Here at ToolRank we want to make sure that we have all of your tool intrests covered. By taking our completely anonymous survey, you would be helping us figure out how we can better serve you. The survey is only 7 questions long, and in the last question you can tell us what we are doing right or what we are doing wrong. If you want more articles about a particular tool or category and less about another, now is your chance to let us know.

We have already received some really good feedback, and we will be sure to take everything into consideration while we continue to move forward with ToolRank. Some people asked for more contributing writers, and that is something that I am working on. You might have noticed that the Craftsman shovel review was written by someone other than myself. It was written by my Father, who also knows a lot about tools and uses them daily at work.  

Please take a minute or two to fill out the survey, and give us some feedback.

Thank you,
Chris Rodenius

The world of tools is filled with lots of questions and confusions, which are sometimes magnified by tool manufacturers and their fancy way of using words to try and sell you something. These confusions can be hard for the consumer who just wants to buy the right tool. So, in order to clear up some of these questions, I thought I would answer some of the most common questions I receive.

Where oh where could it be?

The DeWalt ToughSystem was one of the products that really caught my eye back when DeWalt made their big product announcement in June. The system might not have anything new in terms of stackability compared to the Festool Systainers, or the Sortimo L-Boxx, but they had other features that, in my opinion, really put the ToughSystem boxes up a level. The other brands, as well as the DW ToughSystem, feature a lock-together stacking feature, but DeWalt was the first to engineer a transport system that did more then just carry boxes. The unique design of the ToughSystem carrier has the ability to carry both tools and jobsite materials at the same time. And the way the carrier suspends the boxes in air, should make it easier and faster to access lower level boxes.

I think the carrier is the real star of the system, but DeWalt also has a box that I think will be much stronger than the competition. While the other brands use a high strength plastic for their boxes, DeWalt chose to go with structural foam. This light weight material is pretty much indestructible under normal conditions, and is the same material Pelican uses for their cases.

All of the great features of the ToughSystem have many people interested in getting their hands on them, my Dad, my co-workers, and myself included. Unfortunately, getting them is a bit of a challenge. The boxes were supposed to be released back in July, but as of now, Amazon is the only place that has had them listed. I say had, because right now Amazon lists all but the large box as out of stock, and the large they have is listed, is 3 to 5 weeks out. I have tried to reach out to DeWalt Hand Tools to get information on availability or possible delays, but have yet to hear back from them. I also reached out to a major online tool store to see if they knew when they would be getting them in stock. They said they have "not yet received sell sheets, or product data set up sheets" fot the ToughSystem, so release does not appear to be "imminent".

So what happened to the ToughSystem? Why the delays, and why is Amazon selling them when the other stores are not? It was only last week when DeWalt added the ToughSystem to their own site and added a ToughSystem video to YouTube, so it does indeed appear that DeWalt is behind schedule.

Update: 10/11/2011

Below is a quote from DeWalt explaining why the ToughSystem is hard for some of us to find. Apart from user demand, the price of the cases seems to be preventing some stores from carrying them, or limiting the overall selection. I think the best thing about the ToughSystem, is the entire system. By selling only 1 of the boxes, you are really limiting the appeal of the product.

The Tough System has been distributed primarily through STAFDA in the early stages of the launch. It is unlikely that you will see the home centers carry these skus due to the price point and specific end-user.

We have definitely been selling them; however, it will take some time for all distributors to have them in inventory to meet the initial demand (including Amazon).

DeWalt ToughSystem
ToughSystem - Amazon (backordered)

In an effort to better organize my home workspace I decided that I needed to get some of my non-work tools out of boxes/bags and into places where I could more easily access the ones I use most. My solution was simple, and probably the same solution that many of you use, pegboard. A full sheet of pegboard is cheap, and with the right hooks and attachments, you can organize a good portion of your tools. Next all I needed was pegboard hooks. Lucky for me, my Father had a box full of them that he let me dig through. Most of the hooks he had came from old retail store displays, so my selection was pretty much limited to straight hooks. Not a problem though; I always turn to Harbor Freight for things like this, and sure enough, online they show a full selection of peg board hooks.

John from the Bridge City Tool Works Blog has an interesting article detailing some pretty unbelievable things he discovered when he payed a visit to an OEM Chinese factory some 10 years ago. You might be shocked at what he found out, but after the recent Chinese drywall issue and all of the lead painted toys, can we really be shocked at what comes out of China?

...I walked into the factory section that made twist drill bits. Here they were making, for the AMERICAN MARKET, those 59, 89, 119 pc drill sets found at the box stores and other discount joints for $19.95. Again, there were rows of women who were dipping the bits in what looked like Easter egg dye.

I asked the interpreter what they were doing. He replied, "They are making all the bits the same color as these four." The four bits he pointed out were the 1/8", 1/4", 3/8" and the 1/2".

I asked why.

I learned that those four bits were properly hardened. The remaining 115 bits were made with what I call pot metal. The reason?

"Because those are the only four hole sizes that Americans use."

