This isn't your average Sawzall, this is the new 6538-21 Super Sawzall from Milwaukee. I guess it is fitting that the Sawzall is red like The Flash, because this saw is supposed to be the "fastest, most durable recip saw in the world." I don't know this for a fact, but I doubt Milwaukee would say such things just to sell more tools. All it needs is a little yellow lightning bolt, and a secret identity.

Features:

• 15.0 Amp Milwaukee Motor - highest overload protection in the industry; prevents motor burn up / failure
• Constant Power Technology™ - maintains constant speed under load for unmatched cutting performance
  
• Patented Gear Protecting Clutch - extends gear and motor life by absorbing high impact forces caused by sudden blade lock-ups
• Patented Counter Balanced Mechanism - smoothest running, lowest vibrating reciprocating saw in the industry
• Variable Speed Trigger and Dial Speed Control - maximum speed control
• Quik-Lok™ Blade Clamp System - provides fast and easy blade changes

Specs:

• Voltage 120 AC
  
• Amps 15.0
• Stroke Length 1-1/4 in.
• No Load Speed 0-2,800 SPM
• Dial Speed Control Yes
• Keyless Blade Clamp Yes
• Keyless Adj. Shoe Yes
• Adjustable Handle No
• Orbital Action Yes
• Counter-Balance Yes
• Impact Protection Yes
• Length 18-3/4 in.
• Tool Weight 9.8 lbs.
• Shipping Weight 14.4 lbs.

Milwaukee 6538-21 Review page.

Be sure to thank a Vet for all the freedoms we enjoy everyday; because of all the sacrifices they have made for everyone of us.

Well, are they? I have been in the construction business for almost 7 years now, and I have never heard of them until just recently. I also doubt that any of my co-workers have heard of them; if they had, they probably would be using their blades instead of the Diablo. So why is it that I have never heard of them? Probably like most construction workers, we use what we can readily find, and what we know works. This is one of the reasons, I am thinking of buying a 7 1/4" saw, and shelving my 6". It has become just too hard to find good 6" blades anymore.

I saw on another website, that the author recommended Forrest Woodworker II blades for his table saw. I had seen the same thing on his website over and over again, without even giving it a second thought. The other day I happened to see it again, and decided to see what this blade was all about. I did a Google search for Forrest Blades and found their website. One thing that really caught my attention, was the fact that they re-sharpen their own blades. I always doubted the fact that the local blade sharpener could match every single tooth on every saw blade to the original specs. Having the manufacture re-sharpen their own blades solves this problem.

I decided to see if Amazon carried their blades. They are one of the few online stores that have a huge stock on tools, and most of the time, the lowest price. If I cant find a tool locally, I go to Amazon next. Sure enough they have it in stock. I was then shocked to see the amount of 5 star reviews the Woodworker II has. At the time of this blog entry the 10" 40 tooth WWII has 111 out of 127 reviews being 5 stars. Sure it costs a little more then your average blade, but when you need straight cuts, and the blade is said to last 3x longer, it seems worth it.

They have a wide verity of sizes of blades to fit almost every saw imaginable, so be sure to check them out on their website, or check their selection on Amazon.

 

One thing I forgot to mention. The new Festool Kapex KS 120 uses a 30mm arbor, and most saw blades are 5/8". What I got from reading Forrest's website, is that for  $9  they will make the saw blade with a larger arbor size. Or if you already own a blade, they can enlarge it for $11.  You do not have to be stuck with the stock Festool blades.

Ever since Festool announced they were making a miter saw, the woodworking world went crazy. There have been a few details floating around the Internet for a while now, and even a video or two. But the big news is that we finally have a price. Rumors had the price set between $1200 and $1500, and they were right on the money. The official price from Festool is $1300. Now $1300 is not cheap when it comes to miter saws, especially for a 10 inch, but when has Festool ever been cheap? People that buy Festools either buy because they want a good high quality tool that will last them a lifetime, or they buy because they think the most expensive tools will make them a woodworker.

There are a number of features that set the new Kapex apart from the rest of the miter saw field. You might not be able to notice from the above photo, but the parallel rails that typically side on a normal sliding saw, are stationary. Instead, the whole saw body slides on the rails. This allows for a much smaller overall size. You can basically put this saw right up against a wall, without having to worry about the rails putting a hole in your wall when you slide the saw back.

There are almost too many things to mention that make this saw the new top dog, but here are a few more features. The Kapex has a variable speed motor that allows you to set the speed for the type of material you are cutting. The bevel adjustment is completely counter balanced via springs. You can literally adjust the bevel to any angle and the saw will stay there. The saw base is made out of Magnesium alloy, this puts the saw weight at only 47 Lbs. The Bosch and Makita counterparts weigh in at 55, and 48.5Lbs. Sure Its only 1.5Lbs under the Makita, but the fact that it has a number of extra features, shows how well it is engineered.

I could go on and on, but I bet you would just like to see the Kapex in action already. Check out the Kapex Mini site , and watch the video. I cant wait to see some real world reviews of the Kapex. It would be nice if Festool would send me a demo, so I could see if the Kapex can handle cutting miles of base and crown on a real construction site, and give it a real review. *Hint Hint*

I can dream.

If you remember a few posts back, the post titled New hole saws from Milwaukee. I criticized Milwaukee for making these new hole saws, but not using carbide for the teeth. Well I did not know at the time that Bosch already has carbide teeth hole saws. If I had known this, I probably would have been even more baffled as to why Milwaukee choose to dismiss the feature. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on Milwaukee, the price of the Bosch is more then double the price of the Milwaukee. Amazons current price for a Bosch 3 inch Carbide tooth hole saw is $86.94 while the Milwaukee is $33.57. Just for price reference a standard 3 inch hole saw is around $10. So I guess Milwaukee wanted a better rough cut hole saw that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. I would like to see some side by side comparisons to see how they both stack up.

