PORTER-CABLE 690LR Router Review: RAW Powerrrrrr….

A router is one of the most useful tools in your arsenal, especially a compact router that will allow you to move the tool around freely and especially a plunge router that will allow you to begin cutting at any point on the material that you want to work with.

Routers allow you to hollow out grooves or ‘routes’ and this allows you to trace all manner of complex shapes. You can use them to cut the ends off of pieces of wood as you would do a saw, or you can cut intricate patterns as you might do with a jigsaw. Moreover, you can use them for making attractive fluting patterns, for rounding off corners, for punching holes…

In short, this is one of the most versatile tools out there and it’s something you definitely want to invest in. But if you’re going to be buying a tool that’s so important and so valuable, then of course you need to ensure that you’re buying one that is going to be up to the challenges that you throw at it.

The PORTER-CABLE 690LR is a nice looking router but is it one that you can actually use on a daily basis? It’s affordable, but are you making big compromises in terms of power here?

Great Design & Extreme Power

The PORTER-CABLE 690LR is a slick looking piece of kit with a chrome and black colorscheme. This is a small detail but I am personally a big fan of any tool that uses a monochrome aesthetic. Why? Because normally, tools will tend to use the colorscheme of their particular branding. Dewalt is yellow and black for instance.

This is fine, except when you have tools form a few different companies, you end up with a very colorful workshop which isn’t a great look!

The PORTER-CABLE 690LR is nice and conservative in its color palette and that is ideal for a tool that’s going to fit in no matter how you decorate. It also looks good in terms of the obvious build quality and it feels equally good in the hands.

In terms of performance, it has pretty much everything you could ask for. The 11 amp motor offers up 1 ¾ peak horsepower. That’s some pretty good performance and especially for the price. Excellent power to cost ratio right here! The speed is 27,500 RPM which is also pretty good but something missing here is adjustable speed settings. A bit of a bummer seeing as you can get that option in cheaper devices but not the end of the world for most people who will be working primarily with wood.

There’s also a cam-lock lever which allows for simple adjustments of the coarse height and motor release. Micrometer depth adjuster is accurate to 1/128 inch, which is perfect for getting a very precise looking groove in your wood. Bit removal is fast and easy too and in short, it has a lot going for it.

Pros and Cons

So what are the pros and cons of this device?

The pros are the power, the excellent build quality (it’s machine cut aluminum, which explains the great look and feel) and the look of the thing. This is a nice premium feeling and looking tool with enough power to make easy work of most jobs.

The cons are the lack of speed adjustments, which is a bit of a shame and there’s no mention of electronic speed control. In our experience, we found that the cuts were very clean and smooth and generally we had no trouble with it. But if you’re looking for the most consistent cutting possible, then that is something to consider.

A few people have also mentioned that the position of the switch placement and the convenience of the lever release are not as useful as on previous models. We didn’t find this to be a problem but it is something to consider.

Conclusion

Overall, this is an excellent tool that provides great speed and power for the price and that has a particularly premium feeling build-quality. The only real disappointment is the lack of speed adjustment, while some find that the position of buttons and levers could be better. If you’re not picky though, you’ll love this router!

source http://www.toolerant.com/porter-cable-690lr-router-review-raw-powerrrrrr/

PORTER CABLE PCC670B Review: Too basic for a Reciprocating Saw?

A reciprocating saw is an incredibly useful tool to have around the house. This is a tool that isn’t particularly precise and that doesn’t have much finesse but that makes up for it with sheer versatility. In many ways, this is just as versatile as a hand saw but then adds a lot more power on top of that and gives you something that you can use to cut through pipe, branches, thick pits of wood, sheet metal and more.

And that’s precisely what you will need for a lot of jobs – something that’s ready to go and that can reach into small gaps or be used at odd angles. Perhaps the best way to describe this tool is as being ‘unfussy’. And that’s an incredible advantage for a lot of home improvement and DIY tasks.

But while the tool might not be fussy, you’re still going to have some minimum requirements here and there are still some basic things you need to look for. The question is whether the PORTER CABLE PCC670B is up to the task and whether it can become your new partner in crime for a wide range of household tasks.

Product Description

It must be said that this is a nice looking tool. We’ve reviewed a huge number of tools and I’ve always wondered why they don’t have nicer designs. This is a hobby for a lot of people and that means we want to feel good while we’re at work! Why give us plasticky tools that look cheap and that have ugly, worksite colorschemes. These are powerful, beastly machines… why not make them look like it?

