Dewalt Random Orbital Sander Power Tool Review

We reviewed the Dewalt orbital sander model number DW423K.

Specifications - Dewalt Random Orbital Sander Model - DW423K

Amps - 2
OPM - 12,000
Volts - 120
Size - 5″
Cord Length - 10 Ft.
Weight - 3.8 Lbs.
Other Features
Electronic Variable Speed
Dual Plane Counter Balance Fan
Dust Sealed Switch
Carrying Case
Control Finishing System

As a woodworker, you need to produce a nice surface for a variety of reasons.  Knowing this, we decided to test an orbital sander for this power tool review.  We found a Dewalt Random Orbital Sander at tylertool.com as a factory reconditioned tool, so we thought we would give this a test.

Our first impression was good.  If you have been following our other reviews you know we love carrying cases, and the Dewalt random orbital sander has its own case.  There is even room to pack some sand discs, along with other misc. items.

We wanted to run this sander through a bunch of tests, but one must remember with these tests, the sand paper will play a big part in the results.  So we tested the normal items we usually do with each power tool, but we added three additional test. One was vibration affects and arm fatigue. Another was weight applied to the sander before it bogs down. Third was how it finished work on softwood and hardwood.

Our first test was how vibration affected arm fatigue.  Dewalt uses a dual plane counter balance fan.  After using the sander for a while our hands did get tired.  The vibrations are a lot less than other orbital sanders we have used, but grabbing the sander from the top did cause some arm fatigue.  We found if you grab the sander on the side, you had more control and fatigue did not show up as soon.  We are not sure if it has to do with the tool design or the counter balance, but either way the side hold is far better.

Our second test was weight factor. Here we wanted to see how much weight could be applied before the sander would stop. For this test all we did was put a 1 inch piece of plywood down on a scale and started the sander up.  Well for a 2amp motor, we were impressed. At full speed we  were able to push down to 50lbs and the sander still didn’t bog.  Our scale only went to 50lbs.  On the slow speed or number 1 position at 40lbs we could hear the sander start to strain, but it was still going at 50lbs.  Not sure why you would every want to apply this much pressure with an orbital sander, but if need be it can handle this.

Our last test was the finish on softwood and hardwood.  A lot of this has to do with the sandpaper, the pressure you apply and your variable speed setting.  We still wanted to look and monitor the Dewalt Sander.  We used a variety a different grits with different speeds on both softwood and hardwood.  If you sand and use the correct speed for every type of wood, the final finish came out looking great.  We even applied stain to help bring out any blemishes, but for the most part, this was not a finicky power tool. Therefore, you do not have to be dead on to produce perfect finishes.

Over all, our power tool review of the Dewalt random orbital sander is great. We were extremely impressed with this power tool.  We like the dust covered power switch, the dust collector and the variable speed.  If you are a woodworker, you will need an orbital sander. We would recommend getting a new model, as we bought this during their closeout special.

Pro’s - Variable speed, low vibration, case, nice work output

Con’s - Grabbing from the top did produce a little fatigue, this is an older sander.

Professional Power Tool Guide Rating
Performance

The performance of the Dewalt sander was great. The main items, like vibrations, were very low. Most of the power seems to be transferred to your work, not your arm.

Ease of Use

The sander is very easy to use when looking for that sweet spot for speed and pressure, depending upon what type of material you are sanding

Features

The Dewalt random orbital sander is very nice because it has the random setting to get the correct speed.

Feel

This sander has low vibrations, but holding this sander on the top did cause some fatigue in our arm, while holding the sander on the side let us work for longer periods of time.

Overall

Over all the Dewalt random orbital sander is a very nice sander. We like the power and low vibrations. We are giving it a 4 blade rating instead of 5 because it is an older model and our arm did get a little fatigued. We would suggest acquiring a current model, as this is a nice little power tool.

Milwaukee Drill Power Tool Review

         

    

We reviewed the Milwaukee 1/2″ corded drill model number 0302-20.  If you are looking for a power house drill, take a look at this Milwaukee drill

Specifications - Milwaukee 1/2″ Corded Drill Model - 0302-20

 

Ever power tool owner needs to own a corded drill.  It’s not one of the main tools in a handy mans arsenal, but when you need power, its a must.  For most applications, you can get away with a cordless drill system, especially with today’s quick charge packages.  But even with all the advancements, the battery power drill still can not compete with the over all power and continuous work load of a corded drill.  So we wanted to test a corded drill and decided on the Milwaukee Corded 1/2″ drill which we bought at Tylertool.com.

