Mother’s Day is right around the corner and its time to pony up some money to let mom know just how much you care.  Now if you want to be traditional, you can go the card and flower route, but you also have other options that might be of interest to her such as power tools.  What mother doesn’t love power tools, right?  Now she may not love the 18V reciprocating saw or a hammer drill, but there are plenty of tools that might be right up her alley.  The key to picking the right power tool for your mom is knowing what she loves to do or even not do such as hanging pictures or fixing the leaky sink.  If you know what she likes to do, picking the right tool is a lot easier.  Here are a couple of items that could be useful for most mothers and practical for hobbies or even small jobs around the house.

M12 Combo kit

The Milwaukee M12 is manufactured by Milwaukee tools and is one of the largest lines of 12V around.  Now she may not need all the tools in this line, but they do offer some great tools that might be useful for hobbies, crafts and home repairs.  The tools are very lightweight and easy to handle, plus lots of power for most projects.  A couple tools to note in the M12 line up are the drill.  The M12 drill is a 3/8” drill and offers two speeds.  The M12 Hackzall is another great tool to have around the house.  The Hackzall is a small reciprocating saw that will let her get in tight spaces and more.  The flashlight is another add-on to the line up that mom will definitely use.  The light is pretty bright and works great.  One item she will sure eat up is the power port.  This will allow here to take the M12 power anywhere so she can get power to plug in her iPod, cell phone or even computer.

Dremel

Dremel has been around for a long time and they have proven to be an optimal tool for a variety of applications.  Dremel offers both a cordless and corded version depending upon what she will be using this tool for.  One great thing about Dremel is all the accessories available.  They have a bit for almost any project around.  Anything from tile to sanding and everything in between.  The small little tools have a lot of power and speed to rip through even the hardest crafts and more. 

Rockwell SoniCrafter

By know with all the advertising you should have heard about the Rockwell Sonicrafter.  This is a tool that uses vibration to make cuts and more.  Rockwell offers a couple different kits, but one kit we would recommend is the 72 piece model number RK5102K.  This basically has any accessory for any job.  Great thing about this tool, is mom will stay safe and get the job done.

Again these are just a couple ideas mom might like.  If you take some time and learn what she loves to do, you are sure to find a power tool that she will utilize in most cases.  She is sure to think of you every time she picks up that power tool to do some work.

Don’t forget to give her a card and a kiss.

We came across a great survey completed by Contractor Magazine that gives wonderful insight on professional tool users recent purchasing habits. We know you will find this information both intriguing and helpful for your own use! It seems that contractors are making more tool purchases at major home centers lately. In addition, they are doing much more work (72%) in service, repair and retrofit markets, or mainly aftermarket projects.

The major home centers have gained alot of steam in tool sales, overtaking plumbing wholesalers and closing in on the leader, industrial supply houses. Another interesting statistic for all of 2009 was that internet sales were down from the previous year. This survey speculates it might be because contractors like to handle a tool before they see it. We feel this is just a temporary blip, as internet sales will continue to play a major factor in the future. Prices on the internet are way to competitive. When the economy picks up, internet sales should explode. Contractors that do internet buying are doing it for bulk purchases and they already know their brands!

The major thrust in the increase of tool sales at home centers came from small contractors, (those employing 1 to 4 workers). The larger contractors, (those employing 50 workers or more), still did most of their purchasing from industrial supply houses. Plumbing wholesalers numbers fell across the board. As stated above, all of the increases are coming in the aftermarket business, whereas new construction is still soft. Many or most of the contractors surveyed were working in plumbing, hydronic heating, warm air heating, air conditioning, radiant floor heating, and bath and kitchen remodeling. Plumbing was the number one type of work, and interestingly, almost 25% of those surveyed presented themselves as “green” contractors.

