The Echo is the overall winner with top scores in both cutting speed and runtime. It was fast and smooth through all cutting chores. It felt the most capable of maintaining its chain speed under load without any hesitation. This gave it the feel of a real pro saw for lack of a better description.

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Rubber straps, like this one from Voile are equally as versatile, more usually seen binding ski’s together the hardy rubber straps can be used in much the same way as the Velcro frame strap above, they are a sturdy and reliable option for lashing things to other things, lashing things to themselves, lashing things to things that have already been lashed to other things and so on — you get the picture.  For short rides we recommend using them to attach a spare tube along with a pump or puncture repair kit to the frame. 

Magnus Walker knows how to build a Porsche to get people like me excited. His STR II build has “Brumos-inspired color scheme, replica Campagnolo wheels and classic wide body stance”. There are the many external modifications, evoking ST and R models of the period. The car has about 280 hp from what began life as a 3.2-liter SC engine with a 915 transmission built by Team VDS. Suspension is thoroughly modernized to cope with the power. Walker’s stated intention was to “build a comfortably streetable race car”.

Some European countries regulate stated voltages more stringently, and it seems that it could only serve to help if the simple math all added up. For our purposes, we’re putting everyone on an even playing field by taking the nominal voltage and stated amp hours. It’s only a minor annoyance, however, as the more telling results are all products of our hands-on testing.

Reflecting the fact that most cordless tools are sold a la carte these days, (referred to as bare tool, or tool only), most of the tools, batteries, and chargers came to us as separate components. Of course, many of the tools are available in a kit form too, complete with battery pack(s), charger, and sometimes a case or bag. A kit typically represents a better value over a la carte prices for those just buying into a specific system or for existing users who need more chargers and batteries, but kits probably won’t come with the highest amp-hour battery packs available.

At $479, the new Hitachi table saw comes in a bit below DeWalt’s $580 machine, which the Hitachi could be mistaken for at a glance if it wasn’t for the colors. Still, there are material differences that might convince a Pro to choose one over the other. But for the price, the feature set is quite attractive and it will undoubtedly prove to be more than enough saw for many users.

Jacobs prefers a frame bag to keep the heavy items low and centered, a preference of modern bike packers anyway.  Long haul tourists will likely look for a longer bike specific for the task.

Perhaps a surprise in the group is how well the Greenworks Digi Pro 40V Max Chainsaw did, given that it’s been around for several years now. Speed and runtime left something to be desired, but it did manage to stay out of the cellar in both categories. We also felt the coast down brake to be a standout feature.

So what about the shifting side of things? My main interest was the sequential shifting, which meant that it would automatically shift front and back derailleurs by me merely saying I wanted gearing easier or harder. It does the math and then automatically finds the correct next gear.

In recent years, there has been a cloud of controversy surrounding the inherent safety issues surrounding the table saw. SawStop developed a flesh detection technology that pulls the blade below the table surface 3 milliseconds after coming into contact with skin. It really created a new class of table saw that, as of June 1st, finally has some competition in the form of Bosch’s REAXX.