Mosquito 86

Every now and then, I get asked to try something out.  The latest was called the Mosquito 86. I wasn't quite sure what it was they were going to be sending me, and never having heard of it I was a bit skeptical. I've tried some foggers in the past and haven't been real impressed, so how good could this thing be, right?

Well, that was my first mistake. The Mosquito 86 is not a fogger. Instead, it actually disperses a professional grade mosquito killing solution that applies directly to grass, shrubs, and trees.  It sends out both fine aerosol droplets that float for a while and larger droplets that leave a barrier for longer term protection. In fact, it says it'll eliminate most mosquitos within 24 hours of first use and keep the yard mosquito and insect free for up to 3 weeks. Rainfall is where the "up to" comes in.

Not knowing exactly what was in the box, I was a bit eager to see what it had. There was a gas powered leaf blower (electric models are also available) and a strange attachment. They give you the standard nozzle for use as a leaf blower, but also a nozzle with a surgical hose running down it and a container for mixing up the secret recipe of mosquito killing agent. You mix a little of the solution that is included (refills available fairly inexpensive) and fill the rest of the container with water, fire up the leaf blower and away you go, killing mosquitos and other insects along the way.

Not having a real big yard myself and not much of a mosquito problem, I asked one of my co-workers to test it out at a big cook-out he was going to be at.  I also figured he's usually pretty critical of things like this, so it'd be a good test for the Mosquito 86. He came back after the weekend and simply said it worked well. How well? Well enough that I haven't been able to get it back, that's how well.

Looking around their website some more, I found that they offer a universal kit with adapters to fit over 50 leaf blower models, so you don't have to spend the $200 for the complete kit if you already have something that'll work. They offer refills of the Agent E anywhere from an 8 oz bottle (you use 1.25 oz per application) to a "Summer Pack" with 4 8 oz bottles, and the prices are pretty reasonable.

If I can ever get my Mosquito 86 back, I'm excited to give it a try. I noticed it's also effective with wasps, which have taken a liking to our garage the past couple of summers. Now if they could just do something about the birds that keep attacking themselves in my car mirrors...

Summer sandbox time

Every now and then, I get to build something. Well, recently I got to build a sandbox. Being summer time, my two sons needed something to keep the occupied outside, and a sandbox is good, less than clean fun.

A few 4x4's, 2x12's, lag bolts, stainless screws and some lattice work, followed by some outdoor paint left over from our shed and it's all ready to go. Happy boys, and I got to use some power tools. Such fun.

Skywalker Stilts

Go ahead, throw the Darth Vader jokes out there. Yes, they're called Skywalker. Still, they have nothing to do with Luke or any Death Stars, at least that we know of.

We recently took a pair of Marshalltown Skywalkers out of the box and had one of our programmers try them out. He had walked on the old fashioned wooden stilts with the handles before, but never drywalling stilts, so we made sure his life insurance was paid up and headed outside.

Once out there, he fumbled a bit on the first stilt while trying to figure out how the straps worked. By the second one, he was getting better. You can see that one on the video below, as well as some of his first steps on the stilts. He said that the more naturally he tried to walk the easier it was, and the spring loaded "feet" actually made a huge difference even though he didn't expect them to. Overall, he really liked them.

I'll let you watch the video and see for yourself. Also, this is our first product video, so let me know if there are any issues with the flash player we created or with the bandwidth available for streaming the file.



After a bit of walking on a level surface (the grass didn't work so well), he was starting to get the hang of it already. Still, I think he's more valuable working on our website than drywalling. After all, it's guys like him that make it possible for you to watch the video and get cool tool related products.

Forged vs Milled Phillips Bits - Irwin Torsion Bits

Phillips bits are just a + shaped piece of metal, right? What's the big deal how they get that plus shape? After all, they all just wear out eventually.

Irwin didn't think that was the case. They thought the manufacturing process mattered, and they came out with new bits, named torsion bits, late last year that were designed to be different. They're forged instead of milled.

But what's the big deal?

