We had a work party last night. One of the traditions for this
party is a give-away of various items, people get 5 tickets and can toss
them into a basket for the items that interest them. Each year there are
usually a few tools from some Big Box BORG, most of them things like B&D
laser levels, they had a no-name Dremel clone this year, and a few other
similar items.

One of the things they had this year was a 19.4 V Kawasaki drill.
Prior to last night, I'd never seen any mention of Kawasaki as a tool
vendor, somewhat surprising given the broadly dispersed audience that
constitutes rec.ww and also given the number of woodworking magazine to
which I subscribe. I'll admit to not looking at every ad in all the
magazines (I don't even get to read all of every magazine anymore). Has
anyone here had, tried, viewed, or otherwise fondled a Kawasaki drill, or
other tool for that matter? Is my assessment that it was probably a cheap
tool correct, or did I miss an opportunity to own a quality tool?
[Actually, I did win a remote-controlled flying disk (kind of a gyro-copter
thing --- that will be a great Christmas gift for my son)]



+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

In article ,
Mark & Juanita wrote:

Is my assessment that it was probably a cheap
tool correct, or did I miss an opportunity to own a quality tool?

Kawasaki makes some pretty decent stuff. They have come a long way since
their 'Flex-Frame' motorcycles of yesteryear. Panasonic used to be
equated with junk... pretty nice drill though.
So if a Kawasaki drill presented itself in my walk of life, I'd be all
over it. Laying down the cash for it would take a bit more. Sometimes I
take chances... like that band saw I bought yesterday.

"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message
...

We had a work party last night. One of the traditions for this
party is a give-away of various items, people get 5 tickets and can toss
them into a basket for the items that interest them. Each year there are
usually a few tools from some Big Box BORG, most of them things like B&D
laser levels, they had a no-name Dremel clone this year, and a few other
similar items.

One of the things they had this year was a 19.4 V Kawasaki drill.
Prior to last night, I'd never seen any mention of Kawasaki as a tool
vendor, somewhat surprising given the broadly dispersed audience that
constitutes rec.ww and also given the number of woodworking magazine to
which I subscribe. I'll admit to not looking at every ad in all the
magazines (I don't even get to read all of every magazine anymore). Has
anyone here had, tried, viewed, or otherwise fondled a Kawasaki drill, or
other tool for that matter? Is my assessment that it was probably a cheap
tool correct, or did I miss an opportunity to own a quality tool?
[Actually, I did win a remote-controlled flying disk (kind of a
gyro-copter
thing --- that will be a great Christmas gift for my son)]

I have a Kawasaki generator. Haven't used it much, but it "looks" nice.
Supposedly it is made on the same assembly line as Hondas.

"Toller" wrote in message

I have a Kawasaki generator. Haven't used it much, but it "looks" nice.
Supposedly it is made on the same assembly line as Hondas.

I have a good old John Deere, patriotic USA type lawn mower. It has a
Kawasaki engine that still starts on the first pull after five years.

I'd take a shot at the drill based on my limited Kawasaki experience.

In article , "Toller"
wrote:

Supposedly it is made on the same assembly line as Hondas.

That's another take on the story. Who really KNOWS anything about the product
you're buying?
Here's one I hadn't noticed befo ASSEMBLED IN USA. What does that mean?
Attaching the cord? Putting on the label that says ASSEMBLED IN USA?
All US/Canada made with overseas parts?

On Sun, 11 Dec 2005 01:20:11 -0500, Robatoy wrote:

In article , "Toller"
wrote:

Supposedly it is made on the same assembly line as Hondas.

That's another take on the story. Who really KNOWS anything about the product
you're buying?
Here's one I hadn't noticed befo ASSEMBLED IN USA. What does that mean?
Attaching the cord? Putting on the label that says ASSEMBLED IN USA?
All US/Canada made with overseas parts?

It has to do with the way the US charges custom duties. A completed item
is charged a higher duty than a incomplete item. Hence things are shipped
minus a installed part making it a incomplete item. This could be the
power cord or the entire product could be assemblied in the US. Toyota
used to ship it's trucks to the US with the bumpers in the back of the
truck. The dealer would then install the bumpers. Thus a lower customs
duty was paid.

