This week, we’re gonna look at personal mobility on the jobsite, plus, we watch a dummy test heated jackets, and see the world first cordless ½” router. THIS is your power tool week in review.
Shop Tool Reviews – Milwaukee Mechanics Tools
Last week, Milwaukee held a special digital event focused on their new tools coming specifically for mechanics, and Tim from Shop Tool Reviews is freak’n out. And we don’t blame him.
Tim published a great video that not only recaps the tools featured in that media event, but he actually has just about every one of the new tools on hand! We get a closer look at the high speed ratchets, their new extended handle and stubby ratchets, their new fast riveter and this unique M12 FUEL Tire Buffer, which I’ll admit, I didn’t even know it was a thing. Apparently, when you are repairing a tire, you need to buff down the inside of the tire to give you a smooth surface to apply the patch, and this Milwaukee tool makes this job cordless for the first time. If you’re a Milwaukee fan who works on cars and trucks for a living, Tim has a lot of exciting news for you. For the full story head over to Shop Tool Reviews.
Sydney Tools TV – Metabo-HPT Cordless ½” Router
In the last couple of years, manufacturers have started selling cordless trim routers, to the absolute joy of woodworkers everywhere. But if you needed to do anything more serious, you had to grab a corded model to get it done.
Metabo-HPT decided that was stupid. Hikoki, the cooler name that Metabo-HPT uses elsewhere in the world, just revealed their new cordless ½” router, a worlds first, that the world has actually been waiting for. The boys over at Sydney tools got their hands on it, and it’s exactly as exciting as you’d think. To power this monster, it uses their 36v batteries, and they immediately show it off using a 25mm bit. I did some math and that either converts to around 1” in diameter, or 1’. I’m not totally sure. Either way, look at that thing go. The speed dial ranges from 11,000 to 25,000 rpm, and It includes collets for both ¼” and ½” bits as you’d expect. According to their website it’s $699 digerydoos, which is around $530 US, for just the skin. I’m not totally sure, but I’m hoping that means bare tool. Now when will we see this in the states? I’m not exactly sure yet, but we have a call into Metabo-HPT, and I’ll leave an update in the description when we hear back. You can get a closer look at Sydney Tools TV.
Project Farm – Heated Jackets
Todd has be absolutely killing it recently over at Project Farm. His detailed and creative tool reviews have been not only informative but entertaining as well. But this week… this week he goes off the deep end, and I couldn’t be happier.
Todd decided it was time to test heated jackets, but after reviewing so many tools alone, this time he decided to enlist the help of cousin Eddie. This has to be the best heated jacket review I’ve ever seen. Todd gathers a total of 5 different heated jackets, and goes to some pretty extreme lengths to test them, including putting Eddie in a freezer, and on top of the Farmabago. He even wears them himself as he rides a 2 stroke gas powered bike in freezing temperatures. If you’re planning to buy a heated jacket, which I highly recommend, be SURE to head over to Project Farm first.
Tool Talk – Jobsite Mobility
Alright guys It’s time for some tool talk. Last week I asked you about your favorite accessories that completely change the purpose of your tools.
Patrick M suggested that you don’t really need accessories to change the function of your tools. He just uses his impact as a hammer. I don’t recommend that Patrick.
Brandon Hart suggested using a crow foot on an impact, and I’m terrified to even lookup how that would work.
This week’s tool talk is about Jobsite mobility. We recently featured a DeWALT patent found by Nate at doresoom tool reviews, for a job site trike that would not only move your tools but move you with it. It’s lead to several conversations with some packout fans about a packout scooter that you could ride on the job site. So my question to you this week, does a job site joyride really make sense? If so, do you think it would look like a trike, an offroad segway, or something else? I’ll be replying to your comments after the show.
Construction Junkie
Alright, it’s time again for your construction industry news, courtesy of the construction junkie.
Getting to a remote jobsite can be difficult, dangerous and expensive. We’ve seen solutions for moving heavy equipment that range from blimps, planes, helicopters and even a fat little truck. But this week Shane came across a solution we had never seen before.
This is the LSC Cable Crane, a mountain side cable car for moving heavy equipment. The cables are 60mm thick, that’s 2.36in, stretched to 110 tons of tension. That’s a lot of tension. I should know, because I share a coffee pot with Rob every day.
The cable crane is powered by two elecro-hydraullic power units at the top base station, each with 400 kw of power output. With a max speed of 13.4 mph, these new cranes will open up jobsites that would normally be unreachable. You can learn more in shane’s article.
Are you tired of boring old bricks made of stone? Me too! As it turns out, the ongoing search for alternative building materials has found a new friend, in the fungus that grows between the toes of the trees. Who wrote this?
Mycelium, are fibers that grow out of mushrooms, and as it turns out, if you help it grow into the shape of a brick, it can be a brick! The team over at the Verge spent 4 weeks making a single mushroom brick, which turned out to be pretty strong! It’s a long way from commercial viability, but being able to grow our buildings is not only good for us, but good for the environment.
For the full story, and the rest of your construction industry news, head over to Construction Junkie.com.
Last week we took a look at some truly cool tool accessories, but 90% of the comments were about my mom joke, which you can watch right here.
Special thanks to EGO and OPT