Welcome to another fine and dandy edition of Tool News Nirvana. This fantastic TNN is slapped full of good tools, good deals and a good amount of cash, including a chance to win a $500 gift card from our sponsor Rockler! Throw in some nifty angle grinders from DeWalt, a cool new bench clamp and 16V powered drill/drivers from Rockwell and you’ve got a collection of tools that might make Norm Abram at least raise an eyebrow with a hint of jealousy. So settle in and get your latest and greatest tool news fixation!
Rockwell 16V LithiumTech Drill & Impact Driver
Here’s something you don’t see too often — a battery powered tool that bucks the trends and common practices of other tool companies. Whoever heard of a 16V battery pack and why the heck would you need one? Because they’re rumored to be much lighter than conventional 18V batteries and more powerful than a 12V battery powered tool – that’s why.
So when Rockwell came out with the 16V LithiumTech Drill & Impact Driver, we wanted to hear more about what these new tools can do. According to Rockwell:
Performance counts, and when the new Rockwell 16V Impact Driver went up against industry leading 12V tools, it outperformed them all. Take 7/8 in. self-tapping sheet metal screw and drive them into 1 in. MDF and see how many screws the tool drives on a single charge. Winner – Rockwell. Take the same size screws, and in a 3 minute efficiency face-off, the Rockwell impact driver drove 25 percent more screws. At 950 in. lbs. of torque, it squares against Dewalt’s 12V impact and exceeds all other 12V impacts in torque, including Bosch, Milwaukee and Makita.
Of course, given the extra juice, we’d sure hope the tool beats 12v varieties. We’re also not totally clear on the testing methodology (self tapping sheet metal screws into MDF?) One key question was this: What happens when the batteries die? FYI, each driver comes with two battery packs. Where are we going to find a new 16V battery? Are we going to have to rig up some kind of weird Frankenstein power source? Question answered: It’s covered under Rockwell’s Free Batteries for Life program. Registered users simply need to send in their damaged/dead 16V battery pack and get a brand new working battery free of charge. We’re guessing some restrictions apply (although we didn’t find them on their site), so make sure you read the fine print. Learn more about these unique 16v battery powered tools at RockwellTools.com soon!
MilwaukeeTool.com
Do you like Milwaukee Tools; but hate going to the big box home improvement stores and dealing with a teenager who has no clue what tool you’re looking for? Then look no further than your home computer, laptop or smartphone. Milwaukee has recently redesigned the MilwaukeeTool.com website to make it super-easy to browse through all of their tool goodies. The newly redesigned site features a visual navigation browser that lets you pick and choose tools by their photo or name. They also have a new “trades” and “systems” organization, which makes finding what you need even easier. Best of all, you can compare up to four items at once so you’ll be sure you get the perfect Milwaukee tool for your next project.
Rockler Mini-Silicone Glue Brushes
starting at $5 on Amazon.
Rockwell BenchJaws Hands-Free Bench Vice
Most bench vices have that silly screw-in handle that takes more than one person to hold the material and tighten the vise at the same time. Unless you’ve got more than two arms, you might want to take a look at the hands-free BenchJaws bench vise from Rockwell Tools. By employing a foot peddle to tighten the vise, not unlike the mechanism on the Rockwell Jawhorse, you can easily clamp down your next project without having to get your wife, kids or pets to hold the project while you secure it. See for yourself why this new tool is a must have for any solitary woodworker. You can find the new Rockwell RK9006 BenchJaw Hands-Free Bench Vise
DeWalt High Performance Angle Grinders
Whether it’s for concrete repair or steel grinding, angle grinders can handle most of these tasks effectively. But if you’re using your angle grinder all of the time on a professional level, you need something a little more manly than the average angle grinder. DeWalt’s high performance angle grinders are ready to take on any job, large or small (there’s even a model just for pipeline contractors). This new range of superstar angle grinders are nearly a full horsepower stronger than previous models and almost a full pound lighter. They’re also part of the Perform & Protect Tool Line that aims for total control and limits vibration, making them the perfect lightweight, powerful and safe grinding tool for any hardworking hero.
The Nordy’s
Whatever inspires your latest woodworking project might not be enough to keep you from sleeping on the couch, but it can be enough to score you a $500 gift card (or snag some seriously cool tools from Rockler). The Nordy’s (named after the founder of Rockler Tools, Nordy Rockler) are a video contest designed to showcase what makes your woodworking boat float. Make a two minute or less video about why you love working with wood and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $500 or $250 gift card, a Rockler finishing essentials prize package or a Dust Right dust separator. Take a look at the video below or click the Nordy’s link on Rockler’s site to find out more about this video contest and its fabulous prizes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OXJzkb-gPGk
Just got a Rockwell BenchJaw it came yesterday. I haven’t had time to get it out yet and play but I’m excited!
Cool! Please swing back here and let us know how you like it if you get the chance. Thanks Todd!
I have a small shop and jaw horse takes up too much room. I have had the BenchJaw for about 6 months and love it. Simple to clamp and will hold even odd shaped items.
Steve
Hey Steve. . . agreed that the Jaw Horse does take up a bit of space in the shop. Thanks for sharing your experience with the BenchJaws!