As far as tool use went, the number one used corded tool was the reciprocating saw, and then came a variety of hammer drills. Next was circular saws, power drills, and demolition hammers. The list continued down the line with rotary hammers, drill drivers, pipe threading machines, drain cleaning machines and floor drivers. When looking at cordless power tools, the most used by contractors was drill drivers, then power drills, followed by reciprocating saws, circular saws, hammer drills, and last, rotary hammers.

The final interesting fact we read from the survey was that in 2009, 83% of the contractors were doing work in the residential market. Almost 75% said they did work in the commercial market, but only 21% were doing work in the institutional market.

The right accessory can ease the use of any tool and help enhance specialized applications. They can also provide added convenience and make work much easier. Save time and effort and increase your skills when you add the right accessories to your your power tool collection.

Cutting Power Tool Accessories

Saw blades come in a wide variety. The number of teeth per blade helps determine whether you are doing more all-purpose cutting (less teeth) or smoother, finer jobs (more teeth). The type of blades you use also play a part: carbide-tipped blades stay sharper, and while they may cost more than steel, they will also last much longer and will save money over time.

• Height extensions raise the guide and allow band saws to cut thicker materials
• Work stands, tool stands and roller support stands provide added stability and a level work area
• Dado blades, as well as dado blade inserts and throat plates, give you the ability to easily make needed dado cuts
• Clamps for table saws and miter saws hold stock down firmly for more accurate cuts

Drill Press Accessories

Bits make the difference between an average job and a super success. As with blades, carbide-tipped bits are the best choice, both for their long-lasting performance and their ability to stay sharp.

• Fences help maintain accurate positioning when drilling repetitive holes
• Mortising bits help you drill holes for mortise joints (cavities in stock that receive tenons)
• A drum sanding kit turns your drill press into a rotary sander and buffer

Dust Collection Systems

Keeping your workstation clean and dust-free will add to the lifetime of tools and make your work area safer. CFM, or Cubic Feet per Minute, is the basic standard of measure used to rate dust collectors and is defined as the volume of air they can move at a given static or constant pressure. Select a dust collector with enough CFM to handle the dust output of your biggest dust-generating machine.

Laser Guide Accessories

Don’t guess when you need to have exact cuts and precise details. Laser guides give a visible line that allows you to clearly see and maintain the correct cut. Tools with the LaserTrack system supply you with the accuracy and confidence needed to perform any job.

• Laser line guides make it easy to achieve the perfect cut
• Laser guides for drill presses allow the user to see precisely where the drilling location on the material will be

Sanding Power Tool Accessories

Various sanding jobs can call for different strengths and styles. Sanding belts of differing grits are designed to handle jobs ranging from light to heavy. Sanding discs and strips can replace worn or older parts.

• Use higher grit sandpaper for finer sanding, lower grit for more material removal

Specialty Power Tool Accessories

Some planers feature table extensions with infeed and outfeed rollers that make feeding your stock easier. Top rollers let you slide a board across the top of the planer so you can feed it again.

• Stands and sawhorses are a simple way to provide added stability to your workplace
• Specific stands support specific tools, while universal stands allow for multi-purpose operation
• Sawhorses can hold between 1,000 to 2,000 pounds when used as a pair, and fold down for easy storage
• Keep in mind that sharp blades enhance performance, while dull blades will hinder operation

Wet-Dry Vac Accessories

Useful attachments for wet-dry vacs include a floor sweep, crevice tool and wide water blade. A car upholstery tool lets you keep your car’s insides looking as good as the day you brought it home.

• Remember to regularly clean and change filters for best performance
• HEPA rated filters capture 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns.

We hope this information will help you get your projects done better!

We recently posted an article about the ten most dangerous power tools. In reality, any power tool can be dangerous if not used properly. Now it’s time to post a few tips on how to keep yourself safe when using power tools. Please pass this article on to all of your friends that use power tools!

According to safety experts, more than 8 percent of industrial accidents result from bad power tool use. Whether it’s using the wrong tool for the job, carelessness or failing to wear protective gear, the consequences are often terrible.