When phillips bits are milled, they generally get produced with almost a "Scooping" motion. This leads to slightly rounded sides on the four pieces of metal, and the screws only touch at the tip of the bit. By forging the bits, they not only get a precise fit into the screws, but the bit lasts longer due to the decreased slipping and higher strength.

Irwin didn't shop there, though. They also tumble all of the bits to make them shiny, then paint a blue band around them to really make them stand out as being unique. In fact, more users liked the blue band than anything in field tests.

What makes them a real value though isn't just that they last longer, but they only have a marginal premium on the price. I'm using them right now at home and really like them, so I'll keep on buying them. Not that a bit wears out all that often for home use, but I can actually feel the difference in the fit inside the screw, and feel makes a difference to me. I'd recommend the Irwin Torsion Bits to anyone that's using phillips bits on a regular basis.

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.

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.

First day of deconstruction

On the first day of deconstruction, I got to use the Makita HG1100 some. I was impressed with how quiet it was. It's not nearly as loud as a hair dryer, yet pushes a whole lot more heat. The weight was just right. I had already stated some of my physical observations on this model before I took it home, but now I got to actually use it on a job that it's intended for.

Even though the cord was in the way at times, I don't think I'd nominate it for a V28 cordless model for most jobs. The benefits of lightweight outweigh the coolness of cordless for this application. Even so, I'm sure that there are times where lack of cord would make for a better heating experience, so I may still have to suggest that to our rep as a future tool. It's not going to be a huge seller as a cordless.

Removed tile easily
Yes, we had pink tile in our bathroom on the walls. That was a factor when deciding to remodel, but there was also the fact that the tile in the shower was cracked and was leaking enough to cause some of the wood around the tub to rot. But that doesn't mean we want to replace everything. It's much easier to take tile off in smaller areas than replace the drywall.

By using the HG1100 on a setting of 4 (scale of 1 - 5) the adhesive quickly softened and we could peel off the tiles fairly cleanly by prying with a screwdriver, although a chisel or some other wide scraper would have probably been preferred. We just don't sell those yet, so I had to settle for a screwdriver (we'll be adding more hand tools to our inventory after we get moved into our new building.) It'll just take some solvent to remove the glue and we're in business on those walls without a lot of extra sanding. That'll make me happy.

Large areas were easier with a hammer
Since the removal of the glue is rather time consuming, large areas of tile were easiest removed with a hammer. Not only does this save some time, but it's also fun taking my frustrations out on this stupid pink tile. Ahhh... I should have done this ages ago. I used my Makita cordless circular saw to cut a nice straight line (I put the guide along the top of the tile) and we pulled a couple of walls down.

Next up: Flooring
Well, we peeled all the tile I think we'll be peeling for a while. Now that many of the walls are cleared out, we'll be removing the linoleum from the floor, which is one more use for the heat gun. We tried a little of the linoleum and it seems to be coming up pretty easily with a little heat, but I'll let you know for sure when we get it all out of there. Until then, I'll keep enjoying all the tools I'm getting to use for once instead of just creating a website about.

Makita Heat Gun HG1100 - A closer look

I gave a general overview of some of the nifty things that the Makita HG1100 can be used for back in December, but now that I'm getting ready to use one there are a few nice things that I'm seeing here that I thought could use commented on. There's more engineering to these than just making a heavy duty hair dryer as I've heard referenced at times.

Cyclonic Action
You won't see this listed anywhere in the owners manual, but the air outlet has fins to make the output have a swirling effect. I'm sure it has some use that I don't know about, but I just really wanted to say cyclonic. I could imagine that it creates a much tighter air pattern, directing the heat more where you're pointing it and less to the sides. Maybe I'll have to fire off an email here shortly to find out for sure.

Swiss Made
One of the first things that caught my eye on the product ID tag were the words "SWISS MADE for Makita U.S.A." This one isn't Korean or Japaneese - but I can't say that they're all that way. This one has a 2004 date on the side, so that may have changed since then, but I thought it was interesting that it was built by a country normally associated with precision and accuracy and not the home country (well, either one - Japan or the US) of Makita.