$20 for 4 proper drill bits, while the rest were basically there to complete a set. Are you one of the unlucky owners of one of these sets? Do you find that some bits work better then others? It is one thing for these kind of shenanigans to take place with simple tools like drill bits, but if you head on over to Johns blog you can read about some more Chinese corner cutting with actual electric tools.

Source: Johns Blog - Bridge City Tool Works

How many times have you been in search of a replacement bit tip and had to search through the bottom of your toolbag, sifting through the saw dust in order to find one? Unless you get yourself organized, you could waist a good 5 – 10 minutes out of your day.

It is hard to believe but the year 2009 has come to an end. I am sure many of us have had a hard time this past year, none the less 2009 has been full of some great tool news and some unexpected news.

In 2009 Bosch entered the pneumatic fastening tool market with a rather large splash. They didn't just enter with a couple tools to test the waters, they entered with a full line of nailers of every size and a line of compressors to go with them. Maybe a bit of a risk, but I am sure Bosch was counting on their new Full Force Technology to help them take away a bit of the market share. Full Force Technology, which you can see in my video overview has significantly reduced the size their nailguns and at the same time increased the tools overall power.

Some other huge news in the tool industry was the Stanley merger with Black & Decker. This combines two big names in the industry into one power house. Stanley, known for their hand tools will bring: Stanley, FatMax, Bostitch, Facom, Proto, Mac Tools, Sonitrol, Stanley Security Solutions, Best, and Vidmar. Black & Decker brings the power with: Black & Decker, DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Emhart Teknologies, Kwikset, Baldwin and Price Pfister.

Now what did you think was hot in 2009. Here are the top 10 viewed articles of 09 in order.

1. How to use Fein attachments in the Dremel Multi-Max
2. Run Your Own Backyard Sawmill
3. Rockwell SoniCrafter Oscillating Tool Review
4. Turn your Circular Saw into a Track Saw
5. 2 new 12" miter saws from Milwaukee
6. Fein MultiMaster Patent Expire Is Fine With Us
7. Makita's New Ultra-Compact 3-Piece 10.8V Combo
8. Cadex CPB23.50 23 gauge pin nailer
9. Makita Has A New 10” Slider With Twice The Rails
10. Makita's New 2705 10" Contractor Table Saw

Here are the top 5 viewed user reviews of 09 in order

1. Dremel 1.5 Amp Multi-Max Oscillating Kit - 6300-01
2. Werner NXT1A06 6 ft. step ladder
3. Milwaukee 12 Inch Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw - 6955-20
4. Bosch 18 Volt Litheon Compact Tough Drill Driver - 36618-02
5. Bosch Digital Laser Range finder Kit - DLR165

It looks like interest in oscillation tools was high on everyone's list in 09. Will it slow down in 2010 or will people's interest shift to the next hot tool? Like... maybe the Senco Fusion cordless nailers.

This topic comes from an email I was sent last night pointing out that Makita cordless combo cases in Germany are hard plastic unlike the soft luggage style cases we get here in the US. They are basically larger versions of the standard molded plastic case, with a specific place for every tool. There is no question that these larger molded cases offer greater protection for your tools, but are also pretty bulky and seem like they would be hard to carry around the jobsite.

I myself, am a fan of the luggage style case, though it is a bit ridiculous to take such a large bag to the jobsite. So why am I a fan? Because they work great as luggage for your clothes when you need to travel.

So what type of storage would you prefer for your large cordless combo kits with 4 tools or more? Hard molded case, soft sided luggage, or do you use some other 3rd party storage solution?

I hope you all had a great 4th of July. Here are some fireworks photos from last night for your enjoyment. These photos were taken from my Grandparents front yard, where we have a great view of the fireworks show from the local middle school.

When I say cheap and mean the best kind of cheap, FREE. If you are reading this, it is probably pretty safe for me to assume that you own a computer. If you have the same luck that I have with hard drives, it is also very likely you have a couple dead or retired ones around the house.

Inside these hard drives are a couple very powerful neodymium magnets aka rare earth magnets. With these magnets you will be able to detect metal studs from behind drywall and other materials. You can also use these magnets to detect wood studs by locating the screws used to attach the drywall to the studs. Where ever you find a screw, you find a stud. Depending on the strength of the magnet, you could find buried electrical boxes from behind cabinets. You could even find the studs behind solid plaster walls, by locating the nails used to attach the lath.

So get those old hard drives out, and crack them open. The hardest part will be removing the glued on magnets from the hard drive, other then that, it is just a matter of removing a few screws.

If you are lucky enough not to have a hard drive crash on you, don't worry, you can easily find these magnets in stores and online. With magnets, size matters. The bigger the magnet, the stronger it is. Neodymium magnets also use a grading system to measure how strong they are, the higher the N-number the stronger the magnet. Currently an N52 is the strongest magnet you can get. You can get these magnets CHEAP. On eBay for example, you can get a 1" cube N50 magnet for under $12 and has a holding strength of over 100 lbs.

Neodymium Magnets - Amazon