We went with the 1/2″ because of its chuck size, they also offer a smaller version in the 1/4″ and 3/8″.  The first item we noticed, Milwaukee doesn’t offer to many cases for their drills, which is always nice to have, but not a necessity.  After we unwrapped the drill and put it in our hands, we made one unfair judgment , and that was with regards the balance of the Milwaukee drill.  The weight is towards the front, so if you are a one handed power tool user, while keeping your other hand free, you arm will get very tired.  Now that we made that unfair judgment, lets get back to reality.  First, this type of drill is made to use with two hands and secondly, for most applications the drill will be pointed towards the floor, so balance on this drill is not a huge issue.

We ran the Milwaukee Drill through a bunch of tests for durability, heat output, power output and the longevity of the Milwaukee Corded drill.  Because we don’t want to get into a long winded review, we will focus on two of the corded drill power tool tests we performed.

The first test was for a practical application, mixing stuff.  When you mix a heavy material, only a corded drill will work and even this can put some strain on a drill.  In fact for mixing you should be using a bigger drill such as the Milwaukee Super Hole Shooter, otherwise you can burn a drill out in no time. Because this is more than a corded drill should do, we thought we would mix up a batch of Ardex.  Ardex is a self leveling concrete and patch mix.  We grabbed our 30 Gallon barrel and dumped two bags in and threw some water on top, enough to make the mix stay fairly dry and hard to turn.  We wanted to see how much heat we could build up on the drill and see if we could pop a 15 amp circuit. We started out slow and then turned it up.  After getting the mixture as a hard paste, the drill kept on turning like it was just playing with us. In fact, the mixer bit stuck in the mix and all we ended up doing was spinning the 30 gallon drum filled with two heavy bags of Ardex and the water.  I think it was harder on us then the drill. We had two hold onto the drill tight.  Even the big guy had a hard time holding the drill. Well, we finally stopped and added more water to keep the drill moving and it mixed it great.  We ended up not popping any breakers, and the drill got a little warm, but not extremely hot.  We were going to measure the torque, but when we got the torque meter out of the truck we realized it was broken. Maybe next time!

The second test we ran was using a 3/4″ drill bit (shank size was 1/2″) to drill holes into a 4×4 with a clay ground underneath.  This test would let us get a good handle on starting and stopping the drill in a quick fashion, plus making the Milwaukee drill do some heavy work with the bit and hitting the clay.  One of the major things we learned about this drill is you better use two hands.  One of the guys wasn’t paying attention and the drill bit on something, let me tell you this bad boy has some serious power. Anyway, we drilled about 60 holes through 3 stacked 4×4s and then hitting about an inch of clay.  Again this drill did the work without stalling or getting to hot. 

Over all, our power tool review of the Milwaukee Corded Drill is EXCELLENT. Light in weight, with the Quick Lok feature, the bit will not come out of the chuck and best of all, lots of power.  If you are looking for a corded drill, go with this Milwaukee Drill as you will not be disappointed.  If you don’t need the 1/2″ go with a nice 3/8″.  You can see all the specifications or buy this power tool at Tylertool.com

Pro’s - Excellent Power, Chuck hold bit in place, Light weight, Power Cord Quick Lok

Con’s - Doesn’t come with a case

Professional Power Tool Guide Rating
Value

There is no questioning of value here. You get a lot more tool and power than we expected for the price.

Performance

The Milwaukee drill performed well above our expectations. We thought we could get it to heat up easy, but we failed. Ran cool and performed awesome.

Ease of Use

Its a drill, how much easier does it get. Put the bit in and hold on to this drill.

Feel

This is a drill you can pick up and right away feel good craftsmanship in the product. When you run the Milwaukee drill, you can feel the power.

Overall

This is a must own power tool if you are looking for a corded drill for heavy duty use. We love the power it produced, we just wish it had a case, but again Milwaukee makes some very nice tool bags that this would fit in. The 360 degree rotation handle is extremely nice because it allows the user to operate the drill at any angle and still be able to use two hands. Over all the Milwaukee drill is a great drill.

