I’m a bit of a knife snob. I carry a folding knife daily and love having a blade handy for all the various cutting tasks that pop up during the day. There are very few utility knives I’d contemplate carrying in my pocket, especially since a fair number of them would seriously endanger my femoral artery. The original Milwaukee Fastback was the first utility knife I found myself clipping into my pocket while working on projects in the house or garage. There was a lot to like about the original, and now, Milwaukee has stepped it up a notch with the Fastback II. They sent us one of their pre-production models hot off the fabrication bench and we’re here to tell you whether the sequel is better than the original. [Read more...]
A Cut Above – Milwaukee Fastback II Utility Knife Review
Milwaukee M12 Heated Jacket – Version 2.0 Review
Way back in 2011, we posted our exhaustive review of the innovative Milwaukee M12 Heated Jacket, and also broke the news that a camo version was hitting the market. In that review, we braved the brutal wind chill of San Diego, fearlessly weathering the elements knowing an M12 battery had our back (and the rest of our torso). By “weathering the elements” I of course mean “slightly less sunny days.” I also discovered the M12 jacket is not only a great conversation starter, but it’s great for picking up women (and men too). In fact, if you’re single, wearing the jacket with it’s glowing power indicator might just land you a date faster than eHarmony. My wife was not impressed with these features. As awesome as the jacket was, I found version 1.0 lacking some key elements. The new version of the jacket not only addressed my concerns, but it also had a couple surprises up its sleeves. [Read more...]
Tool News Nirvana – Milwaukee M12 HAMMERVAC, JET’s New Lathe, Klein Klaw Pump Pliers, Festool TS55 REQ Saw & more!
What separates us from the rest of the apes? Besides the fact that we aren’t (too) afraid of fire; we use tools — power tools that is. And here at Homefixated.com, we have your fix for the coolest new power tools and accessories that any tool monkey is sure to love! Not that you’re a monkey. This episode of Tool News Nirvana features two new tools from Milwaukee — the M12 HAMMERVAC and the 18V compact impact wrench, JET’s new 1221VS woodworking lathe, the Klein Klaw pump pliers and Festool’s TS55 REQ Plunge Saw as well as a few other surprises that are sure to make any tool lover beat his chest like a silver back gorilla in heat! [Read more...]
Nine Products That Should Be On YOUR Bucket List – A Five Gallon Free-For-All!
In the movie “The Bucket List,” terminally ill Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman hit the road and attempt to do as much as possible from their “bucket list” before they kick the bucket. That’s all well and good, except for the part where you have to die at the end. Here’s a bucketful of products to help you get organized, give you a comfy work perch, and even help with that middle-of-nowhere call of nature. And best of all, you get to LIVE! [Read more...]
Organize Your Gear With the Bosch L-Boxx-1A
Tool and accessory organization has been around for years, with Festool in particular being well known for their Systainer and Sortainer products. In fact, if you looked into a high quality modular storage, organization and transport solution (here in the States), Festool was pretty much the only game in town. But watch your back Festool, Bosch (and Sortimo) are gunning for you with their new line of Click & Go L-Boxx models. Although you can get the L-Boxx in sizes big enough to store your worm drive circ saw, we recently checked out the smallest in the series, the L-Boxx-1A for fastener and accessory storage. Bosch sent us a few L-Boxx-1A’s to test out, and, they’re also providing a killer LBoxx prize package to one lucky winner of our December 2012 HomeFixated Free Stuff Giveaway. Win it, and even Santa will covet your newfound organization. [Read more...]
ZipWall Review – How Zipwall Can Save Your Marriage
It wasn’t long into home ownership that I realized how invasive remodeling activities can be. We’re talking killer bees, alien invasion, zombie apocalypse kind-of invasive. What starts off as a minor, “trivial” repair can quickly morph into a house-wide gut remodel that consumes your life and your life savings. It’s not just the scope of the job that can be invasive, it’s also the mess. Dust, debris, dirt and even hazardous substances like lead will manage to find their way into every far-reaching nook and cranny of your home. If you let them. [Read more...]
Shoe Ins – Crocs for Your Boots
How many times has this happened to you? You’re out working in the garden or yard and your shoes or boots get covered in mud. If you’re anything like me, it happens all the time. I attract mud like an outhouse attracts flies. It just can’t be helped, especially now that I have a mud hole where sheds used to be. While I’m fine with all that mud, shockingly, my wife isn’t. This fact leaves me with two options: take off my shoes or boots outside or don’t come into the house at all. Tis a fair trade off, but if I only need to run in for a second and head back out things get a bit tedious. And that’s where the Shoe Ins comes into play. [Read more...]
GloveLite Review – The Flashlight You Can’t Drop
When a lone black glove with a built-in light show arrived at the HomeFixated executive offices, naturally our first thought was that Michael Jackson had been reincarnated and had stepped up his game. And indeed, the GloveLite WOULD have added a little glide to the MJ stride. Alas, though, this particular glove is destined for a more mundane, (and probably more useful), existence. [Read more...]
CRKT Eat’N Tool Review – Don’t Let them F You at the Drive Through
As with many memorable stories, this one begins with the line, “Back in college,”. Back in college, I used to regularly drive a 500 mile stretch between Southern California and the bay area, where I grew up. The trip had many perils, some of which included Los Angeles, a snowy pass, and the California Highway Patrol. Another peril was the sheer boredom induced by what seemed like an endless stretch of freeway traversing miles and miles of flat farm land where we crazy Californians grow your tomatoes, almonds and other tasties. While I normally made good time across the more isolated stretches of the journey, this trip was different. [Read more...]
Asimo Beware – RoboReel Automated Cord Reel Review
If you’re like me, you live in a constant state of disappointment that more of our world has not been automated. I mean, c’mon! It’s 2012, where the hell are my robots? Oh sure, I carry around more computing power in my smart phone than all the building-sized super-computers of the 70′s, but I still haven’t seen Asimo fetch my lunch or clean my house. All he does is creepily walk around and occasionally fall down stairs. A few months ago, my bleak outlook on automation was brightened by our discovery of the RoboReel, marketed as “the world’s first durable, portable, automatic extension-cord-manager for professional and home workshops.” RoboReel sent us a ceiling and portable model to test out here at HomeFixated, and they have also generously offered to provide a RoboReel of the winner’s choosing to one lucky HomeFixated reader in our August Free Stuff Givewaway! [Read more...]
