5 Cool New Tools You Probably Don't Have

     As a contractor, I'm always keeping an eye out for new things on the market. Usually, I try to find stuff to make my job a little easier, sometimes I just like finding things that I'm surprised nobody thought of sooner. In that quest, I've found a few new toys that you may or may not have seen.
Here they are in no particular order and all of the titles are clickable links if you want to learn more:

1: Homax Tarp Clips

     Anyone who's ever thrown a blue tarp over the bed of a truck or a trailer knows that those preset eyelets just never seem to be in the right location for securing it once it's in place. Either that or they've completely blown out from so many uses. This little handy clip from Homax allows you to grab any part of a tarp, bite down on it like a gator and bungee it to.... well, whatever you feel like bungeeing..... bungying? bungening... um, hooking it on to.

2. Spyder Jigsaw Blades

     This double sided blade makes your average jigsaw perform like a scroll saw. The toothed back side of the blade removes material behind it allowing the blade to move through tight patterns without binding up. It can also cut in reverse. This allows not only for much tighter turns and cuts, but for a much cleaner cut which doesn't require nearly as much sanding.

3. Board Buddies

     Kickbacks aren't just for politicians and sometimes they can be downright dangerous (ask the tip of my thumb, it lost an argument with a table saw two years ago). These anti-kickback, hold down rollers attach easily onto your table saw fence for added protection. Anyone who has ever had a saw spit a piece back at them can tell you: When it's you vs. the saw..... the saw usually wins.

4. Point-N-Measure Digital Tape Measure

     Digital tape measures have been around for a while but this one is cool because it measures up to 50 feet and the price tag is only around $20.00. Also, this little puppy does the math for you. It calculates volume & area in square footage or cubic feet.

5. The Versacut

     This is a simple idea but may possibly be the most versatile saw ever. The Versacut saw utilizes multiple types of blades and comes with three: A 24T Carbide Tip blade for wood, a 44T HSS blade for cutting through aluminum and thin metal sheets and a diamond tip blade for cutting ceramic tile and cement. Try that with your ordinary circular saw.

Wow, is that five already? Geez! Ah hell, I'm adding one more. It's my blog and I can do what I want... you're not the boss of me.

6. KG's Boot Guard

     Okay, so technically this isn't a tool but boots are one of the most important things a contractor can own. In my own experience, the first thing that goes on mine is the toe. I'm always kneeling down, bent over or somehow scraping the toe of my boots along the ground. Inevitably they get worn through a lot faster than the rest of the boot, especially when I'm wearing steel-toed boots.
     This magic elixir will extend the life of your boots by adding a layers of protection to your boot tips. The applicator can be cleaned with mineral spirits for future applications (1 bottle typically can handle three pairs of boots).

     And there you go! My 2013 list of top 5 6 cool tools you probably don't have. Know of some other cool ones? Drop me a line at Focalpoint Renovations or leave a link here in the comments.

As always, I'm Daniel and I'm a general contractor! <---- And wouldn't you guess it? That's STILL a link!

Cheers!