Bosch Bulldog Rotary Hammer Power Tool Review

              

              

The Boschdog 11224 VSR is a workhorse.  This Rotary hammer drill has a lot of great features and is very easy on the hands and your wallet.

Specifications - Bosch Bulldog Rotary Hammer Model - 11224 VSR
Amps - 6.9
Volts - 120
BPM - 0 - 6,150
RPM - 0 - 1,100
Cord Length - 8 Ft.
Weight - 6.25 Lbs.
Other Features
SDS 7/8″
D Handle
Chisel Lock into 36 Different Positions
Modes - Hammer, Drill, Rotary Hammer
Carrying Case
Depth Gauge

 

Bosch makes some of the best power tools in the world and the Bosch Bulldog Rotary Hammer is a perfect example. Right  out of the box, the first item we noticed was the case and the big Bosch logo.  When opening the case, we noticed a lot of room, more than enough to carry bits, chisels and screws.  This is a nice feature. We know it’s only a case, but the extra room for peripheral tool parts saves trips back out to the truck.  This is the Bosch Bulldog drill we bought at tylertool.com

After picking up the tool, the first feature we noticed was the weight. The Bosch Bulldog rotary hammer was very light and weighs in at 6.25 lbs.  I was a little surprised, I thought it would weight more. The Bosch was very easy to handle as the balance between your front hand and rear hand is nice.  On the front of the tool, you can change back and fourth to drill, hammer or rotary hammer with a well placed dial.  The handle is a “D” handle, meaning it gives a user more control when using it over your head or on the ground.  The “D: handle is a very nice feature because control is important when using this type of power tool.  The only downside to a D handle is sometimes its harder to get into tight spots, but that’s not a bad trade off! We really like the SDS system. The bit locks into place by pulling back the chuck and dropping it in.  The SDS system is nice if you are using a variety of different bits or chisels. The down side to an SDS system is that the bits tend to be a little more expensive, but we think they are well worth the extra cost.

We ran the Bosch Rotary Hammer through some tests.  We used a chisel to break up some brick and drilled holes for Tapcons.  We performed some other tests, but these were the main two tests we wanted to monitor.

The first test was using a chisel to break up some brick that was laid in a cement walkway.  Again with the SDS bit system, the chisel locked right into place with no hassles.  We set the dial to Hammer and went to town.  The D handle was very nice as we could control the Bosch hammer very easily. We busted up about half the walk way rather quickly (18 minutes) and we didn’t feel a lot of strain on our backs.  The tool ran rather cool as we didn’t feel a lot of heat produced from the Bosch Rotary Hammer.  After we were half done, we tried another Rotary Hammer (Different brand name that we will put into another review).  This one didn’t have a D handle and we could tell from the start this made a big difference.  When we finished the last part of the walkway, we were a little more tired for two reasons.  (By the way, it took us 26 minutes to finish the second half). First, we were a little more tired partly due to the absence of the D handle. Second was the power transfer.  On the Bosch we couldn’t tell how much power it was transferring to the work, but after using another manufacture for the last half, we could really see that the Bosch was transferring more of the power to the chisel instead of back into the power tool.  Over all the Bosch was a great tool for this job. Great balance, but the best discovery was how much power it transferred to the work instead of your body.

The next test was to put anchors into concrete walls.  For this we used the Condrive 1000 Tapcon system.  This was a no- brainer.  The Bosch Bulldog Rotary hammer knocked this out without breaking a sweat.  Again, when we did it on the ceiling, wall or floor, it was very easy to control.  As long as you match the bit to the right screw, you could fly through this without stripping a screw.  Once you set the depth on the Bulldog, it was no problem.  The only minor obstacle we ran into was the screws.  When we used the tapcon screws, we could really get them to bit and hold with no problem.  The off brand screws wouldn’t always hold or the heads broke rather easily, but this is more due to the screw or human error, not the Bosch Bulldog. 

We ran a couple more tests to rate durability, but we had a hard time getting this tool to run hot. It runs very cool.  Over all this is a great Rotary Hammer. So if you are looking at getting a Rotary Hammer, definitely take a look at the Bosch Bulldog.

Pro’s - D Handle, good transfer of power, SDS system, great power

Con’s - It depends on what you are using this hammer for. If you are looking to get into tight areas, its not bad with the D handle, but could prevent some movement.

