BuffaloFeeds » Toolmonger » December 23, 2009

Toolmonger (6 unread)

And This Year’s Holiday Dremel Is…

Posted: December 23rd, 2009, 5:24pm MST by Chuck Cage

…the cordless pet nail grooming rotary tool! Seriously, will Dremel ever fail to think of a new application for this cool little AA-powered version of the classic home-shop standby? Usually we see the orange version appear around Halloween time, packaged with some cutters as a pumpkin carving set. And you’ll certainly find other variants as well.

But does it work grooming dog nails? I can’t say. I have cats, and this wouldn’t work at all for them. Personally I’d be a little concerned that if Fido flinched he’d get nicked by the grinding wheel. And then there’s the heat. That said, however, Amazon customers seem about evenly split between five, four, and one star ratings. The most common complaints included excessive nail dust and short battery life.

Of course, your mileage may vary. Street pricing starts around $22.

Cordless Pet Nail Grooming Tool [Dremel]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Believe It Or Not: It’s A Real Tool

Posted: December 23rd, 2009, 5:23pm MST by Benjamen Johnson

When I first ran across Black & Decker’s SPT100 powered multi-tool I thought it was some sort of joke. After Googling it I discovered multiple retailers sell it, yet Blac & Decker seems to disown it — there’s no reference to it on their website. Maybe they didn’t want Stanley to see it.

Designed as an “all-in-one” wiring tool, it strives to replace a powered screwdriver, LED flashlight, live-wire detector, needle-nose pliers, cable ripper, wire cutters, and wire stripper with one awkward tool.

The tool comes with a tool belt holder, slotted and #2 phillipd bits, 9V battery, and manual. You can find it priced around $40.

Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Dealmonger: Black & Decker’s Auto Wrench For $19

Posted: December 23rd, 2009, 5:21pm MST by Chuck Cage

If you must buy a gimmick gift this year, at least go for one that’s honest about its capabilities. We doubted the Auto Wrench’s 225 ft-lb torque rating, too, but in classic Toolmonger fashion we broke a couple back in 2006 to confirm that yes, they really do work right up to the rated torque spec.

Of course, we’re not so sure you actually need a motor to cinch down your adjustable wrench. And we suspect you might break even cost-wise by paying the neighbor’s kid a nickel to set the wrench for you each time as opposed to buying AA batteries repeatedly. But here’s the bottom line re: the Auto Wrench: It’s not a bad little wrench, even when the batteries go out. So at least you’re giving a gift that’ll work — even after the novelty wears off.

Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Hot Or Not? Eco-Fan Heat-Powered Wood Stove Fan

Posted: December 23rd, 2009, 5:20pm MST by Audra Heaslip

Having grown up in Northern New York, I remember keeping my butt within six feet of the wood stove pretty much all winter. Wood stoves heat up a house well, if unevenly. To better distribute the heat, Caframo makes the Eco-Fan Airplus Heat-Powered Fan for Wood Stoves (Model# 802CA-KBX). It’s a small (10.5″ x 5.2″ x 12.5″) and lightweight fan that sits on top of the stove and starts moving automatically when the surface temperature reaches 150 degrees F. As the temperature rises, the fan speeds up, and vise versa. Online retailer specs say the fan withstands up to 650 degrees F.

Besides being electricity-free and quiet, one bonus with the Eco-Fan is that when the blades slow down, it’s an indicator to put more logs on the fire. Other folks use these for gas and other stoves as well — as long as it evens out the heat, right? However, online reviews are split. Some of the reviews say it’s great, while others say it doesn’t work at all. Have any Toolmongers tried these stovetop fans? What are your thoughts on their effectiveness?

Pricing starts at around $129, or $79 for the original version of the fan, which is about half the size. You can also find various sized versions with either nickel or aluminum blades.

Ecofan Airplus Heat-Powered Fan for Wood Stoves, Model# 802CA-KBX [Northern Tool]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Ecofan Airplus Heat-Powered Fan Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Caframo Eco-Fan Original, Black Via Amazon [What’s This?]
GM Ends Big Block Production

Posted: December 23rd, 2009, 5:20pm MST by Chuck Cage

Still love that 8.1 liter big block truck engine for towing your speedboat to the lake — or towing your three-bedroom vacation home to the RV park? Better get ‘em while they’re hot. This weekend GM shut down the Tonawanda, NY, production line that makes them. That makes all of ‘em.

The engine in question was known as the L18, and was introduced in 2001 as an update to the previous 7.4 liter big block, sharing the same bore centers but incorporating an increased stroke. Depending on top-end equipment it generated between 225 and 340 HP, but cranked out a whopping 455 lb-ft of torque in its full-tow configuration.

GM’s cutback started as far back as 2007 when they pulled the L18 from the Silverado HD, though the engine was still available as an option in the Silverado 3500 and Suburbon/Yukon XL lines. The engine continues to see use in commercial applications — like U-Haul’s 26-foot truck — and in some marine situations. (Need a 500 HP inboard for a speedboat? GM used to have your back.)

As of this morning, GM Performance Parts still had L18s in stock — the photo above is from their catalog, by the way — but we’ve heard reports of regular customers buying up existing stock quickly. So if you’ve been eying one, now’s the time.

Of course, the truly sad part of this story lies with the auto workers. The Tonawanda plant has been assembling big blocks since 1958, and Friday’s L18 line shutdown brought 150 layoffs. One shred of good news: an engine like this doesn’t just disappear. It evolves. Tonawanda still makes other smaller engines, though, and they hope to snag production of the L18’s replacement — whatever it might be.

Plant Bids Farewell To Big Block [Buffalo News]
The Vortec 8100 (RPO L18) [Wikipedia]
TV Tonight: DIY TV

Posted: December 23rd, 2009, 6:43am MST by Nick Carter
(TV Tonight, Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009) A terrible night of TV as we are forsaken by the Mythbusters. Time to break out Top Gear reruns on the DVR.

All times are central
- Cool Tools: Comfort Zone (DIY, 6:00 pm)
- Ask This Old House: Christmas Trees, Caulking a Leaky Window (DIY, 6:30 pm)
- Holmes on Homes: Lack of Truss (HGTV, 9:30 pm)