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Thanks for the heads up. I'll definitely check it out this weekend.

Thanks, I've been wanting to know the same thing. Great news.

Hikoki/Metabo HPT have 2 reciprocating saws with electronic speed selection as well as a variable trigger: the 18V (CR18DBL) and Multivolt 36V (CR36DA). The Multivolt 36V has the following presets: Speed 1: 0 - 1700spm Speed 2: 0 - 2000spm Speed 3: 0 - 2500spm Speed 4: 0 - 3000spm I own both of these saws and in my opinion the Multivolt 36V is the best saw on the market. The vibration control is extremely effective and there's also an orbital mode. No other saw has as many features. It's also more compact and weighs a lot less than the Milwaukee super sawzall.

Definitely agree. I didn't watch any reviews before buying, so I was surprised to find all the extra functionality once it arrived (blower, attachments on-board, 12V DC etc). It's also much more compact than I expected. Such a great tool! $199 AUD with a free 4ah battery was a good deal as well.

Hikoki 36V Multivolt angle grinder. Like every Multivolt tool I've bought, it has a VERY high build quality. I think the variable speed will come in useful (5 speed settings from 3000rpm - 9500rpm). When running this at 3000rpm, the speed is quite low, so there's a lot of range available. I'm loving the Multivolt so far, especially the reciprocating saw!

It looks like there's an updated brushless 12V drill in Europe, including a flexiClick version. 35Nm and 1,750rpm (previously 1,300rpm). https://www.bosch-presse.de/pressportal/de/en/more-powerful-than-ever-before-bosch-flexiclick-12-v-–-now-with-a-brushless-motor-191168.html

I never considered one but started looking at them last week. They look great, so I've ordered a Bosch GLM 50 CX. I have a feeling I won't be using all these tape measures very often anymore.

I've recently discovered the Anex 397-D ratchet screwdriver. Anyone else own one? I've always been a fan of Vessel ball grip screwdrivers, but their ratchet version requires use of special bits. I haven't used it much, but it feels super high quality and extremely smooth with 72 teeth. There is very minimal slop on the ratchet end (which is simply the ball end), so the screwdriver feels as precise as a dedicated screwdriver. The bits are also removable. This is now my favourite screwdriver, although it was very expensive to buy ($47 AUD delivered).

Totally agree. Just now I used the saw with a full battery again. Not a single overload. It was just those first 10 minutes of it's life. I thought it might have something to do with having a freshly charged battery (i.e. 40V peak) but I couldn't replicate it. Strange, but good it's not happening any more.

Over the weekend I finally had an opportunity to give my new Hikoki multivolt reciprocating saw a thorough use. I'll start with the dislikes. At first the overload protection kept kicking in as soon as the blade contacted the wood. I couldn't make a cut until after about 10 attempts. I might have a faulty saw, but over time the issue disappeared. Secondly, the switch to turn on orbital mode is almost impossible with gloves. Other than the above, this is an absolutely amazing saw! Tons of power with 36V, but the vibration control has to be the best part; super, super smooth. I was totally surprised at how little vibration there is. One handed work is easy because of how smooth it is (if you can tolerate the extra weight of course). Runtime was very good with a 2.5ah battery. I have yet to use the bigger cell 5ah battery. If you can, I recommend trying this saw. You'll be blown away at how smooth it is. I can't wait for the comparison videos to finally start showing up.

I'd love to see one of these.

A compact 12V oscillating multi tool of the same design as the 20V would be great.

You could say it got out of control. The smooth Bosch is that good, it's hard to use another drill. There's practically no vibration from the motor at all. It's also quieter than all the others. I tried removing the chuck to replace it with another one but was unable to. I was very surprised at the variance, especially being Bosch. One other notable difference is the trigger on the Australian model; it's the best of the lot and feels similar to the soft press optical triggers on Hitachi/Hikoki tools. I've only ever done this once before with an Hitachi drill. I ended up with 2 drills that both had at least 1 annoying flaw, so essentially it just made the situation worse.

If there are any manufacturing flaws to a tool that I buy and really like, sometimes OCD will kick in and I'll buy another one in an effort to finally get one without flaws (especially with drills). Anyway, a few months back I bought a Bosch 18V DDS183 compact drill. It's easily the best drill I've ever used and it has the smoothest motor on a power tool that I've ever used. By far smoother than anything I've tried and nothing comes close. It's amazing really. Problem: very bad chuck run-out 😒. So I purchases another from Amazon, thinking that all DDS183's have smooth motors. Problem: it's rough, nowhere near as smooth but actually has a perfect chuck. So I figure maybe I got a flawed model, so I purchase another from Ebay. Problem: rough running again but another perfect chuck. Finally I purchase ANOTHER from old stock at a local tool store that was on clearance (Australian model GSR 18V, same as the DDS183). Problem: still not as smooth as the first one, but better than the other 2, with only very small run-out. The Australian model has soft start, whereas all 3 of the DDS183's do not. What I have found consistent is the rest of the tool; no flaws in rubber grips or clam shells whatsoever on all 4. A silly thing to do, but I was after the perfect DDS183. Now I have to decide which one to keep or sell (I won't buy any more).