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New 10” Miter Saw and Aluminum Miter Stand From Bosch

by Chris     November 10, 2010    

No, its not a 10-inch axial glide like many are hoping for, but it is new none the less. Or is it? It appears to be exactly the same as the previous 4410 except for the trigger handle. Instead of using the user rotatable handle, the 4310 uses a fixed handle. I was never a fan of the old handle anyways, so this is no loss. There might be some other minor changes, but basically it is the same saw. The 4310 will retail for less, so this new model appears to be a way for Bosch to offer the saw at a better value.

So now on to the cool news. Bosch has also announced a new miter saw stand. I really liked their old TracRac miter stand, and have been using it for many years now. The new GTA3800 is not a direct update to the TracRac, because it used part from TracRac truck racks, but it does share it s basic design.The biggest improvement appears to be the miter saw mount. It looks like they are much easier to use, and are built better.

Bosch says the saw stand has a material capacity of 16-feet, but unless you are cutting 16-footers in half, I have my doubts. I always use a material stand at each end to be able to cut 16-foot trim. Each end support uses smooth rollers that are adjustable in height to match your miter saw's height. Both supports also feature integrated repetitive stops.

Bosch also chose again to use aluminum for their stand. So not only is it compact at 62", but it is also light, weighing in at 41 lbs. Light but strong, the GTA3800 can support up to 300 lbs. Some people assume that these foldable compact stands can not handle 12" miters saws, but that is not the case at all.

Bosch 4310 Miter SawGTA3800 Saw Stand
[:cicn:] Bosch 4310 - Amazon

Matco Has A Cordless Impact Wrench For Every Need

by Chris     November 09, 2010    

Most of the tools that get covered here at ToolRank have to do with construction; because well, I am a construction worker. Every once in a while I throw in a garden tool just for fun, but for the most part automotive tools get left out. This injustice to automotive tools ends today with the announcement of some new lithium-ion cordless tools from Matco.

Matco has announced their Infinium line of cordless tools that were specifically developed for professional automotive technicians that require the power of pneumatics but the portability of cordless. Headlining in the Infinium line are three cordless impact wrenches. Their 1/4-inch impact wrench runs off of 10.8-volts and produces 55 foot-pounds of torque. Their 3/8-inch wrench runs off of 14.4-volts and their top dog, the 1/2-inch wrench uses 18-volts to produce 425 foot-pounds of working torque at a weight that is under 7 lbs.

Other tools in the Infinium line include a 10.8V mini polisher and drill driver, a 14.4V drill driver and grease gun, and a 18V axle grinder and power shear. Each tool can be purchased as a kit (with battery and charger) or they can be purchased as tool only.

MatcoTools

Ridgid Radio Pretends to be Indestructible, Almost Succeeds

by Chris     November 07, 2010    
The New RIDGID Job Site Radio with ShockMount Technology

The latest radio from Ridgid seems to be almost indestructible. In a video released by Ridgid, they went all out in a series of radio abuse tests. They dropped cinder blocks on it, used it to break boards, ran it over with a truck, and even threw it off of a roof top. All of that and it still survived.

There is not much information out about the new radio, but at the end of the video they do give us a little. From what they tell us, it looks like it will be the first jobsite radio that not only works with iPod's, but it also chargers them. It even has a remote control that will operate the iPod.

 

Can't find a toolbelt you like? Make your own

by Chris     November 05, 2010    

We all have different body types, and we all have different tool needs. So what do you do if you just can't seem to find a toolbelt that has everything you want, exactly where you want it? You make your own, of course. That is... if you have a background in industrial sewing.

m@tt over at the Contractor Talk message boards put cost, speed, and simplicity aside and decided he was going to start from scratch and make his own toolbelt. Putting his industrial sewing skills back to work, he designed and built one of the coolest toolbelts I have ever seen. He went all out on quality and used 3 layers of 1000 denier Cordura on all of the main parts, used Mil. spec webbing on the belt and as extra reinforcement, and topped it off with an all aluminum belt buckle. All of the bags are removable, so he can mix and match his pouches and layout depending on the job. And check out the spade bit and screwdriver holders. Amazing is all I can say. Full gallery after the Read More.

Via Contractor Talk

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