Tool organization is not one of my strong suits, so when Veto Pro Pac said they wanted to send me one of their tools bags to review, I happily accepted. What they sent out was their LC bag, the smallest of their closed top bags. You might be unfamiliar with Veto Pro Pac because they are not something you will find in your local bigbox store, but they have become popular amongst contractors because of their design functionality, and high quality build.

I think the problem with most tool bags is they try to do too much. The Veto Pro Pac doesn't; it has one job to do, house and organize your hand tools. Not power tools (unless really small), just hand tools. Because the bags are specific to hand tools, they do a really god job at storage and organization. Most bags try to tackle both hand and power tools, and fail at both. They will have a large area for power tools that offers little protection, then as a selling point they stitch in pockets around the perimiter that don't work very well. Another common option is the bucket bags; I consider these a step up from the duffel type bags, but they too have their problems. They can be awkward to carry because of the tools around the outside, and I never liked having my tools on display for all to see. I currently have four old tools bags that I don't use because of poor design.

The simplest tools are often the hardest to review. How much different can any two tape measures be? They are all basically as simple as a thin piece of metal with lines and numbers. So simple, yet, I have the hardest time finding one that I like. I have used tape measures from all of the major brands and have a good understanding of what I like and need, but none of them on the market fit the bill. Design is what makes or brakes a tape measure. It spends a lot of time in our hands being used, so any small design flaws are quickly noticed.

The Johnson 1805-0025 has all of the features I look for in a tape measure. The first is comfort: it is smaller then many of the tapes on the market today and thus fits well in my hands. Another thing that keeps it comfortable it its weight. It is much lighter compared to the "Fat" and similar wide type tape measures, but this also means it has a shorter tape stand-out. I was getting about 8 feet of stand-out out of the 1805-0025. This could be an issue for some people, but I usually turn to a laser if I need to measure anything in the air. The locking switch on the Johnson is also nice to use; it is nothing fancy, but it is easy to engage and holds strong. One part of the tape that could be a weakness, or a strength depending on your needs, is the larger end hook. It makes hooking easy, but for me it seemed to get caught in gaps.

Brand
Johnson Level

Model #
1805-0025

Buy
Amazon

The look of the tape is also important, and again the Johnson 1805-0025 meets my needs. It is simple to read, not being cluttered with over-information. The tape is also nicely printed on the underside and comes in handy when measuring over-head. In fact the underside is so nicely done that I prefer it to the top face of the measure. I like the fact that the numbers are turned to the side; this makes the tape easier to read from both sides.

I currently have four different 25-foot tape measures that have all fallen short, the Johnson 1805-0025 is by far my favorite.

Remember a few days ago I went on a rant against carpenters pencils? I also talked about my new favorite carpenter pencil replacement, the Staedtler graphite 771. Well, I put together a little video to show you its cool features. The 771 is now my go-to pencil throughout the day, though I do keep a .7mm on hand when greater accuracy is needed. I don't think this pencil was designed for carpenters, but it has a lot of great features on it that suit our needs.

Lasers have been one of the most useful and most popular tools in the last 10 years or so. Technology in a whole has been advancing more rapidly then ever before. This allows us to buy more advanced tools from the past at a much lower price today. Case in point is the Johnson Model: 40-0918 manual-leveling rotary laser level that Johnson sent over for review. Just a few years ago it would have been impossible for a DIYer to go out and buy a rotary laser level, but today the 40-0918 can be purchased for between $60 and $70.

There is no denying that the 40-0918 is a laser that is intended for a DIYer, the build quality makes this quite clear. But that being said, the 40-0918 offers a good bang for the buck. The 40-0918 Laser Level comes in a kit that includes everything you need to get started right out of the box. Included with the laser are 4 AA batteries, red glasses (makes the dot more visible), a compact tripod that extends to about 4', and a tool case.

Right out of the case I noticed that the laser looked a little like a toy, and after picking it up and handling it, it felt like a toy. As stated, this tool is meant for home use, and is priced as such, and I always take price and intended market into consideration for product reviews. Just for comparison, Johnson's contractor grade manual-leveling rotary laser level costs about $100 more. DIYers will be less worried about the build quality of the laser and more concerned with accuracy and function. I have used a DeWalt contractor grade manual-leveling rotary laser for years now, and I can say that the leveling mechanism on the Johnson is far superior. What would take me a few minutes on the DeWalt to level, would only take me seconds on the Johnson. Accuracy on the Johnson 40-0918 was also spot on. This is a manual level, meaning you have to level it out using a couple of vials, but once dialed in, the laser matched a line set by hand. An added bonus is that the vials light up when the laser is on, so you can see them in the dark. In case the laser ever does go out of level, there are a few adjustment screws that are hidden behind some plastic screw caps. I should also add the the laser has a plumb dot that projects out of the top, and the laser can be placed on its side to make vertical lines.

The biggest problem I had with the laser was the rotary function; my laser seemed to be under powered. The specifications list the laser as variable speed at 0 – 600 RPM, but I could not get the laser to spin at anything under full speed. Swapping out the included batteries with name-brand batteries did help a bit, but there was no way I was going to get 5 RPM out of it. This was not a huge problem for me, but if you plan a working longer distances away, or in brightly lite areas, this could be an issue. The laser even says "reduce rotation

speed to maximize visibility". I haven't seen this issue mentioned in any of the other reviews online, so it could be possible that I got a bad laser, but I can only go on what I see for myself.

Even though the 40-0918 manual-leveling rotary level from Johnson has a few problems, it is still a good buy for light duty use. The 40-0918 is one of the cheapest priced leveling lasers on the market today, despite it including a handy little tripod. If any of the problems mentioned above have you worried, you might want to step up to a contractor grade laser.

