Reviews & Features – Page 11 – The Garage Journal

I use my Festool TS 55 track saw just about every day. It came with a general purpose 48-tooth blade that makes fantastically clean cuts and lasts a reasonable amount of time. It does, however, eventually get dull and need resharpening/replacement. They cost $84 each.

This is not a paid endorsement. I don’t know anyone involved with this thing and paid for it my damned self… But man, is this thing great. A few months ago, I was building a keyboard and a friend suggested that I pick up one of these tiny little soldering irons. I looked at it on Amazon, thought it looked like a toy and moved on. Then, I started noticing a lot of people recommending them. Finally, I succumbed to the peer pressure. This is the best soldering iron I’ve ever used. It feels like a pen in the hand, …

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So I am a Milwaukee guy… Not because of any kind of brand loyalty, but simply because I’m tied to the battery. About five years ago, I bought a 2604-20 M18 drill. It has served me well. Really well. But the chuck has ALWAYS sucked on this thing. It slips, it tears up bits, and has jus generally failed since day 1. Anyhow, after tearing up yet another bit today I decided to test the water here on the Garage Journal. Does anyone else have this issue with their Milwaukee chucks? Or is this just an issue with my older …

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When I need a “new” tool, my first inclination is ALWAYS to seek out the old. I just like the texture of age… Sometimes, obviously, I don’t have the time to refurbish or need the technology of new and have to go to market. But if it’s a tool that works as well aged as it does shiny, there’s no question which direction I am gonna go.