Right now, we’re about 12 weeks out from the general election here in the US. While we maintain this website as a mostly non-political place where we can all come together over a shared love of home improvement and tools, we think it’s important to get out and vote. Right about now, the candidates are fine-tuning their platforms – especially the ones that help you work on the ceiling in your living room. Oh, wait. That’s the Adjustable Pro Work Platform from Werner, which will be featured in this installment of Tool News Nirvana. Also, we’ll hear about a new bandsaw from Bosch, a drilling hammer and a prybar from Milwaukee, and some new rechargeable headlamps from Klein. Let’s get to it…
Bosch’s New Compact Bandsaw
Earlier this month, Bosch released the GCB18V-2N 18V cordless bandsaw. Weighing only 7.3 pounds, but still powerful enough to cut at 530 surface feet per minute, this tool is bound to be a major contributor to efficiency on the jobsite. Also contributing to worker productivity and comfort are the center-placed auxiliary handle and the soft-grip main handle, which keep the tool well balanced and easy to use. Honestly, we’re kind of disappointed that this band saw doesn’t have a cool name like some of the other recently released Bosch tools, such as the Hell-Ion charger, the Freak impact driver, or the Bulldog rotary hammer. What about the Bosch ChateaubriBand-Saw? Ideal for plumbers, electricians, and butchers. Bosch…you’re welcome. I’ll be expecting royalty checks any time now…..
Milwaukee Drilling Hammer
The 48-22-9310 Fiberglass Drilling Hammer from Milwaukee has two faces, kind of like that person you dated for a while in high school before you wised up and moved away for college. Kidding aside, one face is milled for grip on chisels, punches, stakes, and spikes, The other face is smooth for general use. A really great feature of this hammer is the additional material below the head, at the top of the handle. This is a historic weak point of hammers, liable to break upon misstrike. Not that we’ve ever done that or anything. This hammer is available now.
Pry Bars from Milwaukee
Milwaukee’s been on something of a roll with their demo tools recently. Last T.N.N., we heard about their new nail pullers, and we just now learned about the new drilling hammer. Now, with the release of both a 12” and 15” pry bar, the demo trifecta is complete. One of the worst parts about using a prybar is the sting and/or shock felt in the hand with every hammer strike. Milwaukee is looking to solve this issue with its SHOCKSHIELD™ grip, which adds a nice layer of wear-resistant rubber for the ultimate in vibration reduction. Any innovation that helps us work longer without fatigue is great in our book. Look for these prybars now.
Klein Illuminates With New Lighting Options
Klein recently rolled out a new range of cordless work light options, including a headlamp, a light array, a hardhat headlight, and more. The #56049 rechargeable light array headlamp seems interesting because of its large rectangular field of light, vs. the smaller round one of other products on the market. We can see this being especially useful on our many expeditions to our home’s main breaker panel in the dark, so we can switch it back on after *ahem* someone *ahem* keeps trying to use a hairdryer and a straightening iron at the same time. We won’t name names. Additionally, the light can be clipped securely to a hardhat, or affixed to a metal surface via the included magnetic strip. Look for it at retailers now.
Werner’s Platform That We All Can Stand On
Established industry player, Werner, has a well-thought-out adjustable work platform on the market now. The AP-2030 features height adjustability of 10 inches on each side, so the platform can be adjusted to rest securely on uneven work surfaces such as stairs. When the job is complete, it can be folded up to fit inside smaller vehicles and is built of lightweight aluminum to boot. Most importantly, though, is that this work platform can support up to 300 pounds, which is just barely enough capacity to support this sub-170 pound Tool News Nirvana writer and his gigantic ego. Look for the AP-2030 now.
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!
