My husband called and told me that we needed a wet/dry vacuum. Why, I asked him? Well, he said, for the new truck. We just got a brand, spankin' new 2008 Toyota Tacoma and I guess we need a wet/dry vac for it? Hmmm, now I'm not the one who ever needs an excuse to buy a new tool but our new truck is too new to even vacuum! But like I said, I don't need an excuse to buy a new tool and this is a great reason to research the various Wet/dry vacuums that are out there.

My first step was to find the right size for our needs. We are in the process of remodeling our house - - on the 5-or-so-year plan. So, we would use the wet/dry vacuum for cleaning up remodeling debris when we knock down walls, drywall dust, nails, and such. I am clumsy as well as being a bit of a neat freak and could use it to vacuum my garage and clean up spills and maybe I could even attach it to my Miter saw? Then, there's the car and the truck to clean. But we live in a 1100 Square feet, not-so-sprawling ranch home, so we don't have much storage for a large unit.

We need a wet/dry vacuum that will be small and portable, yet powerful and durable. Wet/dry vacuums come in a variety of sizes, from 1/2 gallon capacity to 15 gallon, 3-stage motor capacities. One feature I was looking for was something that could suck up small bits, wood chips and other sharp debris without putting holes in the hose or filter. I also want a wet/dry vac that will attach to my sander, miter saw and other power tools. Maybe the vacuum could even sweep my new bamboo floors. I'm looking for something that has a durable hose that won't kink and also accessory attachments for corners and upholstery. I don't need an enormous tank but I want a vacuum with powerful suction.

Milwaukee Tools is known for their venerable product designs that don't really change much over the years. Some Milwaukee products still look almost the exact same as they did when they were first designed up to 50 years ago. It seems like their philosophy has been to just leave products alone that are good enough. 

In the wise words of Bob Dylan, "the times they are a changin'" . Nowadays, every tool manufacturer is rushing to upgrade their cordless product line to be powered off of the latest lithium ion battery technology. We've noticed Milwaukee has been experimenting with new design aesthetics and compact form-factors. Their latest 2601-22 18v drill and 2401-20 Subcompact Driver are perfect examples of "new school" Milwaukee tool design. We really like where they are going with this!

To our surprise, Milwaukee has upgraded their popular 6546 2.4v cordless screwdriver. The 6546 is a very popular two-speed screwdriver, especially among electricians. It was decently powerful and as tough as anything Milwaukee makes. The handle was articulated and could lock into two positions: inline or "pistol grip" . The new model, the 0490-22, retains all the features Milwaukee users had grown to love about the 6546, but is now powered by a 4v lithium ion cell that can deliver up to 600 RPM with 30 inch/lbs of torque. The old 6546 could only deliver 400 rpm and 22 inch-lbs of torque, so the new model is definitely a more powerful improvement.

Every Milwaukee lithium ion tool has a convenient LED "fuel gauge" to give the user an approximate idea of the battery's charge Level and the 0490 is no exception. 

This product is so new, it's not even listed on Milwaukee's own website yet! But it is available now from ToolKing.com . In addition to the screwdriver itself, the kit includes two 4v lithium-ion batteries and a charger.

• Check out the Milwaukee 0490-22 4v Lithium Ion Cordless Screwdriver @ ToolKing.com 

Do you have skills ?

With a Laser Cutter ?

and would like a chance to win a VersaLaser package worth $13,000?

Then click on over to Instructables.com, where you can find out all the information you need to enter the Laser Cutter Contest sponsored by Universal Laser. This is one of my favorite sites to see wacky and inventive things that folks are making.

To win the VersaLaser, just make a fantastic Instructable to show them what you're capable of. Your Instructable can be about anything, but they want to be amazed by your passion, imagination, and creativity. Make something fantastic and share your knowledge with the rest of the world. Remember, all projects of any type are eligible! Enter by December 16, 2007 to be eligible to win.

If you don't feel like creating an Instructable and just want to buy a Plasma Cutter, then click here.

Makita's 27.6 pound wonder saw ~ so light even your mama can carry it!

I just sampled Makita's LS0714 Compound miter saw and what a wonderfully precise and extremely portable tool this is. With a precision machined aluminum base, the LS0714 is powerful enough to support workpieces as large as 11-3/4" and yet portable enough, with a carrying handle right on top, to sit that baby right next to you in your truck.

Makita's LS0714 has four steel rails that are designed to support the motor head and provide deeper cutting capacity. It delivers 6,000RPM (with a powerful 10amp motor), which is more than most larger compound miter saws. This portable Miter saw is great for finish carpentry, molding, trim work, flooring, baseboard trim, interior remodeling and other woodworking applications. The only downside is that Makita's 7-1/2" compound miter saw is not big enough for crown molding applications.

