT, IL. 1987"

Now for the features. Well, they are nearly identical. I'm guessing the copyright ran out at some point and everyone jumped all over it. I mean, it's just a blatant copy, however, the Swanson does have some features which the generic does not. Take a look at the picture of the Swanson one above. See that diamond cutout near the top? That's to guide a pencil as you take the base edge and run it along a piece of wood. The cutout is at 3 1/2 inches, which is the actual width of a 2x4. This is useful for resawing a 2x6 or 2x8 into a 2x4, or for cutting out plywood to thicken a 2x4.

Those little nubbins on the cutout of the inner triangle are also pencil guides. They are useful for marking out widths from 1 to 2 1/4 inches in 1/4" intervals.

As a cutting guide, the Swanson really shines. In fact, this is what led me to buy the Swanson (the store that I was at when I needed one didn't have the Swanson). The generic version is about half as thick as the Swanson. This not only makes the Swanson more durable, but a much better circular saw guide. Circular saw baseplates are rounded up at the edges and don't usually have sharp edges. With the generic square, I've had my saw's edge ride up on top of the square as I'm trying to use it as a guide. This not only gives a poor cut, defeating the purpose of the guide, but it's dangerous! If it rides up too far you could be out a square, a blade, and even fingers. The Swanson's added thickness keeps the saw where it should be, beside the guide.

All things considered, I would definitely stick to the original and stand by the Swanson. Other generic versions may fare better than this one did, but at least you know what you're getting with the original.

Review: Swiss Tech Utili-key (Utilikey)

The Swiss Tech Utili-key is one useful tool. Or should I say, six useful tools. Here is their official website with more information.

Anyway, if you're looking for a good stocking stuffer for the holidays, I would definitely recommend the Utilikey. I received one last X-Mas and it's been on my key ring ever since. I'm not the kind of guy that carries around a pocket knife with him, so the knife feature comes in handy from time to time. It's actually pretty sharp and not awkward to use.

Here is the Utilikey pictured next to a typical car key. As you can see, it's about the same size. I like to keep my keyring pretty light and this definitely doesn't clutter it up. It really does just feel like another normal key.

Here it is partially opened. I'm surprised at how well it's made. You can't tell from the picture, but it actually locks itself into place when it's either fully opened or closed. There is no chance that it will open in your pocket and fall off (or stab you in the leg).

It's about 5" long fully opened. It is about the size of a ballpoint pen.

As you can see, it has about a two inch knife (semi-serrated), a bottle opener, both a phillips and a slothead screwdriver, and apparently, a micro eyeglasses screwdriver. I've gotten the most use out of the knife and the bottle opener, but the screwdrivers did come in handy a few times.

If I didn't already have one of these, it would definitely be on my wish list.

The Utilikey runs about $10-15 and I think it's a great gift. Keys are something people almost always have with them. It's easy to lose track of a multi-tool or pocket knife.

I have but one gripe about it. To use the bottle opener, it has to be fully opened. This results in you putting a lot of leverage on a skinny little piece of metal with one very sharp end. I've had a few close calls with it slipping off the bottle while trying to pop the cap off. It gets especially tricky after opening a few bottles in relative quick succession, if you know what I mean. Besides that minor issue, I have no problems with it at all.

In addition to its usefulness, it's just plain cool, isn't it?

LED Flashlight Roundup

A good flashlight is essential to any handyman. It is one tool that isn't used all the time, but when you need it, you really need it. I've accumulated five flashlights over the years. Four of the five are the LED type. LEDs are 'light-emitting diodes.' They are great for two reasons. First, the 'bulbs' practically last forever. Chances are, your LEDs will never need replacing. Secondly, they use much less battery power compared to conventional flashlights, so they last a lot longer.

Here are my five flashlights. From left to right, they are:
Streamlight 7 LED. 4 AA batteries.
Rayz 30 LED. 3 D batteries.
Rayz 1 non-LED. 2 AA batteries.
Rayz 9 LED. 3 AAA batteries.
Rayz 1 LED. 1 watch battery.

To compare these flashlights, I set my camera up on a tripod in my basement. With the room lights out, I used each flashlight as the sole light source for each of the following pictures. The camera exposure was the same each time, and no flash was used. The pictures speak for themselves.

Streamlight 7 LED. 4 AA batteries. $20 a few years ago - This is my oldest flashlight, and one of the best. I've crawled around many pitch black ceiling spaces as a cable tech with this flashlight and it's never failed me. Well worth the investment.

Rayz 30 LED. 3 D batteries. On sale for $10 along with the next - This gives the Streamlight a run for its money, but then again, compare the sizes. This is a big flashlight. It's like the Mag Lights that security guards and cops beat people with. Except this one is light weight and made of aluminum. Probably not very good for beating up crooks with. Honestly, I expected better.

Rayz 1 non-LED. 2 AA batteries. $10 and came with the previous - Quite a big difference compared to the other LED flashlights. It's nice that the beam is focused, but there sure isn't much light ouput.

Rayz 9 LED. 3 AAA batteries. On sale for $6 along with the next - This is a solid flashlight. It's small, but puts out a lot of light. It came packaged with the keychain flashlight below for only $6 on sale! I bought one and tried it out at home not expecting too much. I was so impressed that I went back the next day and got another one for my car.

Rayz 1 LED. 1 watch battery. On sale for $6 with the previous - As you can see (or rather, can't see), this keychain flashlight is best used as a keychain flashlight.