Most power tool accidents are preventable. McGill, a leading provider of electrical safety equipment, offers the following checklist for safely using power tools.

1)       Use tools only for the specific task they’re designed for, and never operate any tool – power or manual – unless you’re trained to do so.

2)       Carefully read the owner’s manual before using a tool.

3)       Inspect power tools before each use. If parts are worn or damaged – especially cords that become frayed – replace or repair them. Because vibration can loosen the tool’s parts, its screws, nuts and bolts may need tightening.

4)       Keep workshops and storage spaces clean and dry to prevent accidents. Sparks ignite scraps, sawdust and solvents. Water conducts electricity.

5)       Prior to plugging or unplugging tools, be sure the power switch is turned to “OFF.” And never disconnect power by pulling on the cord. Instead, remove the plug from the outlet.

6)       If working on a ladder or scaffolding, carefully set your power tools on a flat surface or in a bin secured to the ladder itself.

7)       Always use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) when working with power tools. Plug-in GFCIs for indoor and outdoor use stop power when loads have a potentially lethal ground current.

8)       Remove rings, jewelry or loose clothing before operating a power tool.

9)       Wear personal protective equipment, such as face shields, safety goggles and disposable masks.

Preventing accidental start-ups  

Power tools operate at very high speeds, so when things happen, they tend to happen fast. A sudden tool start-up after a voltage drop or power interruption can suddenly fling a work piece at the operator. Fingers may be drawn into a cutting blade, or the tool may move toward other body parts that are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

One way to prevent accidental start-ups is with a motor control, such as the McGill Sensing-Safti-Gard. A built-in sensor blocks the control from resetting until the equipment switch has been turned off.

Please take these safety tips seriously! Lastly, always remind friends and family that use power tools to make sure they follow the above tips!

Forbes magazine recently published a list of some of the most dangerous power tools on the market. While we definitely are power tool advocates, we also want to promote safety on our site. These tools are not toys, and users must understand the potential harm they can do if not used properly!

 POWER NAILERS: They make short work of framing, but power nailers also send 37,000 people a year to emergency rooms according to a CDC study covering 2001-2005, with 40% of injuries suffered by consumers. More importantly,do to their growing popularity, the number would be much higher if the survey were done today.

CHAIN SAWS: They account for about 39,000 emergency room visits per year.

TABLE SAWS: Table saws account for about 29,000 emergency room visits per year.

SNOW BLOWERS: Come winter, these tools put 5,700 patients a year into the ER, with 600 finger amputations, and 19 deaths since 1992.

CIRCULAR SAWS: ERs see 10,600 patients a year thanks to these common tools.

RIDING LAWNMOWERS: An average 37,000 people a year end up in the hospital (with 95 deaths) thanks to these ubiquitous suburban vehicles.

POWER DRILLS: Compared to chain saws and snowblowers, drills seem downright friendly, yet they put 5,800 people a year in the ER.

BACKHOES: These hydraulic monsters are now available to any handyman with the money to rent one, but be wary. Even the pros aren’t immune from disaster. Backhoes kill an average 38 construction workers a year.

AIR COMPRESSORS: You’d think the tool at the other end of the hose posed the only danger, but compressors cause 2,400 injuries a year.

WOOD CHIPPERS: Only 3 per year on average die using these tools. But their size and power mean it doesn’t take much for the worst to happen. Please be careful!

Question – What do most of these peole have in common?  They didn’t put safety first.  Remember even though power tools are fun, they are not toys.  So, in conclusion, please realize that power tools can be a great help in getting jobs done well and efficiently, but they are to be well respected with regards to potential danger if not used with knowledge and care!

Milwaukee is considered one of the top professional power tool manufacturers around.  You can learn more about Milwaukee on our tool page. Milwaukee was stagnant for a while in introducing new power tools, but lately they have been coming out with new tools and leading the way. 

Milwaukee is really trying to capture the sub compact market with it’s new M12 line, which is their 12V line of Milwaukee power tools.  Besides having the normal cordless tools such as drills and saws, they have introduced a whole other line up geared towards the professionals such as carpenters, HVAC, electricians and plumbers. 

