“We’re excited to add Hitachi to the roster of tools available from the Sears Blue Tool Crew,” said Steve Light, senior vice president tools and hardware for Sears Holdings. “The Sears Blue Tool Crew is committed to delivering innovative tools at an exceptional value and the addition of Hitachi helps us deliver on that promise. Hitachi’s innovative designs and durable features, including their lithium-ion tools backed by a 10-year warranty, are a perfect addition to Sears’ collection of more than 30,000 tools from more than 400 national brands.”

Hitachi’s high-powered HXP lithium ion battery technology reinvents the way the world uses cordless power tools. Up to 40 percent lighter than standard Ni-Cad and Ni-Mh batteries with three times the battery life, the HXP battery is the power behind Hitachi’s 18-volt 1.5Ah Lithium Ion 1/2-inch Compact Pro Driver Drill. Featuring an 18-volt Lithium Ion slide battery, the Compact Pro Driver Drill delivers professional power in the most compact, lightweight and ergonomic tool body on the market: 7.7-inches long and only 3.5 pounds.
The HXP battery technology is also featured in Hitachi’s Micro Series, which provides superior results in a smaller package. Offerings in the Micro Series include the 12-volt Peak 3/8-inch Lithium Ion Micro Driver Drill and the 3.6-volt Lithium Ion Screwdriver. Hitachi’s lithium ion tools are backed by a 10-year tool warranty.
Hitachi also offers exceptional cutting power through a variety of saws featuring Hitachi’s adjustable Laser Marker System, which delivers exact alignment and predictable blade placement for perfect cuts every time. The 10-inch Compound Miter Saw with Laser Marker is the lightest saw in its class, offering the ultimate in form and function. The aggressive design is coupled with a powerful 15-Amp motor, vibration-reducing horizontal handle, and Hitachi’s exclusive laser marker system.

Sears Blue Tool Crew: Anywhere, Anyplace, Anytime
Sears and the knowledgeable specialists from the Sears Blue Tool Crew have access to America’s largest tool selection among national home improvement retailers, and provide the expert advice and service you need both online and in-store.
“The Sears Blue Tool Crew has more touch points than ever for customers to interact with our team,” said Bill Kiss, chief marketing officer tools and hardware for Sears Holdings. “From our Click-to-Call feature online and 1-877-4BLUCRW call center to our social media channels that bring our fans and followers the latest Blue Tool Crew news, we’ve created the outlets that allow us to better connect with today’s customer.”
However you choose to shop, the Sears Blue Tool Crew has the resources to assist you.
At Sears.com, the Click-to-Call feature connects you with a Sears Blue Tool Crew member who is ready to answer all your tool questions. Just submit your phone number online and you’ll get an immediate call back. You can also contact the Sears Blue Tool Crew direct at 1-877-4BLUCRW and speak to a team member.

About Hitachi
Hitachi Power Tools (Hitachi Koki USA, Ltd) offers an extensive line of professional grade power tools and accessories for woodworking, metalworking, drilling and fastening, concrete drilling and cutting, outdoor power equipment products as well as a complete line of pneumatic nailers, staplers, compressors and collated fasteners. From headquarters in Atlanta, GA, and satellite offices in the United States and Canada, Hitachi Power Tools supports over 4000 retail locations carrying Hitachi tools and over 1000 authorized service centers. Hitachi Koki USA, Ltd. is the North American division of Hitachi Koki Japan, a subsidiary within Hitachi Ltd. For more information on Hitachi Power Tools, please visit www.hitachipowertools.com. Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 400,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2008 (ended March 31, 2009) consolidated revenues totaled 10,000 billion yen ($102.0 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials, logistics and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Published on May 12, 2010

The tool’s vario-lock positioning is great; it gives you 36 different working angles to choose from so you can modify the tool to fit the application. Likewise, the hammer offers three operational modes: hammer only, rotation only, and hammer with rotation. The dust removal system, which does a great job of keeping the mess to a minimum, is a plus.  It literally works as a vacuum, and collects the mess in the onboard bag….not typical for a hammer drill.

This is a tool for the ages. Not only can it suck up dust and those tiny bits of debris that the drill bit leaves behind, but it can also hammer, or hammer and drill at the same insuring that you’ll breach just about anything you put your bit to.