Professional Power Tool Guide Rating
Value

You get a lot of power and a lot of tool for the price. This was a test on the 7/8″, for a little more money you can get the 1″ SDS which might be better.

Performance

The are no questions about the performance. It Does everything you want. More than enough power.

Ease of Use

As with most of Bosch power tools, this is very easy to handle and also has great balance.

Features

With the Hammer, Drill or Rotary hammer, there are more than enough ways to get the job done. The trigger is very easy to hold to get the right speed.

Balance

This tool has good balance. The forward part of the power tool has a good balance by itself. With the D handle you can easily control your work. You will end up getting tired because of the ability to keep on working with a well balanced tool.

Feel

This is an extremely solid power tool. When you pick this rotary hammer up, you can feel the balance. It doesn’t seem cheap. Just one of those good power tools to hold in your hand.

Overall

Overall we are giving this a “5 Blade” The Bosch rotary Hammer has great balance, lots of power and the SDS system makes it easy to change bits on the go. The case has more than enough room to store bits and screws, which is a nice feature.

 

Milwaukee Sawzall Power Tool Review

       

          

Specifications - Milwaukee Sawzall Model - 6521-21

Amps - 11
Watts - 1,300
Volts - 120
Stroke Lengths - 1-1/4 in.
Strokes Per Minute - 0 to 3,200 SPM
Cord Length - 10 Ft. (Quick-Lok)
Weight - 8.9 Lbs.

Other Features
Ball and Roller Bearings
Orbital Action
Linear Counterbalance (Reduces Vibrations)
Tool Free Blade Change
Adjustable Shoe
Carrying Case

 

This is one of my favorite power tools and that was one of the reasons we did a power tool review on the Milwaukee Sawzall.  I truly love everything about this and can not find one item to complain about.  The Milwaukee Sawzall is a power tool used to destroy, so it is even more important to buy a good quality tool as more accidents happen during tear down.  The body is put through more stress during tear downs, which can cause fatigue quickly without the right tool! We went to tylertool.com and bought this Sawzall.

First impression when picking up the Milwaukee Sawzall power tool is “Solid”.  It has some good weight to it, but not to much, (8.9lbs) which helps in this type of application.  The rubber grips feel nice in your hands which means your hands will stay in place and not slide around.  The variable speed control is on the lower part of the “D” handle which is nice because your not going to accidentally change speeds.  Another item we noticed from the start was the balance of the tool.  The balance of this tool was perfect.  Some weight in the front that helps the tool cut, while the back was easy to move around.  The Quick-Lok feature is one of the best ideas to come along in a long time.  Since this tool is used to destroy, chances are you will ruin the power cord.  Instead of having to open the tool up to change the power cord, you can just disconnect it and put a new power cord on.  I don’t know how many cords I have ruined over the years, causing unnecessary down time for the tool. Not with this tool, just plug in a new cord and go.

We ran this tool through a number of tests, including, cutting 4×4, railroad ties, a lot of black pipe, plaster walls and more.  We tried to get the tool to bog down by wedging the tool blade, using an old blade, putting dust in the motor, and more.  We could not get this tool to stop or even bog down.  Yes, you can tell the difference between a sharp blade and dull blade, but that doesn’t have to do with the tool.  We thought we could get the tool to slow down with the railroad tie because it is wood covered in Creosote and has a steel s bar in the middle of the tie.  We did rip through a couple blades, but partly because we tried a wood blade for the metal because when you get to the middle of a tie, you are cutting metal and wood.  We ended up ripping through the center with a metal blade and a small amount of orbital action.  Another nice feature is you can adjust how much orbital action you want.  The collar that holds the blade is also an awesome feature.  With all we put this tool through, the blade never slipped out.  We even put the blade in a vice and used a pulley system to try and rip the blade out.  We ended up lifting the work bench up in the air.  So we had two guys sit on the table and still couldn’t get the blade to budge.  After all this when we did take the blade out, I thought it might be hard to get out, but nope, just a simple turn and it came right out like it was supposed to.  All in all we could not get this power tool to bog down.  We did rip through a lot of blades, but that’s about it. 

After using the tool for a long time, our arms felt fine.  We were not fatigued due to balance or vibrations.  Again, this is one of the biggest keys to a tool of this type.

