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We posted some video last year of Milwaukee's Diamond Cutting Blade, "The Torch" used to cut some cast iron piping that someone installed as railing once upon a time at our house. According to Milwaukee, the Torch diamond grit blades are designed to cut better in cast iron and feature coarse industrial diamond grit embedded in high strength nickel which enables the blades last up to 30 times longer and cut up to 2 times faster than traditional carbide grit blades.

As you can see from the photo, LENOX has their new diamond grit "Double Tang Reciprocating Saw Blade" especially redesigned for longer blade life and less waste when cutting through cast iron. Lenox says that their blades lasts twice as long as the existing LENOX DIAMOND reciprocating saw blades. Supposedly, Lenox's new double tang design provides high performance with less wasted cutting edge by using the portion of the brazed diamond grit edge that typically goes unused when cutting cast iron pipe. You can see how this works in the photo - the ability to flip the blade doubles the available cutting surface as well as the life of the blade. Hmmm ~ I think Milwaukee has some competition here.

Reciprocating saws are the be all end all tool for demo and any kind of remodeling work. The Milwaukee brand "Sawzall" is been a catch-all name for the reciprocating saw since 1951 and these tools now come in several different sizes and shapes. My favorite is the purse (or "European shoulder bag") sized cordless Hackzall 2420-22. The one-handed, 12 volt HACKZALL cuts over 80 pieces of 1½ inch PVC on a single charge and delivers a ½ inch stroke 3,000 times per minute for a smooth, fun Charlie's Angels type of cut.

Milwaukee is constantly updating their SAWZALL® Recip Saws based upon research in the field. The newest version of these are the 1-1/8 inch stroke length 6519-31, and 3/4 inch stroke length 6509-31, full-sized reciprocating saws. Milwaukee states that these new recip saws "cut up to 2 times faster, last up to 2 times longer, and are the most powerful tools in their class."

“Milwaukee invented the recip saw in 1951, and the SAWZALL® has dominated the category since its inception,”says Rick Gambaccini, Group Product Manager-Corded Products of Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. “Nothing on the market cuts faster or lasts longer than the MILWAUKEE® SAWZALL® and we continue to lead the industry by offering innovative solutions that increase user productivity.” I'll let you decide.

Seems to be a lot of news about earthquakes lately. Big earthquakes. And speaking of earthquakes, Makita has adapted the science of earthquake engineering into power tools with their Anti-Vibration Technology (AVT). As opposed to being devastating and heartbreaking, Makita's earthquake news is all good. To explain AVT, Makita's says it like this: "Seismic research has developed this damping science over years to absorb the shocks and protect buildings from devastation of earthquake vibrations. Makita’s exclusive AVT involves engineering where a mechanical damper, effectively a counterbalance weight, provides an equal and opposite force that puts a mass directly opposite the point at which the striker bolt delivers the impact. As vibration is eliminated power is efficiently increased, allowing more of the generated energy in the motor to be delivered to the tool bit." We could all use some good earthquake news for a change.

Makita has engineered their new 42 pound, 32 inch long AVT Demolition Hammer HM1317CB with AVT technology, giving you more efficient hitting on the concrete with less vibration in the demo hammer tool. “The new HM1317CB combines hard-hitting power and less vibration for more efficient hitting,” said Anthony Corwin, Makita product manager, commercial products. engineered to be the most efficient breaker hammer in its class. And at 42 pounds, it’s easier to maneuver than a larger 60 or 70-pound model, but still delivers enough power to get the job done.”

Do you need a mobile torch to use when you are down in the crawl space, working up in the attic, in a cabinet or on a ladder? I have an old wooden box that I store my torch and accessories in and when it comes time to work down in the crawl space with it, it becomes a bit cumbersome. Well, LENOX has a new Mobile Torch System II (MTS II) that they have designed to meet your professional or homeowner torching needs. Lenox says that their new design simplifies on-the-job needs for accessibility, increased storage, protection and convenience. Sounds a lot easier than my old box system.

Lenox basically created a new torch system that includes a case that stores your torch accessories in addition to securely holding two Fat Boy™ 16.92 oz. gas cylinders or the old 14.1 oz. gas cylinders. The Lenox MTS II is cool and easy-to-carry kit that consists of a heavy duty molded case with space enough to store your solder, tubing cutters, solder, flux, brushes, torch parts and other accessories. This way you don't have to carry another bag on the job or have another place on your shelf to store your torch accessories. The MTS II Torch System features a 12.5 foot hose with an integrated hose wrap and a tip holder to protect and cool tips after use, so you can move right along to the next job.

Hey there all of you who like to find out about the latest and greatest in the power tool world, Metabo has a new toy from their PowerMaster Series of 18 V lithium-ion cordless power tools, the SSW18 18V 1/2 inch impact wrench. In addition to a maximum torque of 1,947 inch pounds, the SSW18 gives you three electronic speed ranges from 0 rpm to 1,600 rpm, 0 rpm to 2,150 rpm and 0 rpm to 2,650 rpm.

The ergonomics and compact cordless design make Metabo's SSW18 impact wrench great for joiners and fitters who assemble pipe, valve flange connections and structural steel fastening. The SSW18 is also perfect for all you mechanics who repair cars and trucks. The lightweight tool's pistol-grip design and accessible trigger button make getting into those tight spaces easier.