Besides an impact driver and hammer, a rotary tool is probably one of my favorite tools to use.  That’s why when we heard about the Bosch RHH181, we jumped at the chance to check this out.

The RHH181 is a 3/4″ SDS Plus rotary tool and replaces the older RHH180.  If you’re just looking at the tool, you might not notice much of a change in the new RHH181, unless you look at the dial.  You will now notice two more icons which include a chisel mode.  Yes, you can now chisel with this rotary hammer.  The other icon lets you set the chisel to the proper angle of your work, called Vario-Lock.  As the late night TV states, “But wait, that’s not all.”

Bosch made some significant improvements on the inside as well.  Bosch incorporated their EC motor which is a brushless motor.  The brushless motor offers a couple of advantages such as increased durability, run time and efficiency of the tool.   Bosch didn’t stop there, they also included two 4.0 A/h Lithium-ion batteries which provides even more run time.  Not only did they increase the amp hours of the batteries, but they designed a way for the battery to stay cooler using a unique cool pack design.  The housing of the battery uses a heat conductive design to help keep the battery cooler.  So you get even more run time and a longer life from the battery.  We all know heat kills tools, but it kills batteries just as quickly.  So this is a great design Bosch implemented into the tool.

These tools are made for work, serious work.  When you’re fighting against a strong material like concrete, a tool needs to be tough and that’s why Bosch designed this tool with EMP.  The Electronic Motor Protection helps protect the motor from overheating.  Another way Bosch protects this tool is with ECP.  Electronic Cell Protection protects the batteries from also overheating and self discharge.  So not only do you have a better motor and better battery, but you have ways to protect your tool and batteries from damage and best of all, you don’t even have to think about it.  Before I forget, there is also a built in LED light to help the user in darker areas.

I am sure you are wondering about the stats, so here is a quick rundown:

I can’t say we have used this for hundreds of hours, but we have used this for a couple different jobs, well not us.  We let a couple other people do most of the work.  I used it for a little light chiseling, fastening about 40 Tapcons and a couple small holes.   Some of the other guys used it to drill holes to run pipes and another to install anchors.  Both stated the tool worked hard and lasted a lot longer than they expected.  The balance and the feel of this tool are incredible.  The slim design makes this very easy to handle and work with.  The biggest item I noticed was while you get vibrations, it’s not even close to some of the other tools we have tested.  When you’re hammering or chiseling, you don’t feel the huge jolts in your hands, wrists or arms.  This tool is very smooth.

My only complaint is the tool uses a nylon carry bag instead of a hard plastic case.  The bag is nice because you usually can put more bits in a bag, but I still like the plastic case over nylon bags.

The Bosch RHH181Brushless Rotary Hammer is a great tool with lots of power.  The new improvements make this tool invaluable to anyone looking to do some serious work.  This has to be one of my favorite 18 V rotary hammers on the market.

Spring is my favorite time of year.  Not only do I get to be outside but I get to test mowers!  Last year we showed you the John Deere D170 tractor and this year we tested John Deere’s entry level zero turn mower the Z235.  It is a 20hp 42″ deck zero turn mower.  We got this unit from our local John Deere dealer, Buck Bros. I prefer the dealer experience to the big box stores.  Dealers have trained service technicians, a huge inventory and there is no one more knowledgeable about your mower than the dealer.  The Z235 is perfect for smaller lawns and tight areas.  A deck wash system allows you to keep your deck clean and free from grass buildup.  The first thing you notice about the Z235 is its size, it is small.  This was great for me, I am 5’8″.  Taller people may want to look for a bigger mower.

The 42″ deck is great, but the wheel base is the same, if not just a smidgen bigger than the deck.  This causes the wheels to come in contact with objects when making tight turns if you are not careful.  The lap bars on this mower are the smoothest I have ever used.  They have a precise, smooth, quality and fluid feel thanks to added shock absorbers.  The entire mower had a good quality feel to it.  John Deere really does a good job at making their units quality.  The powder coated paint job was flawless and the welds were top notch.  All of the controls are located on one side of the unit to make it easier for the operator.  The parking brake is a big, easy to use color coded orange handle on the left side of the unit.  To the right of that is the deck height adjustments.  This also has a removable handle that has a socket on one end to adjust things like the lap bars, tracking and to remove the floor to access the deck belts.

