THIS WEEK, we’ve got FLEX fighting Milwaukee, Mega lumen flashlights, Impact races, an M36 blower, and a REALLY expensive screwdriver. It’s not THAT expensive. THIS is your power tool week in review.
Welcome back Power Tool Fans, and we’re starting this week with a screwdriver. But not just any screwdriver. Potentially the king of all screwdrivers.
Linus Tech Tips / Project Farm | $70 Screwdriver
Linus and his team of technophiles over at Linus Tech Tips, have been working on a very special screwdriver for 3 years, and in the same week it launched, it was also torn apart by Todd over at Project Farm, as the tool Gods intended. Now LTT is one of Youtubes most popular tech channels, and they build a lot of pcs. So their natural tool of choice is going to be a good screwdriver.
And three years ago, they teamed up with Megapro, a tool company with an already established ratcheting screwdriver of their own, and set off to produce the greatest ratcheting screwdriver of all time. They toiled over every single detail, fought with manufacturers, struggled with production qc, but eventually made something pretty special. Linus details their epic journey to hand tool greatness in a 30 minute long video, which kept me captivated the entire way through. I was so impressed with what they had done, I ordered one of these new $70 screwdrivers. I won’t see it until mid November, but Todd over at project farm already got his, and threw it into his typical torture tests along with examples from the likes of Milwaukee, GearWrench, Snap On, Wera, MegaPro and even the legendary PB Swiss. A favorite among our production crew. So after 3 years, how did the LTT screwdriver hold up? I don’t want to spoil it for you. I just suggest you watch linus’ video first, and then Todds. We will of course link to both below.
Tools & stuff | Makita Quarter Sheet Sander
Getting back to power tools, Makita’s Cordless One Quarter Sheet Sander is finally here. Well, not here, but it’s in New Zealand, and fortunate for us, so is Tools & Stuff.
And last week he got his own. That is the Makita LXT 18V One Quarter Sheet Finishing Sander. And tools is pretty excited about it. It has 2 stage speed adjustment, 1.5mm orbit diameter, but perhaps the most interesting thing would be the 3 interchangeable pads, including a triangular and rectangular version. These additional pads certainly expand the sander’s capabilities, which he demoed in a few grooves, and even used it to sand under the lip of a bench. But as he points out, this is a finishing sander. So if you’re looking to remove a lot of material, this isn’t the sander for you. But if you’re looking for a really fine finish, this just might be the perfect solution. To find out, head over to Tools and Stuff.
Torque Test Channel | Lumens upon Lumens Testing
A month ago, the torque testing crew at Torque Test Channel, broke out their home made light integration sphere, and bought several of Amazons ridiculous mega lumen flashlights to see if they were being honest. They were not. But as it turns out, those were just the side show. The real test was this week.
They also purchased a bunch of high lumen name brand flashlights as well. But as Torque explains, they weren’t sure that their home made light integration sphere would handle these high lumens, so they sent off a couple to a lab, so they could test their numbers, and that took a few months. But now with one of those tests back, they set out to test the lumen ratings on some big lumen lights from some big brands like Olight, and nitecore. And for once, it was nice to see some honesty in advertising. The flashlights all do a very respectable job, and the collection is eclectic to say the least. Look at that thing. It’s like a coke can. This light test series over at TTC is always a ton of fun to watch, so I highly suggest you do.
Man Caver Tools | Impact Racing
Dave over at Man Caver Tools continues his new tool testing series this week, this time running the battle of the brushless impacts.
And this time around, the lineup is stacked with some of the biggest names in the game, including Milwaukee, FLEX, DeWALT, Hilti, and even a few presumed underdogs from Craftsman and Ryobi. And while Craftsman clearly didn’t belong in this group of pros, it was the Ryobi that really surprised us, throwing up very respectable numbers even in the face of these giants. But in the end, the clear winner wasn’t Ryobi, or even its bigger brother from TTI. I’m not going to spill the beans, but thanks to Dave’s new testing format, you’ll enjoy finding out for yourself. You can watch all the impact action at Man Caver Tools.
Production Crew Update
Last Saturday Sarah and I held our monthly LIVE Production Crew Giveaway, and our lucky winner was Daniel. For his prize, he chose our new FLEX Shelf. He got their 3 piece STACK PACK, $200 in accessories, and got to choose $1,500 worth of FLEX power tools. And of course, because there’s no point using pro tools without pro accessories, Daniel will also be receiving a full selection of Spyder Bits and Blades to use on his new FLEX tools.
If you’d like to be a part of our Production Crew, simply click join next to the subscribe button for options. Even the least expensive level qualifies you for our giveaways each month.
Shop Tool Reviews | DeWALT Pin Nailer
We have a few other videos we wanted to highlight this week, starting with Tim Johnson who got his hands on the new DeWALT 20V DCN623 23 gauge pin nailer. Not only is it powerful and quick, but it’s insanely compact. It lacks a safety tip, but Tim makes a good case for it being built exactly as it is. You can watch over at Shop Tool Reviews.
731 Woodworks | 3M Xtract Sander
Matt over at 731 Woodworks tested the new 3M Xtract 5” Random orbital sander. This is a very high-end tool aimed at competitors like Mirka and Festool. Matt clearly likes the new offering from 3M, but he knew you’d have lots of questions. For the full review head over to 731 Woodworks.
Mark Thomas Builder | M18 Dual Battery Blower
Mark Thomas Has been using the M18 Blower for some time now, but this week he finally upgraded to the new M18 Dual Battery battery blower, or M36 if you don’t mind pissing off Milwaukee Marketing People. M18 Dual battery. Anyways, Mark compares it to the old M18 single battery version, reviews the features, and then proceeds to dry off his dog. Works for me! You can see the full review at Mark Thomas Builder.
Tool Review Zone | Flex vs Milwaukee
And finally, Clint continues to sink deeper and deeper into the once forbidden world of FLEX power tools, this time testing the FLEX ¼” Quick Eject Hex Impact Driver against the new Milwaukee M18 Gen 4 Impact, and once again, he enlists the help of evil Clint, who just might be batman. And yes, tools are reviewed, and hilarity ensues. You can find out which wins in The Tool Review Zone.
I want to thank SKIL, and Spyder for sponsoring this episode. Guys, we couldn’t do it without you. If you can, do something kind for someone else this weekend, and we’ll see you next week.
