0 comments

  1. As your Father who recalls a skinny little girl that was there to ask questions and more questions about what I was doing at the time, I wish I has spent more time showing you how to build the rooms and how to frame. not rocket science, just have to know the codes and have a plan. ( and a permit) . so time moves on, an to be honest I am jealous of all that you can do. ( and proud) This endeavor is just one more star for you. As i have said in the past if is broken and you try to fix it and fail, well it was broken any way….truthfully , you will find that if you continue to make the effort, you will be able to fix whatever needs fixing.

    Congratulations on your new endeavor…as always, Love you….Dad

  2. Dear Tool Girl, I have been trying my damndest to find out the exact size of the DCS571 blade. If you have any luck, will you please let me know?

    • It wasn’t listed in the press release, but with its cut depth, I would bet it is either a 4-1/2 or a 5-3/8 inch blade. Let me see if I can get a hard answer on that though!

  3. Really like Olfa knives currently have an 18mm and 9mm and really want to get the aluminum screw lock knife

  4. This saw is everything a cordless jigger needs to be. The only improvement honestly could be if they figured out how to put an 18v battery on it. Bosch makes the best jiggers in the market, if I can’t do it with this little 12v, I’ll pull out my 572. Loving the site BTW, I gave up on my website so much to maintain but you’ve done an awesome job! If you ever need an extra writer let me know!
    – Jim @JimboSliceWorkshop

    • I couldn’t agree more Jim! Bosch makes some of the best, and I love their 12V line. It’s rare I need one of the bigger ones. You are always welcome to write here! I would be honored!!!

  5. What are those bits I see in the pictures? I don’t know that I’ve seen or heard of any new dewalt accessory lines since the flexvolt blades and hole saws, and max maxfit and flextorq with respect to bits.

  6. Found this site from the Milwaukee NPS new tool reveal. Nice website! I wanted Skilsaw to come out with a hypoid drive saw for a miter saw. Looks to be promising. The price though, up there with the Bosch. Also even Delta has their new saw with the same action as the Bosch. I do like and own the Skilsaw portable table saw with the hypoid drive and it is spot on.

  7. While it’s good to see them getting something Mobile in there, other than the wheeled box, dewalts tough system dolly is just miles ahead of any other modular storage systems’ dolly/trolly offerings, and it has been out forever. I wonder if it’s patents or something obscure that’s preventing copycats, but man that thing is just hands down a better setup for moving tool boxes around, especially given the ability to take whatever you need out of middle and bottom boxes without unstacking a mess. Milwaukee needs to figure out and equivalent to the dewalt dolly and then they’ll really be on fire.

    • Having now tested the Dewalt, Ridgid, Makita & Milwaukee, do you have a preference for one over the others? I do plenty of normal things that all can handle but I also like to route out inlays & custom designs in the center area of boards. I realize some of these might not advertise being able to do that without a plunge adapter, but I have found (at least with the Ridgid) that I’m able to carefully bring it in at a slight angle and then continue to design w/o using the adapter. Any thoughts? I don’t currently have a battery platform that I need to stick to, as my other cordless tools are less expensive options so this will be one of my first bigger brand purchases and I can always use battery adapters if needed in the future. Thanks in advance!

      • I have loved really all of them! I think the DeWalt has slightly more power, and I really love the D-shaped base. For me, that edges it out a bit for my use! I will say the Milwaukee has excellent fine adjustments- so that would be a point for them! I reach for the DeWalt the most and have found it to be overwhelmingly capable on hardwoods. I stick to Freud Bits and it never lets me down.

  8. Hi! I’ve been following you for a while and I love your tool blog posts and reviews. My husband actually works as a millwright at this same mill. He also worked at the Georgia Pacific plywood mill just down the road in Camden. We live about 20 miles from Corrigan, in Chester. Its a great place to work, also one of the only places to work here in our community without driving to a bigger city. We are very grateful to have Georgia Pacific/Koch industries in Polk County. Im also a builder/maker- when i have time to be, I’m a mom and a registered nurse as well. Im wondering if you live locally or are from here?

    Anyway? Thank you for representing strong, independent, creative women (AND TEXAS WOMEN!) with class! Keep up the good work!