If you install hardwood flooring and/or are a finish carpenter, the LS0714 is one tool you will want to check out.

Rick Schwolsky and Michael Springer over at TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine came up with this sweet Lithium-Ion Battery Power Tool chart/download. 

They basically tested every professional lithium-ion power tool available as of January 2007 and then compiled a handy 6-page download. That's 10 brands, 15 categories, 9 voltages, 21 battery styles, and 59 tools folks. It must have taken them a long time but their results are well worth a look-see.

Should you make the switch to lithium ion battery Power Tools?
According to Schwolsky and Springer, "It really depends on your jobsite needs, the condition of your existing cordless tool arsenal, and your addiction to chasing new technology. There's much that remains to evaluate about the technology of these tools, including claims of runtime, life cycles, and charging characteristics, let alone performance in the field. And because you will pay a high premium to buy into LI systems, calculating the balance between enhanced performance and increased costs is even more complex. Half of the brands are trying to soften the blow with cross-platform systems that allow the use of NiCad batteries in the LI tools or even the opposite."

I just came in today to discover one of Milwaukee's cool new 2401-22 Subcompact 12v Lithium Ion drivers on my desk. Based on Milwaukee's brand new (as in, this is the first tool using it) 12v 1.4 Ah Li-Ion platform, the 2401 promises to be the first of many new tools using this tiny 6.5 oz battery.

The entire 2401 weighs just over 2lbs when equipped with the battery. This is almost half the weight as one of Milwaukee's other new 18v compact drill we evaluated last week, the 2601-22 . I love how tools are getting so compact and lightweight, yet still are powerful enough to be functional.

The sixteen position clutch delivers up to 100 inch/lbs of torque at a max speed of 500 RPM. There's even a drill setting if you have hex shank-type drill bits. However, as we experienced with the Bosch PS40-2, this class of tools is much better for twisting screws than boring holes. 

The metal bit holder on the 2401-22 is designed so that you can easily operate it with one hand. Simply insert the bit and the sleeve slides back and automatically locks. Push the sleeve forward, the bit unlocks and drops right out. Simple and effective.

Like almost every other new cordless tool, the 2401 features an intergrated white LED worklight mounted in front of the trigger. We still prefer Bosch's 360° implementation of LEDs on the PS40-2 Pocket Impactor over a single LED, but at least Milwaukee has chosen a very bright LED for the 2401. It comes on with a slight press of the trigger and extinguishes the moment you let go. 

We also like the neat little battery gauge on the side. Just like Milwaukee's larger V18 or V28 li-ion batteries, four little red LED indicators display battery charge Level in an instant, so you know when it's time to charge the battery. Unlike power tools using NiCd battery systems, Lithium Ion batteries will deliver full power up until the battery completely dies and needs to be recharged. Because of this, it's hard to tell how charged the battery is without this "fuel gauge" feature. This makes it easy to tell at a glance whether or not you need to hook up the charger.

One thing I did notice right away is that the battery is suprisingly difficult to pull out from the bottom of the 2401. For older users, I can see how this could be a very frustrating issue. However, this could just be because our test model was brand-new and it could loosen up over time. (edit: a rep from Milwaukee let me check out a demo unit he has had for a few weeks and the battery was definitely loser on that model, so it looks like it does loosen up over time)

Milwaukee has consistently offered one of the best warranty programs in the power tool industry. The 2401 itself is covered by a generous five year warranty, while the batteries are covered for still-generous two years. The transmission and clutch is all metal, so the tool should last a long time.

Our first impression of 2401 was that it strongly resembles Bosch's 10.8 PS20-2 Pocket Driver. While there is no doubt in my mind that the PS20 was definitely one of the inspirations behind the 2401, Milwaukee has made a few small improvements that make their version somewhat superior. We're currently working on a separate article comparing the two tools, keep an eye out for that over the next few days.

The Milwakee 2401-22 Subcompact Driver includes two 12v Lithium Ion Batteries, a 30 minute charger,  two driver bits and a really nice soft-sided carrying case.  The Milwaukee 2401-22 is available now from ToolKing.com , or wherever professional power tools are sold. 

Due to popular demand this past weekend, our friends at ToolKing.com are CONTINUING the FREE SHIPPING offer on most orders over $99! (Heavy or large items that must be shipped via truckline are not eligible.) However, most of Tool King's 17,000+ products are eligible for the free shipping. Tool King always has some of the best tool deals around anyway, and this just makes their offering even sweeter. Wowza!

• Go to ToolKing Now!