Microsoft and Ford create truck for contractors

Ford finally realized it. The truck has been the lifeblood of many contractor's businesses long enough that they partnered with Microsoft to turn a super-duty truck into a mobile office for contractors. I'd say it's about time.

Email, wireless keyboard, wireless printer, full internet access, spreadsheets... the list goes on and on. Now, if only you could install a physical mailbox and have a mailing address of "My Truck", the office would be a thing of the past.

The DeWALT Macho Man

Apparently, DeWALT thinks "Macho Men" use their tools, and this latest promotional item helps us to enjoy that view of theirs. Thanks for the gift. It's making us laugh quite a bit.

Reading Blueprints

I've never understood how to read blueprints. There are a bunch of lines, symbols, and unless you're in the know, it just seems like a bunch of junk on a piece of paper.

Well, if you're like me but actually want to know how to read a blueprint (I don't really care to right now), then DeWALT came out with a book for you. It's the Blueprint Reading Professional Reference.

In the 350 pages you'll see real-world blueprint reading examples, hundreds of charts, illustrations, formulas, laws, & symbols, and current materials which are up-to-date with industry standards.

They even realized where it was going to be kept, making the cover material flexible as well as water and oil resistant with a super-strong binding which allows the book to lay flat when open, and the large and easy-to-read text and illustrations make it useful at the jobsite while being the right size to easily fit into any pocket or toolbox.

I really didn't ever think about how much you need to know to read a blueprint, but I knew it was more than I wanted to memorize. The 350 pages pretty much cemented that opinion in my mind. If I ever have need of that, I'll be picking up the book from DeWALT.

Rotary Hammer Tests

A few months ago, we broke out a few of our D-Handle Hammer Drills and put them to a test. The lineup included the Makita HR2455, Hitachi DH24PF3, Bosch 11224VSR, Bosch 11255VSR and the Dewalt D25203K. The test was pretty simple. We grabbed some 3/8” SDS bits and went to this big boulder we have in our back lot. I am not too sure what kind of rock it was, but it was pretty hard stuff. We drove the bits in four inches and timed the results.

We had one guy doing the drilling and one guy on the stop watch to try to keep it as consistent as possible. Each drill got its own fresh bit to start with, and we did five holes each to get an average time.

The Results (with current prices):
Hitachi's DH24PF3 average time of 17.04 seconds ($185)
Makita's HR2455 average time of 19.86 seconds ($200)
Bosch 11255VSR average time of 22.08 seconds ($280)
Dewalt D25203K average time of 22.98 seconds ($200)
Bosch 11244VSR average time of 23.74 seconds

Granted its not the most 'scientific' way of doing things, but it does give you an idea how these guys perform. I did think its worth mentioning that while the Hitachi was the fastest, it also had the most vibration of the group.

Article submitted by Chris of KMS Tools.

Cordless Nailer Technologies

I was doing some searching today on Google and noticed something very interesting about the way people name products online. Items which we call Gas Charged Framing Nailers have been called Cordless Framing Nailers by many of our competitors. This brings up the question, what is a true Cordless Nailer and what isn't, and what technologies in "Cordless Nailing" actually work?

Gas Charged Impulse Nailers

Gas charged nailers, while not having a cord, aren't normally considered a "cordless" item. Even though Paslode calls them cordless on their own website, they aren't run entirely by a battery. In fact, the battery only acts to create a small spark to ignite a gas charge and drive the nail.

I used one of these when doing some framing at our last house during a bathroom remodel, and it worked fairly well. Since I didn't have access to an air compressor at the time, this really simplified things. This type of gun isn't recommended for extended use, but it works good enough when you're in a pinch.

The consumables are Paslode rechargeable batteries, gas charges (fuel cells), and the nails themselves. Regular maintanence also requires the Paslode degreaser / cleaner for impulse tools (see note in next paragraph).

Paslode isn't the only one making gas charged nailers. Hitachi has a gas charged nailer as well. It's very similar, but green. They have a cleaning document outlining the 30 steps to cleaning a gas charged nailer, which really illustrates why you don't want to use these for your everyday nailing needs.

Porter Cable also made one that they called the "Bammer". I assume that the "BAM" part was in reference to the small explosion from the gas charge.