Over all, our power tool review of the Milwaukee Sawzall is EXCELLENT. We were extremely impressed with this power tool.  This is a must own for anyone who plans on buying a reciprocating saw.  There are a lot of other great manufacturers out there, but the Milwaukee Sawzall truly has very nice unique features.  Take a look at tylertool.com if you are interested in getting this or another reciprocating saw.

Pro’s - Where to start. I love everything about this tool. The Quick-Lok, the blade system, the balance, the feel.

Con’s - I really can not think of any negatives to this tool. If I want to get picky, I guess the only con I can find is they should include some more blades.

Professional Power Tool Guide Rating
Value

We believe the value for this tool is incredible, one of the best values around. When you compare what this reciprocating saw has compared to the competition, this is hands down one of the best tools. Milwaukee’s unique Quick-Lok and blade lock make this tool even a better value compared to its competition.

Performance

The performance of the Milwaukee Sawzall is incredible. This is only an 11 amp tool, and more than enough power, I could only image the 13 amp. We tried to bind the tool to get the motor to stop and couldn’t do it. If you are not holding on tight, it will probably come out of your hand before you can get the motor to shut down.

Ease of Use

The Milwaukee Sawzall is extremely easy to use. The variable speed and orbital action are easy to reach and adjust. The blade lock is also easy to use and figure out. There are no tight parts that get stuck or need a lot of muscle to use.

Features

The Milwaukee Sawzall has all the important features from slow to extremely fast variable speed action. The orbital is truly orbital, as opposed to some reciprocating saws that only orbital a little bit. The Milwaukee has enough action to make a difference for cutting wood.

Balance

This tool really takes two hands to use and has a very nice balance. There was no arm or body fatigue due to the tool. The workers front hand is perfect for holding the tool while the back hand is easily used for adjusting angles.

Feel

This is an extremely solid power tool. When you pick the tool up in your hands you can feel it right from the start. Cutting wood, metal or anything else, the low vibrations (Compared to other reciprocating saws) it a lot easier in on your hands.

Overall

This is a must own power tool for anyone. If you are a professional or home user, I wouldn’t consider any other reciprocating saw. The Milwaukee Sawzall is hands down the best reciprocating saw we have used. When this tool was designed they thought about everything from making the cord easy to change to the quick change blade system that truly locks the blade in place. I could go on and on about how much I love this power tool. If you all ready own it, you understand me. If you don’t own this tool, once you try it, you will see why I love it and used this as our first power tool review.

 

Porter Cable Router Power Tool Review

     

         

    

We reviewed the Porter Cable Router.  Porter Cable is known for their routers being tough and a workhorse and this time is no different.

Specifications - Porter Cable Router Model - 690LR

Amps - 11
HP - 1 3/4
Volts - 120
RPM - 27,500
Height - 8″
Cord Length - 7 Ft.
Weight - 8. Lbs.

Other Features
1/4″ & 1/2″ Collets
Auto Release collet
Micrometer depth adjustment - 1/128″
100% Sealed Ball Bearings
Carrying Case

 

We have always liked the Porter Cable Routers, but they still need to go through our power tool review steps.  We ended up buying this router at tylertool.com.  The first thing we noticed  was the case.  When we opened the case, the router was a tight fit.  We usually like a little room for bits or other items that belong with the tool.  We took the router out, unpacked everything, and tried to put it back.  Obviously it fits back into the case, but there is no room for any other related items.

At first we though it might be heavier than  the weight of 8lbs.  After picking it up we found that it was extremely light because of the machined aluminum case and base it is made from.  This is good news! You want a lighter router because you don’t want to fight the weight of the tool. Heavier tools create more force when used, and this can wear a user out. 

The 1/4″ and the 1/2″ is a nice feature because most workers have both sizes of router bits.  Putting the router bits in place is a breeze.  The router comes with two wrenches that will let you tighten or loosen the collet.  This is much easier if you set the router on a workbench instead of tying to hold on to the router.  We were a little skeptical of the auto release system that keeps the bits from freezing up in the tool.  Anyone who has ever had this happens knows it is very annoying.  After setting the router up, the rest was a breeze.  There is a t-bolt that will let you adjust the height of the router, this is a snap.  Once you have the router at the proper height, you can fine tune the height using the micrometer adjustment. This is just a ring you turn with your hand.  You can adjust it up to 1/128″