Some of their new tools include the Sub-Scanner, Laser Temp, Volt detector and more.  Now the M12 is newer to the market, so we haven’t seen how the batteries last long term.  We have tested the Milwaukee M12 and they are very nice for the work they are designed for.

See some our reviews of the Milwaukee power tool.

Milwaukee V28 Kit Overview

Milwaukee SawZall Review

Milwaukee Battery Review

Milwaukee Work Light Review

Milwaukee Charger Review

Milwaukee Contractors Bag Review

Milwaukee V28 Hammer Drill

Milwaukee V28 Circular Saw

Milwaukee M12

We have received a lot of emails over the past couple of months about using an iphone on the job site, so we thought it would be appropriate to cover some of the basics such as protection and different apps.

Iphone has been a craze ever since it was introduced, and now with over 75,000 different apps, this is truly a mini computer.  For this article we will cover just a couple simple ideas that every contractor should know about the iphone and what apps are great to have.

As you know the first thing we must cover is protection of the phone.  Naturally you are going to drop the phone or accidentally toss some lumber on the phone so you need to protect your phone.  We haven’t found a better phone protector than the Otter Box.  The whole phone is protected by a hard plastic case.  There is a film that covers the screen which adds protection.  Over the hard plastic case is a nice rubberized shell which provides shock protection and adds better grip.  With that said, it does make the phone a little more bulky, but well worth it.  It might take a user a little bit of getting use to typing with this protector, as some of the letters on the side might be a little hard to type, but nothing that a user can’t get use to.  The case also provides a water resistant protector in case of rain or spilt coffee, but it is not water proof.

There are so many apps out there its hard to cover all of them that would be beneficial for a contractor, such as on site surveys, but we will cover some of the basics.

The first essential app is the the Weather Channel app which as you may have guessed, provides weather updates.  This is a very easy app to work with and even stores your city in memory so your not always typing it in every time you want the weather.  You can see live broadcasts, live radar screens and more.  This is a great app to have when your on the road and want a quick update.

The next essential app is Merchantwarehouse.  This allows a contractor to accept credit cards on the spot.  Now you do have to sign up for an account and pay the fees, which are in line with other merchant accounts.  This is a great app for making sure you can collect money for those hard to reach clients.  Now when you’re talking with them, you can get their information and receive payment right away.

The next app is Invoice to go.   They do offer a lite version, which is what we use.  The lite version gives the user everything they need to create an invoice, PO, or estimate on the spot.  The organization is great and lets the user pull up any old invoices, estimates or PO’s.  The great thing about this app is you can email the invoice or estimate right away to your client.

There are a lot of different calendars out there, but the one we found was Pocket Informant.  This is a great way to keep track of your schedule and more.  You can even sync it with Google Calendar.  There is also a To-Do list.  Once nice thing is you can easily categorize your appointments by work related or personal related. 

A couple other cool apps are the Hole Space and Iball it.  Hole spacer is pretty neat.  All you need to do is enter the length, then just touch the plus or minus button to show how many holes you need.  The app will automatically show where each hole needs to be drilled in inches.  Say you’re installing lights over a 30′ ceiling and you have three lights.  Just type in 30 and you can hit the plus button three times.  The app will show you the spacing is 7 1/2′.  The app will show that you need to put one light in at 7 1/2′, 15′ and 22 1/2′.  Iball it is a very cool leveling tool with 7 different screens so a user can check horizontal and vertical levels.  This app also has a large and small grid system for different applications.  This app uses the camera in the phone to project the level on your phone.

ESPN also offers a great app called scorecenter. You can look it up under ESPN.  This is a quick way to check scores from any sports category and you can even enter your favorite teams for quick look ups.  The one downside to this app is that it loads very slow.

