Vise Grips - Making improvements to a classic

Vise Grips, which is an Irwin tradename, have been around for a very long time. In fact, they've been around since 1924. So what can be done to make them exciting again? Well, Irwin has made a few improvements that I learned about at product training that make sense to tell our customers about. Even if you're not a customer, I'll let you read about the changes. Just so long as you buy Irwin, mission accomplished, right?

First, they've changed up the adjusting screw just a bit. There is now a spot to use a hex key to either control the release or draw materials together. As you can see in the picture, drawing together these metal bars with springs was something they showed us, but you could be drawing together wood or metal which may not be perfectly straight, and then you'll understand the use. It's not an everyday use type of change, but it is certainly something worth noting.

They also got rid of the little flip handle on many of the new models, making them one handed quick release. The biggest hitter in this category is the 10WR, which is a 10" model. They also put overmolded cushion grips on one side to make it hurt less when you squeeze down hard. They're not dipped like some competing locking pliers - they're a true overmolded design to make sure it doesn't slip off as you're using them.

One of the more fun things they had us do with Vise Grips was to see how much closing pressure we could create with a pair. Our own Chris started out with 1 hand and got almost 1000 lbs of pressure. After trying with 2 hands, he got up as high as 1950 lbs of pressure from the jaws on the 10WR model. That seemed like a lot at the time (ok, so I should say ton since we're close to 2000 lbs of pressure), but we learned better when we got to the racetrack.


As you can see to the right, Chris got up to 1950 lbs of pressure. At the racetrack, they had rewards set up for certain levels of pressure. At one level, you'd get a Sharpie (owned by the same company), and setting a new record got you a multi-pack of Vise Grips. In the 12 and under category, the record was mid 1700's. The women's record was mid 2500's, and the overall record was over 3600. I think Chris needs to try hitting the gym before we go next time so he's not so embarrassed about his low numbers. Then again, I was smart enough to just not try it in the first place.

Overall, Vise Grips are really functional but not usually exciting. But the changes Irwin made to the Vise-Grips brand of locking pliers sure make them more interesting.

Sabertooth Tools - High Torque Screwdriver

As an employee at a large online tool retailer, I get to see many odd tools get pitched to us. One of the more interesting ones that I was recently contacted about is a high torque screwdriver. While it's not earth-shattering, it's certainly interesting.

As you can see, there is a simple flip-out "T" handle. This allows for a larger area to grip, which results in more torque. But the toys don't stop there. You see, this thing is available as a standard screwdriver or a racheting model. Stubborn screws can come out easily AND at record pace. Very nice.

While I won't be ditching my Makita cordless drill any time soon for this, I can certainly see keeping one of these in the glove box or in the drawer for those times when I need a little more leverage without all the power of my drill/driver.

I'm looking for any comments based on experience with these - are they as nice as they look? If you don't want your comment published, just say so and I'll keep it off of the blog. But this certainly looks cool and I'd love to hear from anyone that's used one.

Milwaukee Sawzalls

One item Milwaukee Tools is best known for is the Sawzall. While that's a trademarked term, other manufacturers also make them (going by the name recip saws, which is short for reciprocating saws). But what is really interesting to me is the number of models that Milwaukee makes of this type of tool. But what is the reason for making so many unique SKUs of sawzall? I'll examine the top selling models a little closer today to show what the main differences are.

Saws of interest

The models I'll be looking at today are the 6536-21 13 amp Super Sawzall, 6523-21 360° Rotating Handle Super Sawzall, 6519-22 10 amp Sawzall, 6509-22 10 amp Sawzall, and the 6509-20 10 amp sawzall.

First things first - Amps

The first thing that people usually look at with a Sawzall is the amp rating. Of these, 3 are 10 amp and 2 are 13 amp. But what does that mean? Most people think that the amp rating states how much power the tool has, but that's not necessarily the case. Matt already wrote about this, so I'll just quote his blog entry on the topic.

You know that amp rating that so many consumers use to determine how much {insert manly growl} power a tool has? It really means very little. The rating process is kind of silly. The testing labs get a tool from a manufacturer and are told "We would like to be rated for 12.0 amps". The testing lab then puts heat sensors in certain areas of the tool, and then apply the requested current to the tool... as long as the sensors do not get above a set temperature in a set amount of time, then the lab says "Hey this is a 12.0 amp tool!"

Thanks, Matt. So now that we know that amps aren't that much of a difference, what should we look at now?

Price

Price seems like something that most people would be at least somewhat interested in. Arranging these by price, we get a range from about $109 to $189. That order looks like 6509-20, 6509-22, 6519-22, 6536-21 and 6523-21 is the highest. But that doesn't really tell us what the differences are yet, now does it?

Cases

One thing that can be noticed by looking at the "Standard Equipment" on each of these tools is that the 6536-21, 6523-21, and the 6509-22 all come with a carrying case. The 6519-22 and the 6509-20 do not. In fact, the only difference between the 6509-20 and the 6509-22 is the case. For $10, it seems that many people don't want the case. Choose wisely.

Stroke Length

One of the actual differences is the stroke length. The 6509 models are 3/4" stroke, the 6519 is 1-1/8", and the 6536 and 6523 are 1-1/4" stroke lengths. What that means is the in-and-out motion is 3/4" to 1-1/4" depending on model, which leads to the ability to cut smaller / larger materials easier. For most jobs, the longer stroke length is actually a plus. If you're cutting into a wall and don't want to poke out the other side or cut hidden wires, you may want the shorter stroke. That's just something you'll need to decide.

Orbital Action

If you've used a sawzall much at all, you'll quickly find out if it has orbital action or not. When cutting wood, orbital movement allows for the cutting motion to move a bit front-to-back, which allows the sawdust to fall from the material being cut. This speeds up cutting and adds to the life of the blade. The 6509's and 6519 don't have orbital action, while the 6536 and the 6523 include this feature.

Cord Type

On the 6509 and 6536, Milwaukee uses a fixed cord. Most people prefer the Quik-lok cord available on the 6519 and 6523 models. This makes it possible to replace a cut / frayed cord without opening the tool - even at the jobsite. As with any saw, the cord can easily be cut by accident, so this is a nice feature if you'll be using the saw quite a bit.

Keyless Blade Clamps and Shoes

All of these models have a keyless blade clamp. All of the models except the 6509 also include a keyless shoe adjustment. Since most people don't even know what the shoe is for, that probably doesn't make much of a difference. If you're one of the people that understands it (hint: it allows you to use other segments of the blade), then the keyless is a nice feature to look for.

Rotating Handle

The 6523-21, while it has all of the nice features listed above, also goes one step further. It also includes a rotating handle. This is designed to make the sawzall even more versatile by allowing the handle to rotate and lock at 45° increments. It can even rotate all the way around without going back to the starting position. That's just dandy, but why would you want that? Simple - flexibility. If you're cutting and want to go right-to-left instead of top-to-bottom, rotating the handle makes that much more comfortable. It also helps keep that pesky cord out of the way when cutting in cramped areas.

V28 Cordless

While these are all electric, It'd be silly not to point out that Milwaukee also offers their V28 Cordless Sawzall for those that just can't cope with a cord all the time. I personally prefer the idea of cordless, but it's a much higher pricepoint if you're not going to be using it very often. For a couple hundred dollars less, that 6523-21 looks awfully nice to me.