We started out with some sharp bits and ran it through pine.  The router ate through that easily.  The router just laughed at us.  We went to a harder wood, oak, and then walnut.  Again, it ran through these without heating up.  Yes, we did have a sharp blade, but as a craftsman you should know that having a sharp blade is extremely important.  Well, we were bored with this testing rather quick because the router was handling everything with ease.  So we ran the router blade over a bunch of plywood, hoping the blade would dull down from the glue.  Well, the router ran through that test fine. The bits didn’t dull as quickly as we had hoped, so we filed them dull and tried the test again. Through the pine, the router ran fine. Then the oak and Walnut caused the motor to fight a little for some air.  We did have a big bit and had it set deep.  We took that bit out of the tool and it did slide out with no effort, so the auto release system seemed to work fine, but we weren’t done testing it yet!

We put the bit back in and tightened it as much as possible.  We then beat on the side of the bit to jam it in there.  We also dropped the router straight on the top of the bit and then gave it a couple whacks with a hammer.  We basically did everything possible to make sure the bit would not come out, even though no one in their right mind would do all these things.  Next, we loosened the collet, and this time the bit didn’t come right out.  We did wiggle it, and pulled with a pair of pliers and with that, the router bit came out.  This told us two things.  First, under normal wear and tear,  the auto release system should work well, and the bits should not get stuck.  Second, once the bit is in the router, it will stay in the router.  You shouldn’t have any worries about it coming out, unless you want it to.

All the other tests we ran the router through passed with flying colors.  We dropped the tool a couple different times and it held up fine.  The max height we used for the drops was 7 feet.  I was pleasantly  surprised that the base of plastic didn’t crack.

With a couple of tricks, this router was very easy to turn into a table router for use on a table saw extension. This makes the tool that much more attractive.

After using the tool for a long time, our arms felt fine.  We did not experience any vibrations what so ever.

Over all, our power tool review for the Porter Cable router is EXCELLENT. We were extremely impressed with this power tool.  This router has great power and wonderful features. Any craftsman should be proud to have this router in his/her wood shop.  You can read all the statistics and if you are interested in buying this router, go to tylertool.com as we had a great experience.

Pro’s - Good power, Comes with 1/4″ and 1/2″ collets, will also accept 3/8″, Depth Adjustment, Seal power switch.
Con’s - Case is very small - tight fit for the router

Professional Power Tool Guide Rating

Value

We believe you get a good amount of power and a great quality router for a reasonable price. There are more than enough options and features to justify this router, not that it needs justification.

Performance

The 1 3/4 amp motor is more than sufficient to to rip through anything, especially with sharp blades.

Ease of Use

The Porter Cable router is extremely easy to use. The t-bolt is extremely easy to adjust heights and the micrometer adjustment makes it a snap to set the router to any height.

Features

For our Porter Cable review, this model offers a fair amount of features, such as sealed on/off switch, sealed ball bearing, 1/4″ and 1/2″ collets and an auto release collet system.

Balance

This tool has good balance. You definitely need two hands to hold and use this power tool. As soon as you turn this router on, you can feel the power, but it seems like it stays right between your two hands. Some routers we have used try to break away from your hands, not the Porter Cable.

Feel

This is an extremely solid power tool. The machined Aluminum makes the tool lighter, but still gives it a nice solid feel.

Overall

This is a must own power tool for any craftsman. If you are looking for a fixed base router, the Porter Cable router is a great piece of machinery to own. Nice solid feel, good balance, nice features and great power.

 

Skil Bit & Blade Kit Power Tool Review

                   

Specifications - Skil Drill Bit & Saw Blade Combo Kit

Features
Hard Case
43 Bit Drill Kit
1 - 7 1/4″Carbide Framing Blade
1 - 7 1/4″ Steel Plywood Blade

We placed an order last week at Tylertool.com for some new cordless tools to test and saw the Skil Drill Bit & Saw Blade combo kit on sale. It was a great deal, so we decided to buy and review the kit.

Over the years we have seen a lot of these kits made by varies companies.  Most of the kits are good, but you will always find something in the kit that you either do not use or is cheap junk.  When we bought this kit, we weren’t sure what we would find.  Considering it is a Skil kit, we had high hopes for no junk, maybe just some useless sizes to get their bit count up. 