Again there are a boat load of apps out there, so we only covered a few.  They even have a coin flip app, in case you don’t have a coin.  Great app to decide who is picking up lunch that day.

We are always looking for cool apps that help contractors.  If you know of any, please let us know so we can pass it along.

The one question we receive over and over is , “Are Cheap power tools or power tool accessories worth buying?”.  As a quick answer, yes they are worth every penny if all your doing is lending your power tool accessories to your neighbors or father-in-law.  No, if you are using them day in and day out.  Now, why it is true most of the time you get what you pay for, sometimes it doesn’t always apply.  Take for instance, say your going to sand some plaster walls and prep them for a fresh coat of paint.  Do you really want to use your premium Porter Cable hand sander or do you want to use that Porter Cable sander for your nice woodworking projects.  If you know you are going to beat up a tool such as in the above example, then maybe you might want to get a cheap $10 sander that will get the job done and then you might have to throw away because it breaks.  Well, the same is true with power tool accessories.

As with the brand name accessories, yes you do pay more or a premium because of the name, but most of the time you also get a better quality of accessory.  If you don’t follow us that much and just started to hear about us, take some time and read our article on cheap vs professional tools so you understand our point of view on saving money.  Now you may be asking yourself, “Isn’t a saw blade just a saw blade or a drill bit just a drill bit?”  Technically speaking, yes.  But there is far more to the subject than technically speaking.  With cheaper power tool accessories, not as much thought or structure goes into making a good quality accessory.  Sometimes we have seen wrong angles on reciprocating saw blades, sometimes the drill bits don’t have the right cutting angle and sometimes the materials are just not as good as the professional tool accessories. 

 If you have an inferior accessory, it can cause a lot of problems.  First, the job might take longer because you are replacing blades or other accessories more often and in the long run this actually cost more.  Another problem is putting more wear and tear on your power tools.  Because the accessory is not working to its maximum capacity, the way a professional accessory should, the tool has to do more work, which means more heat, which means a shorter life of the tool.

Now we could go on and on about professional power tool accessories, but we hope you get our point.  So, remember if you have a neighbor who wants to borrow some accessories and you know they will end up wrecking your tools, pass along the cheaper accessories and leave the professional ones for yourself.

There are many different types of air compressors. They vary in both size and the power they supply. Obviously the best way to determine what air compressor to use is based on the power requirements of the tools involved. The next step is to buy one that gives you a little more power than you need so you can purchase air tools in the future that may need a higher power level.

One common example is the rotary screw compressor. There are many different choices with this product line, but if you want a powerful one, you will have to spend some money, the cheaper ones are only good for putting air in your tires once in a while.

Don’t rate air compressors by Horsepower, as often the hp listed is an inflated number. Instead, look at the PSI, which stands for Pounds per Square Inch. In most cases, you will require 90 PSI for most air tools. However, an air compressor listed at 125 to 135 PSI will not run that air tool properly. This is because the PSI is the shut-off pressure, and even if an air compressor shuts off at 100 PSI, this does not take into account something called pressure loss in the line. Thus, to work at peak efficiency with 90 PSI tools, you should really consider a two stage pressure shut off compressor, one that shuts off the first stage at the 90 PSI, but the second stage won’t shut off until it reaches 175 PSI.

Another factor to take into account is the “cubic feet per minute” or CFM. Most air tools will require 4 to 6 CFM. At 90 PSI you will be getting 3 to 4 exact HP. CFM tells you how much air is being moved.

Tank size should also be taken into account. A regular pump and motor with a normal 30 gallon tank is usually fine if what you are doing only needs to use short bursts of air. But for heavy use, you are better off using a smaller tank with a significantly stronger motor and pump, with attentive consideration to the stored air in the tank.

Lastly, there are gas powered and electically powered compressors. If you know you will be working in an area without access to electricity, obviously the gas powered compressor is the way to go.

Since we just recently posted a nice review on the Stiletto hammer, we thought it might be timely to give a few ideas on how to make your life a little easier using hammers. Listed below a just a few ideas on how to get the most out of your hammer when time is of the essence!

