Ranging in size from 5″ to 7-1/4″, Ingersoll Rand’s new mini air tool kits are useful for small spaces and small hands.  Each kit includes a mini air tool along with an accessory package centered around a specific work type.  Current kit offerings include:

• the 2101K Mini 1/4″ Impact Kit
• the 3103K Mini Surface Prep Grinder Kit
• the 3128K Mini Random Orbital Sander Kit
• the 3129K Mini Polisher Kit
• and the 7804K Mini 1/4″ Drill/Driver Kit

All of the kits feature a composite tool housing with a textured grip as well as a pistol grip design with a thumb-actuated switch and variable-speed trigger. 

Street prices are in the $100 to $150 range, and they’re in stores now.

Press Release [Ingersoll Rand]

Hitachi recently announced the CM4SB2 110mm diamond cutter to replace the CM4SB and CM4SA2 models.  The CM4SB2 features increased power (1320W, or 11.6A current at full load on a 120v circuit) and no-load rotation speed (11,500 RPM), which should help speed it through stone of all types.

It also features an improved armature coil that, Hitachi says, increases motor life by resisting vibration and dust, as well as an upgrade to Hitachi’s “mean green” new look.

Pricing is not yet available.

CM4SB2 Cutter [Hitachi Koki]

We mentioned this tool briefly in an earlier post about a sweepstakes Irwin’s currently running, but we thought it was worth a mention of its own.  By bolting this item to your old (but reliable) miter saw, you can easily add the laser guiding capability available on most newer saws.

The laser guide ships with extra long bolts to ease installation, and it automatically turns on and off with the saw’s blade rotation.  Batteries are included.

It’s available at Lowe’s, Home Depot, and other brick-and-mortar hardware shops for $30, or you still have time to sign up for the sweepstakes where they’re giving away one a day until May 26th.

Miter Saw Laser Guide [Irwin USA]
Sweepstakes Entry Form [Irwin USA]

Most folks hate going to the dentist. We, on the other hand, rather enjoy it.  Why, you ask?  It’s his tools.  In this case, a hook and pick set.

Those little hand tools that the DDS is using to scrape your pearly whites — ok, not the exact same ones, but similar — are also life savers in the shop.  For example: use the angled pick to fish out an o-ring, or use the hook tool to pull a wire through a dash.  (We’ve done this many a time.) We’ve even used these tools to help fix watches and cell phones.

$14.99 buys you a nice SK set via Sears.com. They’ve also got a Craftsman set that goes for a bit less, and, of course, you can find them even cheaper elsewhere.

Be warned, though; you’ll be looking for jobs around the shop just as an excuse to use these little wonder tools. Oh, and be sure to thank your dentist for us.

SK 4 Pc Hook and Pick Set [Sears]

Sometimes we get so involved in telling you about exciting high-tech tools that we forget to mention the simple tools that form the core of our shop.  A good shop towel is often the first tool we reach for when starting a job and the last tool we clean up with when done.

They’re good for wiping down tools, wiping the sweat off the ol’ brow, cleaning the shop counters, dusting off tool cabinets, and even using as a mat for organizing small parts when dis/assembling a small- to medium-sized project.  In terms of usefulness, shop towels rank right up there with our favorite set of metric wrenches.

If you spend any kind of time in a shop (mechanical, metal, wood, whatever), do yourself a favor and keep a supply of shop towels.  The best part:  for less than $2 you can score a roll of 55 sheets that should last quite some time. And if it matters to you, they’re made in the USA.

Scott Shop Towels [Kimberly-Clark]

Snap-On is giving away three prizes this Father’s Day:

• One 1/4″ drive Techwrench ($301 in the catalog)
• One five drawer roll cab ($795)
• and one set of seven open and flank drive box wrenches ($175)

As usual, you’re swapping your personal info for a chance to win, though there is an opt-out selection on the registration page.

You can register daily for Snap-On’s Father’s Day sweepstakes from now until June 18th, so don’t miss out.

Father’s Day Sweepstakes [Snap-On]

We grew up calling adjustable wrenches “Crescent wrenches,” though for what it’s worth we also grew up calling sodas “Cokes” and facial tissue “Kleenex.”  So there you go.

Anyway, with Crescent being such an established brand, we’re stunned that we missed this product release a while back.  Crescent’s R2 RapidRench has two angle-toothed jaws that can be adjusted in and out to grab pretty much any bolt (or other similar object) between 1/4″ and 7/8″ in size.  Once they’re adjusted in, they act pretty much like the standard ratchet in your socket set now.  Crescent describes it as “38 sockets and more in a single tool.”

We figure you’ll have to use the same caution using this tool as you would in using an adjustable (er, Crescent) wrench — rounded-off bolts are bad news — but it looks like a great tool to own.

The Crescent R2 RapidRench [Crescent/Cooper Hand Tools]

Firing their next volley in the ever-increasing-voltage wars, Bosch recently released their 36v 1″ SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer.  This is a serious drill, with 1″ solid bit capacity and 2.5″ (!) core bit capacity capable of delivering 2.2 ft-lbs. (not in-lbs.) of impact force.

Other standard features include:

• a 3-mode selector for rotation only, rotary hammer, or hammer only
• a variable speed reversing trigger
• tool-free bit changes with automatic bit locking, dust protection, and maximum impact energy transfer rate
• and an integral clutch to help minimize torque reaction

It also ships with a 360-degree auxiliary handle, a carrying case, a depth gauge, two Litheon batteries, and a 1-hour charger.

Along with all those hefty features comes a hefty price tag: Pricing online starts around $700.