When we opened the case and took a look, we could see we were wrong.  The 3 nut setters are the most common used, the drill bits and bit inserts were also useable sizes all the way up to 1/4″.  A 1/2″ bit would have been nice, but again this kit was very inexpensive, so we new that wasn’t part of the package.  The screw guide was also very nice and strong.  The magnet was very strong.  We have seen a lot of magnet screw guides that don’t hold up much weight, but this one could very easily pick up 5 - 3″ screws, which is more than enough to keep the screw tight for any screwing position.

The test we ran was very simple and straight forward.  For the Saw blades we cut Oak 4×4 with our saw, and Oak plywood with the Plywood blade.  The Framing blade help up well. It took us a long time before the blade started to dull and cause some wood burning, but no quicker than other Carbide blades we testing in the past.  The Plywood blade dulled a bit quicker, but it’s steel and we were cutting 1″ Oak plywood.  Most of the time this blade will be cutting Grade B/C plywood and will last a little longer.

To test the bit inserts, we used harden screw heads and applied a light pressure to see how well the bits would hold up before they stripped.  Again they lasted about the same time as other bits of the same quality.

Overall we were very impressed with the quality of the blades and inserts.  We really like how the case is designed. You can carry four blades and all the popular sizes of bits and inserts in one place.  For the price, the Skil combo kit is a very good deal.

So if you are looking at getting a nice quality kit, definitely take a look at the Skil Kits.

Pro’s - Great case, Carry everything in one place. Can carry up to four saw blades. Magnetic bit holder is very strongCon’s - Only one! Just wish the plywood blade was Carbide

Professional Power Tool Guide Rating
OverallOverall for the price this is a very nice kit. It gives you a wide assortment of bits, plus two saw blades. The only reason we gave this a 4 out of 5 was because the plywood blade was steel instead of Carbide. Other than that, this is a very nice kit and great way to have everything you need in one central place.

Skil Worm Drive Saw Power Tool Review

Specifications- Skilsaw Worm Drive

Amps - 13.0
Volts - 120
RPM (No Load) - 4,300
Cord Length - 8 Ft.

Other Features
Carrying Case
D Handle
Anti Kick Back Design
Oil Pressure relief bellow

What do you think of when you think of bandages? Band Aid. You don’t ask someone for a tissue, you ask them for Kleenex. Well the Skilsaw is the same way. You don’t ask someone for the circular saw, you ask for the Skilsaw, no matter what brand you are thinking of. The reason is simple, Skil makes one of the best worm drives available. In this review we tested an older model called the Skilsaw Professional. Skil makes a newer model that has a magnesium case. This makes the tool lighter. To take a look at the new models you can go to tylertool.com and see the difference.

A worm drive is different than an in-line saw. We have an articlethat talks about the differences. A worm drive is a true professional circular saw, lots of power. Skil, which is owned by Bosch, has one of the most well know types of work drives on the market called the Skilsaw. The Skilsaw we tested is one incredible saw. Before we tested the saw, we went to a job site where it was going to get a lot of use cutting 1″ sheets of plywood for concrete pouring. On the 3rd floor they were cutting Maple and Oak pillar sides, so we also had this saw cutting some hard wood. We gave this saw to Jimmy because we knew he would be tough on it. He’s the type of guy who abuses tools before, during, and after use! You know this type of guy, he abuses tools because they aren’t his own! 

After we got the Skilsaw back, it looked like it went through a concrete mixer and was about 85 years old. We didn’t get much verbal feedback from Jimmy, so we ran some of our own test. First we changed the blade because three teeth were bent. We know this Circular saw has power and that was not the issue, so we wanted to test the anit-kickback system and oil relief.

The first thing we did was cut through some Oak 4×4’s. We wanted it so once the saw was in the center of the cut, the wood would bind on the blade. This is always a scary test because if you have every had a worm drive kick back, it can be violent and hurt like heck. I think I would rather be tazed than have a worm drive kick back. Well actually neither of them sound appealing. Anyway, we got the wood to bind, but we couldn’t get the saw to kick back or even slow down. No matter how many times we ran this test in different situations, we couldn’t get the oil to leak out anywhere either. We even ran the Skilsaw through so many cuts we got our Carbide blade to dull.

All in all we had fun with the Skilsaw. We are going to test the new version soon with video and more. Because this is an older version, we didn’t go as in-depth as the new review will be!

Pro’s - Plenty of power to rip through anything, great balance or as good as balance you will get for a worm drive.
Con’s - A little heavy, but again this is an older model. The new models are about 3 lbs lighter.

