Chalk this up as one more thing we will probably never get here in the States. If you remember, I talked about the Sortimo L-BOXX in the past and its similarities with the Systainer. Both are stack-able storage systems that come in a verity of sizes, and offer many organizational features.

Bosch sells some tools in Europe that use the Systainer as its tool box, as do other tool companies in Europe. Now Bosch has teamed with with Sortimo to offer some tools using the L-BOXX system. The advantage of using the L-BOXX is its ability to be used in conjunction with Sortimo's vehicle storage solutions, as well as their home/office/shop storage solutions.

As of now, only the 14.4 & 18 volt drills are being offered using the L-BOXX system, but as an introductory offer Bosch is including a 77-piece accessories set and an additional L-BOXX. Sadly this kit will probably never been seen here in the US, which leads me to our next poll.

Update: Video from MrToolStop added after Read More.

During my recent look over at the Ridgid website I noticed something interesting. Ridgid is now re-branding a few of the more common MagSwitch products. This is likely to mean you have a pretty good chance of getting these at your local HomeDepot, or having them ordered from HD if they can not be found in your area. This is a smart move for MagSwitch if HomeDepot makes them available in most of there stores. This could also do a lot to get the MagSwitch name out there.

Starting this Sunday up until November 8th, Home Depot will be offering a drill trade up program. Simply bring in your used or broken power drill and Home Depot will give you 15% off of a new Lithium-Ion cordless drill. HD will then recycle your old drill and save the world; a win win for everyone.

Also, though not as cool, from November 5th – 15th Home Depot will be offering a trade up program for old Christmas lights. Bring in your old or broken Christmas lights and HD will give you a $3 off coupon towards new LED Christmas lights, good for up to 5 redemption.

Both trade up programs will take place at all Home Depot U.S. Stores.

Update 10/27: Here is the Home Depot Drill Promo Page

After 21 seasons of great woodworking, Norm has decided to end his long time TV show, The New Yankee Workshop. The good news is he will continue being a part of This Old House. So will we probably be able to still see his work, though limited. Also good news is that The New Yankee Workshop will continue to remain available online.

I just hope PBS will continue to air his reruns on a regular basis. 21 seasons is a lot of episodes, most of which I have probably not see or have already forgotten.

"We've had a great run, built challenging projects, met wonderful woodworkers, and received loyal support from millions of viewers," stated Norm Abram in the release.

The questions is, will some other woodworker (possibly from the online world) step up to fill this void?

via Popular Woodworking

The problem with tools is we all want more of them. The other problem is we never have enough money. Here at Tool-Rank we try to keep you up to date with the latest deals, promotions, hot deals from the forum, etc, but we can't find you the best price on everything.

This is where Tools.com comes in to play. They take the hassle out of comparison shopping by listing each tool with a number of different stores and their respective prices. Now with a quick search you can find out the prices much faster.

While they are currently listing over 90,000 tools, from 500 brands, through 11 different venders, the price comparison list for most tools is pretty small. Most tools only list one or two prices from the different online stores. We can give then a pass right now because they are still in beta, but hopefully when Tools.com makes its way out of Beta they will have more pricing options, and more venders.

The next time you are comparison shopping, you might want to give them a try.

Tools.com

We probably all knew that laser distance measurer's were going to be a big part of the construction industry in the future. The only question was how long until everyone owns one. Makita's recent entry into the game (now available in the UK) might get you to become a believer sooner then you thought, and it is only a matter of time until it hits the US.

It has some great features such as a large backlit multi-line display screen, measuring in both metric and imperial, a memory function and more. But there are a couple more features that really set it apart. The first being a tilt sensor said to offer more measurement possibilities, and more accurate indirect measurements. The second is a function that automatically detects the longest measurement when measuring from inside corner to corner. Now you can sweep the laser across a corner and the laser will do the rest of the work. If any of this has you confused, check out the video after the Read More

Makita Tools UK

People like us don't usually need an excuse to buy new power tools, but Makita always makes it a little harder to resist the buying temptation by offering great tool promotions. Now until the end of this year you can get the brand new Makita 3-Speed Impact BTD144Z free after mail-in-redemption, when you purchase a qualifying cordless tool.

Qualifying tools include: 5 3/8" Metal Cutting Saw BCS550, 7/8" SDS-PLUS Rotary Hammer Kit BHR240, 3/8" Angle Drill Kit BDA350, 1/2" High Torque Impact Wrench Kit BTW450, or Portable Band Saw Kit BPB180.

If that wasn't enough for you, Makita is also giving away ten 15 piece 18-volt LXT lithium-ion combo kits. WOW! What a great prize one of these would be to win. This contest also ends at the end of this year, so be sure to enter today.

Makita Promos
Makita - Amazon

Cordless tools may be king on the jobsite, but that doesn't mean there isn't a place for corded tools in your life. Corded tools offer a few key benefits over their cordless cousins, such as more speed in a lighter body at a much lower cost. Plus, as long at you pay your electric bill, you will never run out of power.

Bosch's latest corded drill model 1006VSR uses a 6.3 amp motor to deliver 0-2600 RPMs, which is significantly higher then an 18 volt equivalent, while also keeping the weight at only 3.4 lbs. It also features a 2 finger variable speed trigger and a newly designed soft grip handle which is said to offer users added comfort throughout the day. The 3/8" drill uses a keyless chuck to make changing bits a quick and easy task, and a belt clip frees up your hands when you need them. The new 1006VSR will be available later this fall for around $60.

Bosch Tools
Bosch 1006VSR 3/8” Corded Drill - Amazon

Not really, but scraps are something we usually have around the shop or on the jobsite. Very rarely do I use real paper on the job for measurements or notes. What about when you are at home or in the office? You probably use those post-it notes that you can conveniently stick on anything and everything. The problem - they sure are ugly. Sure they can be seen from a distance, but that just means they are even more ugly up close.

The Kakuzai Wood Memo Block is the answer to people tired of ugly notes and people who want a bit of style at their desks. It consists of a block of 1200 post-it notes printed on all 6 sides, made to look just like a block of wood - it even has growth rings. Wood made into paper, made to look like wood - brilliant. Too bad it cost around 30 bucks; at least the shipping is free.

Kakuzai Wood Memo Block

I received an email with some information on the pricing and availability of the BucketVac we talked about a couple weeks ago. It looks like the launch will happen the 3rd week of December at the earliest (I hope they have fast shipping for Christmas). SpeedClean decided to delay the launch so they could make some design changes.

We felt the right approach was to make sure we incorporated all the consumer feedback into the product before we launched it.

Though SpeedClean is in discussions with national retailers interested in carrying the BucketVac, the deals will not be finalized until after the launch. As not to keep us unhappy, SpeedClean will sell the BucketVac direct as soon as they are available. No final price has been set, but they promise a price under $100.