Litheon 36V 1″ SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer [Bosch]

Online Pricing [Amazon]

Today we came across Shop-Vac’s new portable dust collection system: the dustless hand sander.  Essentially a plastic sanding block with fittings to match up to any brand of wet/dry vac with a 1-1/4″, 1-1/2″, or 2-1/2″ diameter hose, the dustless hand sander traps the majority of sanding dust as you sand.

It uses standard sandpaper and screen, and is priced at $33 direct, though it appears you can find it at some home improvement stores.

Remember: the best mess is the one you don’t have to clean up.

Dustless Hand Sander [Shop-Vac]

Having seen our mention of the Gearwrench magnetic oil drain socket set, reader Michael O’Connor wrote in to suggest this as a better solution.  The Fumoto valve installs in place of a standard drain plug and lets you drain engine oil by simply raising the level and turning it a quarter-turn.  Another quarter-turn stops the flow.  No worrying about catching or retrieving the drain plug!

We’d always been afraid that drains of this type could be opened accidentally by road debris, but Michael reports that he’s used one for years with no issues.  Maybe it’s time to give them a shot.

The Fumoto Engine Oil Drain Valve [YM International Co.]

If you have ever broken a valve stem on your vehicle, you know that it can cost you a trip to your local tire center — and an afternoon of waiting. Milton Industries’ “4 in 1 Valve Stem Repair Tool” can offer some help.

This little tool, as the name implies, can be found pulling 4 different duties; rethreading both the inside and outside of the stem, plus inserting, tightening and removing the valve core.

At $1.07 at dodgetopia it hardly breaks the bank. It might be worth your Saturday afternoon to have one in the repair kit.

Valve Stem Repair Tool [Dodgetopia]

Though you can often help along your home’s external appearance with gardening tools, if you are like us you might be a bit overwhelmed when it comes to tool selection and knowing what you might need to get the job done this year.

Mark Bloom, lover of tools and gardening, conveys some hard-won wisdom on the subject of gardening hood tools in this article from the Corvallis Gazzette-Times.

Our crowded shed is filled with gadgets both old and new. Longtime favorite shovels, their worn handles showing the effects of hard labor, hang neatly (thanks to my organized spouse) alongside newer rakes and truly ancient hoes.

To help others avoid this painful learning curve, I’ve asked a few professionals to share which tools they prefer, both at work and in their home gardens.

We haven’t thought much about backyard tool selection, so this article proved to be useful insight for us.  There’s a lot more to gardening tool selection than we’d considered.

When the next gardening hand tool purchase is at hand — like, say, now –  do your research and pick the tools that will help you most. Learn to maintain them; it’ll help both in longevity of the tools and the effectiveness of their use.

Weed Like Pros Gazette [Covallis Gazette]

This week our old cordless drill died, and it’s time for a replacement.  But with so many new technologies and so many almost (but not quite) identical units on the market, selecting a cordless drill/driver can be challenging.  Gone are the days where there were only two drills on the shelf to choose from; your average Home Depot stocks over 40 of them!

We’ve waded through the specs, battery systems, and hype to offer you this massive comparison of over 100 units to help you find the one that’s right for you.  (More after the jump, including a downloadable Excel spreadsheet of 100+ drills and their specs.)

(more…)

If you’ve ever changed the oil in your car yourself, then you are familiar with the “find the plug in the pan” game. With that in mind, consider the Gearwrench Magnetic Oil Drain Socket Set.

The set features a six point, magnetic socket core to hold the drain plug and save your hands a  hot oil bath. In case your hands are already a bit on the dirty side, Gearwrench has also included a kurled ring on the socket for easy removal and installation. The sockets will fit any 3/8″ standard socket set as well as 3/8″ Gearwrench brand handles. The set contains metric sizes (13mm - 19mm) for oil drain applications.

Gearwrench Brand Tools [website]
Best Price [dodgetopiawebsite]

Taps and dies are tools for cutting threads. A tap is a bolt-like tool for making female threads while a die is a nut-like tool for makng male threads. A tap and die set can make many “impossible” repairs or projects possible – even easy.

A Ratcheting “T” handled tap and die set can make it even easier. We found this 5-inch ratcheting arc “T” handled set to be very appealing, especially if you have a tight quarters engine block to work on. It will accommodate tap ranges of 0 - 1/2″ (3 - 12mm).

This tool is widely available on the net. The lowest price we found was $39.14 here.

Dodgetopia [website]

Amazon.com has launched (into beta) a new industrial and scientific section where you can purchase tools, safety equipment, metals, plastics, ceramics, mechanical components, and all kinds of other handy goodies.

Some of the inventory appears to be a concatenation of goods from existing Amazon.com vendors, but some of it appears to be new.  It also appears that they’re offering some discounts in almost every tool section.

We haven’t had a chance to delve in heavily yet, but you can bet we will; we’re always on the prowl for new sources of tools and materials.

Industrial & Scientific [What’s This?] [Amazon.com via Makezine via All Things Distributed]
Tools & Hardware Section [What’s This?] [Amazon.com]

Ok, we normally don’t cover sewing tools here, but this one was just way too useful in the shop to pass up.  With this $15 tool, you can apply a variety of snap fasteners to all sorts of materials.

We picked it up to add a couple of snaps to a laptop bag that just didn’t want to work as advertised.  (More details here.)  However, we’re planning on using it to replace a busted snap on a convertible boot as well as to create a number of tool covers.  We can think of all kinds of uses for this around the shop and home.

You can find this at most sewing stores locally, and it’s available for $15 + shipping from Jo-Ann.com (below).

And if any of your frends give you trouble about buying sewing gear, tell them to stick it.

Dritz Gripper Plier Kit for Assorted Snaps [Jo-Ann]