Don't forget about hyundai tools as well- least there was a cordless drill
at Pep Boys that had that name. The batteries were only 1300mah though,
pretty wimpy. I'm wondering if the name is being used and the drill is the
same basic chiwanese drill with a label stuck on. Pat

Local Sunday paper has a sales circular in it from Pep Boys
advertising the Kawasaki 19.2v cordless drill & flashlight kit
for $39.98. Also advertised is the Kawasaki 4 piece 19.2v kit
including the drill, flashlight, circular saw, and jigsaw for $99.98.
I think I will wait for Honda to come out with a cordless drill. LOL.

Andy

On 10/12/2005 11:31 PM, Robatoy wrote:

They have come a long way since
their 'Flex-Frame' motorcycles of yesteryear.

Mebbe it was 'flex-frame', but for sheer testicle-shrinking all-out
crazy staight-line blue-smokin' (oil, not tire) acceleration, nothing
beat my '71 H1 500cc 2stroke in its day.

In article ,
Doug Payne wrote:

nothing
beat my '71 H1 500cc 2stroke in its day.

That bike would give a lot of today's bikes a rough time. Damn! those
were quick.

On 12/10/2005 8:49 PM Mark & Juanita mumbled something about the following:
We had a work party last night. One of the traditions for this
party is a give-away of various items, people get 5 tickets and can toss
them into a basket for the items that interest them. Each year there are
usually a few tools from some Big Box BORG, most of them things like B&D
laser levels, they had a no-name Dremel clone this year, and a few other
similar items.

One of the things they had this year was a 19.4 V Kawasaki drill.
Prior to last night, I'd never seen any mention of Kawasaki as a tool
vendor, somewhat surprising given the broadly dispersed audience that
constitutes rec.ww and also given the number of woodworking magazine to
which I subscribe. I'll admit to not looking at every ad in all the
magazines (I don't even get to read all of every magazine anymore). Has
anyone here had, tried, viewed, or otherwise fondled a Kawasaki drill, or
other tool for that matter? Is my assessment that it was probably a cheap
tool correct, or did I miss an opportunity to own a quality tool?
[Actually, I did win a remote-controlled flying disk (kind of a gyro-copter
thing --- that will be a great Christmas gift for my son)]


Well, considering Kawasaki is one HUGE conglomerate that makes
airplanes, heavy construction equipment, light rail, motorcycles,
electronics, etc., it wouldn't surprise me that they have several
categories of stuff that I've never heard of. Same thing for Daewoo.
Until I worked for Daewoo Heavy Industries, all I knew about them was
electronics, didn't realize they made heavy construction equip, or cars,
or a host of other things.

--
Odinn
RCOS #7 SENS BS ???

"The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never
worshiped anything but himself." -- Sir Richard Francis Burton

Reeky's unofficial homepage ... http://www.reeky.org
'03 FLHTI ........... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/ElectraGlide
'97 VN1500D ......... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/VulcanClassic
Atlanta Biker Net ... http://www.atlantabiker.net
Vulcan Riders Assoc . http://www.vulcanriders.org

rot13 to reply

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
.. .


"Toller" wrote in message

I have a Kawasaki generator. Haven't used it much, but it "looks" nice.
Supposedly it is made on the same assembly line as Hondas.

I have a good old John Deere, patriotic USA type lawn mower. It has a
Kawasaki engine that still starts on the first pull after five years.


I have a Honda lawn mower that just completed its 19 th season. It has a
Honda engine and still starts on the first pull. ;~) It may very well out
live me and I was 32 when I bought it.

"Doug Payne" wrote in message
...
On 10/12/2005 11:31 PM, Robatoy wrote:

They have come a long way since their 'Flex-Frame' motorcycles of
yesteryear.

Mebbe it was 'flex-frame', but for sheer testicle-shrinking all-out crazy
staight-line blue-smokin' (oil, not tire) acceleration, nothing beat my
'71 H1 500cc 2stroke in its day.

Got to borrow on of those in Pasadena back around '72, neat little triple,
at a time when I was a lightweight (well, maybe 180 pounds). Sumbitch flew
in a straight line, lit up that rear tire like nothing I've seen off a drag
strip. Supposed to have clocked 4.5 seconds to 60, with a cold rear tire.

