Power Tools News and Views

 

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Dad.
The keeper of knowledge.
Mister Fix-it.
The person who you look up to and admire.
The man who lounges in his underwear!

This father’s day, how about giving dad something that he really wants? Now don’t get me wrong. I’m sure he loves those Three Stooges ties or the shirts that say “World’s Greatest Dad”, but how many times have you actually seen him wearing them? Since the dawn of time, one thing is for certain: Men love devices, especially tools. They bring out the primal need to either fix or destroy something and a sense of pride as they show off their new toy to the neighbors. So, in the tradition of top ten lists, we bring you the Top 10 Coolest Father’s Day Gifts.

1. The Stanley Maxlife™ Tripod Flashlight

Perhaps you’ve seen the commercials with the alien fixing his ship. He pulls out his LED flashlight, hits a button and presto - a set of tripod legs are released. Now he can set the light down, have it pointed where he needs it and have both of his hands free to finish the job! How many times have you heard dad complain that he doesn’t have enough hands, or even worse how many times have you had to stand next to him and hold his flashlight while he spends countless hours fixing something? With the tripod you don’t have to, and each leg of the tripod can hold three AA batteries meaning you can operate it on three, six or nine AA batteries depending on what run time you need or how many batteries you can find! The Stanley 95-112, a flashlight that can hold itself so you don’t have to!

2. The DeWALT line of Pocket Reference Guides

We all know that dad knows everything, but on the rare occasion that he is stumped wouldn’t it be nice to give him something that would keep him from losing pride while he reluctantly calls in a pro! The new line of DeWALT professional reference books will keep dad’s ego intact and allow him to finish his project correctly! With such editions as the Residential Remodeling and Repair Reference Guide (DRRRP00), or the Electrical Motor Reference Guide (DEMPR00) you can find dad the right collection of reference materials to keep him on task and on track and away from the emergency room!

3. The Makita BDF452HW 18 Volt Lithium Ion Compact Drill / Driver

This durable, lightweight drill, is an affordable way to upgrade dear old dad’s trusty standby with a cutting edge Lithium Ion drill. Lithium Ion is a new battery technology that enables a drill to run longer, charge faster and operate with very minimal weight! With the long life of a quality tool like this, he can thank you for many projects to come.

4. The Malco TSHD Turbo Shear

This is one that will really win over the big guy! Who wouldn’t like a device that attaches to your cordless drill and automatically turns a drill into a cutting device? This versatile cutter will make short work of sheet metals, vinyl, steel mesh, ductwork, and automotive body panels! The drill accessory that will make dad smile, brought to you by your friends at Malco!

5. The Screw and Bolt Extractor Sets

One thing is for sure, nothing ends a project faster than when old pops shears off a screw or bolt! The volcano erupts and a myriad of profanity ensues! Now you can restore peace to your home once more with the Irwin line of bolt and screw extractors. Everyone knows how frustrating it can be to have a bolt that has been rounded off or a bolt that has been painted over and nothing short of a miracle can budge! Thats why dad needs this line of drill and driver accessory sets, ranging in various sizes. Such sets include the 5 piece set (394001), the 9 piece set (54009), the 7 piece screw and bolt set (394100), the 9 piece metric set (54019) and the 13 piece metric and fractional combination set (54113). These sets allow you to remove a variety of pesky damaged bolts or screws using a reverse spiral flute that is designed to bite down and extract the unruly fasteners!

6. Drill Accessory Combo Units

One growing trend in the tool business has been accessory gift bundles. This is when a company will pair together a drill bit set with a coffee mug, a tape measure or even another drill bit set! This means you get more bang for your gift buying buck! Such bundles include the Bosch PC11MPR, DeWalt DW2097M5 and DW1969TM or the Stanley 90-690. Dad will love the accessories as well as the freebie and will love that you learned the most important lesson, the lesson of being thrifty!

7. The Stanley 55-099 or the Good Old Fubar

Lets face it: who wouldn’t need a Fubar, and no I am not talking about dads last project! The Stanley 55-099, or as they call it “the Fubar“, is the ultimate in functional utility bars! With the Fubar you can pry, split, bend and strike, it is a genuine wonder tool! You get the versatility of four tools in one handy package!

8. The Irwin Quick Grips

When it comes to projects nothing can be more frustrating for the old man than trying to keep what he is working on held in place! Thats why the techs at Irwin put together the Quick Grip™ one handed bar clamps, now dad can clamp what he needs held using one hand and be assured that it will stay put! The clamps come in a variety of sizes and prices, including the 6 inch (506QC), the 12 inch (512QC), the 18 inch (518QC), the 24 inch (524QC) and the 36 inch (536QC). None of the clamps are more expensive than $30, so you can get dear old dad multiple sizes and not break the bank!

9. Compact Mini Drill and Drivers

Another hip trend in power tools are the compact mini drills and drivers that have recently flooded the market. These compact sized drills range from 3.6 volts to 10.8 volts and are small enough to fit into your pockets! Virtually every power tool manufacturer has a small driver, such as Skil’s (2336-01) IXO Palm Size Screwdriver, Makita’s (TD020DSEW) 7.2 Volt Lithium-Ion Pencil Impact Driver, Bosch’s (PS40-2 and PS20-2) 10.8 Volt Lithium-Ion Pocket Driver and Impact Driver, Hitachi’s (DB3DL) 3.6 Volt Lithium-Ion Screwdriver, Panasonic’s (EY7410LA2S) 3.6 Volt Revolithium drill/driver and Milwaukee’s (6546-6) 2.4 Volt Two Speed Screwdriver. These small drills and drivers can virtually get into any space, they are the ideal for Dad’s small projects!

10. The Job Site Radio

Dads workshop is fun, but wouldn’t it be even more enjoyable with his own rocking sound system! Sure, he probably will be pumping out the best of Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, but at least it would be a start! Popular amongst construction sites and with farmers, the job site radio is a perfect gift for those dads who wanna jam out while diving into their latest projects! Several manufacturers offer radios with multiple features like the Milwaukee 49-24-0280, which can charge cell phones and run other portable devices with its 12 Volt auxiliary port. The Makita BMR100 is considerably smaller than the competition. The DeWalt DC011 can charge your other batteries while it runs. Finally, the Bosch PB10-CD comes equipped with a built in compact disc player, ideal for when you need to borrow it! These radios are cordless and operate off of their brands style of batteries so make sure and match up the radio to your dad’s favorite tool manufacturer so he can interchange the batteries amongst his other tools!

With this list of cool tools and accessories found at ToolBarn.com, you can give dad a perfect gift that will make him feel the admiration and love he deserves!