Only a few years ago, you would have one heck of a time trying to find a 23 gauge pin nailer. Now you can find one at just about any quality tool store. In just the past few years the quality and features of pinners has really shot up, going from a max length of 1 3/16" to now 2". This has a lot to do with the popularity of the Grex line. It really kind of amazing that a gun can shoot such a nail. Is it possible that the 23 gauge will replace the 18 brad nailer? Probably not, but Cadex doesn't seem to care.

Cadex now has a gun that will shoot both headless and slight headed 2" 23 gauge pins. The Cadex CPB23.50 . This means greater holding power, with still the very small hole of a 23 gauge nail. The price on this gun isn't cheap, at $300, but it is still around $40 less then the Grex counterpart. Now I have used Grex pinners in the past, and know they make quality tools, so I wonder how the two would compare. The only difference I can see, is the ability of this gun to shoot the headed nail, but it only goes down to 5/8" where the Grex 650 will go as low as 1/2". For me the headed feature far outweighs the lack of its ability shoot an 1/8" smaller nail. With my Grex copycat on its last limb, this might just be my next toy gun.

 

 

 

 

Specs:

 

• Shoots: 23 Gauge pins & 23 Gauge Brads
• Capacity: 120 nails
• Pressure: 65-120 PSI
• Weights: 2.6lbs
• Dimensions L x W x H: 9-3/16" x 2-3/8" x 8-7/8"

 

Features:

 

• Trigger Safety
• Anti-Dry fire Mechanism
• Built in Blow Gun
• Lightweight & well Balanced
• Fine Precision Nose for easy viewing & aiming
• Operates on 1/2 Hp. or larger air compressor
• Ideal for invisible fastening in all hardwoods
• Rear exhaust
• Rubber nose tip
• Handy carry case
• Belt hook
• Magazine sight window
• Swivel coupler plug

 

Milwaukee has come out with some new hole saws that just make sense. First the Big Hawg™ hole cutters

"Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation introduces new Big Hawg™ hole cutters, specifically designed for drilling large holes in rough wood applications with the speed and longevity that HVAC, plumbing, and other professional contractors require. With its aggressive tooth form, the Big Hawg hole cutter cuts up to ten times faster than bi-metal hole saws. The Big Hawg hole cutter features three hardened steel teeth, which cut up to 600 holes in wood without needing to be resharpened."

Key Features/Specs

• Aggressive tooth geometry for up to ten times faster cutting than hole saws
• Deep gullets for easy plug removal
• Three hardened steel teeth provide maximum durability against unintended nail impacts.
• Cuts up to 600 holes in wood without needing to be re-sharpened.
• Diameter: Range from 2-1/8” to 6-1/4”
• Accessories available: Big Hawg arbor, Big Hawg pilot bit, Big Hawg diamond file
• Available March 15, 2008

One question though, why not carbide teeth? Everyone knows carbide is better. Though I do think this is a change for the better, I just dont see why they didn't go all the way with it.

Second comes Milwaukee's Ice Hardened™ Hole Saws. They utilize a new cryogenic hardening process that is supposed to be better then the century old heat treating process. They also have some new Sawzall® Blades that use the same hardening process.

"Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation introduces Ice Hardened™ hole saws, a new generation of hole saws that offer up to 50% longer life than the competition and are ideal for metal and wood cutting in a wide variety of HVAC, electrical, plumbing and maintenance/repair applications.

Key Features/Specs

• Ice Hardened for up to 50% longer life than the competition
• Matrix II bi-metal teeth for greater durability
• Positive rake angle for fast cutting
• Radiused tooth back reduces stress on teeth
• Deeper gullets for fast chip removal
• Functional slot geometry for easier plug removal
• Available March 15, 2008

Are these new hole saws better, faster, stronger? I dont know. I guess we will just have to wait and see. I challange Milwaukee to send me a set that I can test out on the jobsite. :)

Happy Easter to all of you and your families.

This is a very interesting read from pddnet.com. They talk about why Makita after so many years, updated the look of their tools. Be sure to look at the before and after photos.

"With one of the project’s goals being to increase the Latino customer base, HLB learned that brighter, more colorful schemes would be preferred over quiet, subtle ones by this demographic. The result was combining Makita’s traditional teal with the use of more silver metallic.

Designers also used customer feedback to develop a concept that looked new, stronger, lightweight, and high-speed without completely abandoning some of the traditional elements that customers liked. HLB and Makita describe the finished design as sleek and aggressive with an almost sinister feel. The use of chrome also helps from a retail perspective in bringing, according to HLB, more “eye-catching American flair”. So from an aesthetic perspective, the re-design delivered strong results." - pddnet.com

 

Makita wanted to better compete with the other major power tool brands, and they wanted a new look, but they also wanted to stay true to Makita. Makita's plan was to hook you with the new look, and to hold on to you with the quality of the tools.

Now I have been a fan of Makita tools for a long time now. My boss had one of the very first 12 volt makita impacts. My very first drill was a Makita, and still use it to this day(today even). I have known the quilty of their tool to be very good. Too me it doesnt really matter what the tool looks like as long as it works well; but I do have to admit, I like the looks of their newer tools. Too bad for me, my batteries are in their last days. The next time my local tool store has a sale, I will have to buy a new impact and drill set. I know, It is sad. Maybe my mom can get some use out of my old set.

Marc over at TheWoodWhisperer.com has a pretty cool video blog that is all about woodworking. He basically guides you through his process for some of the things he builds in his garage shop. It is very interesting to watch. I actually found him through an email from Festool. I guess Festool is one of his sponsors. It must be nice. :) You should check out photos from his latest project; a very unique end table, and be sure to check out his videos.