This week PTR does a terrible job mowing a yard, We hit the Tool Review Zone for a cool tool duel and the Chippy Chick challenges us to a contest we can’t win. This is your Coptool Week In Review!
Who wants to start this week with a mega comparo!? Like a cash strapped doordash driver, the guys at PTR delivered right on time. This week they published two separate articles that pit 48 lawnmowers together, all fighting over the same patch of grass. Separated by Gas and Electric, the PTR crew looked at their predictable 400 categories, including power, ergonomics, Aroma, and likelihood of making your neighbor go “WOOOOOOOAH… nicccceee.” If for some reason you’re buying a new lawnmower at the end of the mowing season, you can find the article at ProToolReviews.com
Once in a while, a tool review includes a heartwarming story. Trust me. This week, Vince and the VCG gang took time to review a Makita Cordless Router with a cool story behind it. As it turns out, one of VCG’s VeryCoolGang, the name their community proudly holds, purchased the router before deciding they wanted something else. But instead of returning it, they sent it to Vince, specifically so he could get it to a young tradesman who could use it. If you’re not already part of the VCG community, you’re missing out on great reviews, great conversation, and great people. Get involved at VCG Construction on Youtube.
Our favorite Spaceman Tool Reviewer, Nate of Doresoom Tool Reviews, got a hold of the all-new M12 Surge Impact and decided to compare it to it’s older and bigger brother, the M18 Surge. For good measure, he also tossed in a standard m12 impact, and the results were fairly predictable. The new M12 Surge appears to have ample torque, and Nate really prefers the much lighter package when driving 3” screws or smaller. It’s not quite as fast as either the M18 or the standard M12… but it’s small, light, and very very quiet. You can find the whole review at Doresoom Tool Reviews on Youtube
If all of these civil, level headed tool comparos are boring you to sleep, we can always count on Clint to spice things up in the Tool Review Zone! This week he drops the Dewalt 20V XR 894 Brushless impact wrench into the ring with the Ridgid Gen 5 x Impact wrench, for one of TRZs legendary tool duels. Clint puts the wrenches through a gauntlet of challenges, and the winner… well you’ll have to watch for yourself at Tool Review Zone on youtube.
One of our favorite makers took to Youtube this week to talk about an indispensable tool you may not yet have in your shop. Bob from I Like to Make Stuff, shared a bits video, this time featuring 1 2 3 blocks. These small machined blocks are traditionally found in machine shops, but he shares a ton of reasons to keep them in your woodworking shop as well. The metal blocks are exactly 1in by 2in by 3in and feature a series of threaded holes that allow you to fasten them in place or link them together. The perfect dimensions, including right angles, offer a ton of quick solutions when squaring off your woodworking project, or even spacing your blade. For as little as $20 a pair, there’s no reason not to add them to your shop. You can learn more at I like to Make stuff on Youtube.
Not that long ago Alec Steele made an engagement ring for his girlfriend, and she said “yes”! Well, now they need wedding bands to match. When he made the engagement ring he also made her band to match so he just needed to finish it up. He then started his ring from the wax mold like before. While he was adding the final details he decided to complete the bands with a pretty hammered finish! If you haven’t gone to Alec’s channel yet you really need to! You can find him at Alec Steele on Youtube!
April Wilkerson shared a fun project to help cool ya down during those hot Texas summers! With some 2×4’s, 2×6’s, some simple plumbing supplies and a storage tote she made this awesome Soaker Seat! It is such a clever twist on the traditional “Dunk Tank”, complete with a water drop bullseye! Because Cuteness Counts! She also designed this build to be taken down and stored away for winter. Go watch the video at April Wilkerson on Youtube!
The King of Random decided to update their backyard foundry to a bigger, badder, better version! In honor of Grant’s past models, they wanted to combine all of their ideas for a backyard foundry and came up with something they think Grant would be proud of! They started with a 6-gallon steel bucket, added fire bricks, kale wool insulation, and cement to create the perfect orange glow of foundry goodness! You can find this video and many more at The King of Random on Youtube!
The Women in Construction conference has been a huge success in London for the last two years, and next month, it comes to the states for the first time. The Women In construction conference will be held on September 18th and 19th at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco. The goal is to help drive gender diversity in the construction industry, where currently women only make up 9.9 percent. With over 40 sessions and 50 speakers, the 2-day event aims to cover success stories, business disruptors, advancing your career and tackling bias in the workplace. For more information, visit Women in Construction USA dot com.
On Wednesday this week, Milwaukee informed us that they’ve discontinued their new Shockwave Matrix Carbide bits. When launched earlier this year, the unique bits were optimized for users that need extreme wear resistance when completing highly repetitive tasks where they were quickly wearing the tips of their bits. These Matrix Carbide bits were also backed with, a previously unheard of, lifetime tip warranty. Shortly after launch, Milwaukee received feedback from users that the new bits were not living up to their durability expectations – citing broken bits, sometimes on the first use. At the same time, many users referred to the new bits as the best they’ve ever used. This week, Milwaukee told us “It is clear from the feedback we’ve received from users that our approach fell short of what was expected – both in performance and market positioning.” The company conveyed that they are going to refocus their efforts on developing a solution that better satisfies user needs and lives up to their ‘Nothing but Heavy Duty’ promise. They also stated that while the bit will be discontinued, they will continue to meet all Lifetime Tip Warranties on Shockwave™ Matrix Carbide for the immediate future. The new Shockwave 3.0 bits, which launched right around the same time as Matrix Carbide, still remain a strong and popular product for Milwaukee and are unaffected by this move.
For the rest of your construction industry news, be sure to visit Construction Junkie.