Cordless Nailers with On-Board Compressors

A couple of years ago, Porter Cable had a unique idea. They built a small air compressor, strapped it onto a pneumatic nailer and ran the whole thing off of a 12V battery. The idea was pretty cool, but it didn't end up working all that well for extended periods.

From what I have read in forums, it appears that there were some issues with seals in the compressor and the tool itself. All that I know for certain at this time is they don't make it any longer. It happened to be somewhere around the time where DeWALT aquired Porter Cable, so many in the industry wrote it off as DeWALT wanting to promote their cordless nailers and not that there were service issues with this model. Regardless the cause, it was a cool idea at the time that isn't currently in production.

Clockwork Spring Mechanism

Senco decided to make their attempt at a cordless nailer much more memorable. (Insert whirring noise followed by a clunk here.) We have sold these in the past, but the time between nails (greater than 2 seconds) makes for a poor user experience. The design is fine, it actually drives the nails ok, but the time savings using a nail gun should be substantial and with these it just isn't.

The concept is cool and I happen to like it a lot. However, winding a spring for a couple of seconds before firing a nail makes it rather difficult to drive that nail exactly where you want it. The odds of moving the nailer go up the longer you have to wait, so quick firing is a very good thing. After listing this as a failure, I'll move on to what we at ToolBarn.com consider to be a good design.

Nail Pitching Machine

When DeWALT decided to enter the cordless nailer market, there were a few chuckles. With the prior failures, the general thinking was that they would also fail. However, the DeWALT cordless nailers have turned out to be amazing in comparison.

Their cordless nailers are designed with a flywheel engine, creating a “readiness to fire” that allows the tool to work as fast as the end user – firing up to 4-5 nails per second. If you've ever been to a batting cage with a pitching machine, their nailers work essentially the same way. This design provides the user with a cordless finish nailer solution that no other manufacturer has been able to deliver in the past. Quite honestly, there are a lot of jobs I'd rather use one of these than have a hose in the way.

At this time, they're all finish nailers. One is angled, the rest are straight. It seems that the emergence of Li-Ion has sort of put new cordless tools on hold, so it'll be interesting to see what they come out with once their "Nirvana" line is released. I'd think that a framing nailer and perhaps even a roofing nailer should be possible with 36 volts to play with, but the heads on the nails will cause problems with this design.

Limited Use - For Now

For now, it appears that cordless finish nailers are the only good solution for regular use. As battery technology gets better and tool manufacturers get more innovative, I'd expect to see more cordless nailers available. The nailers themselves have been slowly getting better and batteries are taking a huge step forward this year, so it should be just a matter of time before someone hits the nail on the head and gives us a full line of cordless nail guns to play with.

Buying Advice - Cordless Drills for Women

At Seach Engine Strategies Chicago in 2004, we had someone stop Matt and myself as we were leaving the ballroom after lunch because she noticed the Makita logo on the sleeve of our shirts. It was Shari Thurow (pictured to the right), well known author, successful busnesswoman and speaker at those conferences. She just had to tell us how much she loved her Makita drill - not because of the power, not because of the longevity, not because of any of the reasons we normally hear. She loved it because of the weight and the fit. It seems Makita makes a drill that fits smaller hands better, and this got me thinking.

Addressing Ergonomics
Makita has long been a leader in addressing ergonomics in making tools. I knew I couldn't pick out the best tools for women, but now that the number of employees here has grown substantially and we have quite a few female employees, I've been able to have them address what's comfortable to them and what isn't. In compiling this data, I now have enough information to put together a cordless drill buying guide specifically for women based upon the unique ergonomic needs of our female employees.

Our Panel of Judges
Our panel of judges consisted of our purchasing agent, our Human Resources director and our customer support team leader. Three ladies in very different jobs and age groups, so this seemed like a nice mixture of opinions to compile for this exercise. I didn't feel it necessary to drag all of our female employees out for this, especially when the first 3 opinions were nearly identical.

Tools to Avoid
The general feeling was that 18V and higher tools, especially the Ni-Cad models, were too heavy. Most of these also didn't fit smaller hands well, specifically the trigger. The handles were a bit too deep, making fully outstretched index fingers fall short of pulling the trigger easily. Weights range here, but some are as much as 6 lbs. in an 18V, making for a heavy drill.

Battery Removal
As a general rule, buttons on either side of the battery are tougher to use. Some brands. such as DeWALT and Panasonic, have the spacing far enough apart that our panel couldn't easily remove the batteries. Others, like the Makita BDF451, have a single button to make it much easier to remove. The Porter Cable 9824 was a single button on the side, which made for fairly easy removal.

