I typically do not cover landscaping tools, but there is a first for everything and I know people have an interest in anything that will make life easier or more enjoyable.

The grass in my yard is starting to come out hibernation and getting to the point where it needs to be cut. Probably like many of you, mowing is not something I enjoy; for some reason I do not like pushing a mower when it is 100 degrees in the summer.

The WeedEater One riding mower looks like it was designed for people like me in mind. It is much smaller then a typical riding mower at only 36 inches in width, which should be well suited for people with a good sized yard. Even at a much smaller size, it still has features you might not expect, like an electric start with a pull start backup, cruise control, and reverse. Most push mowers use a blade size of about 20 inches, but because the WeedEater One uses a larger 26 inch blade it should significantly cut down on your mowing time. Pushing the compact mower is a 190cc Briggs & Stratton engine. The WeedEater One is priced at about $750 which is not cheap compared to a push mower, but is much lower then the typical $1000 riding mower low end price.

WeedEater One - Amazon

These last couple of years we have seen a large amount of growth in the way of 12 volt cordless tools. 12 volt tools are nothing new; just a few years ago they were pretty much the top of the line. Of course men being men, we needed more and moved towards higher powered tools as they have become available.

Now with lithium ion technology, batteries are much smaller then they once were. Because of this, manufacturers are now able to bring us even more tools in the more compact 12 volt battery. One thing to note is that some manufacturers tools are labeled as 10.8 volt while some are 12 volt. The fact is that they are both the same.

Every major brand has tools using 12 volt technology with tools for many different applications. Some 12 volt tools include: drills, impact drivers, flashlights, right angle drivers, vacuums, oscillation multi-tools, metal shears, auto hammers, and more.

My question is for those of you that own these tools. Do you feel they offer enough power to complete the job? In what applications are you using these tools?

{loadposition poll 12volt}

Typically you would have to be up late at night, watching corny infomercials, to see a cordless tool that makes use of swappable heads. I know this, during my insomniatic nights I have seen such a tool. However the new JobMax line from Ridgid actually looks promising.

The JobMax makes use of Ridgid's existing 12V Lithium-ion battery, but in a completely new form factor that allows for the use of multiple heads. The concept is nothing new, but in the past you were limited on the amount of tool heads. Now that some patents have been freed up, as well as advancements in technology, Ridgid is able to bring a total of 5 different swappable heads to the line.

As of now Ridgid lists two JobMax Combo Kits. The first kit (#R99234) comes with the JobMax body with two heads: the Auto-Hammer head and the Oscillating Multi-Tool head. The same kit also includes a standard 12V drill. The second kit (#R82234) comes with the JobMax body and three heads: a Right Angle Impact Driver, a Right Angle Drill, and a 3/8” Ratchet Head. Surprisingly there is no kit with all five heads included.

Ridgid Tools

You remember the Dust Deputy system I wrote about in the past; It is the cyclone that mounts onto a standard 5 gallon bucket, and acts as a pre-filter for your dust collection. Everywhere I look I see the Dust Deputy getting great reviews; people seem to love it. Now, not wanting to miss out on all the fun, Festool owners have come up all kinds of contraptions that allow them to mount their Deputies to their Festool Dust Extractors. One contraption consists of a cutting up a rather expensive Festool Systainer, mounting the Dust Deputy, then trying to make the whole thing air tight.

The makers of the Dusty Deputy, wanting to one up the DIYers and make a bit of money at the same time, have announced their own version of a Festool compatible Dust Deputy System. It uses their own dust container that mount to the Festool dust collectors, and has all the mounting holes for the Dust Deputy; more importantly, it is air tight.

I don't know if Dust Deputy, knowing that Festool owners are willing to spend their money, has come to a rather high introductory price of $229, or maybe there is some licensing fees going on. But now hacking an $80 Systainer and getting the $60 DIY Dust Deputy doesn't seem like such a bad idea. I am sure you could find some uses for that extra $90.

See Updated: Dust Deputy For Festool Redux

Dust Deputy Festool