As discussed before, we’re currently in a paid partnership with Home Depot that involves them sending over a selection of tools for us to consider for review. Some tools are given the spotlight, such as the Husky combination wrench set I reviewed yesterday, others need more time for full review, and a few are somewhat unsuited for my needs or likes, but I check ’em out anyway.
It has been working out nicely, and very interestingly, because it compel me to spend time with tools that I might not have otherwise volunteered to review.
As the winter quarter wraps up, here are the other tools that I have checked out and have things to say about. Some of these will continue to be tested, and you’ll see that coverage hopefully soon.
Thank you Home Depot for providing all of the tools for review consideration!
Dewalt FlexVolt Cordless Air Compressor
Ben reviewed the Dewalt FlexVolt air compressor previously, and it will definitely be in my “best cordless tools for 2018” post, or something to that effect. I was working on it for a late-2017 follow-up to “5 Best New Cordless Tools from 2017 (That We’ve Tested So Far),” but sample delivery delays and the holiday time crunches got in the way of my plans.
I can tell you everything you need to know about the Dewalt FlexVolt cordless compressor in one sentence. Ready? Here goes:
It’s a fantastic cordless air compressor that has made my corded portable compressors obsolete.
Will it suit your needs? Well, can you benefit from using a cordless 2.5 gallon air compressor?
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Makita 18V X2 Track Saw
I’m still working on this one, but the Makita 18V X2 track saw has left me with quite the positive impression.
The only downside? I have to manually trigger my Festool dust extractor when using or testing the saw.
It cuts smoothly, and everything I threw at it so far (mainly 2x boards and 3/4″ plywood) has come out with smooth, crisp, and perfectly placed edges.
This will definitely be a “gift guide” recommendation come Father’s Day, especially if Home Depot has a good promo with free extra batteries, track saw, or both.
Is it better than Dewalt? Better than Festool? I don’t know yet. But if you’re a Makita 18V users, the X2 plunge-cutting track saw is an excellent tool.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Ryobi 18V 7-1/4″ Brushless Circular Saw
I need to come up with a good summarizing statement about Ryobi’s newest 18V One+ brushless power tools. They’re fantastic DIYer tools, and I think that pros might appreciate them too, for casual use.
The brushless tools are compromised a little, compared to pro-grade equivalents that sell at higher price points.
Their guards for their brushless grinder, for instance, are a little cheaper made than those found on higher-priced tools. That doesn’t affect their safety performance one bit, at least that I’ve seen. BUT, you also do get 2 guards, for 2 different types of grinding wheel and cutting wheel shapes. Have you tried to find the cutting wheel guard for pro-grade grinders? Most brands’ cutting wheel guards are very hard to find online.
This new Ryobi brushless circular saw lacks some of the finer touches of higher-priced saws. But it does have a brushless motor, which means better efficiency and longer runtimes, and it has a full 7-1/4″ size.
So while the saw might have a somewhat compromised design, they’re compromising I can live with. I’d rather know what I’m getting, than to simply have a cheaper tool with trade-offs that more significantly affect quality.
I have not yet pushed the saw through tougher cuts, but it seems to handle common lighter construction materials just fine.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Dewalt 20 Compartment Organizer
I tend to like fixed-divider or removable bin organizers over those with custom dividers. That said, Dewalt’s removable divider organizers seem to be decent.
This one is a 20-compartment organizer with removable dividers, clear lid, flat-resting handle, and latching tabs that can connect it to Dewalt’s other organizers of the same product family.
It’s the kind of thing that you might want to check out locally before buying. At $14, it’s very attractively priced.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Husky Torque-Limiting Impact Extension Bar Set
The idea behind torque sticks is that they can only deliver a certain amount of torque, when using a “calibrated” impact wrench, either pneumatic or battery-powered.
They’re designed around common torque requirements for modern cars, trucks, and trailers.
The torque sticks are 8″ long, 1/2″ drive, and come in a set of 5 sizes: 65, 80, 100, 120, 140 ft. lbs. They’re packaged together in a sturdy case, and with impact wrench calibration instructions.
I didn’t try them yet. If you want to learn more about torque sticks, there are a ton of discussions on forums and YouTube, debating whether they work or not, and how well.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Ridgid 18V Brushless Impact Wrench
What’s orange and grey, brushless, and featuring 3 speed and torque speed settings plus an “auto mode” for protecting smaller fasteners from over-torquing? This new Ridgid 18V Gen5X brushless impact wrench, model R86011B.
This is still on my to-d0 list, since I haven’t had any needs for a 1/2″ impact wrench lately, and my test bench queue isn’t quite up to it yet.
I tend to really like Ridgid drills and impact tools, and so I’m optimistic.
It features a max torque of 450 ft-lbs, the 4 operational modes, a tri-LED work illumination design, and $149 bare tool price tag.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Paslode Cordless Brad Nailer
Paslode’s new 18 gauge fuel cell brad nailer, 918100, is an incredibly compact and light brad nailer, despite how it might look in online photos.
Paslode says that it’s the lightest cordless brad nailer on the market (and I believe them). It weighs 4.25 pounds. As with other Paslode fuel cell tools, it can be used cordlessly.
It runs off a 7.4V battery pack (and fuel cells). The battery takes 1-1/2 hours to fully charge. If you just need to finish up for the day, a 2-minute charge will give you power for up to 200 charges. The full charge can drive up to 12,000 nails per charge. Each fuel cell can drive in around 1000 fasteners.
The magazine can hold one nail strip, or about 50 nails.
The verdict is still up in the air, but I think Paslode fuel cell nailer users will like this model for working in tight spaces. It’s a little lighter and more compact than their other brad nailer, with the main benefit in being the half-height nail magazine.
With the shorter magazine, the new Paslode brad nailer does do a better job of fitting into tight areas.
This is an example of a tool I wouldn’t have even explored if it wasn’t put in my hand to test. Will it change the way I work on any projects? No, I’m not a fan of air nailers, and cordless for when greater portability and flexibility is needed. Still, I can’t ignore that this is a compelling model for users who want a cordless nailer that’s a little more maneuverable than the current generations of purely cordless nailers.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)