Under the seat is a covered storage compartment and a compartment that houses the fuses and battery.  Maintenance on this mower is easy, everything is designed to be easy access like the oil change tube and the removable top cover to clean out grass clippings.  The hour meter allows you to keep track of your maintenance intervals.  The Z235 mows at about 7 mph which is relatively fast, even through overgrown grass it left a nice cut and didn’t bog down once.  The mower holds 2.1 gallons of fuel.  There is no gas gauge on this mower, you cannot even see the tank or in it.  The only way to know when it runs out of fuel is when the unit stops from gas starvation. I would liked to have seen at least a clear plastic tank as a sight gauge.

This mower has a warranty of 24 months or 120 hours and has a an available mulching and bagging kit.  Overall you cannot go wrong with the Z235, it is a reliable, quality mower that will last for years and years.  You can’t ever go wrong wrong with a John Deere!

A few times a year I get one of the greatest catalogs known to man, the Northern Tool Catalog. It is full of all kinds of goodies from sprayers to drills. You name it they have it. They also have a few in-house brands like NorthStar, Klutch and Powerhorse. I own a few NorthStar products and have been quite happy with them. For 2013 they released a few new redesigned pressure washers like the 3000 PSI model powered by a Powerhorse engine. The unit has quite a few attractive features like low oil shut down, a metal gas tank and a forged brass manifold. These features are usually found on industrial pressure washers with premium engines at almost double the price. The 208cc OHV Honda GX style engine has a cast iron sleeve and is situated horizontally to provide longer service life. The unit puts out 3000PSI at 2.5 GPM through a 25 ft hose. The angled lance made it easier to get under things and into tight areas.

The unit comes packaged nicely in a box and requires about 20 min to assemble. You will need to add motor oil and it is not included. It does however come with pump oil. Read the instructions especially on how to check the pump oil. You need to remove a breather tube before you can get an accurate reading. The frame is powder coated for long life and the tires are air filled 10″ industrial hand truck style tires. The unit is really stout and is designed to be abused. Engine controls are relatively simple. There is a fuel on and off, choke, throttle and an on/off switch. For times when you store your unit it is best to turn off the fuel and let it run out to make sure there is no gas left that can spoil in the carb

One of the best features is the adjustable pressure knob. It allows you to dial in your pressure depending on the job at hand. You can also use different spray tips to control the stream. This unit only comes with 2 tips, a detergent tip and the green 25 degree tip which is good for general cleaning. I would like to have seen the extra 3 tips that go in the tip storage section at the top of the frame. Although it vibrates, the pressure washer stays planted when running and does not wander all over the place like some other pressure washer I have seen. For our tests it started first or second pull every time and ran strong. I was impressed by the power and cleaning ability of the unit. Maintenance is easy thanks to an easy to remove air filter and a hole in the frame under the oil drain. It has a 2 year residential and a 90 day commercial warranty. For the home owner and the commercial user the $350 3000 PSI 1577110 Pressure Washer is a great buy that will provide years of reliable service.

Today is the day that we announce the winners from our Worx and Rockwell giveaways.  We will email you  shortly.

WORX GT winners:

Amanda P

Harold W

Jason J

Rockwell Sonicrafter winners:

Matthew

Rick W

Jenn M

After trying to replace a car speaker on a cold snowy day, Joel Towsan decided to design and prototype his very own 7.2V pocket driver. Turns out it is really cool and I want one! It puts 80 in. lbs of torque at 160 RPM into the tightest of spaces. I installed car electronics years ago and this tool would have been a life saver. Check out the Flipout Tantrum on Kickstarter.

Dan and I recently took a road trip up to Milwaukee to see some of their new tools coming out this year.  Besides having to deal with Dan, I have to say the trip was fun.  We had a chance to see some pretty cool new tools and other gadgets, plus get some hands on.  One thing that really surprised me was how many new tools they will be releasing this year.  Now they are coming out with tons of new tools, so I can’t possibly cover them all, so for now I am only going to cover a few of them.  As time goes on, we will keep you updated with more of the new releases.