One interesting way to get nails hammered into hard wood is to lubricate them. You can use lip balm, beeswax, or even a lubricating oil. Put the lubrication somewhere conveniently close so you can still work quickly to get your nails in place.

Try drilling a pilot hole, just as if you were using a screw instead of a nail. If you dont have the right size drill bit, then cut the head right off the nail that you are using, and chuck the nail tip tightly in your drill so that you can make the right size pilot hole before you start hammering the true nails in!

If you want to keep from splitting wood when you are hammering nails, you can blunt the tip of the nails in use by just tapping the piont of the nail slightly with your hammer. If you are driving nails into soft wood, choose an area other than the grain lines to avoid splitting the wood.

As shown in the Stiletto video, a magnet on the head of the hammer placed correctly helps line up the first drive of the nail. You could also put a magnet on the handle of the hammer so all you have to do then is dip the handle in a box of nails, and always have a few stuck to the handle, ready for use.

Lastly, if you want to pull nails out of wood, but they seem to be to small for the back of the hammer in use, make a small nail puller by filing a notch in the shape of a V into one of the hammer’s claw tips. If you use a triangular shaped needle file, that should do the trick very well.

Good luck hammering, and watch those thumbs!!

Most new cordless tools really are made with pretty good modern technology. This new technology allows many of these cordless tools to work almost as well as their corded equivalents. So in today’s day of power tools, you should make sure you are evaluating your tool’s performance standard properly when considering getting a job done in an effective and timely manner.

For instance, with drills, the key to performance is being able to get the required torque at the highest speed. One of the most common misconceptions is the higher the torque rating, the faster the drill will complete an application. This is not always the case.

Torque is the force the drill produces to turn an object, not how fast an object will turn. Recently, torque ratings have been steadily increasing to levels beyond what is actually needed to complete applications. A new and more effective way to measure the performance of a drill is to combine speed and torque, which is in effect measuring power.

In the past, a drill’s power rating has been used as a tool to design products. It is not until now that it will be used as a new way of evaluating a drill’s performance level. Now power rating can be used as a direct indication of how fast a drill will complete an application. The drill’s power rating is measured by its Units Watts Out(UWO), the point where the drill’s speed and torque output are the highest. The higher the drill’s power rating, or UWO, the faster it will perform on the jobsite.

About a week ago we were lucky enough to get a tour of Estwing tools  in Rockford, IL.  After our tour we sat down to have lunch and we were talking about the tour and how cool it was.  After talking a while we touched on a subject that made us all think about what is going on, but we can get to that later on.

If your not familiar with Estwing, go to almost any job-site and you will see one of their striking tools.  Estwing makes one of the top striking tools in the market place.  They make a variety of tools such as nail hammers, bricklayer hammers, drywall hammers, axes, bars, geological tools and more.  Since 1923 when they first opened their doors, they have been known for their quality of tools and even today when you see the famous blue handles and yellow type, you know it is an Estwing tool.

At the time we didn’t even think about bringing our camera, but now wish we did.  Estwing has their main office building and on the outskirt, they have smaller buildings where the tools are formed.  Across the street they have their distribution center.  The whole process is very cool.

It all starts when semis drop off large, thick steel rods that are solid.   We were inundated with information, so some information we forgot, but we think the rods are about 3″ thick.  They have a cutter that cuts through this rod like nothing and cuts it into about 3-6″ pieces.  It then gets moves to another building where these two guys were heating them up and placing them into the stamp and dye.  This was pretty cool.  When the dye would come down and hit the hot metal rod to get the shape, we were about 30′ away and you could feel the ground shake.  It was amazing the power and force these machines have.  After they have their shape they get moved over where the extra metal gets trimmed.  It then goes through another process and then buffed to a nice shine.  Next it goes back into the main building where workers attach the grip and the stickers.  They then packaged them in boxes and they get sent across the street to the distribution building.  There is a little more to the process, but this is a majority of how these are made.  If you ever get a chance to visit a company that makes hammers or other tools, we would suggest grabbing the opportunity and taking it as it was very cool.

