The verdict is in: it’s officially hot outside now. Our lawn here at this HomeFixated outpost has quickly turned brown and gone dormant, and we’ve largely written off any exterior projects. Just how hot is it, really? Well, luckily, with its new rechargeable thermal imager, Klein Tools can help you find a definitive answer. Maybe you’d be able to determine, for sure, if your driveway is indeed hot enough to fry an egg on? Also in this installment of Tool News Nirvana – an announcement from Ohio Power Tool, new cordless tools from Klein, levels from Milwaukee, and outdoor power equipment from Martha Stewart (yes, you read that last one correctly). Let’s get started!
2020 Festool Now at Ohio Power Tool
German manufacturer of professional tools, Festool, has announced some exciting new product choices. In addition to an upgraded drill/driver and impact driver, Festool is now offering cordless tool kits for the first time ever. Available combinations include impact driver + track saw, impact driver + jigsaw, impact driver + drill/driver + jigsaw + track saw, and a few more. All kits are inclusive of the quality 18V batteries and chargers that Festool is well-known for. All we know is – if Festool products are preferred by “America’s Handyman,” Tom Silva of TV’s Ask This Old House, they’re probably good enough for the rest of us too. Ohio Power Tools has the new products available this month.
Klein Puts the Power In Your Hands
Klein has expanded its cordless offering with two new products – a ½” square-drive compact impact wrench and a ¼” hex-drive compact impact driver. They can each deliver up to 210 ft-lbs of max torque for professional-level fastening performance. Also, they feature brushless motors for extended longevity and higher performance. What’s most interesting about these tools, though, is that they’re part of the DeWalt battery platform. This is good news for the guys who feel that their garages are maybe just a bit too yellow, and want to differentiate the color palette with a few new tools. These tools are available now.
Milwaukee Levels Up
Milwaukee just launched 3 new levels – a 24”, a 48”, and a 72”. They feature all-metal frames to maintain accuracy over time. A neat feature of this line is an integrated vial, which allows users to easily set very small pitches for runoff applications. A strong magnetic edge allows the user to stick these levels onto any ferrous metal surface – a gutter, a piece of structural steel, the shiny helmet of that burly looking Harley rider right next to you at the stoplight. Actually, wait, disregard that last one. They’re available from major retailers now.
See Heat With Klein
The #T1250 Rechargeable Thermal Imager from Klein allows professionals to quickly and easily diagnose and fix problems by visualizing the heat they generate. It has a 10,000-pixel resolution for analysis accuracy and adjustable emissivity from 0.10 to 0.00. Users can set temperature alarms from -4 to 752°F to aid in finding trouble spots. We could easily see how this imager could be useful in helping to identify a faulty (thus, hot) cable. It could also be useful next Halloween, to point at your kid’s belly and look at the heat generated by the wad of candy they’ve undoubtedly just eaten. Look for the T1250 now.
Flannel, Suspenders, Martha Stewart?
This is just so confusing! Are we supposed to use the new Martha Stewart Living 14” Electric Chainsaw to slice up a tree in the backyard? Or to slice up a lovely roasted turkey while the guests wait patiently at the table with their personalized place settings? While we aren’t really sure, we do know that the maven of domesticity herself has released a fairly complete line of electric outdoor power equipment. Think leaf shredders, trimmers, leaf blowers, etc. Everything’s reasonably priced, making it that much easier to get out there and tame your yard. Look for these tools now.
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