About two years ago we talked about Husky’s portable AC/DC power system. We’ve aired up a ball or bicycle tire with it here and there, but it largely remained stowed — that is, until earlier this week when we found out firsthand that this little jumper set will save our crappy-truck-driving rear.

(more…)

Let’s be clear: the press hates Husky’s 5-in-1 drywall tool. Popular Mechanics named it one of their “10 Worst Gadgets of 2007″ — along with the Zune, leading dozens of Microsoft fanboys to blog, “at least my Zune isn’t as uncool as the Husky 5-in-1.” And it’s not pretty. It’s freakin’ huge, and it looks like unplanned result of a one night stand between a utility knife and a Swiss Army multi-tool.

But sometimes form follows function. The Husky 5-in-1 wasn’t designed to cram five drywall tools into a smaller space, but rather to combine them in a way that they can still function. Specifically, its boxy end makes squaring off freshly cut drywall holes a breeze.

Is it a misunderstood tool or waste of toolbox space? Read on past the jump to find out.

(more…)

Campbell Hausfeld is recalling several compressor models after 11 fires were reported. The recalled compressors pose a fire hazard due to improper motor coverings that can ignite during use. The affected products include certain Campbell Hausfeld and Husky compressors sold between July 2005 and November 2007.

(more…)

I just saw this 101-piece bit set in my local ‘Depot circular. It’s available in stores for just under $9, but even at $10 online it’s a pretty good buy — especially considering that my trusty ratcheting screwdriver has always been a go-to standby. Hell, the handy dandy case alone is probably worth $10.

Husky’s 101-Piece Ratcheting Screwdriver/Bit Set [Home Depot]

Everyone needs a basic set of mechanics tools to handle the miscellaneous home and auto issues that crop up.  And after you acquire the basics, you face about a thousand options that — to the average consumer — might or might not be handy around the garage. That’s why Husky’s 45-piece Stubby set piqued our interest: it’s cheap and looks like a well balanced set that’d augment a standard set nicely.

Read on past the jump for our hands-on experiences as we gave this stubby set a shot in the TM shop.

(more…)

As portable Halogen work lights go, the HSK142r from Husky is about as solid-looking as they come.  Hey, any light with a mad-max style front grill is on my techno-punk cool list.  But the coolest part is that this 12V DC rechargeable work light operates both corded and cordless.

(more…)

This new tool from Husky includes a keyhole saw, a utility knife, a drywall rasp, a tube/seal punch, and a small prybar — all in a single, easy-to-handle tool designed to lighten your load on drywall jobs.

(more…)

If you love the old-school vibe you get from wearing a nail apron but don’t want to cough up $12 or more for one, Husky’s got your back with a 5-pocket nylon apron for a whopping $4.  Besides, I actually used one of these while making some spot repairs on a roof the other day, and was favorably impressed with the strength of the material and the comfort.  Fasteners didn’t poke through the material as mush as one might expect with thin nylon.  In short: it rocked.

(more…)

We’ve received a ton of email from folks asking, “Do you know of a decent starter air compressor that’ll run air tools?”  Our answer: yes, we do.  Here it is.

We spent eight weeks with Husky’s 26-Gallon compressor and the bevy of air tools that come with it — enough time to discover that it offers some serious value for its price and a great way to add air tool functionality to your home or small shop.  Read past the jump for our hands-on experiences and lots of pictures.

(more…)

After spending so much time in the shop lately under and inside vehicles I have come to be very fond of lights.  Any kind of extra light that can be brought to bear on a project is aces with me, with extra points for taking a beating.  The Husky Tough Brite lantern looks like it’d live up to its name.

This rechargeable lantern is rugged in design — made of tough plastic wrapped in a durable rubber hide that raises its survivability factor in the shop many fold.  Another advantage: weather resistance (read: slightly water resistant).

(more…)

We’ve seen the Husky soft sided toolboxes here and there; a few Toolmonger friends have them and use them everyday.  While which toolbox offers the best type of storage system is highly subjective and open to debate, the Husky soft sides — like this electrician’s bag — do have some charm. 

The electrician’s bag is constructed of “SpunTuff” nylon-based water-resistant material that looks and feels pretty rugged.  It’s designed to meet the storage needs of a small electrical type of project and features a detachable handle, 19 inside/outside storage pockets, a 12-piece drill bit organizer, and a 12-part compartment bin so you can stash tools till your heart’s content.  It also includes a tape measure clip, carabiner, padded shoulder strap, tape roll strap, and 4 rubber feet on the bottom of bag.

(more…)

Rick writes: “It’s amazing how critical it is to have the right tool for the job.  I recently upgraded my cell phone which had seen better days, but I kept it around as a spare since my wife has the same phone.  Well, her screen flaked out and I decided to salvage some parts from mine since my screen was fine.  When I tried to take it apart to get at the parts – despite having a 100 piece security bit set for electronics – I just didn’t have the Torx T-6 driver I needed.  So, I took a look to see what Home Depot had.  I came across this little number.”

“It has room in the handle underneath the swivel cap for three bits, while the other stays in the tool.  It worked great, and just goes to show that when you’re talking about stuff like that, you need the right tool.  It’s not like taking a switchplate off a light switch where you can use a butter knife in a pinch – or a phillips screw where you probably have phillips bits showing up everywhere you look.  There’s just no way to try and fit a T-8 driver into a T-6 screw.  In any case, now I’m confident that the next time I need to take apart a phone, I’ve got the right tools for the job.”

“At $5.97 it’s well worth it to have the right tool.  I think just to have a nice matching set I may have to go back and get their standard slotted/phillips precision driver that looks just like this.”

(more…)

James writes: “This precision screwdriver is available from Husky in both Torx and Phillips/slotted versions.  It’s hands down the handiest screwdriver for working on electronics and small items.”

We’ve been featuring a number of multi-bit screwdrivers lately — to the point where I think I’m going to have to pick one up soon.  I’ve always relied on sets, but this looks like a great solution.

(more…)

We’ve owned a number of portable jump start units, but we were really impressed with Husky’s new offering — which not only serves as an effective starter, but also adds a 400W inverter, an air compressor, and a 12V power outlet.  If you’ve been thinking about buying one of these, read on for our hands-on impressions and lots of photos — this unit impressed us, and it’s quite affordable.

(more…)

The X-Workhorse is a cool little portable table designed to hold benchtop power tools — like a miter saw — on the jobsite.  It derives its name from the way it folds: Rather than folding the legs into the table top, the solidly-constructed sides rotate around a vertical center point creating an “X” shaped base.  The top is removable and snaps onto the side when the table’s folded for storage.

Besides just holding power tools, it also has small rubber feet on the top to hold a piece of plywood (or whatever you’ve got that’s flat) to create a portable workbench.  That’s where the advantage of the “X” shape really comes into play with the strength it brings.  Even though the X-Workhorse is made mainly of lightweight aluminum and plastic, the box indicates that it’s rated to hold 750 lbs — something we definitely had to see for ourselves. 

So, when Husky sent us an X-Workhorse to review, we thought we’d try something none of the other reviews we found around the ’net did: putting almost 1,000 lbs. on it.

(more…)