It was a terror at stopping time, though, and didn't corner at all like a
buddy's 500CC Norton Manx single (which couldn't carry the Kaw's clutch
cable for sheer gut twisting acceleration in a straight line--at this late
date, I'm not sure, but I think both topped out around 105MPH, which was
about 10MPH more than I ever tacked on the one I borrowed).

On 12/11/2005 8:28 AM Doug Payne mumbled something about the following:
On 10/12/2005 11:31 PM, Robatoy wrote:

They have come a long way since their 'Flex-Frame' motorcycles of
yesteryear.

Mebbe it was 'flex-frame', but for sheer testicle-shrinking all-out
crazy staight-line blue-smokin' (oil, not tire) acceleration, nothing
beat my '71 H1 500cc 2stroke in its day.

Here's a pic of a very interesting Kawasaki
http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/MoreToys/HPIM0344

1979 KZ1300 6 cyl mated to a VW Type 1 front end.

"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message
...

We had a work party last night. One of the traditions for this
party is a give-away of various items, people get 5 tickets and can toss
them into a basket for the items that interest them. Each year there are
usually a few tools from some Big Box BORG, most of them things like B&D
laser levels, they had a no-name Dremel clone this year, and a few other
similar items.

One of the things they had this year was a 19.4 V Kawasaki drill.
Prior to last night, I'd never seen any mention of Kawasaki as a tool
vendor, somewhat surprising given the broadly dispersed audience that
constitutes rec.ww and also given the number of woodworking magazine to
which I subscribe. I'll admit to not looking at every ad in all the
magazines (I don't even get to read all of every magazine anymore). Has
anyone here had, tried, viewed, or otherwise fondled a Kawasaki drill, or
other tool for that matter? Is my assessment that it was probably a cheap
tool correct, or did I miss an opportunity to own a quality tool?
[Actually, I did win a remote-controlled flying disk (kind of a
gyro-copter
thing --- that will be a great Christmas gift for my son)]

_________________

I bought one of the 4-piece specials from Pep Boys and wasn't very impressed
with the quality. The drill/driver and the flashlight are OK. The jig-saw is
of a "toy" quality. The circular saw seemed alright, but gave me only a half
dozen cuts through 2x4s before it just wouldn't power through them. I would
say it's OK for very light hobby work, but don't rely on them to get through
a real job.

Can anyone recommend a battery powered circular saw that they really like?

Scott

On 11/12/2005 10:58 AM, Charles Self wrote:
"Doug Payne" wrote in message
...

On 10/12/2005 11:31 PM, Robatoy wrote:


They have come a long way since their 'Flex-Frame' motorcycles of
yesteryear.

Mebbe it was 'flex-frame', but for sheer testicle-shrinking all-out crazy
staight-line blue-smokin' (oil, not tire) acceleration, nothing beat my
'71 H1 500cc 2stroke in its day.

[...] I'm not sure, but I think both topped out around 105MPH, which was
about 10MPH more than I ever tacked on the one I borrowed).

Mine was clocked at 121 mph. Unfortunately for me the clocker was a
local gendarme. He was unamused.

In article , Andy
wrote:

Local Sunday paper has a sales circular in it from Pep Boys
advertising the Kawasaki 19.2v cordless drill & flashlight kit
for $39.98. Also advertised is the Kawasaki 4 piece 19.2v kit
including the drill, flashlight, circular saw, and jigsaw for $99.98.
I think I will wait for Honda to come out with a cordless drill. LOL.

Sounds like "Chicago Electric" painted green and black. LOL

I have the smaller DeWalt 18v trimsaw, and it's pretty good. It lasts
a lot longer than you'd expect. I haven't tried the bigger 18v circular
saw.

Scott Cox wrote:

Can anyone recommend a battery powered circular saw that they really like?

Well I survived the ½ off sale. Man it wore me out and got me so
behind. I need a vacation bad but now no time or money (G) got a cold
out of this too.
Well time for my monthly sales. I have some cocobolo planes left and
I have enough cocobolo for a coffin or two and enough ebony for a
pocket plane or two if you're interested. Give me a email directly if
you want a plane take care and merry Christmas.
Knight-Toolworks
http://www.knight-toolworks.com
affordable handmade wooden planes

Thanks Mike. I didn't know Dewalt had two different sizes of battery powered
saws. I'll check them out.

