Tool News Nirvana – STAFDA, DELTA’s American Dream Shop Giveaway, Festool CT Dust Extractors Get Even Safer, and Milwaukee Keeps Making Stuff!

In today’s Tool News Nirvana, we mention three contests that will fetch you new tools (and one with a prize that includes a trip to somewhere you very likely have never been!), an improved EPA-friendly HEPA designation for Festool vacs, and three new products from Milwaukee. We also help you decipher the acronym STAFDA. Let’s get to it!  

STAFDA!
What’s STAFDA you ask? No, it’s not a nasty infection you get at a hospital. It’s about tools! STAFDA stands for Specialty Tools and Fastener Distributors Association. While that’s a mouthful, suffice it to say it’s a huge tool show, held this year in San Antonio, TX. It’s also HF’s favorite show of the year to cover since we’re obligated to provide detailed STAFDA Party coverage. HomeFixated’s CPO (Chief Party Officer), Marc Lyman, will be at STAFDA today and tomorrow getting the inside scoop on the latest tools, and of course, the party scene. He’ll be covering some of the show live via Twitter @HomeFixated. If you’re not already following HomeFixated on Twitter, bow your head in a brief moment of shame and then join over 3000 other followers for the latest news and infotainment on tools and home improvement. Also, stay tuned later in the week for scintillating, detailed and maybe even downright graphic coverage of the show!

A Dreamy Giveaway from DELTA

The American Dream may feel like a bit of a myth right now, but the American Dream Shop Giveaway is just a click of your mouse away! DELTA® Power Equipment Corporation and Scott Phillips of The American Workshop are hosting a great contest where you could win a workshop filled with $10,000 of tools, accessories, and woodworking machinery, plus a trip to visit Scott on the set of The American Workshop in Piqua, Ohio! A trip to Piqua, Ohio, guys! (Whatever – I’d be stoked). You have until November 30^th to go to http://www.woodcraft.com/dreamshop to enter for your chance to win. Good luck!

Festool CT Dust Extractors Get the EPA Nod

I know some people are down on the EPA because they think it’s a rather lefty government organization, but look! Here’s some information from them that encourages you to buy stuff! From private companies! That’s pretty capitalist, right? And the bonus part? It might prevent you from getting sick! Yay!

If you’re a renovator or a professional contractor, head’s up: The EPA has made some upgrades to its RRP recommendations (that Renovations, Repair and Painting) regarding HEPA filters, and Festool has risen to the challenge. All current Festool CT Dust Extractor models, shipped to dealers as of October 2011, have been independently tested and certified to be FULL UNIT HEPA Dust Extractors (this is a leap ahead of the typical HEPA filter you might find on the market). When you purchase a new Festool CT Dust Extractor, regardless of model, you will find a printed certificate in the box as well as labeling on the dust extractor documenting its Full Unit HEPA certification. It’s nice being in compliance, isn’t it?

Now the only thing you need to question about Festool’s CT Dust Extractors is whether they look more like Star Wars droids or Daleks.

Also! Should you be loitering around Festool’s website, you might as well also enter in their sweepstakes! The current prize is a sweet WCR Workcenters that we’re sure could turn your garage or work shop from meh to mwah!

Milwaukee Gets Jiggy with Three New Product Releases

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (or Milwaukee if you’re nasty) has just launched some great new tools that you’ll surely want to put on your list to check out the next time you’re at the hardware store:

• First up is the super lightweight, easy to handle M12 Cordless High Performance Jig Saw. We were excited to tell you about it in July, and now we’re even more excited that you can actually test-drive it for yourselves. At only 4.1 lbs and 8.75” long, the M12 Jig Saw is also the most compact, lightest weight professional cordless jig saw on the market today. Keep your eyes open for the HomeFixated hands-on review soon too!
• Hot off the assembly line is the M-Spector 360, is the industry’s first inspection camera with a rotating screen. Navigate pipes and vents with greater ease while seeing exactly what’s causing a blockage (which could be both a blessing and a curse if there’s something gross in there).
• Finally, if fastening nuts and bolts is in your future, you may want to check out the new M12™ Cordless ¼” and 3/8” Ratchets. They have the power of pneumatic tools without fashion flaw of that tacky long hose!

Win a Dremel Multi-Max MM20 from HomeFixated

Now that we’ve promoted a bunch of other companies, it’s time to promote ourselves! During the month of November, if you comment on an article on HomeFixated (any article, any non-jerk comment!), you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win the Dremel Multi-Max MM20. You can earn a bonus entry by subscribing to our HomeFixated weekly newsletter, too! The Dremel Multi-Max MM20 has 2.3 amps of “oscillating goodness to power through just about any multi-tool task you can dish out.” That’s certainly enough oomph to get through even the driest of Thanksgiving turkeys and then some! So subscribe and comment people, and increase your chances of winning!