If you have any questions whether Milwaukee has a lot of tools in their line up, just take a look at this picture below.  I am sure no one will argue, but I had to find some way to show off this line huge line of tools.

Milwaukee LED Lights

Lights are great, but when they are LED lights, well that’s just awesome.  Milwaukee is introducing two new LED lights, an M18 and M12 lights.  Both lights are very bright, brighter than you would expect.  The M18 (2361-20) has 1100 Lumens with a runtime of 3 hours on high and 6 hours on low.  What’s really cool is all the different ways a user can position the light to light up an area.

Launch Date: October 2013

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Circular Saw

Yes you heard that right, an 18V brushless circular saw.  I always thought the Milwaukee 18V circular saw (2730-22) was one of the best on the market, but it just got better with a brushless motor and 4.0 A/h battery.  Cutting through LVL or more is a snap.  They didn’t stop there.  They also introduced a more rugged shoe and a nice little dust blower in the front to help you see your line as you cut.

Launch Date: October 2013

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Sawzall

The company who invented the reciprocating saw just took this one step further with the introduction of a brushless Sawzall (2720-22).  Not only is it more powerful than their older version, but now it has an adjustable shoe.

Launch Date: October 2013

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Grinder

Yes another brushless tool, the M18 grinder (2780-22).  More ergonomic and powerful.  Well check out the video below and see for yourself.

Launch Date: October 2013

Milwaukee M18 Multi Tool

I know we have had a lot of people ask about a M18 Multi tool (2626-22) and if Milwaukee would ever come out with one.  Well guess what, they did or I should say they will.  Variable speed and tool-less blade change, plus they have two accessories you can buy such as a depth gauge and dust collection.

Launch Date: November 2013

Milwaukee M12 Heated Line

If you own a M12 heated jacket, you know how valuable these jackets are on a cold day.  Well now you can get heated hoodies or heated hand warmers.

Launch Date: August 2013

Milwaukee M12 Fuel Rotary Hammer

We tested the brushed version of this tool, but can’t wait to get our hands on this one.  This is part of their Fuel line which means this bad boy is brushless (2416-22XC).  This is one of my favorite tools in the M12 line up.  In fact, we are even giving one away in our Ultimate Tool Bag Giveaway.

Launch Date: They are out, you should know that

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Impact Wrenches

These are some bad boys and are designed for the serious user.  Looking for a powerful impact wrench?  These will suit your needs, trust me.

Launch Date: October 2013

Milwaukee Hand Tools

Holy cow, where do I start?  Knives, Knives and more knives, plus screwdrivers, nut drivers and more.  It’s madness.

Launch Date: Depends which tool you want.

Milwaukee Accessories

Drywall, utility blades, bottle openers, markers (which we tested on Dan’s forehead, but we don’t recommend it for this use.), tape measures and more.  Where does it stop?  Well I guess for Milwaukee it doesn’t.  If there is a need, Milwaukee will be there.

This will allow the user to write and mark even on dusty areas, block or concrete, plus a stylus on the end for your tablet.

In the end this is only a small sample of what Milwaukee will be releasing in 2013.  There was a lot more, but we had to leave early after Dan tried to steal this thing below.  We were stopped and politely asked to leave.  Stay tuned for more and cool stuff from Milwaukee tools.

About a year ago we a great opportunity to visit the genie company and learn more about their products and culture.  I have to say I not only learned a lot about their company, but I had a great chance to see parts of the country I never knew about, but I guess that is for a different post.  Speaking of Genie, about two months ago I installed a Genie Garage door opener which is the Powermax 1500, well I didn’t install the opener, someone else did.

I had an old wood garage door that needed to be replaced, so I went to Home Depot and bought a new door.  They also offered a service to install an opener for $100 so I couldn’t pass that up.  You may ask, why did I choose the Powermax 1500?  Easy, that was what Genie sent us to show off and test.