Professional Power Tool Guide Rating
Value

For a worm drive, you get a lot of power, good options and what we feel is a great value

Performance

The are no questions about the performance. It Does everything you want. More than enough power.

Ease of Use

The Skil saw is very easy to use. Depth adjustments and more are easy.

Balance

The balance is great for a worm drive, but again, the way a motor sits with a worm drive, they tend to be a little heavier than in line saws.

Feel

This is an extremely solid power tool. When you press the trigger and start cutting, you know it will cut what you want, and without hesitation.

Overall

Overall we are giving this a “5 Blade” Skil owns the worm drive market. These tools are made to last. If you are considering a worm drive saw, the Skil is the number one choice!

You can buy A Skil Worm Drive direct through Tylertool.com.

Be Careful of Power Tool Reviews

At professional-power-tool-guide.com we always love to read other people’s power tool reviews, even though we test and review power tools here.  While some people present valid reviews, once in a while we see reviews that are so far off we have to laugh.  One example of this is a recent Popular Mechanic review here.  Now we are not ridiculing Popular Mechanics, we are just commenting on a particular review.

Everyone is entitled to write one bad review, and Popular Mechanics  gets the prize this time with regards to the reciprocating saw.  What’s just as bad,  we found other blogs that took this review and published it without even thinking twice about it.  Anyway, when you read reviews on power tools, make sure the writer is comparing apples to apples.  Is it the same amps, same HP, is one tool meant for the jobsite and the other a home user?  Are they using the same blade and same force?

With regards to this review on reciprocating saws, we are not negative , in fact we think the Milwaukee Sawzall is the best reciprocating saw on the market.  Persoanlly, for the money, we like the 13 amp over the 15 amp.  The Dewalt, Craftsman and Black and Decker are all very nice reciprocating saws.

There are a couple of reasons we don’t like this review.  First the amps are not even the same.  The Milwaukee has 15 amps, Dewalt has 13 amps, Craftsman has 12 amps and the Black and Decker has only 9.5 amps.  Now in a sense amps measure the electrical current, not the power, but amps do indirectly let us know about the power of the tool.  There is a big difference between  15 amps and 9.5 amps.

Second mistake on this review is the blade comparison. While the video doesn’t show the Black and Decker being tested, on the picture they have a wood blade, not a multi pupose blade.  This might just be a stock photo, and duing the test a multi purpose blade was used.

The third item is the manufacturers.  While we think it is ok to compare the Milwaukee to a Dewalt because these are professional power tools, the Black and Decker doesn’t fit as these are designed for a weekend warrior or home use.  Again, there is nothing wrong with a Black and Decker. This saw just doesn’t belong in this review comparison. The review would have been better comparing just popular professional tools. 

 The Tiger Saw by Porter Cable is a great saw.  Another is the Makita.  We think a better or more accurate test would have been a Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, Hitachi and Porter Cable. All with the same, or close to the same amps.

In Summary, our point is when you read power tool reviews, take a close look at what people are comparing.  Are they comparing apples to apples or is it apples to oranges.  If you are looking for a reciprocating saw, we provided a couple links below to some excellent saws.

Milwaukee

Dewalt

Porter Cable

Hitachi

Bosch

Leatherman - Worth the Price?

We have received a lot of emails over the past couple of months about Leatherman tools.  I am not sure if an article came out that is stirring up all the interest or what the reason is.  Anyway, a lot of people are wondering how good these tools are and if they are really worth the price.  As a power tool advocate and POC firefighter, I think without a doubt a Leatherman tool is worth the price.  Leatherman’s are the “Swiss Army knife” of the hand tools.  Almost everyone on the department has one of these tools. They are used for punching out windows in auto accidents to changing the batteries on their PASS device.  I have yet to see a Leatherman fail in anyway.

As you can see, Leatherman offers a wide array of models avaliable to fit any needs - See all the models.  When I first saw them I wasn’t sure, but after picking one up and using it, I was sold on the Leatherman brand right away.  Even the screw drive tip is tough.  I thought this would strip right away, but after putting some good pressure on the head, it held up. 

For those who are thinking about getting one but aren’t convinced, just take a look around and see how many people have them on their belt clips.  So to answer all the questions about Leatherman, YES! They are worth the price, and depending what you are looking for, they will have the tools in a model for you.