I'd say that the Streamlight barely edges out the big 30 LED and the smaller 9 LED Rayz flashlights. Not quite as good of a deal, but it's held up over the years.

At any rate, LED flashlights are now very common. If you have one of those old cheap plastic flashlights lying around, you know, the kind where you can actually see it get dimmer as you use it, I'd suggest that you invest in a new LED type. The next time the power goes out or you need to look for something in a dark place, you'll appreciate a good flashlight.

The Collegiate Handyman's X-Mas Wishlist

I'm sure I'll be editing this later, but here it goes.

My Christmas wishlist:

Robogrip pliers
These are awesome for, well, grabbing things. A good pair (or two) of pliers is essential for any handyman. I've used these before and I really like them. One nice feature is that you can use them with one hand. A lot of other similar pliers require a second hand to adjust the jaw size.





A 48" level
You usually don't need a level all that often, but when you need one, you really need one. Looking around my room, I can see a few things that I probably should have used a level on. Sure, I have a 12" level, but at least a 48" type is needed for anything larger than a picture frame.

Take special care with a good level. For one, they are pretty pricey, but more importantly, they are easy to damage. One good drop can ruin one. What good is a level that isn't level?




A chisel set
Chisels used to be a woodworker's best friend. A sharp chisel to a woodworker was like a sharp knife to a chef.

Chisels may be used less with powertools so common, but there are certainly times when a sharp chisel can do a really good job. Plus, a hammer and chisel can really vent some frustration.

A variety of sized comes in handy.

It's important to keep chisels sharp. When they are dull, you end up forcing things and that can get dangerous. Which leads me to the next item...

Sharpening blocks
A good set of sharpening blocks will pay for themselves after just a few uses. It's essential to have sharp knives and chisels.

Don't forget, these can just as easily sharpen your kitchen knives.

It really is safer to have sharp knives and chisels. This is a great investment.



Gift card
Of course, you can't go wrong with a gift card!

Yes, it's a little impersonal, but when the recipient is running through the store like they're on a shopping spree, it's all worth it.

Tools: 10-in-1 Screwdriver

I thought it would be nice if I started posting about some of the tools that I've collected over the years. I have no motivation for advertising particular brands, but I will try to describe my rational for choosing what I did.

So let me start with a great screwdriver. In fact, I would go so far to say that this is probably the only screwdriver you will need for most projects you face. Needless to say, this is a great start for building a basic tool collection.

This is the Klein 10-in-1 screwdriver. I got it for a summer job a few years back doing low-voltage electrical work. It runs about $12 at most places I've seen. I've had it for about four years, and it's never let me down. When I need a screwdriver, I grab this one about 90% of the time.

What makes it so special? Well, for starters, it really is 10-in-1. It has two phillips, two slothead, two Torx, and two Robinson (square) tips. In addition to that, it also provides two different sizes of nut-driving ability (I thought about it, and that's probably the least funny way I could say that). One nice feature is that you can just pop off the end of it and throw it in a drill. Heck, it even works as a drill extention.


I only have one issue with this screwdriver. Probably the best thing about it is that you can use any old 6-sided screwbit tip for it. However, it doesn't lock in when you do. I wish it used a different mechanism to hold in the bits so that generic ones worked too. Also, it's not magnetic. That's a handy feature sometimes (but then again, sometimes you *don't* want a screwdriver to be magnetic).

This has got to be one of the most reliable and useful tools that I own. If you're looking for a screwdriver, or even a set of screwdrivers, you might want to consider this one. But be careful, I know a lot of places sell low-quality 4-in-1 screwdrivers or ones that appear to be similar to this one. I can confidently say that Klein makes high-quality tools that should last many years.

eBay

Lately, I've been perusing eBay for some tools. I thought I'd share with you some of my past experiences on the popular online auction site, as well as my current dealings.

I generally have pretty mixed feelings about eBay. On one hand, just today I received an order in the mail. I had bid on and won two 1/2" step drill bits (used for drilling holes in sheet metal). I got them at a great price of 99 cents each, and just $1.50 shipping.

Apparently this seller must have robbed home depot because he had about a dozen identical ones. I just picked up two. I'm a sucker for a good deal, but chances are I'll only ever use them once or twice. I don't know what I'll do with two of them.

The trick to buying on eBay, or buying anything online for that matter, is to be sure that you need it. Again, I probably don't need two of those step bits. Ok, I really don't need two of them. Nor do I need any of my past eBay purchases: a Choose Your Own Adventure book (I guess I forgot about these things called 'libraries', oh and I'm not 12 years old anymore), and my second purchase, a Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell CD single.

So the other thing about eBay... Damn, I have Bat Outta Hell stuck in my head... Um, oh, the other thing is to check other online places for the same item to see if you're really getting a deal. It seems like 75% of the time you get overcharged for shipping. So you might spend $2.00 on that sweet George Foreman grill, but shipping could be $15. A quick check on Google might show that Target has it for $10 in the store.

Before I bought those two bits, I checked online to see what the best price I could get them at was. The description on eBay said they were $30, but I found them on sale at an online store for $15. Either way, 99 cents was a great deal so I bought them.

It's also a good idea to make sure you are getting a quality item. I've been looking for drill bits, so I check to make sure they are a name brand, and that they have never been used before. Dull drill bits are pretty much useless. So are crappy Chinese no-name brand bits. Remember, you get what you pay for, well not exactly on eBay, but you know what I mean.