You can find it at Amazon for $356.

Published on May 6, 2010

“As the market leader in rotary tools, the Dremel brand wants to deliver the high level of performance our users have come to rely on in a corded tool, but in a cordless package that gives them the freedom and range needed to complete any do-it-yourself, woodworking or hobby project,” said Brian Benes, Dremel product manager. “Thanks to continued innovations in technology and insightful feedback from Dremel enthusiasts, we believe the Dremel 8200 is unlike any other cordless rotary available – it’s better.”

The Dremel 8200 features a variable speed range of 5,000 to 30,000 rotations per minute and is the only cordless Dremel rotary tool compatible with all Dremel accessories and attachments, including the high-performance MultiSaw and Planer attachments. In addition, an enhanced design with 360-degree grip zone with soft grip enables added comfort and stability. A separate on/off switch, which retains speed settings for ease of use, and sliding speed-switch were strategically placed so as not to interfere with the grip. The sliding speed-switch features easy-to-read speed markings for accurate settings. An innovative shaft lock mechanism lets users lock the output shaft quickly when changing accessories.

The Dremel 8200 is the highest performance cordless rotary tool available, featuring a new, high-performance motor that facilitates maximum performance at all speeds. By combining this motor with the 12VMAX Lithium-Ion™ battery, the 8200 has a speed-of-cut that is two times faster than the leading cordless rotary tool. A new, one-hour charger is the fastest charger ever offered by Dremel and provides less downtime between projects and more time using the tool to complete them.

The Dremel 8200 will be available beginning in April 2010 at most hardware stores and home improvement centers nationwide. The Dremel 8200 comes with a two-year warranty and will retail for a suggested retail price range from $99 to $139 USD. In Canada, the Dremel 8200 kits will retail for a suggested retail range from $129 to $169 CAD. (www.dremel.com, or call Dremel at 1-800-437-3635)

Published on March 19, 2010

The new Stanley Total Garage Center includes a state-of-the-art battery charging station, an automotive code reader used by professional mechanics, and a powerful 120 PSI compressor, all in a diamond plated station that rolls on wheels. It stows away in the garage, and offers convenient storage for clamps, cables and hoses.

When your battery needs some juice, connect the battery charger clamps to the battery terminals and press “charge”. The charger performs the rest of the optimum procedure.  With its 3-stage charging, the battery charger automatically switches from fast charge, to top-off, to trickle charge. Besides vehicle batteries, its perfect for batteries in motor homes, jet skis, lawn tractors, generators, or vehicles that sit idle for months.

The Battery Charger is one of the most advanced chargers on the market, with a digital LCD screen that displays charging status, estimated time remaining to start and more with easy to understand icons.  Even if the cables are connected to the the wrong terminal, the screen alerts you.

Many other chargers are not automatic, and require you to select various settings from battery type, size, or even look up what a numbered code represents. The Stanley Total Garage Center displays all of this information instantly and clearly on the display screen.

Press the Quick Start Timer button and the battery charger delivers up to 25 amps of starting power to jolt the battery back to life. The Quick Start Timer also displays a countdown timer to help estimate how long until the battery is charged enough to start your vehicle.

The Stanley Total Garage Center also includes a self-diagnostic tool that professional mechanics use to diagnose and fix problems.  When the check engine light comes on, attach the Stanley Total Garage Center to the OBD port under the dash.  An LCD screen displays the fault code and information stored in a vehicles computer. Armed with this information, you can either fix it yourself, or bring it to a professional while already knowing what needs to be fixed.

The Stanley Total Garage Center includes a powerful 120 PSI compressor to quickly inflate almost anything. ($150, www.stanleytools.com)

I’ve experienced it, and it is somewhat of a helpless feeling.  You know all the snow plow trucks are busy in town that morning, servicing the earlier risers….and damn it!  YOU HAVE TO GET TO WORK!!!.

Maybe it’s time you invested in a snow thrower. Sure they’re somewhat of a bulky item, and you only need to use it maybe 4 to 5 times a year, (or if you live in Minnesota or Wisconsin, maybe 145 times a year), but they sure aren’t a bad appliance to have during those snowy months.

The Snow Joe company makes a line of snow throwers that are top notch in their throwing capacity.  I think the best one for the money is the Snow Joe Max SJ803 snow thrower.  It is specifically designed for sidewalks and small driveways in medium or light snow conditions, perfect for the home user.