    • Hi Helen! This is so amazing to hear! I was so impressed by how GP has set up their mills and the awesome family feel they had for being such a huge company! I honestly was totally nerding out the entire time I was there, so much to absorb in the whole process of making plywood!

      I was born and raised in Houston, still relatively close now too! So grateful for your kind words! We truly do live in such an amazing state! If you ever have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message! I love that there are so many woman makers these days! <3

    • Thank you, Miguel! I was blown away by the Impact Wrench! It is no joke, one of the most powerful Cordless ones I have seen! Thank you for your feedback!

  9. […] KOBALT recently launched new tools, their XTR lineup on their 24V platform, and one that really caught my attention was the Circular Saw. There were a few details I loved about it, from the rafter hook, easy adjustments, and all-around solid tool that performs really well. This full-size circular saw holds a 7-1/4 inch blade, giving the same cut capacity as standard circular saws but without the cord. I have been really obseesed with the easy to read miter and bevel gauges and the solid power this saw has. From someone whose Dad is extra skeptical about heavy-duty tools being cordless, this one is sure to put a smile on his face!  […]

  10. Keep on keeping on Sista. Your web page looks very professional. I would highly suggest pushing Facebook Vids to specific Viewers that like tools, carpentry, mechanics, etc if not working that angle now.

  11. Thanks for the great review, I totally understand the “bane of wet leaves”! How do you find using the 650 in terms of it’s weight? My electric is about 7 lbs and this ego seems to be about 10 lbs. Maybe one just gets used to ‘pointing’ the unit as opposed to swinging it around? Thanks, Mike

  12. I bought an ego 16 in saw,I couldn’t keep the chain from running off,called customer service, after three and a half hours on hold I returned the saw

  13. Thanks, for a very professional review of the Kobalt xtr line line of tools. I own many of their 1st generation 24v tools. Very reliable, never let me down. You are spot on in your opinion of the xtr 24v cir. Saw which I own & use. Excellent saw. I personally don’t know how they can sell a saw of that quality for that price. I’ve used “all” of the top 3 brands of cordless high end cir. saws. The xtr is as good and in some ways exceeds the others. Keep up your great reviews. Thanks!

  14. Hi Sarah. I love your IG. My wife (who is also a Sarah with an H) and I watch daily. Would it be possible to walk through your tool shop layout? I am rearranging NG my basement shop and am curious how others lay their shop out. I built a bunch of roller carts this weekend to make my tools more mobile.

    Thanks TJ
    Aka on IG Florid51

    • Hey! Thank you so much! I will absolutely do a full walk through, once I finish the expansion I plan to really give some cool tips! I love mobile bases- no doubt, stick to those! Thanks for the support!

  15. I agree the hook on these tapes is great, maybe the best. The size is great, too, and they truly have a durable casing. I’ve dropped them from 20ft or so and not had any damage.

    HOWEVER, I’ve owned about 5 of them since they came out, and the actual tape isn’t durable at all. The numbers on the bottom (more accurately the tick marks) begin rubbing off within the first ten times you use them, and within 50 times it starts happening to the tick marks on the top.

    You also can’t throw the tape to the end of your work piece if it’s more than 3 or 4 feet, the spring doesn’t allow it. Not a deal breaker but annoying.

    My favorite tape with the major flaw being the durability of the markings. I’ve had other tapes which haven’t worn off after a couple of years of usage so I think they need to go back to the drawing board here

  16. My mom bought one for me yo use simply because I can’t crank the string pulled chainsaws. And I can’t seem to keep the chain on the bar. I spend more time trying to put the chain back on than working!! It’s frustrating. If anyone knows of a solution I would love to hear it. Thanks

    • Definitely the tension needs to be tightened. I would say to really dial that in before each use, as long as I keep it up I have had really good luck! I also really advise to keep the Bar and Chain oil on hand- super important!

  17. I just bought this tool and the issue is sandpaper that has this hole pattern. The Festool makes it easy to cheaply stock up as Klingspor stocks 50 6″ disks for 33 bucks. The only place that had them was Amazon and I paid 68 bucks for 50 sheets in 10 small packs. At the very least places like Home Depot and Klingspor that sell the direct drive sander should have the sandpaper Bosh makes specifically for their tool. Ultimately if they want to get the respect of the group of people who would buy a direct drive $300 sander they would allow allow places like Klingspor to manufacture and sell their paper at a similar price as they do for the Festool. 10 orders from Amazon like my last one and I start paying more for my Bosh than if I had bought the festool.