The Powermax 1500 is a direct drive screw system as opposed to a belt or chain driving system.  I can’t say I am a huge know it all about garage door openers, so I am not really sure the advantage of a screw over chain or belt.  However from my past experience, it seems chains were the first ones introduced.  While they are solid systems, they tend to be loud.  Dan has a Craftsman belt system and that is very quiet.  The screw system I have also seems very quiet.

The opener is powered by a 140V DC motor instead of an AC motor.  The motor puts out 1 HP so it does have lots of power compared to the other models I have seen around.  I haven’t timed my door, but it does open and close very quickly.  According to Genie it opens up to 12 in/sec.  This system has a couple nice features.  First is the motion sensor, which Genie is not the only brand to have this option.  As soon as the sensor detects movement, the two lights come on.  One thing to note about the lights is you are suppose to use incandescent bulbs instead of the new types of bulbs.  I am not sure exactly why, but the installer told me these new bulbs mess with electronics.   Another feature is the Auto Seek Dual Frequency which means the system will seek either 315 or 390 MHz frequency which means it cuts down on outside interference with other frequencies in the area.  There are other perks to this system such as rolling codes, safe T-Beam and self diagnostics, you can check that out at the Genie website.

I can’t say I get really excited about garage door openers. For me I just want something that works.  When I press the button, the door works.  After two months, it seems like this system is working great.  I like the speed and quiet operation.  One item I really like, well kind of, is the sensors at the bottom of the door.  As with all openers (I think it might be a law), there are sensors that will stop and open the garage if someone or something walks where the door will be shutting.  I understand they provide a purpose such as protecting the door from closing on your kids or hitting your car as your pulling in or out.  Some of the other sensors I have seen on other garage doors tend to seem cheap and people have problems with them.  With the Genie system, they are solid and are not square so stuff does not get caught on them.  I use the power outlets in my garage a lot so I drag around extension cords.  With the rounded feature of these sensors, the cord never gets caught, which is a huge plus since I have kids and they don’t have to listen to me swear when something gets tangled up in the sensors.  I wouldn’t suggest doing this, but I have dropped wood and tools on the sensor.  To my surprise they never came out of alignment.

Another cool add on is the Closed Confirmation remote.  With this accessory once your garage closes, the system will send a signal to your remote and let you know the garage closed.  The way my property is set up, I don’t always see that the door closed.  With this system, I hear an audible alert that lets me know I am in the clear and the door is closed.

One of my remotes did drop down the stairs and landed on concrete.  While it still works, it doesn’t work as well as it use to.  Sometimes I have to hit the button twice to get the door to open or close.

Again I am not a garage door opener connoisseur, but I am happy with the opener.  It’s fast and quiet.  We were going to make a video, but thought who really wants to see a garage door go up and down ten times.  Well I guess my kids do since they are always playing with the opener.

Are you a homeowner or have the need for a small portable pressure washer?  If so you have to check out the Ryobi RY80940 as it’s one of the best pressure washers we’ve tested.  Now I am not saying it compares to the commercial units we have tested such as the Dewalt, while the PSI is close, the pump is much different.  Another big difference is the price tag.  This unit only retails for about $400.  You may remember we did a review of the Homelite UT80432A and you may notice both these units resemble each other.  Well that’s probably because they are made by the same company, TTI.  As of now it looks like TTI no longer make this unit under the Homelite name and it is exclusive to the Ryobi name.  My guess is marketing reasons, but who cares this pressure washer rocks.  By the way if you talk to Dan ask him what happened to his Homelite unit.  It was a very sad day for me, but he made it up with the Ryobi.  Now he is the one shedding tears and I have the smile.

One thing I have noticed over the last few items we reviewed from Ryobi is the quality. While Ryobi has always had a great name and made quality products, the new line of tools seem much better in regards to quality, features and performance.  Some companies sit back and don’t worry about improving on a good brand, not Ryobi.  I have to take my hat off to them as they took a quality name and made it better.

The first thing you will notice about this pressure washer is the motor.  Ryobi decided to go with a quality engine and use a GCV190 – 187 cc Honda Motor, which is very appealing.  I hate to admit it, but Honda makes the best small engines and that’s just a fact, well okay a personal opinion.  In the past we were burned by going cheap and buying a no name pressure washer with a no name engine.  The Powerwasher turned out to be a piece of junk and a waste of money.   So now I believe in paying a little more for something that will run for the long haul.  The Honda engine along with the maintenance free aluminum axial pump puts out 3100 PSI and a 2.5 max flow rate which is more than enough pressure for a homeowner or contractor.  Which makes it great for cleaning decks, fences, siding, concrete and more.