This unit cuts up to 21-inches wide and 9.05 inches deep in one pass. That’s not bad, and you can generally cover a driveway in about 5-minutes.  I’d take that any day over a 3-hour, back-breaking drill with the shovel.

The Snow Joe 803 Max’s auger design is single stage, and the augers will also assist in propelling the machine through the snow; making operation light on the muscles. The 179cc Snow Joe Power engine makes sure the auger and scrapper clear straight to the pavement. The chute and snow deflector are manually controlled, and strong enough to stay where they are set to ensure that the snow thrown is thrown where you want it. The augers are controlled from the operator’s handlebar, where an ergonomic grip is also included for comfort. Electric starter is standard.

Now I’ve tested many a snow thrower, and I’ll have to say the Snow Joe 803 Max wins a few accolades for throwing accuracy and power.  It’s not a beast to push either. With the pseudo-self-propelled feature where the augers also assist in the push, it was not difficult at all to clear an entire driveway quickly and effectively.

The Snow Joe Max SJ803 seems easy to maintain as well. Because there aren’t a ton of moving parts, maintenance should only require a minor annual tune-up. And the electric start feature is a tremendous bonus.  This sucker starts, and starts immediately.  I love it.

Other features of the Snow Joe Max SJ803 include a 6-horsepower, 4-cycle engine with US EPA & CARB certification, a .66-gallon tank, and a 180-degree adjustable chute with a deflector to control the height of the snow steam.  All SnowJoe Snow throwers come with a full 2-year warranty. The Snow Joe Max SJ803 runs around $500,( www.snowjoe.com)

At the core of Ryobi’s system are 4 volt li-ion batteries that swap in and out of about 10 new tools. The slim size of the Tek’s batteries means they fit into tools that ordinary AA and AAA batteries do.

Among the TEK4 collection includes an infrared thermometer, a distance measure, and a multimeter. Ryobi TEK4 also has in their arsenal a plumb/cross laser lever that casts a beam 30 feet away, a LED flashlight, and a portable power source- perfect for your Blackberry, cell phone, iPod etc., that includes size different attachments to charge your tech while you’re on the road.  Rounding out the system, Ryobi offers a 4-volt digital camera, noise suppression headphones that electronically boost your speech so you can hear things, a motion sensor with an alarm, and a digitally keyed lock.

This series is a stroke of genius, pure and simple. It scoffs at those low-amperage, high-tech devices that are a constant-drain.  The individual tools are well-designed and perform beautifully. For contractors, it’s a major benefit to to be able to replace a lot of devices that use endless power. The tools in the TEK 4 series are for the finer details of a contractor’s jobs.

The Ryobi TEK 4 Tool System range from $13 for one 4-volt Tek 4 li-ion battery to $200 for an 8 mega-pixel digital camera that is rugged enough to document your next DIY project. (www.ryobitools.com)

-The Full Head Framing Nailer
-Clipped Head Framing Nailer
-Coil Roofing Nailer
-16 gauge Straight Finish Nailer
-15 gauge Angled Finish Nailer
-18 gauge Brad Nailer
-18 gauge Narrow Crown Stapler.

These products were redesigned from the ground up with a level of innovation unseen since the introduction of the first pneumatic nailer nearly half a century ago. Inventiveness and innovation: The entire nailer family is 20% smaller and 10% more powerful than comparable tools, delivering the best power-to-size ratio in the category.

The smaller size is made possible by the patented Full Force Technology air chamber; unlike a typical return chamber, which stores air in reserve to return the driver to the “ready” position, the Full Force chamber enables nailers to utilize all air from the compressor to drive the fastener. An Anodizing finish replaces paint, therefore toxic materials are reduced and the visible materials look natural.

In the beginning of the project, designers saw what happens to nailers at jobsites -they get dragged across walls and flooring, dropped, thrown into pick-ups or metal storage cases. After just a few days of typical jobsite use, every surface gets scraped or dinged and the tools look like they are already falling apart. The difficult goal the designers set themselves was to create an aesthetic that would look even better once scraped up and bashed around on the job site, a kind of patina effect. Materials and finish were an important part of this, but the overall form had to comply too. Therefore, the aluminum housing is anodized rather than painted. This creates a thick surface coating that increases corrosion- and wear-resistance, allowing Bosch nailers to both maintain their aesthetics and hold up against abuse.

