Woodworker's Journal 2002-26-3, страница 40
TOOL REVIEWAll in the Family By Chris Marshall Combo tool kits aren't just for the > trades. Here's A a group that offers M good bang for the ^ woodworking buck. They'll serve you well in the shop or on the go. One hot trend among toolmakers these days is to bundle several cordless tools into kits. Along with the tools, combo kits typically include two batteries and a charger, with everything fitting into a carrying case. Portability makes combo kits perfect for the building trades, but some kits seem tailor-made for woodworkers, too. Recently Woodworker's Journal selected seven kits for me to review that feature tools we woodworkers reach for all the time. If you're planning to add several cordless tools to your collection anyway, combo kits are generally a good value for the money. In this sample group, I discovered that kits are priced to save you as much as 26% over buying the same tools separately. Plus, tax and shipping costs hit your wallet only once. I didn't test these tools with diagnostic equipment, so my impressions are those of a tool user and not an engineer. Here's how these kits sized up for me. Grizzly 14.4-volt Drill/Driver, Jig Saw & Detail Sander Kit Grizzly's tool selections for this kit should entice any woodworker, especially the bargain hunters Grizzly G8594 14.4-volt among us. There's no end to the kits that include circular saws and drill/drivers, but Grizzly is one of the few manufacturers to offer jig saws and sanders as well. None of the tools in this kit will wow you with extra frills, but their simplicity might be a fair tradeoff for the kit's low sticker price. The drill/driver features a keyless Jacobs chuck coupled with a six-position clutch. The drill is comfortable to hold, but it could be improved with a rubber grip. Although the drill is variable speed, it has no electric brake to stop the chuck. Waiting for a bit to spin down could get tiresome if you have lots of repetitive drilling to do. Both the jig saw and sander are no-nonsense tools as well. The saw has an adjustable roller guide behind the blade to keep it lined up, always a nice feature. Blade changes involve removing an Allen screw and retainer tab — no quick Grizzly G8594 Street price: $99.95_ Battery: one 14.4-volt (Ni-CD) Phone: 800-523-4777 Drill/driver: 3/8" chuck Max. torque: N.A._ No-load rpm: 0-600_ Weight: 3.4 lbs._ Jigsaw: 0-2,200 strokes/min. Blade type: universal_ Weight: 3.5 lbs._ Sander: 7,000 orbits/min. Weight: 2.7 lbs._ release mechanism here. The steel base swivels for making angled cuts, but the bevel gauge is located inside the base and the markings are a bit hard to read. The tool operates at one speed, and it has a dust port for connecting to a vac. The detail sander is also single-speed, and its triangular base pad accepts hook-and-loop sanding sheets. Although there's a six-hole pattern on the pad for dust clearance, the sander has no vacuum port, canister or dust bag to draw the dust up and away. Power is delivered to all three tools through one Panasonic Ni-CD battery, which can be 56 June 2002 Woodworker's Journal |