The unit has some very nice features starting with an idle down feature which idles the unit down when in standby mode and helps save gas and also makes the unit quieter when idling.  On the accessory side the unit has a 5 in 1 nozzle.  Just turn the nozzle head to the desired spray pattern and you’re set.  No worries about losing nozzle heads or taking them on and off.  The unit is also equipped with a 25′ PowerFlex hose.  Unlike other rubber hoses, this one flexes a lot easier and doesn’t fight you when you move away from the unit.  I have to say I really like this hose design much better than some of the other units we have used.  Easier to handle, easier to roll up and easier to deploy.

Some of the other notable features are the on-board detergent tank.  While most of the other detergent lines never seem to work, this one on the Ryobi works great, plus it’s easy to take off and clean.  There is also an on-board accessory storage system.  You can easily store your wand and your hose.  While we never tested the run time on one tank of gas, which is 1/4 of a gallon, it surely does seem to run a long time for such a small amount of gas.  The large wheels in the back are great which means it’s easy to roll over your hose or other objects and not get caught up.

We used this pressure washer to clean Dan’s truck, my brick patio, a fence, clean peeling paint off a garage and more.  Time and time again this pressure washer performed great.  The idle down feature works great.  I am sure it saves on gas with the idle down feature, but for me I love the noise reduction.

Not that I have any complaints about this unit, but if I did I would really like to see a 50′ hose.  I know it is designed for the homeowner and a larger hose means more pressure loss, so it’s not a big deal.

Overall this is a must have pressure washer.  The RY80940 is a quality unit.  The Honda engine means you will have a reliable engine for years to come.  The accessories are top notch with a great hose system.   Backed by a 30 day guarantee and 3 year warranty, how can you go wrong?  This is one of the best pressure washers we have tested for the homeowner so far.

Zero turns are nothing new, they have been around for quite a while.  The Troy-Bilt Mustang 50 is one of the easiest if not the easiest to operate Zero-turn on the market.  Troy-Built put all the operating controls on the right side making everything readily available.  The throttle is combined with the choke and a multi function LCD display tells you your hours and voltage.  The yellow PTO knob is located right next to these controls.  Another ease of use feature that Troy-Bilt added was to integrate the parking brake into the lap bars.  Spreading the adjustable lap bars apart engages the parking brake.  This is a feature that all zero-turns should have.

The Mustang 50 is powered by a 25HP Kohler which gives it enough power to get through the deepest grass.  The Kohler starts every time and it ran smoothly with no problems whatsoever.  It has easy to access filters and removable grass screen on the top of the motor.  Maintenance should be a breeze with this unit.  The build quality of this machine is one of the best I have seen.  The front wheel casters are connected to a boxed in front axle which is extremely strong and is user serviceable.  Check out the video below of the aggressive tests that they do to their mowers.  The 50″ deck has 3 blades that leave a nice uniform cut at the rate of 2-1/2 acres an hour..  Discharge is thrown far and spreads out to reduce clumping.  An optional bagger allows your to capture all your clippings.  You can step on the deck from either side to sit on the mower without doing any damage.  As with almost all mowers these days it also has a deck wash feature.

Comfort is in abundance on this mower, it feels comfortable and the slanted foot rest setup is great even for the tallest people.  The bars are padded to absorb most of the mower’s vibration.  I have shallow drainage ditches in my yard and compared to other mowers I have used the Mustang 50 felt more stable on slopes.  The site gas gauge allows you to see how much is left in the 2.8 gallon tank.  I have just under an acre and could get almost 3-4 mows in before refueling.  The mower was precise and allowed me to get into tight areas.  The big fenders protect the rider from dirt and debris and have areas to hold cups and other items.  The Troy-Bilt Mustang 50 is built like a tank!  It has a 3 year residential warranty and a full lifetime warranty.