The Hitachi DS14DVF3 wasn't overly tough like some of the drills tested were, but the 2 buttons were still more difficult than the Makita and Porter Cable. We also noticed that the higher Amp Hour rated Hitachi batteries were difficult to remove. In fact, when I went back to the call center they had just finished removing the battery from a Hitachi Impact, and it took two people. That's not exactly practical.

Variable Speed
If you're wanting something easier to start a screw / hole with, then the smoothness of the variable speed trigger is important. The Hitachi had a sudden jolt of power when it started up, as did the Milwaukee models we tried. Makita and Porter Cable seemed to have the smoothest triggers. It may not be a huge issue for you, but the less you are able to put your weight behind it the more important the slow startup speed becomes.

Decent Choices
There were two that were considered by our panel to be decent choices - mostly as a backup if one of the two ideal choices below weren't available. The first was the Porter Cable 9824. The balance wasn't too bad, but the weight was a little too much towards the top of the drill. The other decent choice was the Makita 6337DWDLE, which was 4.6 lbs. with battery. The weight seemed to be a bit more towards the front, making it top-front heavy. Again, the grip was a lot better fit than most of the drills we carry. With a little better balance, the 4.6 lbs. wouldn't have been an issue at all.

Best Choices
Two drills emerged as the best choices for women looking for a cordless drill. The first is the Hitachi DS14DVF3, which is a 14.4V Ni-Cad model. This was the best overall feel, is 3/4" shorter from the chuck to the back of the drill than the next model they liked, and has a reasonable amount of power for most jobs around the house. Best of all, it weighs in at just 4 lbs. with battery. The only real concern is that the battery is only 1.4 Ah, so runtime will be less than many of the heavier models.

The second is the Makita BDF451, which is an 18V Lithium-Ion drill. It weighs 4.6 lbs. like the 14.4V model mentioned above in the "Decent" section, but the balance is much better. It is ideal for jobs where power is essential. The Hitachi has 300 in. lbs. of torque, but this model has 560 in. lbs. without a lot more weight. With 3.0 Ah batteries that last twice that of Ni-Cad and Ni-MH models, the runtime will also be a consideration point - it should be nearly 4 times that of the Hitachi on the conservative side.

This model also includes some nice features in the dual LED lights just above the trigger, easy battery removal, very smooth trigger, 3 speed transmission and a removable side handle for added stability when putting your weight behind it. The belt clip was also a nice touch, even if it probably doesn't get used all that often.

Price Considerations
Price is always a consideration when buying tools. Clearly the best value is the Hitachi, which is priced around $100 with 2 batteries, charger and a flashlight. The Makita is over 3 times as much, making it only an option when the power or runtime are essential. If you have need of more cordless tools to go along with this one, the Makita LXT400 kit has a more attractive price when considered on a cost per tool basis, and each has similar ergonomics and weight to the BDF451.

We'll Take Requests
Got a specific tool that you'd like to get our judges to review? Leave a comment and I'll have them take a look at it. If they warrant individual reviews (such as completely different tools), I'll post them that way. If you're asking about a specific drill, I'll add that to this article. Either way, we will address any requests to assist you in selecting a power tool.

Rapid-Load Bit Set with Screwdriver

For the next 2 weeks, we're featuring a DeWALT 30 piece rapid-load set with a bonus screwdriver for just $14.99. I got one of these for my father and my father-in-law for Christmas this past year and they both love it.

What's Included?
There are 13 of the most common screwdriver bits, 5 of the longer "Rapid Load" screwdriver bits, 1/4" and 3/8" socket adapters, the rapid load holder, a magnetic drive guide, 6 rapid load drill bits, a carrying case and a 7-in-1 screwdriver.

What is Rapid-Load?
Rapid-load bits lock into the holder and change quickly with just a tug. The key is that there is a notch at the end of the bit which is held on to by the holder. To release, you just pull the outer ring of the rapid-load holder and the bit is released. Do the reverse to quickly install a new bit. I've got a few and feel lost when I don't have one handy now. I also keep most of the commonly used bits on my drill with a bit band so I don't have to search for them.

