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Best of Cool Tools (and a few Goofy Ones) Spotted in 2021
Hand, power, multi, specialty, moving materials, moving you, fastening, fixtures
For this roundup we'll look at eight categories of tools: Hand tools, power(ed) tools, multi-tools, specialty tools. And also tools for moving stuff around, tools for getting you up, down or around, fastening devices and shop fixtures. Most are pretty cool, a few are goofy, and one or two are outright ridiculous.
Hand Tools
GearWrench's Gimbal Ratchet for tight spaces
Fujiya's rapid-clutch adjustable wrench
Wera Tools' color-coded, round-handled hex keys
ToughBuilt's utility knife that transforms into a scraper
Different ways to undo zip ties
Equal space dividers: one tool that serves (at least) four different trades
Wiha's insulated wrenches
Tool Design Quiz: Why do these locking pliers look like this?
John Economaki's bananas precision pencil making system
Power(ed) Tools
The Wondercutter S: A handheld ultrasonic cutter that's like a power X-acto knife
The Rhino Hammer, a tool for quickly removing laser-cut parts from the sheet
World's most popular power tool: The Bosch IXO
The Rotoshovel Max, a power shovel
When MIT Engineers design a power tool accessory
The Sandsall: A pair of strange power tools for sanding irregular shapes
A high-end hot glue gun: The FastenMaster HB220
A designey cordless hot glue gun
Multi-Tools
The survival knife that Mercury astronauts flew with in the 1960s
Image: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
What does a Swiss Army Knife with 73 functions look like?
Swiss Army Knife Mini Tools that tuck away inside the corkscrew
Form follows function with Gerber's Shard Multitool
The Combar: A designey bushcrafting multi-tool
Specialty Tools
The Viking Arm for lifting, pressing, tightening and spreading
This German invention for fixing broken arrows
A variety of Mushroom Knives
A pair of antique tools used to perfectly transfer head measurements to hats
Inventions that make rewinding ratchet straps fast and easy
Malco's Conformable Sander
An unusual hand tool for applying tape as if it were zip-ties
Quik Drive System lets you drive floor-level screws while standing
Snake Tongs
Tools for Moving Stuff Around
A simpler design for a stair-friendly hand truck
Mammoth Grips: Portable handles for add-on ergonomics
The Yard Glider: A smart alternative to wheelbarrows, carts and trucks
A simple tool for moving heavy furniture
A hilariously tiny mini excavator
Form follows function: Unusual-looking Japanese carts
The E-Cat: A retrofittable electric-powered wheelbarrow wheel
Bizarre object: A wheelbarrow for benches
A minimal exoskeleton for helping workers carry heavy loads
Tools for Getting Up, Down or Around
An upside-down hinged mechanic's creeper, for working over tough-to-reach engines
Kneepads with wheels, for tradespeople who work on floors
A portable work platform with independently-adjustable legs
Alternative design for tall ladders: The Hasegawa Tripod Ladder
Fastening
Nite Ize's Figure 9 Carabiner lets you fasten ropes without tying knots
Andy Klein's hidden-slot screw
Elegant design & engineering: The UKS Universal Chain Connector
Fixtures
Andy Klein's Twin Turbo Vise
This morphing fractal engraving vise can hold any shape
A clever flip-top, dual-surface workbench design
Upside-down tool storage systems based on their connection points
A portable work table with a unique collapsing method
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