-
Whether he's working in his woodshop, renovating his house, or riding dirt bikes in the desert, Ken Hefley brings a high-octane blend of craft, passion, and competitiveness to everything he does. His job as Makita USA's senior VP of marketing is no exception. 'I've competed in sports all my life,'...
-
Editor's note: On three separate occasions since July 2006, Tools of the Trade reported on the progress of an industry effort to create new universal power-tool measurement procedures. In January 2008, the Power Tool Institute announced the development and adoption of new voluntary procedures by...
-
-
Since our last new tool report in fall 2008, companies have been busier than ever cranking out the latest and greatest. Why all the focus on new products now, with the building economy at a near standstill and the pool of buyers arguably diminished? Some of the projects coming to fruition started...
-
Improved cutting ability and added features are highlighted on Makita's new LS1016L sliding compound miter saw.
-
The largest, most powerful routers you can buy are in the 3- to 3-1/4-hp class. If the motors were any larger, you couldn't run them on standard residential circuits. The most versatile of these machines are plunge routers. Their ability to plunge a bit into wood while the tool's base stays safely...
-
Cordless drill/drivers have come a long way since the first one I purchased more than 20 years ago. It's interesting, though, that some have come full circle and ended up about the same size as those small, early tools, but with much better performance.
-
Bug holes and honeycombing in your concrete work compromise strength and can lead to questions from inspectors.
-
Jobsite table saws have changed a lot since I started working for my dad in 1972. Back then, we did almost all the millwork on-site using a huge, 12-inch contractor's saw that might have stayed set up for months. I started my own company in 1981, and as the business grew, table saws shrunk. I took...
-
More than 10 years ago, I bought one of the first cordless recip saws, hoping it would perform like my corded model. I had shelved most of my corded drills in favor of their cordless cousins, and I had high hopes for recips–too high, as it turned out, for the first generation.