Hot stuff, from thermometers to a pocket hotspot;
and rugged gear, from backpacks to drills to tweezers.
TOOLBOX
Believe it or not, there was a time before
handheld electric drills. I grew up twisting my
wrist and torquing my hand getting screws
in and out of wood and metal. My father’s
fingers are actually bent from screwing so
many bolts and screws by hand in his youth.
No longer are these indignities required,
and a staple tool of any modern maker is the
electric drill. I’ve owned my share, but I don’t
think I truly learned the beauty of an electric
drill until I started using Milwaukee’s 18V hand
drill and its oft-ignored cousin, the 18V impact
driver. I wouldn’t do without either.
The impact driver is truly astounding for
what it can do. I recently turned my attic into
a playroom with it, and it gave me nothing but
joy. If you don’t know what an impact driver
is, you should. It’s kind of like a front-end
loader — you probably think it’s a luxury and
too much tool for your job, but as soon as you
have one, you search out jobs to do with it
because it’s just plain fun.
The Milwaukee 18V series feels like it’s built
as tough as a front-end loader, too. Which
is exactly why I’ve managed a love affair
with Milwaukee that was missing with other
brands. It’s just that special something of
a tool that’s better.
Yes, you’ll pay more, but it’s absolutely
worth it. The better battery charge indicator
is nice, but the real difference is in the quality
of the chuck, the gearbox, and the overall
build of these tools. Enjoy.
—Saul Griffith
Drills and Drivers
Milwaukee 18V Compact Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit
$225–$550 milwaukeepowertoolsonline.com
156 Make: makezine.com/26
