| 07 March 2010
A man from Malden, MA was recently awarded $1.5 million after a jury found that injuries to his fingers were the result of negligence by One World Technologies Inc., maker of Ryobi saws. The lawyers for Carlos Osorio blamed the lack of flesh detecting technology, the same technology used in Saw Stop saws, for the injuries he sustained while using a Ryobi saw to install oak wood flooring.
The ruling of the case is simply unbelievable, and puts all saw makers in a hard place. Flesh detecting tech. in power tools is still very new, and this case was filed back in 2006 when it was practically unheard of. Why do people use Ryobi tools to begin with? Simple, because they are cheap. Flesh detecting technology, in conjunction with a braking system is not cheap. The cheapest Saw Stop saw is still around $1500. The fact that the man was using a Ryobi saw shows that he likely would have not opted to pay the added price had it been available at the time. Ryobi needed better lawyers.
Are saw manufacturers now going to have to license the technology from Saw Stop, as I am sure Saw Stop has a pretty good set of patents protecting their company. If they do have to license from Saw Stop, and add all the safety features, we will be looking at a huge price increase. Tables saws, miter saws, circular saws, jig saws, scroll saws, band saws, radial arm saws; where will it stop?
via – Boston.com
| 04 March 2010
No that was not a typo, Rockwell is really going to be offering a 12 volt rotary hammer drill as part of their new 12 volt line. This is the same line that also features their new 12 volt cordless SoniCrafter.
The new H3 #RK2513K2 is the first cordless 12 volt hammer drill I am aware of that makes use of an SDS Plus chuck. Most hammer drills in this class are limited to a standard drill chuck. SDS Chucks and bits are great for drilling, but are pretty much useless for driving. But do not fear, for the H3 has the ability to change between both the SDS Plus chuck and a drill/driver chuck. The Drill is called the H3 because it can be use as a rotary hammer, a drill, or a driver.
Obviously this is not going to be a tool used for heavy duty concrete drilling, but it does have some pretty promising stats. In hammer drill mode, it offers 0-4800 blows-per-minute and has a drilling capacity of 3/8” in concrete. This is plenty of power for most home owners, and for many jobsite applications. At 3lbs. I would much rather use this over my head then a heavier corded tool.
The question we all have is how many holes we can get out of one battery. The spec sheet states up to 15 1/4” holes in 4800 psi concrete. This is not a huge amount holes, but it is what can be expected from such a small tool. The 12 volt lithium-ion battery used can be full charged in about 30 minutes, and can reach a 75% charge after 15 minutes. The H3 Drill is also part of program Rockwell calls Free Batteries For Life, where registered users can get free replacement batteries for the life of the tool. Lets just hope the tools last a long time.
The H3 is coming this spring, both online and in hardware stores for $179.99.
| 01 March 2010
I have been a fan of the Flexeel hoses from Coilhose since the first day I started using them. They were a huge step up in hose technology; improving the hose in just about every way possible. Now comes along the Flexzilla hose line from Legacy to show that it wants to be the next big thing in hose tech.
With a name like Flexzilla the hose better deliver some amazing features. Legacy claims their Flexzilla hose has zero memory allowing it to lay flat even in the most extreme weather conditions. I like the sound of this, a flat hose is a safe easy to manage hose. Flexibility is very important and the hose has been rated to be flexible at temperatures between -40° to 150° F (I would call this extreme). This is all made possible by using a “Premium Hybrid Polymer” material to construct the hose. Couple all that flexibility with a 300 PSI rating, and it looks like we have a winner.
The Flexzilla hose comes in 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, and 1/2 inch diameters ranging in lengths from 25 feet up to 100 feet. The price is similar to the Flexeel hoses at around $30 for 1/4”x50'.
| 24 February 2010
Way back in August of 2008 I reviewed the Final Cut Saw Blade with Sanding Disks. Final Cut, if you do not remember, is a blade that uses specially made sanding disks that are attached to its sides. These disks do the unique task of sanding your material at the same time it is being cut, thus saving you a step in your building process. These disks offer a much smoother cut while cutting in just about any application, and I also noticed a few other advantages while using the disks during my previous testing.
Final Cut has just announced that they are now offering their products in the 7-1/4” size. Now anyone that is using a standard 7-1/4” circular saw can take advantage of what the Final Cut has to offer. The 7-1/4” blades use the same technology as their larger brothers, so if you have had success with one size, you are likely to have the same success with any size.
Final Cut blades are specifically designed to work with the sanding disks, and have a kerf that is slightly smaller then the blade width when the sanding disks are attached. This step up in width is what allows the sanding disks to do their final sanding. So while you can use the sanding disks on other manufactured saw blades, it is always recommended that you use one of the Final Cut blades if you can. The 7-1/4” Final Cut costs $19.95 and replacement sanding disks are also available.
| 23 February 2010
You heard me correctly; this is some truly socking news coming from both companies. The Craftsman name is so linked to Sears, it almost hard to picture it inside of another store. It is almost like pouring Coke into a Pepsi cup, it is just wrong.
Starting in May of this year, 100 select Ace stores will begin selling Craftsman products. My guess would be stores not near current Sears stores. The Ace stores will carry Craftsman hand tools, portable power tools, compressors, vacs, and tool storage; so pretty much everything. Then starting in June, Craftsman will be running a promotion for select tools in which all 4500 Ace stores will have the opportunity to participate.
“This is an exciting, strategic move that expands access to Craftsman for existing and new customers,” said Bruce Johnson, interim chief executive officer and president for Sears Holdings. “Offering an assortment of Craftsman products more broadly through Ace locations will strengthen the Craftsman brand, which already has an incredible reputation for innovation, quality and trust”.
This sounds like a smart move for Craftsman and a smart move for Ace Hardware, but is it a smart move for Sears. As long as they are not competing with themselves, I think they should be OK. But, could this be the sign of a dying Sears, or am I reading to much into everything.
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