Craftsman Drill Combo Kit

Craftsman just released a new 19.2 volt coordless combo kit including both an impact driver and a driver/drill with a T-handle.

They're pretty straight forward, although the impact driver does come with LED task lighting. The kit includes two batteries and a universal charger...but note that the batteries are Ni-Cad, not the newer Li-Ion technology.

The kit retails for $149, although Craftsman Club members currently can get a 33% discount and pick it up for 99 bucks.

Cordless Lawn Mower

So we're crazy for all things cordless, and especially jazzed when we come across those 'why didn't I think of that' examples. Case in point: the Neuton cordless lawn mower.

It's not for huge lawns--it only runs an hour per charge--but it probably is a viable solution for urban lawns where a mower doesn't get a huge workout. Not the most feature-rich mower either, but it does support mulching so that's worth something. Note that it has an trimmer and edger attachment as well.

(via Gizmodo)

Cordless Drill and Remote Control Car Combo Kit

Looking for a unique gift to make up for missing Father's Day yesterday? Consider this option from Skil: a cordless drill/RC truck combo set.

The drill and car both run off the same 18v power cell. Even better, you can avoid any fighting between pop and the kids over the power source--the car can accept any Skil power cell from their other tool lines too.

Fun!

Milwaukee V28 Review Round-Up (Concensus? No Consensus.)

So, Milwaukee's V28 series of high-powered cordless tools have been out for a while now and the reviews are rolling in. Unfortunately, not everyone seems keen on their 28 volt, lithium ion-powered monsters. While some are singing their praises (it won the Editor's Choice Grand Award from Tools of the Trade magazine), other hands-on reviews raise concern that they might actually be too juiced up for their own good.

Wired Magazine on Cordless Tools

This month's edition of Wired magazine has an article on DeWalt's new M1 cordless battery technology.

The M1, based on the same lithium-ion technology used in your cell phone and laptop, is the first product from MIT spinoff A123 Systems. Cofounder Yet-Ming Chiang, a materials science professor, succeeded in shrinking to nanoscale the particles that coat the battery's electrodes and store and discharge energy. The results are electrifying: Power density doubles, peak energy jumps fivefold (the cells pack more punch than a standard 110-volt wall outlet), and recharging time plummets. Going nano also solves a safety problem. Regular high-capacity Li-ion batteries tend to explode under severe stress, like if they're dropped from a ladder.

They end by saying that the technology in the M1 is ultimately destined for automobiles. Now that would be a cool interchangable power source!

Impact Drivers vs. Traditional Cordless Drills

If you haven't noticed, one of the new trends in cordless drills is the increased focus on impact drivers. Most major manufactures now offer these variations on the traditional cordless drill, from this low end version from Black & Decker to contractor-grade drills from the Makitas and DeWalts of the world

If your interested in understanding the benefits of these as an alternative (or addition) to your regular drill, read on...

Makita LTX Lithium-Ion Cordless Tools

Lithium-Ion is all the rage these days among the power tool manufacturers. It's allowing more power and battery staying power, and it's interesting to see how the different companies are leveraging it.

While Milwaukee is using it to ramp up the power (see their new 36 volt series), Makita uses it to manage down tool size and weight with their new LTX series.

They claim to pack in the power and battery life of an 18 volt tool in to the weight and form factor of their 12 volt cousins. Their first kit, the LTX400, comes with a hammer driver-drill, impact driver, circular saw, charging station, and the obligatory flashlight.

Personally, I'm a bit disappointed they put it all into a soft duffel bag instead of a hard-shell case, but thems the breaks.

The History of Cordless Tools

If you're a tool history buff or like to impress other guys at parties, you may be interested in reading this history of cordless tools at ebuild.com.

The most interesting tidbit from the article? Speculation that hybrid technology will eventually migrate from our cars to our toolbox, paving the way for a day when corded tools could go away completely.

Also includes a nice recap of the latest cordless models offered by all the major manufacturers.

Milwaukee Introduces Backwards Compatible Li-Ion Batteries

Well this is great to see--Milwaukee is introducing their V18 system of coordless tools, which, like their previously introduced V28 series, moves away from NiCad and towards Lithium Ion battery technology. The V18 tools will pack more power and battery life in to tools without substantially increasing weight and size.

The neat thing? The V18 batteries are designed to be backward compatible with Milwaukee's existing 18 volt NiCad-based coordless tools. Sweet!

Also cool, the charger for their new Li-Ion tools can also charge NiCad batteries. Double sweet!

Too many manufacturers use battery technology as a means to force tool upgrades and needlessly create garbage for landfills. Kudos for Milwaukee for thinking different(ly).

Tools included in the new V18 Li-Ion System include: ½” Hammer-Drill, ½” Driver-Drill, 6-1/2” Circular Saw, 6-7/8” Metal Cutting Circular Saw, ½” Impact Wrench, Impact Driver, Sawzall® Reciprocating Saw, Rotary Hammer, Job Site Radio and Work Light.

The V18 Li-Ion tools will be available mid-summer 2006