Popular Woodworking 2005-12 № 152, страница 61

■ Bosch PR20 EVS Palm-grip Router

877-267-2499 or boschtools.com

Trim routers have been a mainstay in the laminate industry for years. But as these one-handed tools have acquired more features and power, they have migrated into woodworking shops. With the release of the new Bosch Colt, we think your fixed-base router is going to get a little jealous.

The Colt - called the PR20 EVS - is a 5.7-amp tool that wears a 1-horsepower sticker. Horsepower ratings aside, the pint-sized tool packs real punch. Need to round over a table edge ? No problem. Need to trim patterns flush? This tool and its small base will get you in tight places your router could never go.

In fact, we think your fixed-base router might get a vacation once the Bosch lands in your shop. It has enough power to do any chore that a V4" bit up

to 1⁵/l6" in diameter can handle, including hinge mortising and even dovetailing. We tested the variable-speed model ($132), with speeds between 16,000 rpm to 35,000 rpm, though there is a single-speed model available, the PR10E ($100).

Other great features: The tool's coarse and fine depth adjustments let you quickly get your depth real close and then dial it in perfectly. There's a collet lock for one-wrench bit changes, and the top of the tool is flat so it sits firmly on your bench during bit changes. And the tool's power cord is nice and long.

This colt is going to stay in our stable.

■ DeWalt DW331 Jigsaw

We never cared much for the last generation of DeWalt jigsaws. The blade changing was tricky and the tool never ran as smoothly as a Bosch. But the new DeWalt DW331 is a curve-cutting maestro. Everything we disliked on the old tool, we really like on this new and very-much-improved jigsaw.

First, the radical stuff: This jigsaw cuts right up to the front of the tool's shoe. No other jigsaw does this magic trick, and it will save your bacon the next time you want to work right into a corner. You'll need a special DeWalt blade to do this, and this special blade will reduce your curve-cutting capacity while it's installed. But hey, it's great feature.

Everything else about the tool is quality, too. The blade changing is as easy as anyone else's on the

market - flip a lever and the blade falls out. The shoe bevels without any tools (with stops at the common angles), there's a blower you can easily turn off and on, and the DW331 is compact, balanced and has a nice long cord.

In the motor department, it's got the guts to cut countertops with a standard 1" blade stroke and variable speed between 500 and 3,100 strokes per minute. Costing about $150, it's a fair price for a premium jigsaw that we think is a challenger to the throne.

800-433-9258 or dewalt.com

■ Festool BPS 12 Cordless Drill

888-337-8600 or festoolusa.com

I don't like disposable tools. And I'm particularly irked by how quickly my cordless drills meet their demise. First the batteries go, then the brushes fry, then the motor cooks.

So when Festool officials said their new drill would sink a million screws, I sat up and paid attention. No, the battery won't last that long - you'll still get a limited number of charges from the 1.3 amp-hour NiCd. But the motor is brushless, and after extensive stress-testing, the German engineers could find no evidence of wear in the tool's motor. So you'll need to buy new batteries, but (perhaps) never a new drill.

There are more improvements. The BPS 12 is more than a half-pound lighter (at 4.02 lbs.) than my previous favorite drill, the Festool CDD 12 FX. That's significant. The grip is narrower and softer,

which makes it easier to hold. The balance has improved, as have the clutch controls. Plus the drill is even quieter than any of the 20-odd others in our shop - you'd be surprised by how much a drill whines.

Festool officials were concerned that this drill wouldn't sell well in the American market. Like all quality equipment, this drill costs quite a bit ($345). Consumers seem to like - or be accustomed to - buying a new drill every two years. So a lifetime drill might be a hard sell.

I say we should prove them wrong.

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Popular Woodworking December 2005