Got boots to rival these bad boys? Show 'em.

When “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman) from the Shawshank Redemption  asks, “After all, how often do you look at a man’s shoes?” he was on to something. Unless you’re talking about the latest NBA footwear, no one really cares. But when you have boots this “unique,” even on the jobsite, they stand out. Do you have boots that rival these? Show me what you’ve got and I have a Bosch Daredevil spade bit three-pak, Bosch Multiconstruction five-piece set or a Bosch five-piece recip demo set.  Hey, maybe a sweetner. Send your entry by email to joethepro@contractor.net.

The Bosch Daredevil is at it again. It’s time to enter the Bosch Daredevil Work Hard, Play Hard contest (http://www.boschdaredevil.com/). You’ll have an opportunity to win weekly prizes by submitting your best example of how you work hard or play hard. The online contest is open through the end of February. It’s easy to enter, easy to win.

Enter now!

fdsIf you don’t know about oscillating multi-tools (OMT) by now, you’ve probably been stranded on a desert island.

Fein was first to market with the the MultiMaster, and as their patent expired a lot of other manufacturers jumped into the game. To date, I can count at least twelve different brands- Fein, Bosch, Skil, Rockwell, Craftsman, Milwauke, Dremel, Ridgid, Porter Cable, i-Drill, Genesis and Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight). Did I miss any? Oh, and if you want to find out how they all stack up, ProTool Reviews compares 8 popular options.

Some of these names, like Skil, are designed for homeowners and casual DIYers. Others like Chicago Electric are basically disposable (what do you expect for $29.99). For every OMT available, be it professional grade or lower, it will never perform to its highest potential without quality accessories. It’s nice to know that with the Bosch OIS adapter, you can pickup high-quality cutting, scraping, sanding and grinding accessories no matter which OMT you own.

Here are a few Bosch accessories I keep handy in my toolbox at all times.

• 3/4″ Plunge cut blade- Do yourself a favor and pickup a pack of bi-metal plunge cut blades that can tackle wood and metal. These are great when you might need to cut through a nail. Just the other day I was cutting away some rotted wood and found a couple nails I wasn’t expecting.
• 3 1/2″ Flush cut blade- Imagine how easy it is to trim door jambs with one of these. Every time I lay tile or install hardwood floors, I use this flush cut.
• Sanding triangles- You can’t cover much ground with a sanding triangle but that’s not the point. These make sanding tight corners a breeze.
• Rigid & flexible scraper- I’ve never cut away caulk so fast as when I use a scraper blade. These are great when you’re weatherizing windows and doors or re-caulking around tubs and showers.

If you’re looking around for OMT accessories, consider the value that Bosch brings to this category. And with their new OIS adapter, you can still take advantage of Bosch accessories even if you have a competitors OMT. Bosch accessories are manufactured from quality materials (high-carbon steel, diamond grit, etc.) and they use laser etching so depth gauges never rub off.

Bosch accessories are available at CPO, Ohio Power Tool, and more. Grab a Home Depot Coupon to save a few bucks before you purchase.

You can find a lot of information about the oscillating tool category.  And you can find the tools in a lot of places: online, Home Depot, Lowe’s – even at Target or Meijer.  The tool is everywhere because it works.  The concept is solid – a single tool to cut, grind, scrape and sand (check out the Skil oscillating tool review). It can be used on wood, flooring and synthetic wood – a wide variety of building materials.

Bosch has brought added value to the category by developing an interface, an adapter that allows the company’s high-quality accessories to be used on virtually any brand of oscillating tool.  It’s an advantage both from the standpoint of always having a best-in-class accessory for your power tool, but also expanding the accessories available to you at the building products store.  So consider using an oscillating tool on your next job.  There’s no downside in having maximum functionality in a single tool.