Welcome back power tool fans, this week… Makita announces more additions to their XGT lineup, Tim shows off the new M12 Detail Sander .We find the best installation drill for 2023 And Todd finally crowns the king of the baby chainsaws! THIS is your power tool week in review.
Welcome back guys, we have a bunch of new tools announced this week, and of course we have a new Platinum Tool Deal for you, but we’re going to start off with the most important tool of all… the Baby Chainsaw.
PROJECT FARM | Baby Chainsaws!
Todd over at Project Farm gathered a huge group of single-handed chainsaws from the likes of Milwaukee, Ryobi, Kobalt, Black & Decker, Craftsman, DeWalt, Makita, HART, Bauer and Stihl. Which is frustrating for me, because I only own 4 of those.
To find the best of these tiny terrors, he tested torque, cutting speed, and even compared them to a Stihl hand saw, which…. I don’t get it Todd. They’re chainsaws. Why would you NOT choose the chainsaw? Anyways. Todd actually broke the saws up into two groups. Tiny, and 10” plus. And without giving too much away, I was pretty happy seeing my HART and Milwaukee saws topping the tiny charts. If you think you can handle a proper baby chainsaw, Todd has the buying advice you need at Project Farm.
Shop Tool Reviews | Milwaukee’s M12 Detail Sander
Milwaukee recently launched a new M12 FUEL Orbital Detail Sander, and Tim got it first. THAT is the Milwaukee 2531 M12 Orbital Detail Sander, and while it’s purposefully small, it turns out to be a fairly mighty tool.
It was first revealed earlier this year at the Milwaukee Pipeline event, where it was easily overshadowed by the Milwaukee Track Saw and the new Gen 3 and 4 Impacts and drills. But as Tim finds out, this little sander is absolutely packed with features, including 4 speeds, a variable speed trigger, an interface pad for contours, and a pad saver he suggest you never sand without. Of course a detail sander is for the details, and the 14,000 OPM is easily up to the task. It’s not a perfect sander, but it might be perfect for you. To find out, head over to Shop Tool Reviews.
RIDGID | Launch of an OPE line
This week RIDGID surprised a lot of us this week by launching an entire line of outdoor power equipment. Likely because the 16 string trimmers from Milwaukee Ryobi and HART Just weren’t enough for TTI.
But this isn’t a cute set of matching hedge trimmer and edger, mainly because there’s no edger, but instead an unusual collection of OPE, that sometimes seems directly aimed at the prosumer, while others… well, we have a 14” string trimmer with a variable speed trigger and a bump feed head, a 12” chainsaw with an automatic oiler, 10 mps chain speed, that delivers up to 100 cuts per charge, and a 22” hedge trimmer. All decent entries. Then you suddenly get an 8in auger with anti-kickback system, and a 4 gallon backpack sprayer.
Then why not, how about a 1 ¼” capacity pruner. Sure! But then we get this blower with 510CFM which is…you know, fine. But no mower. How very Milwaukee of them. Obviously, we haven’t seen these in person yet, but we know that TTI makes fantastic tools. We’ve used Ryobi and HART versions of all of these tools, and never been left unhappy, so assuming the RIDGID line will continue with their tradition of being “one step better”, we’re likely to like these too.
Tinker with Tools | Installation Drill Drivers
Installation Drill Drivers are incredibly flexible tools. Their replaceable attachments make them perfect for a wide variety of jobs, and Taylor over at Tinker with Tools wanted to know who makes the best one.
So he gathered the best examples from Milwaukee, DeWALT and Bosch and put them through a series of tests, challenging each attachment to determine which drill is the most versatile, and therefore most useful for an installer. They each have a hex attachment, a chuck, a right angle attachment, and an offset for getting your fasteners as close to an inside corner as possible. When the dust settles, each brand is clearly up to the job, but one does the job the best, and Taylor tells you which one it is, over at Tinker with Tools.
Torque Test Channel | Air Hammers
Whenever we want to know which brand offers the most powerful… whatever, there’s only one guy to ask. And that’s Torque over at Torque Test channel, and this week he worked with his team to determine which Air Hammer brings home the title.
