THIS week, DeWALT shows up just about everywhere sometimes in MAC Tools clothing. Tim goes to SEMA, TRZ gets his hands on the new Ryobi Link system, and we figure out what the heck this thing is. THIS is your Power Tool Week In Review!
Philly Fixed – DeWALT DCF840
Welcome back power tool fans, we have several great new videos for you to enjoy, starting with Philly fixed, where Jim… Do I have to say this? Jim “Bad taste in jigsaws” Davis…. (Rob made me say it) grabbed the all-new DeWALT DCF840, which is largely been left in the ironically smaller shadow of it’s new Atomic DCF850. Jim was pretty confident that the 840 couldn’t roll with the flagships from Milwaukee and FLEX, but thought it was worth knowing just how close it was. And in several tests, yeah, it did pretty well, making the value proposition something worth paying attention to. Of course, if size is the biggest concern for your own application, the 850 is still a ridiculously overpowered, pint-sized wonder, but if you have room for a bit more muscle, the 840 may actually make sense for you. Jim’s tool tests have become more and more polished and easy to follow. If you want the full story, Jim has it at Philly Fixed.
Workshop Addict – PowerStack
DeWALT sent a sample of the new DeWALT Powerstack battery to just about everyone at this point, except Jim. No ma’am. Anyways Brian, like a lot of us, wanted to know if this new battery tech, the Lithium-Ion pouch, is the future, or a fad. And the logical way to prove it, would be to carefully test it against their own 2ah battery. Which Brian did, but he took it a step further, and tested it against an XR 5.0Ah battery as well which has a 2p configuration, or 2 rows of cells, and the new Powerstack actually out performed it. So what does that mean? “if that doesn’t get you excited for the future of battery powered tools, you’re dead inside. Plain as that. I mean this little tiny battery, kicked this bigger one’s butt.” I couldn’t of said it better. The reason this really gets me excited is because we have yet to see what these new lithium-ion pouch batteries will do, when you powerstack a ton of them together and start replacing flexvolt. Yes Please. For the full testing and Brian’s insight, head over to Workshop Addict.
Torque Test Channel – Is MAC DeWALT?
Our last DeWALT story, is actually a Mac Tools Story… or kind of both. Here’s the thing. Both DeWALT and MAC Tools are owned by Stanley Black and Decker. So the trio at Torque Test Channel wanted to find out once in for all, if the ultra expensive MAC Tool Impact Wrenches are worthy of the coin, or just, as they put it, DeWALT tools in fancy red track suits. MAC Tools which are traditionally sold off of tool trucks have a reputation for being serious tools for pros, but that translates into a substantial cost premium. But are these just DeWALT tools? I mean, they literally use DeWALT batteries. They’re owned by the same company, how different can they be? Those are the questions the Trinity of Torque, set out to answer. They chose to run the DEWALT DCF899 against a Mac Tools BWP152, and a DeWALT DCF894, vs a MAC Tools MCF894, giving them each a DeWALT XR 5ah battery with 21700 cells to give them each their best shot. But remember… while they claim similar stats, and look identical, the DEWALTs are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper. So how’d they do? That’s a question worth answering over on the Torque Test channel.
Tool Review Zone – Ryobi Visit
Last week Ryobi announced their all new modular storage system called Link. besides a seriously clever set of stackable tool boxes, they also included a comprehensive wall organization system, that quite frankly, has us almost completely forgetting about Packout, and that’s without seeing it in person yet. Fortunately for us, Clint from Tool Review Zone, HAS seen it in person, while on a factory tour of Ryobi’s headquarters in South Carolina. Not only did he get to put his hands on the new Link system, but he got a full demonstration from the Ryobi team, who answered a ton of questions we had about the system. The highlights include a brilliant new locking mechanism for the toolboxes that make it easy and fast to securely lock onto another box, simply by setting it directly on top. No sliding teeth into place like on our beloved packout.
The cases are IP65 rated, and Clint noted how solid they felt. The handle on the rolling tool box actually comes off to the joy of pickup owners everywhere. And that crate, which locks onto the stack or onto the wall just like Milwaukee, has a special trick up it’s sleeve. The thing can accept more tool boxes on top of it. And that’s just the beginning. The modular wall system looks like a total stroke of genius. When you rotate their locking system onto the wall, it naturally creates this angled french cleat system that easily accepts a wide range of accessories, that are priced VERY aggressively. The last bike hook I bought for my garage, from Home Depot, was $20. The Ryobi version was almost half that. I’m really excited about the competition Ryobi is bringing to market with Link. For the full review, and a satisfying few moments where Ryobi employees constantly correct Clint’s pronunciation of their name, head over to the Tool Review Zone.