Well this one kind of does. In fact, it looks a little like a prop from the next Ghostbusters film. It’s off to a good start.

The tool is also capable of some fairly decent power to match the beefier design. It has a max speed setting of 3,000SPM and a good stroke length of 1”. Importantly, you also get variable speeds to help you cut through a range of materials, which means it is suitable for use with sheet metal. The tool is also surprisingly small and light, which is great for reaching into smaller spaces. In fact, it is just 14.5” in length, which is perfect for getting into small spots.

As you would expect, the blade exchange is tool free, which means you can quickly and easily swap out the blade to ensure you have the right one for the job.

But the real question is what this tool is like to use. And the answer is that it is really rather nice. The power is impressive in action and you’ll have no problem sawing through branches and through a wide range of piping, metal and thick wood. Of course this still finds itself at the budget end of the spectrum but it feels very good to use and being so light combined with the power means that you’ll have no problem working in a range of different settings.

Pros and Cons

The pros and cons here are what you would expect from a mid-range recip saw but with a few more positives than negatives. We really enjoyed using this cordless recip while we reviewed it and especially because it was so light, so relatively powerful and so easy to use. The stroke length is decent too.

But of course the drawback is simply the limitations that are inherent for a tool of this nature. You could get more power if you spent a little more, it would be nice to have a light for instance or a rotating shoe – and you could always get a better stroke length too which would mean your blades lasted longer.

But then you’d pay more. For this budget, this is a great deal.

Conclusion

Overall, the PORTER CABLE PCC670B is a great reciprocating saw. It is rather basic but it offers decent power and decent portability at the same time and it doesn’t cost the Earth. What’s more, is that it sports a really awesome design that looks a lot nicer than most of the other reciprocating saws on the market. That’s not important but it’s certainly more than welcome!

source http://www.toolerant.com/porter-cable-pcc670b-review-too-basic-for-a-reciprocating-saw/

Milwaukee 6955-20 Miter Saw Review: Awkward to use?

Miter saws can help make life easier for DIYers and woodworkers in a vast number of ways. First and foremost, these types of saws allow you to enjoy absolute precision in your cuts and even in your bevel cuts without having half the headache that you would have otherwise. Sure, you can make precise angled cuts with a jigsaw or even a handheld saw if you have a ton of patience and you’re willing to draw a ton of pencil all of your wood and rub it out a thousand times, but with a miter saw, there’s no need to show your working and there’s none of that headache. Instead, you simply place the wood onto the base, angle the saw precisely where you want it and then push it down to cut through the material.

This means that you can focus more on the parts of woodwork you enjoy (because making perfectly angled cuts is probably not it!) and it means that the end result will be something that’s a lot more precise and a lot more attractive.

So a miter saw is a considerable upgrade for your workshop that will fundamentally change the way you work in a very positive way.

The big question though, is what kind of miter saw you need, how much you’re willing to pay and what features you can’t do without. In this review, we’ll take a look at the Milwaukee 6955-20 to see if it is the one for you.

Product Description

This is a 12inch sliding dual bevel miter saw with a digital miter angle fine adjust. What does all that mean? It means it’s got pretty much all the bells and whistles attached. Unlike those bare bones 10” miter saws that don’t slide and only bevel in one direction, this will let you cut through larger pieces of wood, it will let you create bevels at multiple angles and it will save you even more time. The 12 inches of steel cutting through your wood also means you can make deeper cuts and gives you considerably more power and weight to work with.

The design looks impressive too. This is an industrial looking piece of equipment in red, silver and black and it has a weighty construction and good quality feel. 15 amps of power isn’t shockingly high for a 12inch blade but it should suffice for most and combined with the well-made design, it’s enough to cut through most materials you’ll throw at it (note: throwing things at it is not how you use this tool!).

Some nice extra features are also included, which you might expect of a relatively higher-end tool like this. For instance, you get dual ‘job-site lights’ which will help to illuminate the workspace. There’s also an integral dust channel which the manufacturer states will hoover up 75 of all dust for you.

Pros and Cons

The power is quite good here at 3.3HP, the build quality is nice and the size, sliding and bevel options are all good. There’s a sturdy fence too and good capacity. The 9 positive bevel stops are welcome too. So what, if anything, is missing?

