Pipeline episode 2 is over, but it brought with it a ton of new Packout stuff. We also take a look at a Makita planer, And a Hitachi-koki-tabo! This… is your Power tool week in review.
Welcome back power tool fans. It’s September 11th, 2020, and today we have some power tool news, and all the tool videos you won’t want to miss. Let’s get to it…
Milwaukee PIPELINE PACKOUT
Clearly the event of the week, was the 2nd Milwaukee PIPELINE episodes that aired yesterday. The focus this time was on PACKOUT, and Milwaukee’s first push into the Laser Level space.
Several new PACKOUT products were announced, but the single most requested PACKOUT solution has been drawers, for as long as I can remember. And thankfully, they’ve finally arrived. Available in either 2 or 3 drawer configurations, both feature all-metal bearings, reinforced corners and customizable dividers. We also got a new dolly, called a 2 wheeled cart, new packout shelves, and a super clever new charger with 3 jobsite lights.
Milwaukee PIPELINE Laser Levels
Packout wasn’t the only news in yesterday’s episode of PIPELINE. Milwaukee has waited a long time to get into laser levels, they say that’s because they wanted to get it right. Milwaukee announced a total of 5 new Laser Levels, 2 powered by the M12 platform, and the other three by their hyper portable REDLITHIUM USB. With solutions ranging from 360 degree 3 plane lasers to a simple 3 point version, Milwaukee showed up to the party, ready to make some noise. All 5 solutions include a GREEN high-intensity laser, micro-adjustments, and of course, they’re nothing but heavy duty.
Tool Box Buzz – Makita Planer
Despite Milwaukee’s marketing message, they’re not the only brand you should care about this week. Makita has been making news recently with a Brushless version of their venerable Planer, and Rob Robillard of Tool Box Buzz decided it was worth a look. Rob is notoriously hard on tools, so when he tells you he likes something, it’s always worth a listen. This time he’s using the Makita 18V 3 ¼” Brushless Planer for a wide variety of jobs on the jobsite, and he really struggles to find anything wrong with it. He’s particularly fond of the dynamic speed changing function, that automatically shifts from high-speed to high-torque modes, whenever the job demands it. A safety foot and ultra-fast electric brake also make the hit list, and after praising the dust collection. For the full review and article head over to Tool Box Buzz on Youtube.
Scott Brown Carpentry – Metabo HPT 18ga Nailer
Finally, we head back to New Zealand where Scott Brown dives deep into his favorite nailer, that Metabo HPT, Hitachi, Hikoki 18-gauge version. Here in the States we just call it the Metabo HPT 18-Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer, and just like the rest of us here in the States, Scott’s a fan. He’s been using the nailer for over 18 months now, mainly for helping him install scribers that seal up weatherboards. He’s happy with the power, he’s fine with the weight, but really he just wishes he’d stop losing the rubber tip. Fortunately for Scott, his fans filled the comments with a ton of ways to make sure his next one stays in place. For the full review, head over to Scott Brown Carpentry on Youtube.
Construction Junkie
It’s time again for our construction industry news, courtesy of the Construction Junkie. Across the country, experienced construction workers are retiring, and we’re filling those jobs with far less experienced workers, creating a training gap that isn’t being managed very well. A new company called DEEPHOW thinks they have a solution in AI.
Their Artificial Intelligence is designed to watch instructional videos, intelligently identifying separate steps, important notes, and indexing everything into a searchable database that can be accessed by an app. That means when you have a question on the jobsite, you can ask DEEPHOW, how to do it, and it will not only find the right video, but take you to the right moment in that video to get you your answer. It’s really pretty genius, and I can only hope that now that they’ve mastered the DEEPHOW, they can address the current state of our country, and ask DEEPWHY.
Moving on to anything non-political, do you remember that Brick Laying Robot named Hadrian X who recently set a 200 blocks per hour speed record? Well he just completed his first commercial job, and he did it through rain, hail and high winds. I personally would have quit.
His first commercial job was located in Perth, Western Australia, where he built a double brick cavity wall 15 courses high on the exterior, and 4 courses high on the interior. To add to the challenge, the robot had to account for concrete and steel lentils installed in the middle of the project, and as I mentioned, he ended up doing the job through a very heavy storm, and didn’t skip a beat. His own handlers seemed impressed he could handle more than light rain. And it’s that kind of underestimating that leads to Skynet people. Why are we trusting the Australians this this thing? We should call OZ TOOL TALK to get their input.
For more on those stories, and the rest of your construction industry news, head over to ConstructionJunkie.com.
Instagram Favorites
Travis from Tools By Design was running 4x4s through his Skilsaw Jobsite saw in a single pass with zero burn marks. He said the saw is not only powerful but much quieter than the competition.
Joe the Canadian Carpenter shared an old photo where he ignored a broken wrist and instead strapped on his Diamond Back toolbelt and got back to cutting with his Makita rear handle. I’m not totally sure that toolbelt will help mend your wrist Joe.
Paul the ToolPig showed off his clever Werner Leansafe X3 jobsite ladder that features a clever latching system that can be easily managed with one hand while you adjust the ladder with the other.
And finally Thibault of French_MTL_Carpentry decided he wanted to cut some concrete with a Super Sawsquatch. So he grabbed a 16” diamond hilton blade and added the skateplate H20 system to keep the dust down. Looks like it did the job!