News

First there was Man Vs Wild, then there was Man Vs. Food. Now, a new web show will pit man against the tools we all know and love. Man Vs Tool is a new web series that comes to us from the online tool store, ToolBarn.com. Is this just another form of advertising on the cheap? Absolutely, but we all know what the power of good viral marketing can do. Who knows, they might have what it takes to be the next Will It Blend?. In the first episode Man Vs Tool...

What is the number one problem with owning any tool? Simple, there is always someone out there that is willing to steal it from you if given the opportunity. The problem is, nothing is unstealable. We can only do our best to make it as hard for them to steal as possible. My friend learned about this the hard way when all of his tools were taken from the back of his truck. When I saw the Skyd Cable Locking System, I knew this was the product that would have saved his tools. The problem...

How can a company prove to you, that their product is the best on the market? These days they do it by throwing said product off of a roof, down some stairs, or out of a moving vehicle; and get the whole thing on video. Those are just some of the crazy things we have seen these past few years. In the end we get to see a video that is both informative and entertaining. The DieHard Torture Labs showcases some crazy videos of their own, including powering a total of 24 cars off of a single battery and...

The new Model 40-6001 Laser Distance Measure is a first for Johnson, but it looks like they got plenty right. It doesn't get crazy with 800 feet of measuring, but it has plenty to offer at 165 feet with an accuracy of ±1/16" (±2mm). The 40-6001 has all of the features you would expect from a good LDM; including, indirect measurement capabilities for length and height; and single distance, area and volume measurements. The LDM also has a few features not seen in lasers in the same price range, like a backlit LCD screen and a 10 measurement memory....

Rockwell's new table saw looks nothing like the table saws you are familiar with; the saws you know and love. In fact the only thing similar about it is the table. The BladeRunner from Rockwell can accurately be described as a jigsaw mounted in table, upside down. In the past we have seen rigs that allow users to mount their own jigsaws under tables, but the BladeRunner takes the idea a step further by offering an all-in-one package.

ZipSnip, the answer to your cutting woes? The ZipSnip is a 3.6-volt lithium-ion rechargeable electric material cutter who purpose is to make cutting simpler. Its circular cutting blade makes it ideal for zipping through cloth, leather, plastic packaging, corrugated fiber board (aka cardboard) vinyl sheet goods, rubber liner, landscape fabric, canvas, wire, wrapping paper, etc. The 1-1/2” hardened steel cutting blade is configured to self-sharpen against a small sharpening stone so you don't have to worry about a dull blade. Even after you have worn down the blade to nothingness, you can simply swap it...

Ready to be the envy of all the other guys at work, and still have skin left on your knuckles? Say you find yourself trying to drive a screw that is too close to a wall or other obstruction; what do you do? Normally you would try to drive the screw with your screwdriver at an angle, and lose a bit of skin against the wall in the process. This sometimes gets the job done, but often ends up stripping the head of the screw at the same time. A right angle...

The search for the perfect tape measure is no small task. I have yet to find one that I am 100% happy with and have been on a never ending search ever since I started working in construction. For the longest time it seems as though manufacturers were content with tape measures as they were; without even trying to come up with new ideas. Thankfully that has all changed, and the last few years have been full of a lot of really good tape measure ideas. Johnson Level has now entered the...

OK, this is not the end of the composite world as we know it just yet, but if things keep going the way they are going now, it is probably not too far off. Last month I wrote about how SKIL has stopped selling their X Bench in California because it did not meet the new formaldehyde standards for composite wood set in the state. Well, I guess President Obama liked the new California standard so much, he decided to make it a national law. Starting January 1, 2013, all products sold in the United States will have to...

It looks like there is a little bit of product moving going on amongst the brands owned by parent company Black & Decker. The very popular scroll saw that was once the DeWalt DW788, is now the (soon to be popular?) Delta 40-690. As far as specifications go the tools are exactly the same, but here is why the change is a good move for future scroll saw buyers. The Delta version of the saw comes with a 5 year warranty, while the DeWalt version comes with only a 3 year warranty. ...