Well, the first thing that is a little less than stellar is the position of the handle. This isn’t a big issue and it will also be a matter of opinion. But in our testing, we found that the handle was in a bit of an unusual angle which made it somewhat awkward to use. The vertical capacity could also be a little better and the increment on the bevel scale leaves something to be desired.

There is also a slight omission in the lack of a laser. Now, there’s no hard and fast rule that all miter saws must have a laser and you may find that you personally don’t need one. But we do like to see them and it is something that we felt was missing during our review.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a great miter saw – don’t let our few complaints put you off! Sure, there’s no laser and in a couple of ways the design could be better. But the overall message here is that this offers great power and versatility in a well put-together package!

source http://www.toolerant.com/milwaukee-6955-20-miter-saw-review-awkward-to-use/

SKIL 4495-02 Review: Is this your corded orbital jigsaw?

The SKIL 4495-02 is an orbital action jigsaw and once you’ve seen one at this price, you’ve probably seen them all.

We’ve reviewed several budget jigsaws lately and most of them are the exact same story: they do everything you need them to and usually have just one or two extra flourishes or nice design features to set them apart somewhat.

That’s not a bad thing though. What’s key here, is to identify precisely what it is that you look for when you buy a tool and then to read our review to see which one ticks the most boxes. That normally means looking at your tools as though they’re situated somewhere in a Venn diagram. You’re not going to be able to get all the features you could possibly want unless you’re going to spend a fortune and that means you need to choose which things are most important to you. You then find the tool that best represents the point where those ‘killer features’ meet.

So for example, you might choose portability and power. Or you might choose price and features. Or you might choose power above all else.

We’ve reviewed the SKIL 4495-02 to see what mixture of performance, functionality and cost it offers. Let’s see if it’s right for you…

Product Description

The SKIL 4495-02 is a fairly unassuming tool from the look of it. It has a very rounded design which we find quite appealing and this is capped off with a handle that arches at the top with a trigger at the front. It’s all very nicely laid out and easy to reach whether you have big or small hands.

The colorscheme is red, black and grey and while it feels quite plasticky, it is also solidly made and doesn’t feel as though it’s going to break if you drop it.

Now, what about that ‘features Venn diagram’ that I teased in the intro? Which features does this tool bring to the (work) table?

Well, the answer is that it mainly revolves around power. This is a 6 amp jigsaw that also comes with an orbital action. 6 amp is rather high for a tool at this price, which means you’re going to get some serious oomph and this should help you to chop through all kinds of materials. Adding to this is the orbital action. That means the blade will use a somewhat elliptical motion and this is ideal for when you want to cut through tougher materials and are less concerned about being pretty. In short, this has got the power and the skills to really make short work of whatever material you challenge it to take on.

Other than that, you also get a few additional extras though, which make this a good fit for even more people’s diagrams. For one, it has a laser which is something we always like to see on tools that revolve at all around precision. It also gives you the option to adjust your speed and that is very useful when you want to cut through metal or other materials. It’s versatile then as well as being powerful.

Pros and Cons

But like we said, you can’t have it all. The SKIL 4495-02 does have some limitations and for the most part, these are focussed on portability. The SKIL 4495-02 is a corded tool, which means you need to work near a power outlet and which means you need to consider your cable management as you position yourself around the work surface. Not a huge issue for a lot of people but definitely one thing to consider.

Personally, I am also not a fan of the variable speed trigger. It’s nice to have the option to change speed right there, but for me, it’s a bit too easy to speed up when you don’t mean to. And speaking of speed, it doesn’t actually tell you what the maximum SPM is, which is a shame. It also doesn’t offer bevel cuts.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a great tool that offers a lot of power and a lot of versatility. It doesn’t have it all but if you care more about power and precision than you do about bevel cuts and portability, it’s a good buy.

source http://www.toolerant.com/skil-4495-02-review-is-this-your-corded-orbital-jigsaw/

SKIL 3386-01 Bandsaw Review

How do you go about buying tools? This is an important question and one that every new woodworker or DIY hobbyist will face when they start out with their collection of tools.

The problem is that you won’t be able to afford tools that offer everything you want until you’re a bit further along with your hobby. At the same time, you might not even know precisely what you want if you’re just starting out.

Seeing as you can’t actually test tools until you have them in your possession, this also just makes it all the harder. Numbers can only tell you so much: but how does the tool actually perform in real-world use?

The solution of course is to read reviews like this one (well I would say that!) but also to know what it is that you’re looking for specifically. And to know that, you need to know the kind of work you’re going to be doing and what your objectives are.

