Coming up next, Bill tries a new Bosch Band Saw, Kyle finds a new toy, and PTR tests a pile of circular saws. This is your Power tool week in review!
About a month ago, Clint from the tool Review Zone introduced us all to a prototype tool from a new company called Reekon, called the M1 Caliber. Well this week they got it in the hands of several more reviewers and opened up their Kickstarter. And yeah… it’s going well.
First it showed up on Tools in action where the guys geeked out over this Miter saw accessory that measures your cuts using a wheel, and displaying it on a large LCD screen. Like everyone else, they were sent a 3d printed prototype that still seemed to be well built, and as promised, made it easy to quickly make your cuts.
Then later this week Kyle from RR Buildings gave us an in-depth demonstration of the device, where he showed off some VERY precise and repeatable cuts, making the entire thing seem so effortless, I found myself wondering why this isn’t already a feature of every miter saw. Then I remembered that features cost money.
Anyways, the M1 kickstarter launched on Tuesday, with a goal of $10,000. As I record this, it’s already over $200,000, and more than 1700 backers. Not bad for 2 days. By the time you’re watching this, it will no doubt be higher. They have hinted at three different stretch goals at 350 thousand, 600 thousand and 1 million. Hopefully they’ll reach it.
It’s official everyone. The nightmare is over! The world is right once again. The Ozzies are back together! Has covid turned all of our lives upside down? Sure. But it’s all about to get a little bit getter because Mike and Dwayne are back together, and they’re bringing out the updated Makita 18V DKP181 Brushless planer, and as Mike said “It’s an absolute cracker!” The boys immediately make note that the Makita planer that’s being replaced, is so good, they weren’t sure why Makita would bother improving it, but they did! And this new one is just as good, but now benefits from the longer runtime, and added power from a brushless motor, and the inclusion of the AWS wireless connection system that makes it compatible with Makita’s popular Bluetooth vacs! Why mess with a good thing? I guess it makes sense if you make it great! You can see the full review at OZ Tool Talk on Youtube.
Bosch has set out to prove that big things come in small packages, and Bill from the Sparky Channel seems to agree. That is the Bosch 18V Compact Band Saw, that comes in at a tiny 7.3lbs. During the demo, He easily cutting 1in EMT, 2” ABS, and even 2” Metalic rigid conduit, all with one hand. Do keep in mind though, that this is Bill. He can do things you can’t. He also loved how easy it is to change the blade, the great ergonomics and the power it has thanks to the Core18V batteries. How well does this thing cut? There it is. Bill says that the 2.5” capacity makes it ideal for electrical work, but I’m sure you can find many more uses yourself. For the full review, head over to Sparky Channel on youtube.
So you want to buy a cordless circular saw. But you just can’t seem to find that enormous, hyper-detailed, over the top comparison video, packed with action shots, insightful commentary, and charts on charts? Don’t worry. PTR has ya covered. The Pro Tool Review crew is back at it again this week, this time bringing you another cordless circular saw comparo. Except, this one, goes to 11. That’s right they gathered 11 of the top battery-powered circular saws including both sidewinders and worm-drives, and put them through their usual battery of tests, and then separate the good, from the great. If you’re easily surprised by the results of power tool tests, then the results of this one, will no doubt surprise you! For the full 13 minute review, head over to Pro Tool Reviews on Youtube.
Let’s get to our construction industry news, with the Construction Junkie. Fastbrick Robotics is an Australian company that’s been developing a block laying robot called Hadrian X, and this week they hit a major new milestone. 200 blocks per hour. That’s right, this robot lays blocks to the tune of 200 per hour. Something they refer to as a quote “New Lay Speed Record”. I know many of you are expecting a joke here, but apparently I couldn’t write one that Sarah would approve. This robot doesn’t use any traditional brick or block, nor a standard mortar, but instead uses a block specifically made for this robot, and it uses an adhesive they say that can bond the blocks in only 45 minutes, and they say it holds stronger and results in greater thermal and acoustic properties than traditional mortar. Don’t worry masons. This robot still isn’t quite ready for prime time, but this new milestone suggests you might want to look into shifting careers into robotic maintenance and operation. For more information and all of your construction industry news, head over to ConstructionJunkie.com
A quick stop at Instagram brings us over to Murray at Kruger Construction who was showing off the new Dewalt Cordless Roofing Nailer, and is it quick?
Our buddy Thibault is keeping his jobsite clean with the Ego power brush, pointing out how much easier it is to control the mess over a blower on the jobsite.
Matt of Matt Bangs Wood used a bit of photoshopery to reveal his framing work in this brewery.
And finally, Sarah of ToolGirlsGarage was using the new Kobalt XTR hammer drill to revamp her home’s exterior, and asks “How often do you guys use hammer drills?” To answer that question for yourself, we’ll link to all of these instagram posts in the description below.
Just a reminder that Father’s Day is THIS Sunday, and OhioPowerTool is still running their Makita Father’s Day sale until then.
Special Thanks To EGO and Ohio Power Tool for sponsoring this episode.
And to all of the dads out there, Happy Father’s Day!