As we noted above, there was one aspect that made us think when we were eating lunch.  When we walked into Estwing, we were waiting in the lobby.  We noticed an aerial view of the whole property.  When our tour guide came out we were asking him questions.  One was about the history of the building.  From the picture above we could tell they did additions over time.  He told us they had seven major additions over the course of their life.  He also explained the other building on the outside and how they use to be full and over time they knocked some of them down because they were no longer being used.  Over the course of the tour we also found out that at one time they use to run full crews, all three shifts and seven days a week.  When we looked at the employee parking lot, it was half full.  Long story short, it is amazing what happens to these companies when the economy slows down and we have more companies importing tools.  Now if you are familiar with Estwing tools, their slow down has nothing to do with quality.  In fact they have one of the highest quality hammers around and are a huge seller.  But with the housing market slow down and the overall economy slow down, you can see how some companies might have a hard time.  At one time it is weird to think these companies were booming, they expanded to meet the demands of the consumer and one hiccup and these companies are now having skelton crews.  We won’t go into the whole issue, but I think you get where we are going with this.

Overall the tour was awesome.  We learned a lot about Estwing and their high demand for quality.  We had a chance to see how these striking tools were made and would recommend anyone who has the chance to grab it up.

Now that spring is right around the corner, we thought updating PPTG’s site with some fresh tips on power tool maintenance would be appropriate. Some basic rules to keep your tools working at their best are always good to use. After use, all tools should be blown out, oiled, and wiped down. These three simple steps can keep tools working much better. Also, most of us tend to leave our tools out in unfavorable weather conditions every now and then. Try always to keep your tools in a dry and temperate place.

Power tools, and in particular screw guns, grinders, and sanders should be blown out after every use. The tool’s chuck, vent, and any openings should be the main focus. We tool users don’t realize the damage small debris can do to our tools, clogging internal mechanisms very easily. By simply blowing out the tools properly after use, many years of life can be added, along with better performance.

The most basic chore that can and should be done after every use is simply to wipe down the tool just used very thoroughly.

Also, oiling your tools is crucial to proper performance, specifically your pneumatic air tools. Try to use the one drop rule by simply using one drop of oil at the end of your gun before you start to use it. This should be repeated for every 2500-3000 nails shot. Don’t over-oil, as this can create sludgy, sloppy build-up that can make tools stick and work less efficiently.

One last tip relates to your air compressor use. Periodically top off the oil in your air compressor. The more you use it, the more you need to check the oil level and refill it. In addition, it is imperative to drain the compressor’s tank after every use. If the tank goes undrained for even a short time, it can cause rust damage to the compressor.

The fact is that it is easy to neglect simple maintenance to our tools, especially after a long hard day’s work. But by following some basic simple rules like the ones we discussed above, you will save hundreds of dollars on your arsenal of power tools!

You can also read our article about “Making a Power Tool Last“

We always receive a lot of emails asking which American manufacturers to buy, and which company is American owned or what tools are manufactured in the states.  Well, we are sorry to say that there are very few power tool companies in the U.S. anymore.  One exception is Dewalt, which is owned by Black and Decker. After we let these people know, we tend to get the same response back about how it is sad that manufacturers and companies are leaving the states.  Well, we agree.  But, there is something we can do to help America, teach your kids and pass on your knowledge.  That is why we would like to highlight a great American, John Ratzenberger.

Some may have heard of the show Made in America, if not, take a look at it.  It goes behind the scenes at American companies. It’s a fun show to watch.  Anyway, to get back on track, I was watching an interview with him a while back and he was talking about how schools are getting rid of some hands-on classes such as woodworking and other do it yourself classes.  I didn’t think much about it at the time, but then we kept getting more and more emails about American manufacturers.  I took a closer look at my old high school and to my surprise, they no longer offered woodworking or auto mechanic class, both which I took at the school.