Introduction

Porter-Cable first announced their ultra compact line of 12-volt tools back in August of 2010. They were one of the last of the major brands to make tools in the ultra compact category, but they had a few extra features that set them apart, as well as a lower price. One tool in the new line that caught my eye was their version of the ultra compact reciprocating saw; it had a new simple clamping feature that looked like could really come in handy. Porter-Cable was awesome enough to send their ClampSaw to me for review, and I have been testing it out for the last few weeks.

The Porter-Cable 12-volt ClampSaw comes with everything you need right out of the box, which means you can be using the saw in no time at all. The PCL120CRC-2 kit includes the saw, (2) 12-volt lithium-ion batteries, a 30-minute charger, (1) 4" metal blade, (1) 4" wood blade, an hex wrench, and a soft-sided tool bag.

When I first set eyes on this new saw, it was the clamping feature that drew me in. Anyone who has used a reciprocating saw has run into problems with the blade getting caught in the material, which causes the saw to jerk around. It is when we lose control when accidents happen. The clamping feature of the saw aims to solve these gripping and slipping problems. The clamping shoe is always on the saw and is tucked out of the way when you don't need it. When you are ready to get your clamp on, you can slide out the clamp and lock it into position with the included hex wrench. The top of the clamp even has measurements so you know how far to open it, depending on your material size. It opens up to a total of 2 inches, so you can fit all the common plumbing pipe sizes, and even a 2x4.

Up for review today is the Ratcheting ReadyWrench that was provided without cost by Black & Decker. The Ratcheting ReadyWrench is a dog-bone style wrench that features selectable sockets on both ends of the tool. Each end consists of four universal sockets that are capable of fitting both Metric and SAE nuts and bolts. This feature gives the wrench a total of 16 sockets in one tool.

The main selling point of the Ratcheting ReadyWrench is the 16-in-1 design coupled with a new ratcheting system. Offering a total of 16 wrenches in one small package sounds very enticing, but all-in-one tools always have to compromise on something. In the case of the ReadyWrench, the compromise is the lack of a perfect fit on some bolt size. Because both Metric and SAE bolts share sockets on the Ratcheting ReadyWrench, some bolts will fit more snugly then others. I knew this would be one of the flaws with the ReadyWrench even before I set my hands one it, but was I was pleased to find that the supposed issue was hardly noticeable. This is by no means a tool to build airplanes with, but it should be fine to handle your DIY needs.

A while back Channellock sent over a pair of their 369 lineman pliers and I had the pleasure of putting this tool to the test. Now I am not an electrician, which the tool was originally designed for, but who couldn't use a good set of pliers to help out with life's daily problems.

The pivoting action on the pliers was really smooth and a tell tail sign that these are quality made. Channellock recently updated these pliers by reducing the size of the pivot. This change allowed them to move the point closer to the head. As we all learned in science class, by moving the pivot, they have reduced the amount of force needed to move the opposite end. Basically they gave us a plier that cuts with less effort.

Cutting 12/3 wire with the pliers was a piece of cake. If fact is was so easy I quickly ditched cutting wire for testing and decided to move on to tougher items. Lineman's pliers are often used for cutting screws, so I thought I would give that a try. This too was very easy. I was able to cut through typical machine screws, drywall screws, and even much harder deck screws.

I was worried that the smaller pivot would mean that the tool was less durable, but after using it to cut screws and then using it as a hammer to drive nails, my worries were put to rest. At around $20 you are getting a good product that is made in the USA, at a good price.

A level is just a long flat piece of material that houses a few vials and lets you know when things are plumb and/or level. It is one of the simplest tools we use on a regular basis. Being a tool that is so simple, it is hard to see how much it can be improved. But what is the most important part of the level? In my opinion it is the vial. A good easy to read vial can make all the difference. Even the most accurate level is useless if the vial is hard to see. It is in this area that the new Glo-View Johnson Level shines. Johnson sent us a 48" version to try out, and here is what we think.

What exactly is a switchable impact? Well, as the name suggests, it is an impact driver with a switch. This switch then allows users to completely turn off the impacts from the tool. It basically turns your impact driver into a standard drill/driver. One of the questions often asked of this tool is why one would need a switchable impact. The answer is simple; you now have a single tool that can take the place of two tools. When you are up on a ladder, do you want to have two tools to worry about, or just one? Switchable impacts can do many of the things a normal drill can do, with one small downside; they can only use 1/4 hex bits. There are adapter chucks that allow you to use regular bits in 1/4” hex chucks, but sadly none was included in the Bosch kit.

The Bosch 26618-01 is a powerhouse; it is not much bigger then a regular Bosch 18V Impactor, but it gives you much more versatility. I used the tool side by side with my Friends regular Bosch 18V Impactor and I did not notice any difference in how they performed. Even though it is a tool that is meant to replace two tools, you don't really feel like you are missing out on anything – other then a drill chuck. That being said, the tool is a little lackluster in the torque area while in drilling mode. It preformed fine with all standard drill bits used, but it had some trouble with a 1” Bosch Daredevil bit. Once switched back to Impact mode, the 26618-01 had no problems with the DareDevil bits.

Introduction

This is one tool that has had a lot of attention ever since it was announced. It seems people have been waiting for an alternative to the Fein MultiMaster for some time. Let me just say that there is a $300 price difference between the Fein MultiMaster and the Dremel Multi-Max, with the Dremel being the cheaper of the two. This is probably the reason people have such a huge interest. Being someone that has never used the MultiMaster, unfortunately I cannot give you a comparative review.

You might want to watch the above video first, and then continue reading the review below.