Next Up on Week In Review, Honda blows us away with a new robot, Milwaukee blows us away with a new saw and Andrew, well he just blows everything away. This is the Power Tool Week In Review. 2/21/20
This is the all new M18 Fuel 8” metal cutting circular saw. Model 2982, this is the largest cordless metal cutting circular saws Milwaukee has ever made. Their primary focus is their claim that it generates 15A corded power, but cuts faster. They even go so far as to suggest you can cut through 1” plate steel and 2” black pipe. The 8” blade provides a 2 and 9/16” max cutting capacity, and an electric blade brake brings it to a quick stop when you’re done cutting through the BS. Big Steel. The saw is said to be made available this April, and you can pre-order yours today at OhioPowerTool.com.
Vince is wearing his safety glasses, and warning us of a dirty truth the manufacturers do NOT want you to know… Probably. This time Vince is convinced that the blade manufacturers want you to throw out your blades when they stop cutting, instead of cleaning or resharpening them. I guess that’s true. I don’t know. What I do know, is that after watching this video I went and cleaned all our blades! If you want to learn how to extend the life of your carbide blade, hit up Vince at VCG Construction on YouTube.
We didn’t make it to the International Builder’s show in Vegas this year, or any year for that matter. But no worries. Keefer the Toolaholic made it, and shared a video with his favorite finds from the show. Among them was the Smart Flower, a self deploying and sun seeking solar power system that automatically follows the sun for optimal exposure and energy generation. He also found a mint flavored toothpaste that holds bricks to the wall. If you didn’t make it to IBS 2020, you can catch the highlights at Toolaholic on YouTube.
This is Andrew, commander of the kite army. And he’s… well… just watch. Yup, that’s a custom rig made of bamboo, holding not 4, not 5 but 6 EGO 650 CFM Blowers. Probably because… I don’t know. Do we need a reason? Can’t we just enjoy a grown man getting his yard work done 6 times faster than the rest of us? Funny thing is, this isn’t even his final form. Andrew actually got a hold of TEN of these monsters, and says he has MANY plans for them. That, I don’t doubt. To be sure you don’t miss any of his upcoming hi-jinks, be sure to visit and subscribe to Kite Army on YouTube.
If he doesn’t make a go kart, I’m going to head to his house and steal them to do it myself. For our last stop on YouTube, we’re gonna swing by Mark Thomas Builder. Mark got his hands on Milwaukee’s highly popular M18 Fuel Dual Bevel 12” Sliding Miter Saw. Wherever he is, it’s only 30 degrees outside, which is likely to put a bit of strain on a battery powered saw. To test that theory he drops in a fully charged 12AH, HIGH OUTPUT M18 Red Lithium battery. Mark heads outside to see how many 2x4s he can cut on a single charge. To find the answer, and learn a bit more about Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel Dual Be…. the saw, visit Mark Thomas Builder on YouTube.
Our first story this week comes from the geniuses over at Honda, who decided humans were terrible at driving their quads, and decided to let a computer do it. This is the Honda AWV, or Autonomous Work Vehicle. And Honda is looking for someone to love him. Specifically they’re on the prowl for industry partners who can help put this little guy to work! At it’s most basic, the AWV is a programmable cargo hauler, that can be taught to follow complex paths or even be told to follow someone around on it’s own. But that’s just the beginning. The rail accessory mounting system and on-board power plugins could be used to give the AWV new abilities, and tackle more jobs. If you think you have a job for the Honda AWV, there’s literally an email address you can use to reach out to the team.
Let’s be honest, you hate orange barrels. We ALL Do… but I’m willing to bet a few construction guys are gonna hate them a little bit more than you do. This is nanny barrel…. What? Oh I’m sorry. This is SmartBarrel. It’s a time clock for the jobsite, that mounts to an orange construction barrel. This solar powered kiosk takes your phone number, cost code and a photo of your pearly whites and clocks you in. Thus making it impossible to have Tony “clock in for you” because you left one of your work boots in the bar last night. The real benefits are for the honest employees who want a convenient way to clock in, and the assurance that they’ll get the correct pay, and the employer doesn’t have to put invasive apps on their empoyee’s phones. I know I should like this thing, but I hate barrels SO MUCH… for more info on the smartbarrel, and the rest of your construction industry news, visit construction junkie dot com.