Latest Cordless Tool News

Thought NiCad was dead? Guess again. We knew DeWalt planned to support their 18-volt line for years down the road, but I just assumed that meant their 18-volt lithium-ion line. It turns out that is not the case at all, because DeWalt has just announced the new DW059HK-2 1/2-inch Impact Wrench that uses good old 18-volt NiCad technology. This should be good news for people with a stock of 18-volt DW batteries, and don't feel it is time to upgrade. "The DW059HK-2 complements the other tools in our 18 volt system and...

We have seen a few professionally made drill powered mini bikes in the past, but it is so much cooler when you can build one yourself; like Jay from Coptool did. Jay had the idea of building a drill powered vehicle and he let his inner child take over to dream it up. Jay started out with a KickBike scooter that he purchased from Amazon for around $260, this was going to be the body of his build. He chose this particular model scooter because it uses a large front wheel that adds stability. Jay also...

Jay over at Cop Tool put together a pretty simple and probably pretty accurate test, pitting the Bosch 2.6Ah batteries (BAT618) against the new Bosch 3.0Ah batteries (BAT619G). Now why did Bosch and the other manufacturers take years to start using 3.0Ah batteries, when Makita has been using them since they first introduced the world to Lithium-ion tools all those years ago? Well, I don't have an answer to this. Whatever the reason, Bosch now has batteries with a rating of 3.0Ah, and have also packed in a few other features. The new High Capacity or...

I like tools that make my life easier, and as a finish carpenter you wouldn't think a portable band saw would be one of these tools, but on rare occasion they really are. You might be surprised by the amount of metal I have to work with on any give job. For instance I might have to cut down a 1/4" think angle-iron L-bracket that it too long, or cut down a support post, or more commonly, cut metal closet rod to length. When reviewing the Stout-X band saw back in 2009, I discovered how valuable...

Back in October 2010 Bosch announced their partnership with Perceptron, a global leader in optical scopes. This lead us to assume that Bosch at some point in the future would come out with a 12V inspection scope that would compete with the cordless models from some of the other major brands. It looks like our prediction was correct, as Bosch has announced their new PS90 12V Max Inspection Camera. The PS90 inspection cam allows people of all trades to get a view of small tight places. The camera comes with a waterproof flexible imager...

One of the biggest drawbacks of 18-volt cordless drills is their large size, and this is probably the main reason why the smaller ultra compact lines have been growing so fast over these last few years. Well it appears that Bosch has taken these 'small' ideas to their 18-volt line and are offering new smaller drills across the entire 18V line. Even the drills you would expect to be big, like hammer drills, have also been slimmed down; but this also means the compact drills are even smaller. Bosch claims the new Brute Tough...

I predicted DeWalt would be announcing their 20 Volt line of tools in June, and here we are, I was right, and I am still not a fan of calling 18V tools 20V Max, but this is a battle I cannot win. I always say that if you are going to buy a cordless tool, you are really buying into the whole manufacturers cordless system. Once you own one tool from a manufacturer you are more likely to stick with the same battery and charger, so you buy other tools. So when a manufacturers...

One of the most requested tools I see talked about online is the cordless miter saw, and when Makita announced their first 36V lithium-ion tool I always expected them to come out with a 36V miter saw. Well I guess that for now I am still left waiting because Makita chose to go with 18V to power their new LXSL01 cordless miter saw. Though I can't say that I am disappointed with their decision, because their 18V line is super popular and already having 18V batteries will be a plus, if not a must. ...

We didn't make it to the National Hardware Show, but the good thing about the tool blogging community is that we all share with each other. Lucky for us, and you, Homefixated and Tools In Action were both on hand to cover the latest tools to be announced and they have some of their greatest finds on their respective websites. For those of you that prefer the visuals, TIA has you covered with a bunch of videos. Those of you who prefer the written word with a bit of wit, Homfixated is your place. Just love tools? Visit both...

Makita has added yet another tool to their ultra compact line. Makita's new entry to their line is the Model WT01 3/8-inch Impact Wrench. These are a little less common then your standard impact driver, but they have the same general function. The advantage of the impact wrench is its ability to handle sockets without the need for adapters. The WT01 offers 1,000 in.lbs. of torque in a tool that is only 6-3/8" long and weights only 2.1 lbs. The impact wrench uses a Makita-built motor that provides veritable speeds of 0-2,300 RPM's and 0-3,000 IPM's....