July 4th is looming ever larger on our collective radars, and we’re looking forward to spending the holiday doing something other than tackling more of our endless list of household projects. It’d be nice to sit back and actually enjoy the nice backyard that we exerted so much effort to make into a reality! Here’s hoping that you’re able to kick back and relax a bit as well. In this installment, we’ll hear about a new grill from Nexgrill, a laser level from Klein, drill bits and an impact wrench from Milwaukee, and an oscillating multi-tool (OMT) from Festool. Let’s get to it!
A Swiss Army Grill from Nexgrill
Full disclosure here: this grill isn’t technically brand-new this month, but since it’s innovative and we’re nearing the biggest grilling holiday of the year, we wanted to feature the Revelry from Nexgrill. Why the Swiss Army reference? Well, much like the multi-function pocket tool carried around by serious scouts everywhere, this grill can do just about anything. It features a standard lidded grill area with 4 propane burners, a side burner, and a built-in smoker box that lets you easily add wood chips for extra flavor. Here’s an idea: First, smoke some good steaks for an hour or so over your favorite smoke wood. Then, grill over medium heat until the center almost reaches your preferred “doneness” temperature. Finally, sear and butter-baste them in a cast-iron skillet on the side burner to get that perfect exterior crust. Sounds like a great meal for the 4th! The Revelry is available right now from Home Depot.
Klein’s New Laser Level
The 93LCLG is Klein’s new self-leveling green cross-line laser w/ red plumb spot. Since humans can more easily see colors in the green spectrum, this tool is great for users like me who can sometimes have trouble seeing red light in certain conditions. It features multiple mounting options, including magnets or tripod mounts. It’s also IP54 dust and water-resistant to handle tough job site conditions. Look for it now.
Milwaukee Red Helix™ Drill Bits
I’d wager that most workshops have a drawer somewhere that’s chock full of worn-out or misplaced drill bits. With the new SHOCKWAVE™ Red Helix™ Titanium line, Milwaukee wants to help keep that drawer empty. Because they incorporate titanium and have a feature called the Quad Edge™ cutting tip, these can last up to 5x longer than standard black oxide bits. Also, as part of the Shockwave line, they’re designed for use with impact drivers. They’re widely available now.
Milwaukee Wants to Turn Your World
With the new 2868-22HD D-Handle High Torque Impact Wrench, Milwaukee is betting that you’ll not tighten bolts so much as rotate the earth around them. For being on Milwaukee’s M18 cordless power platform, this tool puts up some very serious torque numbers. 2,000 ft-lbs of break-free torque and 1,900 ft-lbs of fastening torque, to be exact. Those are pneumatic-tool levels of torque, without the need to drag around an air compressor and hose wherever you need to work. The cordless transformation continues to amaze us here at Home Fixated, and Milwaukee continues to be on the cutting edge. This impact wrench is not quite available yet, but some retailers are taking pre-orders.
Vecturo Oscillating Multi-Tool from Festool
Oscillating multi-tools have become surprisingly indispensable over the past decade or so, and it’s easy to see why. They offer a quick way to complete previously difficult jobs, and allow for access to tight work areas. The new Vecturo OSC 18 was designed from the ground up to be as small, light, and versatile as possible. It’s a part of Festool’s popular 18V cordless platform and is the free-wheeling sibling to the corded Festool Vecturo we reviewed some time back. It uses bits/blades/attachments with the common STARLOCK interface. An interesting part of this tool is that it’s compatible with an optional positioning device, for precise & perpendicular plunge-cut ability. It’ll be available during the first week of July.
Stay tuned for our next episode of Tool News Nirvana, where we bring you the latest and greatest tools, industry news, tool giveaways and more! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to catch all the news along with tool reviews, how-to’s, cool home products, sweet gear, and build projects!