A Screwdriver?
Yeah, it isn't really used with all of the bits included in this kit (well, it could be, although drill bits are a bit tough to use with a manual screwdriver handle), but it's still a cool addition. It's got several bits and a switchable holder so you can keep phillips and slotted on the screwdriver at all times. In fact, since the bits reverse as well, you're essentially keeping 2 sizes of each type with you. There are also a few nutsetters included on the ends of the bit holder and one on the handle itself. I normally keep a screwdriver like this in my trunk just in case I need one.

Once again, also available with parts
We're also making this one available with parts - just click here for the kit, then add your parts to your shopping cart as you would normally. You can always call and place your order via the phone if you'd prefer as well. We're not picky.

Belt Driven and Direct Drive Miter Saw Scorecard

After my post on direct drive miter saws with electronic speed control, Matt and I decided to take a look at the different miter saws we had on display and make up a "Scorecard" of who had what technology in place on their current lineup of saws. This ended up being a pretty interesting exercise in tool analysis. Unfortunately, we don't have quite a few on display as we prepare to move to a new building, so here's the abbreviated version of what I'll be expanding on later.


The Bosch 3912 and 3924B-24 are both direct drive models. The newer 4410L is belt drive, but adds in the laser. Of course, you've already read my other post to know why lasers are great for geeks but not for carpenters, right?


The DeWALT DW718, DW716, and DW708 were all belt driven. The older DW705 (and DW705S) as well as the DW712 were found to be direct drive.


The Hitachi C10FSH and C12LSH were belt driven. The C15FB and C12LCH were both direct drive.


The Makita LS1013, LS1214, LS1013F, LS1214F, LS1013L, and LS1214L were all angled direct drive. I'll have to explain the benefit of angled in a future post as well. The older LS1030N was a straight direct drive model, as is the LS1040. The models with F add in a flexible light, while the L models have the laser. Both are pretty cool for geeks.


The Milwaukee 6490-6, 6494-6, and 6497-6 were all direct drive models.


We didn't currently have any Porter cable models on display. Again, we're getting ready to move so we're trying to cut down on the number of open box products to relocate.

Final Tally
Direct Drive
Bosch 3912 and 3924B-24.
DeWalt DW705 and DW712.
Hitachi C15FB and C12LCH.
Makita LS1013 (base, F and L), LS1214 (base, F and L), LS1030N, LS1040.
Milwaukee 6490-6, 6494-6 and 6497-6.

Belt Driven
Bosch 4410L.
DeWALT DW718, DW716 and DW708.
Hitachi C10FSH and C12LSH.

I find it interesting that there are several manufacturers that have saws available either way. I have a strong personal preference for direct drive, but the belts aren't too bad to change out.

It gets even more interesting when you look at consumer grade. I may have to wander down to my local [insert big box store name here] here sometime and jot down some additional notes.

Single linear ball bearings?

My post yesterday on dual linear ball bearings prompted Matt to look at some of the schematics for the other manufacturers. He didn't seem to believe that some of our manufacturers would be so cheap as to only use one linear ball bearing like Makita was implying. We did a little research, and the results were astonishing.

DeWALT DW708

This particular model of DeWALT has single bearing on the lower of the sliding rails. It's not possible to tell if it is a sleeve or a ball bearing, just that it is a bearing. However, it can't be purchased independently. It's part of an assembly (reference #121, although the 12 got clipped) for $370. Ouch.

DeWALT DW718

Admittedly, the DW708 isn't their newest model. The DW718 is probably a fairer test of their current manufacturing practices. What do we see here, then? One bearing, can't tell if it is sleeve or ball bearing, and it is still part of an expensive full assembly.

Hitachi C10FSH

To stop picking on DeWALT, I'm going to show a Hitachi now. Part #106 in the diagram is a bearing. They call it a "Ball Bushing". Just one, but we know for sure this is a ball bearing type.

Milwaukee 6497

Milwaukee has 2 ball bearings. WOOHOO! Wait just one second, though. That's part #6, and they don't go on both rails. They go on one rail. That's not exactly how it should be done. One rail is just sliding through a hole, the other has 2 ball bearings. Interesting.

I'll have to add in the Makita version as soon as I locate a schematic for it. This should be interesting.

EDIT: I finally got a solid answer from Makita on where the second ball is located. I have this entered in another post titled Makita's Mysterious Dual Linear Ball Bearings. It was a bit much to add to this already lengthy article.