Scott

"Mike Berger" wrote in message
...
I have the smaller DeWalt 18v trimsaw, and it's pretty good. It lasts
a lot longer than you'd expect. I haven't tried the bigger 18v circular
saw.

Scott Cox wrote:

Can anyone recommend a battery powered circular saw that they really
like?

Doug Payne wrote in news:dnh9i5$dr9$1
@rumours.uwaterloo.ca:

On 10/12/2005 11:31 PM, Robatoy wrote:

They have come a long way since
their 'Flex-Frame' motorcycles of yesteryear.

Mebbe it was 'flex-frame', but for sheer testicle-shrinking all-out
crazy staight-line blue-smokin' (oil, not tire) acceleration, nothing
beat my '71 H1 500cc 2stroke in its day.

Nothing except the 750cc H2, perhaps. :-)

Apropos of their tools, bear in mind that Kawasaki's main business
is building very large machines (e.g. 300,000 ton oil tankers) and
they've been doing it for a long time. I'd expect their tools to
be serious industrial grade stuff.

John

On 12/13/2005 5:44 PM John McCoy mumbled something about the following:
Doug Payne wrote in news:dnh9i5$dr9$1
@rumours.uwaterloo.ca:

On 10/12/2005 11:31 PM, Robatoy wrote:

They have come a long way since
their 'Flex-Frame' motorcycles of yesteryear.
Mebbe it was 'flex-frame', but for sheer testicle-shrinking all-out
crazy staight-line blue-smokin' (oil, not tire) acceleration, nothing
beat my '71 H1 500cc 2stroke in its day.

Nothing except the 750cc H2, perhaps. :-)

Apropos of their tools, bear in mind that Kawasaki's main business
is building very large machines (e.g. 300,000 ton oil tankers) and
they've been doing it for a long time. I'd expect their tools to
be serious industrial grade stuff.

John

Or maybe the Z900A, but that was a couple years later. I know my 80
KZ1300 was the fastest touring bike I ever want to get on (yes, I had
the full vetter fairing, bags, and trunk).

--
Odinn
RCOS #7 SENS BS ???

"The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never
worshiped anything but himself." -- Sir Richard Francis Burton

Reeky's unofficial homepage ... http://www.reeky.org
'03 FLHTI ........... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/ElectraGlide
'97 VN1500D ......... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/VulcanClassic
Atlanta Biker Net ... http://www.atlantabiker.net
Vulcan Riders Assoc . http://www.vulcanriders.org

rot13 to reply

On 13/12/2005 5:44 PM, John McCoy wrote:
Doug Payne wrote in news:dnh9i5$dr9$1
@rumours.uwaterloo.ca:

Mebbe it was 'flex-frame', but for sheer testicle-shrinking all-out
crazy staight-line blue-smokin' (oil, not tire) acceleration, nothing
beat my '71 H1 500cc 2stroke in its day.


Nothing except the 750cc H2, perhaps. :-)

Yep, but that wasn't "in it's day". When I bought my H1, the H2 didn't
yet exist. I kicked myself for not waiting a couple more months.

Robatoy wrote:
In article , "Toller"
wrote:


Supposedly it is made on the same assembly line as Hondas.


That's another take on the story. Who really KNOWS anything about the product
you're buying?
Here's one I hadn't noticed befo ASSEMBLED IN USA. What does that mean?
Attaching the cord? Putting on the label that says ASSEMBLED IN USA?
All US/Canada made with overseas parts?

There is an island in the western Pacific whose name I cannot recall,
(Samoa, Saipan?) that while Asian for all intents and purposes - wages,
quality, work ethic - is a US territory or protectorate or some such and
therefor qualifies the product as "Made in USA". Discovered this in the
early 90's when I called Delta to inquire as to why my new "American"
jointer was using metric bolts.