What level of expertise are you? Are you a complete beginner or have you got some experience under your belt?

What kind of materials are you going to be working with? Will it only be woods? Thick woods? How much power do you need?

Once you know what you need to do, then you can start to think about which tools you need and what features and specs those tools need to have.

Have a think on this and then let’s consider this review of the SKIL 3386-01.

Product Description

The SKIL 3386-01 is a band saw. This means that it’s a tool designed to allow for very precise work and to let you cut curved cuts and other more detailed shapes. This is a graduation from a jigsaw when you need that bit much more control and you want to have the material nicely held in place as you work.

The SKIL 3386-01 should be able to offer this for you but is more aimed at beginners/intermediate woodworkers rather than pros or those with a lot of experience.

The tool itself is only one speed, which means you’re not going to be cutting through tough materials and at 2.5 amp, it’s not the most powerful tool either.

That makes it better suited to working with thinner materials. So if you work with delicate woods and make lots of nice precise patterns, then it will be a good fit.

While it’s not exactly going to win any awards for its pure power though, the SKIL 3386-01 does have a good number of features and options. The articulating LED light is great for instance and will give you a clearer view of what you’re doing. The 1-1/2 inch dust port is also great for helping you keep your area clean. The rip fence is there for helping you make straight cuts too and the rack and pinion table makes it easy to adjust the angle and the height.

The tool also looks rather nice. It is mainly red and has a somewhat rounded design, while being quite thin in profile. All this means it should fit nicely into your workshop and it’s actually quite light for moving around.

Pros and Cons

This is a very affordable bandsaw that is well designed and easy to use. For making precise cuts it will do the job just nicely as long as you are working with thinner, easier materials. Just make sure you know what you’re getting.

And when you start getting even a little thicker, it’s also important to know that you’re going to experience a fair amount of vibration. That’s one downside of having something so light. Nice for when you want to move it around but not so nice for when you want it to feel stable and to stay in one place!

Conclusion

Overall then, this is a cheap band saw and that comes with some pros and cons. It’s nice and beginner friendly, it’s light and easy to move around and it has the basic features that you’ll be looking for. If you want to work with thicker materials though, you’ll need something a little more powerful. And prepare for something that feels a little light and that shakes a fair bit during use…

source http://www.toolerant.com/skil-3386-01-bandsaw-review-2/

Craftsman 1/3 HP Band Saw Review

When it comes to choosing a bandsaw, you have a broad spectrum of tools available. At one end of the spectrum are those absolutely gigantic tools that take up half of your workshop and deliver multiple horsepower in order to rip through any material with scary precision. At the other end of the spectrum, you have those bandsaws that are on the budget end and that are suitable for making detailed cuts but only as long as you are cutting soft, thin materials.
The Craftsman 1/3 HP is a bandsaw that finds itself somewhere between these extremes but certainly a little more geared toward the hobbyist. This is a tool that wears its power on its sleeve as a 1/3HP and that tells you instantly what it is all about.

But who is this bandsaw for? Is it good value for money? Is it the best? And if you’re a hobbyist with a home workshop, should you consider adding it to your arsenal of tools? Read on and we’ll dive in a little deeper in our full review…

What are you buying?

The Craftsman 1/3 HP is a relatively low-powered bandsaw and so it is important to know what you are getting here. This is a small bandsaw that offers 1/3HP and that only offers one speed that is suitable for cutting through wood and not sheet metal. As you can see then, it will be best suited to home projects and the like. This is not intended for cutting easily through 6” walnut and neither is any 10” benchtop saw.

But don’t get me wrong – this is still a well-made, versatile and powerful bandsaw when it sticks to what it’s good at. The Craftsman 1/3 HP is smartly designed in black and grey with the Craftsman logo and if it looks at all familiar, that’s because it is pretty much the same bandsaw as the Rikon 10-305. The main difference is the branding and the price which is a little more affordable.

What is nice is that this tool has a solid cast iron surface for working on and a great, well-constructed frame. It feels sturdy and when you consider that it’s technically ‘lower end’, this is always nice to see. The bearings do make some noise when the blade turns and it’s not perfectly seamless but we can say that in our experience, cutting through 4/4 wood, it has been great to work with. The cut depth is 4-5/8” and it has a 9-5/8” throat.
Other features include the fact that that cast-iron table tilts from 0-45” for cutting bevels.