Large Adjustment Dial
Simply saying "Variable temperature control 250 - 1,100 degrees F to get the correct temperature for the job" doesn't relate to you just how huge the dial for the temperature is. Granted, you can't dial up 750 and press go, but there is a lot of room to move the adjustment if you need a little more or a little less heat.

Very Lightweight
Again, their literature just says the basics of the concept. "Compact and lightweight for easy handling" doesn't relate that at 1.3 lbs, the cord weighs almost as much as the tool itself. I wasn't sure if that 1.3 was just the tool or if it was with the cord as well, but a scale confirmed that it was 1-1/4 lbs (that's all the more accurate this particular scale could do) with both the tool and the cord. Not bad at all.

Decent Balance
I won't say it's the best balance I've ever felt. Their LXT line has a much better balance in my opinion. But with the weight being just over a pound and the cord offsetting much of the tool's weight, the balance isn't bad at all. I guess I should also keep in mind that this was designed quite a while back, before ergonomics were as much of a science in the tool industry as they are now.

Eagerly Awaiting Tonight
Yeah... I don't have to wait long to use this. I get to start removing tile from our bathroom wall and the linoleum from the floor tonight. It's well out of my normal evening routine, so it sounds like fun. I guess I'll know tomorrow just how much fun it was. If I quit posting here, someone check the hospital.

Fixing scratched CD's

I've had many CD's get scratched over the years. It really annoys me when one of my favorite CD's skip, because it's always during my favorite song. I think that's part of Murphy's law - a CD will only skip during the best song of the album.

Rotary tool purchase
I originally got a cordless Dremel rotary tool in the mid 90's because it was on sale. I didn't really know what I'd use it for, but it looked fun. At some point, I noticed the felt wheels that were available and picked a few up. I didn't know how useful they'd be at the time, but looking back it was a great purchase.

Putting it to use
When I had a CD that was annoying me, I grabbed the rotary tool and put a felt wheel on it. I found that by going overboard, it was possible to actually melt the plastic on either side of the scratch and smooth it over the scratched area. Even some of the really deep scratches could be fixed this way. I don't recommend this for a simple "surface scratch", but something that won't play any longer and is going to the trash anyway can't be damaged any worse in my opinion.

Bare felt for best results
I've tried some of the polishing compounds at times, but it seems that the lack of friction makes it impossible to actually smooth over the scratch. I get the best results using it just as a bare felt pad. I use the polishing compounds only after I get the scratch pretty well smoothed over, just to make the surface shiny. When finishing it up, I have heard that linear cleaning (from the middle to the edge) is the way to go. I haven't paid much attention personally, but it makes sense.

Use at your own risk
I'm not going to replace any CD's you ruin with this method, but I have found it quite effective for my personal use. I'll have to see if I can do some before & after photos here next time I fix one.

Get a grip

When I first saw the Irwin Quick-Grip clamps several years ago, I thought they looked interesting. I think I was working at Radio Shack at the time and we got some in that were the right size for electronics. Now, of course, I have access to many additional sizes.

Truly one-handed operation
When I try the standard clamps, I find that I can't really use them all that well while positioning large material. The Quick-Grip is very usable with one hand, so it's no problem holding some material in place while I tighten the clamp.

Doesn't mark up the material
What I really hate about standard C-clamps is that the metal surfaces can mark up what I'm working on. The Quick-Grip clamps have rubber coated clamping surfaces to prevent this from happening. That's a big improvement in my book.

Reasonable pressure
Sometimes a standard C-clamp will allow you to put so much pressure on the material that you can actually break it. I don't think that's the intention, but it can be pretty easy to do. The Quick-Grip clamps haven't ever done this for me.

I still have some C-clamps
I still have a few old-fashioned C-clamps around, but I don't use them much. The built-in clamp on my Miter saw is the older style, so I use them there quite often. If I really need to hold something tight and can't allow it to move, then I get out the C-clamp. For most jobs, I use the Quick-Grip. Nailing or screwing pieces together is handled just fine by this easier to use variety. Cutting is normally fine with the one-handed model as well. If I am trying to cut a couple layers of 2x4 or plywood at the same time, I'll get out the C-clamps, but I find myself holding them together with a Quick-Grip while I position the other.