Tools & Stuff – Makita vs Metabo HPT
A few weeks back, Tools and Stuff teased us with this amazing new addition to Makita’s XGT line, a 5” circular saw with more than a few unique features. The most notable, was the ability for the right side of the plate to be removed, and a reverse bevel, that makes it possible to cut VERY close to a wall. It was the first time we’ve seen a saw like that. But today, he found a competitor. THAT is a HiKoki, known as Metabo HPT here in the states, 36V 5” circular saws, and yeah it’s plate comes off and a reverse bevel lets you saw against the wall. As it turns out, these saws are incredibly similar ergonomically, but while the Makita XGT tops out at 6000 RPM, the new Hikoki hits a serious 7000 rpm. RPM isn’t everything, but in this case, it’s a lot. I’m having trouble finding a 5” circular saw with an inverted miter in the states. If you know of one, let me know in the comments. For now, we can all enjoy the review at Tools and Stuff.
Shop Tool Reviews – Durofix ½”
So a month ago, Tim Johnson over at Shop Tool Reviews, showed us this huge honk’n monster. That’s the Durofix Brushless 1” Jumbo Impact Wrench, with saddlebag batteries and a heart of gold. That was our first exposure to Durofix Tools, but last week Tim went to SEMA… without us… This selfish man went to SEMA, where he visited the Durofix booth, and got to play with their 20V ½” Brushless Impact Wrench. Tim was immediately impressed with it’s ultra compact size, an huge 590 ft lbs of nut busting torque. Claimed. Claimed nut busting torque there’s really no way to know how powerful it is until Tim gets it back to his shop and tests it, or TTC does the same. But if the numbers are good, this little impact look promising. It features a torque meter that keeps you from overtightening the bolts, which is a welcomed feature for sure. And maybe the best part, is the price. In a kit with a single 2ah battery and charger, it’s only $179. For this and many more SEMA videos that neither Sarah or I are in at all, head over to Selfish Tool Reviews.
Milwaukee OPE expansion
So Milwaukee announced two new Nailers this week, which we featured here on Belts And Boxes, but they also sent out a second press release that didn’t get that much attention. Why? Well because on it’s face, it’s not huge news. Specifically, Milwaukee announced a few updates to it’s OPE line, including some tool-only options for their 10” pole saw with quik-lok, a hedge trimmer now in both 24” and 18” sizes, and their Chainsaw will now be available with a 14” bar, along with the 16” we already have. So why is this newsworthy? Well, because of this line in their press release. “These additions to our growing lineup of Outdoor Power Equipment show Milwaukee’s commitment to driving unrivaled performance and productivity to professional trades through innovative solutions and groundbreaking developments”.
We already know an M18 mower is coming, that is directly aimed at professional landscapers. And if Milwaukee is still expanding their line, what’s next. I think it would make sense to assume that Milwaukee is taking a direct swing at EGO, which would make sense, considering EGO is now only available at Lowes, leaving a serious performance gap at Home Depot, and Milwaukee, if committed, could do a fantastic job of filling it in. so what do you think… Is Milwaukee rushing full speed into Pro level OPE? And if so, how far do you think they’ll go? Let me know in the comments.
Makita Silly Straw
We all know by this point, that Makita stuff doesn’t come out first in the States. Like, ever. And that’s fine, as long as the good stuff gets here. So to get a sneak peek at what the Teal Titan has coming down the line, we watch channels like Tools and Stuff, and Scott Brown. But if you really want to find the weird stuff, you have to watch foreign channels on YouTube. That’s where we found this official Makita video about their new AS001G Air Duster, which looks like a ton of fun to me. It’s an XGT handheld blower and inflator. And with that 2ft extension, there’s not telling what kind of trouble I could get into. That video, lead me to this guy. This is Hidehisa17, and he is my new favorite YouTube tool reviewer, mostly because I’m digging those glasses. I think he’s speaking Japanese. But thanks to the auto closed captioning translation from YouTube, you can actually follow along with his review! He compares the duster to Makita’s own shop blower, and a similar Hikoki as well. I don’t understand all of it, but I’m convinced we need this blower. Please Makita?
Outro
Thanks to EGO, and Spyder for supporting us this week. Guys, if you appreciate these brands supporting our show, and enabling Sarah and I to put this together each week, do us a favor and seek out their social channels, find them in YT or IG, and tell them you appreciate them supporting the Belts And Boxes Power Tool Community.
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