Pros and Cons

The pros and cons for this device revolve largely around the build quality and the power. This is a well made device. As mentioned, it’s essentially the same thing that Rikon is offering except without the branding, which makes it cheaper. You get the same cast iron table, the same option to tilt said table for making bevel cuts and the same good quality construction.
But this device is also very limited to doing a particular type of work – cutting through thin wood. If you want to cut through thicker wood, if you want to cut through metal, or if you want something that gives you more space to work, then you’ll want to go bigger than a 10”. Perhaps the biggest shame is that there is only one speed setting, as this would have been a useful feature even with the lower horsepower.

Conclusion

Overall then, this is far from being one of the most powerful bandsaws in town but it’s not trying to be. What this is instead, is simply a highly functional bandsaw that looks great, performs really well and is made from high quality materials – especially the cast iron table. It’s just icing on the cake that it costs less than comparable models thanks to the slightly less well-known branding.
In short, the Craftsman 1/3 HP is a great choice for anyone who wants an affordable table and doesn’t need to cut through metal or very thick wood. In that case, it will offer some of the best value for money and certainly won’t let you down.
For everything else, look for a bigger model!

source http://www.toolerant.com/craftsman-13-hp-band-saw-review/

Black & Decker BDEJS600C Jig Saw Review: Inexpensive or just CHEAP?!

A jigsaw is a tool that you will find nearly no end of uses for. Like all the best tools in your workshop, this is something that you will want to reach for on many occasions for both precise and careful work, as well as more ‘rough and ready’ work that involves just slicing ends off or making little changes.

What’s amazing about the jigsaw really, is just what a huge difference a small design change makes. This is essentially a reciprocating saw but with a nice flat shoe added on the end. What that means, is that you can then lean against the surface that you’re cutting, thereby stabilizing the tool and giving yourself hugely more control and precision while you’re working.

This then means that you can use a jigsaw for a vast range of tasks, including plunging holes, cutting intricate shapes (jigsawing) and even doing fancy things like bevelling if your tool comes with the feature.

This is a tool that everyone should have in their workshop, but how does the BLACK+DECKER BDEJS600C stack up?

Too basic?

This is a nice and round looking jigsaw. That might be a strange description but as soon as you see it, you’ll understand. The handle protrudes from the top in an arch, with a trigger nicely located toward the front. You then have the show along the bottom and a few additional controls in various other points. It’s a nice looking tool all things considered and while it doesn’t look premium, it certainly looks nicely put together and appealing to look at and use. Looks-wise then, this tool is off to a good start! It feels sturdy too, like it won’t fall apart if you drop it and it is very comfortable to hold, all good things!

When you dive in a little deeper, you’ll find that this tool goes a little beyond the bare minimum and actually offers a fair amount of features and options for something so affordable. Power and speed wise, you have a 5 amp motor here, which can generate up to 3,000SPM of cutting power. That’s pretty middle of the road but what’s more impressive is all the additional features thrown in. These include orbital settings (called ‘curve control’ here) to help you rip through tougher materials when you need to, the option to make bevel cuts with actually quite a few angles to adjust to and speed settings too.

All that means you’re getting pretty much everything you could want from your jigsaw, despite it all being somewhat basic. In our review period, we tried using just this jigsaw for a while and what we found, was that it was perfectly adequate and actually was up to most of what we could throw at it.

Of course if you want more serious power, then you’ll want something a bit more expensive but otherwise, this has got a lot going for it!

What are the Pros? What are the Cons?

The most impressive features regarding this jigsaw are definitely the things it didn’t have to do. Power is middling and that’s to be expected but getting the orbital settings, bevel option and even speed adjustment is all very nice and means that you can perform most jobs with just this one, relatively affordable tool.

On the downside though, this is a corded device and that means you’re going to be stuck in one place while working – somewhere near a power outlet. This won’t be an issue for most people who work in a home workshop, however it does means the cord can get in the way while you’re trying to work. If there’s one reason to upgrade from this at a later date, that would be it.

Conclusion

All things considered, this is one of the most versatile, powerful and well-made jigsaws you’re likely to get for this money. It’s not the most powerful tool in the world, not the most premium in terms of build quality… but if you’re looking for something that will handle any job you throw at it, that will give you all the more interesting and useful features that you would get with a more expensive model and that will be reliable; this is it!

source http://www.toolerant.com/black-decker-bdejs600c-jig-saw-review-inexpensive-or-just-cheap/