I’ve never used an air hammer myself, but they sure do make them look fun. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re air tools that literally hammer hard-to-reach bolts and other fasteners when they simply don’t want to move. These clever contraptions are indispensable to mechanics working on older rusted out cars. But perhaps the most interesting part, is just how much power these things put out. I mean, you don’t go naming your hammer Thor, and put this on the side “Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor” unless, that is, you produce a divine amount of power. And while I may not personally have a use for something like this, thanks to Torque Test Channel, I know which one to get if that ever changes.
Makita | New XGT Tools
The Makita line of 40v tools, called XGT, is expanding again. This time every trade is getting a bit of love, from metalworking, to woodworking, to cooking. Sort of.
It’s only been 19 months since the, XGT line launched, and they’ve already added over 100 tools. And this month we get this GRH08Z XGT 1 3/16” AVT SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer featuring constant speed control that keeps it at the same rpm even under load.
There’s also a version of the new hammer with a quick change chuck, the GRH09Z.
For metalworkers they’re launching the new 40V max XGT Brushless 5” X-Lock Angle Grinder with an electric brake, the GAG11. It cuts #5 rebar up to 60% faster than it’s LXT brother, and of course changing out accessories is way faster thank to the X-Lock integration. They also announced a paddle switch version, my personal preference, the GAG13.
They even announced 3 new XGT Top Hand Chainsaws for Arborist, in 16, 14, and 12” models, which we recently covered in a previous episode.
They also updated their popular Vacuums and dust extractors, with a new 40V MAX XGT Brushless Four Gallon Wed/Dry vac, the GCV03, which features 148 CFM and 92” water lift. Then the GCV04 which has the same specs but as a Dry Dust Extractor with a HEPA filter.
The GCV06 is an XGT Brushless ½ Gallon Hepa backpack Dry Dust Extractor with 67 CFM and 72” water lift. And finally, the GLC03, which is a 40V max XGT Brushless Cyclonic 4 speed HEPA filter Compact Stick vac with 35 CFM and 80” static water lift. The cyclonic action, my nick name in high school, separates dust particles for up to 6x longer filter life.
They also announced a new 40V max XGT Brushless 3 ¼” planer that boasts 15,000 rpm, and 3 new jobsite lights ranging from a 1,250 lumen flashlight, up to a 10,000 lumen lunchbox.
And finally, That’s the Makita 40V max XGT Hot Water Kettle. Not only will it boil your water, but it will automatically turn off when the boiling temperature is reached, that way you can come back 15 minutes later, having forgot all about that cup of tea, and reheat it again. Clearly the XGT lineup is proving to be a big success for Makita, and I’m looking forward to see if they launch anything else before World of Concrete in January.
Production Crew Giveaway
We only have two prize shelves left for our production crew, and we plan to give away them BOTH on December 12th, at 8pm EST. We will be calling two random production crew members LIVE, and let them pick which shelf they want to take home. Of course no matter which tools they choose, they’ll both get a full line of SPYDER bits, blades and accessories, because there’s really no reason to use pro tools, without pro accessories from SPYDER.
PLATINUM Tool Deal!
It’s time again for our PLATINUM Tool deal of the week. Every week we team up with Ohio Power Tool to offer you a limited use coupon code which grants some of the best power tool deals you’re ever likely to find, and this week is no different.
This week we’re featuring the Metabo 12V PowerMaxx Drill Kit, and giving it to 25 lucky buyers, for free. The Installation driver kit includes a ¼” hex, a ⅜” chuck, and a right angle attachment. It’s super small for getting into tight spaces, but still delivers a powerful 354 inch pounds of torque. And if you use our code, all you have to do is spend $100 at Ohio Power Tool, and they’ll send you the Metabo 12V PowerMaxx Drill Kit for free. The code you need is right here. Now remember, the code will only work for 25 people before it retires, so act fast. And be sure to subscribe, and turn on the notification bell so you’re first to see the code every Friday. Good luck.
Coming Soon!
We have some exciting new additions coming here to Belts And Boxes in the coming weeks, as well as the launch of our Season 6 on January 6th. Be sure to get subscribed so you don’t miss any of it!
We want to thank FLEX and Spyder for sponsoring this episode. Guys, we couldn’t do it without you. If you can, do something kind for a neighbor this weekend, and we’ll see you next week!