John started a foundation called Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs. It’s a great foundation to help kids learn about manufacturing and more.  I would suggest to take a little time and read through the website, it’s well worth it.  Also, if you have kids, make sure you show them the ropes.  Remember someone took the time to show you, pass that knowledge on and let them know why it is important to know this information.

Here is another great website to take a closer look for American Manufacturing. We found this list of American manufacturers of tools and wanted to include this list,  American Tool companies.

We have received a lot of emails about Makita Tools and if we recommend them.  One of the biggest concerns we see is readers wondering about their quality.  Almost everyone points out that they are made in China by a Chinese company.  If you are new to power tools or are not familiar with Makita tools, you can read more about Makita on our Makita page.

While it is true that most Makita tools are made in China, Makita is actually owned by a Japanese company.  We have to face the facts that most tools are made in China, the primary reason is cost.  In fact there are very few American power tool companies anymore.  Even Dewalt that is owned by Black and Decker, which is an American company, has many parts made in China.  Chinese companies do have a different set of rules and regulations than American companies, but they still need to meet international standards.  When it comes to Makita tools, Makita makes sure they build quality power tools.  Over the years Makita has spent a tremendous amount of money on advertising and getting their name in front of consumers.  We would doubt they would jeopardize that to save a couple of dollars.

We have visited a lot of job sites and one reason we do this is we want to talk with the end user.  We like finding out what is good, what is bad and report this information back to you.  Over the years we have seen several companies come out with new tools, only to fail on the job site.  While the companies may be great and reputable companies, sometimes they just come out with dud products.  Makita works like any other professional power tool company.  They spend a lot of money on each new power tool they release.  They go into the field and have users test the tools, not to mention their testing inside their labs.

Makita makes some of the best professional power tools around.  They make anything from a small 1/4″ drill to Breaker Hammers and Generators.  All in all we love the Makita tools.  When you pick up a simple 18V cordless drill, you can feel the difference without even pulling the trigger.  Right away you will notice the balance of the drill in your hand, they are very well balanced.  The key is there is not too much weight on the chuck or too much on the battery.  A well balanced drill will allow you to perform more work with greater accuracy because your arm will not get fatigued.  We had a chance to use one of their Demo hammers and we have to say this is a quality built tool, just as good as Hilti.  You have a hard time feeling the vibrations.  We could go on and on about Makita tools, but the article would be too long and you would probably just fall asleep because we would end almost everything saying how much we like their power tools.

Another nice feature with Makita is the variety of products they offer.  Some companies when you buy a cordless combo kit, they only have a few tools you can add to the kit.  If you want to get another cordless tool you will have to buy a different battery and charger because they might not be compatible or even offer that tool.  Makita is no different than the other professional power tools and they offer a wide variety of power tools for each cordless line they produce.  In fact Makita currently has over 36 different power tools for the Lithium Ion 18V battery system.

As we noted above we have visited numerous job sites to get feedback about different manufacturers products and time and time again, we have heard nothing but great things about Makita tools.  We have done a couple different power tool reviews of the Makita brand and we end up recommending them as a great quality power tool company.  You can read our power tool reviews at this link. We have done other reviews, but just haven’t posted them because they were older tools.

The bottom line is Makita is a great company and they make some of the best power tools around.  They make quality power tools that are built to last. Once you pick up Makita tools, you will feel that they are designed for the user, they have great balance and feel as if they were made just for you.

We would like to hear your experiences with Makita.

Here are some of our makita Reviews

Kit Overview

Makita LXT Drill/Driver Review – BHP452

Makita LXT Flashlight Review – BML185

Makita LXT Impact Driver Review – BTD141

Makita LXT Circular Saw Review – BSS611

Makita LXT Grinder Review – BGA452

Makita LXT Contractor Bag Review

Makita LXT Reciprocating Saw Review – BJR182

Makita LXT Job Site Radio