    Tim

    • I have ordered Klingspor for the Bosch with the right hole pattern, but yes, its hard to find! I honestly use a lot of mesh or net abrasives, which of courser keeps that side easy! I totally understand your point, great feedback for Bosch!

      • Maybe Bosch should offer different pads. That would easily solve the problem. I have taken aftermarket pads on other sanders and simply drilled the additional holes needed.

    • I would say maybe 1/16 of an inch on Full Power. Even when doing thin pieces though, I usually use a lower power and do multiple passes. I think its usually worth for the best finish edge! I always have good luck researching settings on the Glowforge forum too!

  18. Thanks for the insight. I currently have a desk/bench top unit that for the time was a way to get my boys involved in thinking with there minds and a good platform to get the work process down. Yes the scale is small but once we out grow this unit I can start to budget the next machine. And I will leverage your review in the decision making.
    Thank you.

    • Hey, Pam! It does great! I have 3 acres, and our trails are all sloped, and the ditches too, and it does great! I usually take those slow but you can get ultra-tight on the edges too!

  19. Hi, Sarah.
    At our local Ace Hardware this week, I was the first customer for the new 52″ EGO ZTR. My impressions are about the same as yours. This thing is a game-changer and it sure is fun to drive. My dog LOVES it, too. She’ll run about 20′ to the front/side/behind and get an excellent workout.

    I’m on 16+ acres with about 3 acres of grassy areas and paths. For years I’ve been mowing with agricultural equipment (a 33HP New Holland tractor pulling a 60″ Ford 918H flail mower). The flail mower cuts very tall grass/weeds and small saplings, just as a bush hog will. But it’s slow, hard to maneuver, and challenging to maintain (with 40 pairs of cutters to sharpen or unbolt and replace). This little ZTR is so much more nimble and does a better job on grass. Not to mention, there are no fumes, no grease, no belts, and it’s MUCH quieter. My carbon footprint just went way down, too.

    I love the fact you can swap the batteries with other tools or even into the Nexus power station for electricity backup during a thunderstorm. One thing I’d like to see though is a real suspension system, or at least something like the “flex forks” that Hustler sells. The seat is very comfortable and supportive but still, over rough terrain the ride is a bit bone jarring. The other thing I’d like to see are some holders/hooks for carrying tools. Like, something resembling a gun rack behind the seat for carrying a string trimmer.

    • Hey Tom! This is awesome to hear! I love the new 52″ too- it’s an absolute monster with the 12.0 Ah batteries! The suspension is interesting on the Z6- especially if your yard is fairly rough, but it can be adjusted and that makes a pretty big difference. It’s good for. them to know where to improve for sure, so always share feedback like that! agree on the rack- I’ve suggested other attachments too, like an aerator or a tow behind dump etc, obviously I have other brands of those, but would love to see EGO evolve that lineup! So glad it’s treating you well overall!

  20. My house in on a one acre lot, so, the lawn area is about half acre. My E6 barely get it done for one charge. Also, it kept stalling (overloading) if I mow every week. I have been moving every 3-4 days… maybe I got a bad E6?

    • This is so surprising to hear! I use mind on the highest blade speed when the grass is more dense, maybe try that? Only other thought would be an issue with the blades themselves. Super strange!

  21. I get it- not entirely fair to compare to a “professional” brand- but overall how do they compare to say Knipex?

  22. Question does the Skil Router RT 1322 supplied
    The 4mm Hex wrench that has been shown on every Utube video showing the unboxing and assembly of the table?

  23. Had it about 6mo now, I really love it, I tell my son who just bought a Tesla that this is the yard version. Love the mulcher block, easy install. I have about 0.8 acres but cut about 1/2 acre with around 30% battery left. I found the blade speed is the biggest factor I have with battery life, tone it down just a bit and get more time. My property is very hilly, my only complaint is traction and often have to angle cut hills. Four 10amphr batteries but to get 2 more is about 1k…seems steep but assume they run only in pairs? Like I cant just add one more right or two lesser amp ones? I have most of the Ego line and the trimmer and blower are insane, next is their tiller/cultivator.

Comments are closed.