In rigorous head-to-head durability tests against comparable models, Bosch nailers lasted twice as long as the competition before requiring maintenance. Showing off the materials minimizes obvious distress to the paint and label, keeping the tools looking new. Additionally, not painting dark, heavy colors onto the new designs conveys the lighter and smaller build.

Bosch’s Full Force Technology is the product of more than four years of research and development with rigorous real-world testing on jobsites across the nation. Its design represents nearly 20,000 hours of field testing and user feedback in 18 markets. Users wanted more power, a more compact body, better line-of-sight, better maneuverability, and features that enhanced the final quality of their work.

Functions were integrated into the tools for better usability and each tool’s specific use was considered to create specialized design details. The full-round head nailer and the clipped-head framing nailer feature a metal strike plate in order to protect the main housing and cap from jobsite abuse. The strike plate was developed in response to users who often use the nailers as a hammering device despite the potential damage it may do to the tool. The tools also feature a proprietary Quick Release Magazine, enabling the removal of jammed nails without disassembly of the tool.

The roofing nailer includes a Single-Action side loading canister, designed for simple one-handed operation. The finishing tools feature an especially narrow nose and slim body, as well as a tool-less adjustable depth-of-drive, dry fire lockout, and a no-mar nose cover to protect delicate work surfaces. Each pneumatic nailer has its specific use, but the entire product line was designed together and works smoothly as a complete family line of tools.

There is an undeniable big gun-like quality about nailers in a more compact design. By optimizing the shape, position and angle of the main handle individually for each of the seven tools, the perceived weight was able to be reduced, underlining one of the main differentiators. The new technology allowed designers to reduce the size and weight of the casting, shifting the center of gravity closer to the handle. This makes a huge difference to the pro-user, who uses the tool for very long periods of time on a daily basis. (www.boschtools.com, starting at $120)

The Dual ratcheting wrench is 100% ratcheting on both the open end and the box end of the wrench. Craftsman’s patented ratcheting open end design allows you to fit into tight spots with the open end without taking the wrench off the fastener, making jobs faster and easier. This feature combines the SPEED of a ratchet with the the ACCESS of the open end wrench. Comes in a handy set of eight different sizes: 5/16″, 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, 11/16″.  (www.craftsman.com, $100)

The Transroller was designed by a firm in Canada, Alto Design. It’s relatively small but holds up to a half-a-ton thanks to its large wheels, which spearate to stay balanced as weight increases.

This is the perfect companion for the weekend warrior mover, or for the serious moving business. It’s lateral handle allows you to tote it with ease as well as assisting in picking up heavy loads.  It’s so lightweight too, it defys the laws of physics….super feathery and yet this thing could carry a small elephant.  The Transroller comes in 4 colors (Blue, Green, Red and Yellow), and the optional swivel feature gives you added versatility of a cart or platform, (with 2 Transrollers together), allowing you to move even heavier loads with no loss of manoeuverability.  ($300, www.Transroller.ca).

“Milwaukee’s digital inspection cameras significantly enhance productivity by helping professionals quickly and accurately locate and evaluate common jobsite problems,” says Paul Fry, Director of M12 for Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation.  “With the addition of recording ability, professionals can now inspect and document issues, download the information to their computer and send visual confirmation to a customer or supervisor for review.”

The new M12 M-SPECTOR AV is available with a 17mm digital flexible camera cable (2311-21) for general applications, featuring a 4X LED brightness control, a 4X zoom, and a 3.5” High resolution color LCD for clear and accurate images. It will also come equipped with a 2 GB SD card and a USB port to download directly from the camera.

With the introduction of the new M-SPECTOR AV and plans to grow the M12 cordless platform in the future, this sub-compact category will include over 20 tools by the end of 2009 that offer innovative solutions in power, productivity, and portability.

The 17mm M12 M-Spector AV also has an integrated microphone and speaker, an onboard Waterproof camera and cable design, Power saving Auto Shut-Off feature and a run-time of 15 hours. This is a powerful tool to find and document leaks inside walls or under the floor. (Around $400, www.milwaukeetool.com).