THIS week, The boys at TIA capture the new FLEX Angle Grinder in action. Both EGO and Ryobi mow the lawn, and somehow Festool makes it onto the show. And Sarah’s back! This is your Power Tool Week In Review!
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Welcome back power tool fans, we have a bunch of news and reviews to get to this week…
Man Caver Tools | M12 FUEL Hacksaw
Starting with Dave over in the Man Cave who shared his experience with Milwaukee’s handy baby chainsaw. He shared his experience with this baby M12 chainsaw and sometimes the best tool reviews need the least amount of explanation, especially when Dave says something like this. “Crazy, seriously this little guy is the shiznit!” To see the Baby Chainsaw Shiznit for yourself, head over to Man Caver Tools.
Tools In Action | Flex Grinder
Moving on, the boys at Tools in Action got their hands on the all new FLEX Angle Grinder, and they seem more than pleased. They each spent some time with the tool covering a variety of applications, and after deciding they liked it, they sent it next door to the car shop to see what the mechanics thought. Everyone agreed it had plenty of power, but the most popular feature was the blade guard that can be easily adjusted without any tools. For the full review head over to Tools In Action.
Torque Test Channel | Best Right Angle Cordless Impact
The boys at Torque Test Channel have been reviewing pneumatic right angle impact wrenches for a while, but this time decided to try out a cordless solution, but after a quick search, they realized their only real options were a Milwaukee M12, and a Kobalt Brushless 24V. And the story here is far more interesting than I expected. One of these solutions claims a big number on it’s box, while the other claims a small one at a much lower price. And while the results make them both wrong, they shocked the TTC guys as much as they shocked us! You’re gonna like this video, go watch it at Torque Test Channel.
731 Woodworks | Festool Dust Extractor
We’ve never featured 731 Woodworks on our show before, mainly because the vast majority of his videos are build projects, but I’ve enjoyed watching his content for a long time. But this week, he shared a fantastic review of a new Festool vac and sander that he was gifted by a fan. Did you hear that guys, he was gifted… by a fan. Anyways, Matt took a break from building amazing woodworking projects, to take a long appreciative look at his new toy. Something that makes this a really great review, was that he first shot his unboxing and initial impressions, and then waited 3 months later to record the results. This allowed him to share his long term experience, which ALMOST made me want to get back into Festool. Then I remembered I had 2 kids instead. They ain’t cheap. If you’ve ever wondered if the high prices of Festool are worth it, this is a great opportunity to get the detailed experience of someone who’s spend a lot of time with the brand, using it as intended. You can watch the full thing over at 731 Woodworks.
HayesMachinery | EGO Z6
Moving across the ocean to the UK, the boys at Hayes Machinery, which Rob apparently found while I was gone, got one of the very first EGO Zed 6 Zero Turns and decided to let it loose in their garden. I got to watch a bunch of the OPE reviews these guys have posted and they’re spectacular. And this Zed 6 review is no different. You know how sometimes you can tell that someone really loves what they’re doing? These guys love tools, and it shows. In the review they cover every single functional detail of the EGO, put it to the test, and even examine the quality of cut. We’ve been using our own Z6 this year, and a lot of what they loved, we love as well. If you’re on the edge about spending this much on a truly premium lawn mowing experience, go watch the review at HayesMachinery, and if you happen to live in the UK, they can sell you one too.
Mark Thomas Builder | Split-Fire Log Splitter
Wanna split logs? Mark Thomas brought out another unique tool this week, this time a Split-Fire 2265 Honda powered log splitter. I’ve never cared much about log splitters until we moved out here, where now I seem to have a new tree fall every time it rains, and I’m splitting way too many pieces of firewood with a chainsaw. Mark said he originally rented one of these nearly 10 years ago, and he’s been hooked on them ever since. This new version has a log lifter, which gets more and more useful as you get older, and it clearly has no problem splitting wood, especially when paired up with generic orchestral rock. Now a tool with this kind of power does NOT come cheap, ringing up at nearly $3,500 when specked out like Marks. But if you’re gonna be splitting a crap ton of wood, the Split-Fire is clearly up to the task.
Shop Tool Reviews | Ryobi Zero Turn
The Zed 6 wasn’t the only battery powered zero turn we ran into this week, Tim over at shop Tool Reviews got his hands on the Ryobi 48-volt brushless 54 in zero-turn. At first glance the Ryobi looks similar to the EGO, and even comes in at the exact same price, but the biggest difference is in the battery technology. While the EGO runs on the same high-end Lithium-Ion battery packs that all EGO tools use, the Ryobi runs on 4 large 12volt lead-acid batteries that run in series making 48v. And those Lead Acid batteries are only warranted for 1 year. But besides that, Tim was really impressed with the power and performance of the 5 high powered brushless motors, quiet operation, and the convenience of not dealing with gas, oil, belts, or pulleys. For his full review head over to Shop Tool Reviews.
Mechanical Hub | Rems Cento Pipe Cutter
Every time we visit the Mechanical Hub, we learn something new, and typically find a tool that makes us want to be plumbers or HVAC pros. This week was no different, as Eric demoed a Rems Cento Pipe Cutter. This thing is a benchtop pipe cutter that Eric mounted to his PACKOUT stack. It’s got a base of rollers for holding your pipe, while an adjustable cutter raises or lowers allowing you to cut pipe with up to a 4” diameter. It can cut copper, stainless steel, steel tubing, iron pipes and plastic, just about any kind of pipe you’d want to cut. It has a foot pedal on-off switch, and as you can see it make quick work of just about anything you put on it. Again, I don’t cut a lot of pipe. As a matter of fact, I haven’t cut ANY pipe this week. But somehow, I need this tool. Eric walks us through cutting several different materials, talks about additional options, and even a few limitations. If you want to cut some pipe this weekend, be sure to head to Mechanical Hub before you do.
Ohio Power Tool | Igloo Coolers
And Last but not least, our friends over at Ohio Power Tool have continued a new series called Right Tool for the Job, and this week they’re testing 5 different Igloo coolers, to find out which one is right for you and your job site. To do that, they filled each one with ice, and then let them sit for days and days until the ice finally melts. I don’t usually need a cooler to keep things cool for days, but sure enough, some of these coolers kept ice for 5 freak’n days! I had no idea! Their test room even got up to 78 degrees at one point, which I believe, because if you’ve watched this show from the beginning, you’ll recognize that background. That’s the room where our show started nearly 4 years ago. And yeah, that room got hot. So if you’re looking for a new cooler that will stay cold longer than you could possibly need it to, head over to Ohio Power Tool for the best choice.
Outro
Last week we got a sneak peek at the future of Milwaukee, which you can watch right here. I want to thank FLEX, Ohio Power Tool, and Keeps for sponsoring this episode. Guys, we couldn’t do it without you. If you liked this episode, give it a thumbs up and if you loved it, we hope that you subscribe. Have a safe weekend, and I’ll see you next week!