Odinn wrote:

snip

Well, considering Kawasaki is one HUGE conglomerate that makes
airplanes, heavy construction equipment, light rail, motorcycles,
electronics, etc., it wouldn't surprise me that they have several
categories of stuff that I've never heard of. Same thing for Daewoo.
Until I worked for Daewoo Heavy Industries, all I knew about them was
electronics, didn't realize they made heavy construction equip, or cars,
or a host of other things.


Saw a TLC or Discovery show about one of the Korean (IIRC) conglomerates
that is so vertically integrated they build everything from the mining
equipment to the ships that transport the finished product to market and
everything in between, most of which is on the same massive waterfront
complex.

On 12/18/2005 10:11 AM KaiS. mumbled something about the following:
Odinn wrote:

snip

Well, considering Kawasaki is one HUGE conglomerate that makes
airplanes, heavy construction equipment, light rail, motorcycles,
electronics, etc., it wouldn't surprise me that they have several
categories of stuff that I've never heard of. Same thing for Daewoo.
Until I worked for Daewoo Heavy Industries, all I knew about them was
electronics, didn't realize they made heavy construction equip, or
cars, or a host of other things.


Saw a TLC or Discovery show about one of the Korean (IIRC) conglomerates
that is so vertically integrated they build everything from the mining
equipment to the ships that transport the finished product to market and
everything in between, most of which is on the same massive waterfront
complex.

Daewoo was the largest Korean conglomerate until the Korean govt forced
them to break up about 5 years ago. They sold their electronics
division to Emerson, bankrupted their auto division, and split the rest
into about 5 other companies. I didn't follow it too much after I left
Daewoo (I was a software developer/admin for their Heavy Industries
Americas division). From what I understood at that time, the Korean
govt was trying to break up all the conglomerates, or at least break
them into smaller parts. Kia and Hyundai are 2 divisions of the same
Korean company, and that happened after all this, so I don't know what
happened over there.

--
Odinn
RCOS #7 SENS BS ???

"The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never
worshiped anything but himself." -- Sir Richard Francis Burton

Reeky's unofficial homepage ... http://www.reeky.org
'03 FLHTI ........... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/ElectraGlide
'97 VN1500D ......... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/VulcanClassic
Atlanta Biker Net ... http://www.atlantabiker.net
Vulcan Riders Assoc . http://www.vulcanriders.org

rot13 to reply

On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 15:11:56 GMT, "KaiS." wrote:

Odinn wrote:

snip

Well, considering Kawasaki is one HUGE conglomerate that makes
airplanes, heavy construction equipment, light rail, motorcycles,
electronics, etc., it wouldn't surprise me that they have several
categories of stuff that I've never heard of. Same thing for Daewoo.
Until I worked for Daewoo Heavy Industries, all I knew about them was
electronics, didn't realize they made heavy construction equip, or cars,
or a host of other things.


Saw a TLC or Discovery show about one of the Korean (IIRC) conglomerates
that is so vertically integrated they build everything from the mining
equipment to the ships that transport the finished product to market and
everything in between, most of which is on the same massive waterfront
complex.

Ironic thing about that is that here in the US, the Havard Business
School MBA model is counseling businesses to "focus on their core
competencies" and divest themselves of everything else. Thus, many of us
who worked for diversified companies found our divisions sold off to other
companies who were concentrating on that particular business as a "core
competency".




+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

What sucks about that is that, from time to time, that one specialized field
will be in low demand. Being diversified means far steadier income.

"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message Ironic thing
about that is that here in the US, the Havard Business
School MBA model is counseling businesses to "focus on their core
competencies" and divest themselves of everything else. Thus, many of us
who worked for diversified companies found our divisions sold off to other
companies who were concentrating on that particular business as a "core
competency".





+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough


+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----+

Mark & Juanita wrote:

On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 15:11:56 GMT, "KaiS." wrote:

Odinn wrote:

snip

Well, considering Kawasaki is one HUGE conglomerate that makes
airplanes, heavy construction equipment, light rail, motorcycles,
electronics, etc., it wouldn't surprise me that they have several
categories of stuff that I've never heard of. Same thing for
Daewoo. Until I worked for Daewoo Heavy Industries, all I knew about
them was electronics, didn't realize they made heavy construction
equip, or cars, or a host of other things.


Saw a TLC or Discovery show about one of the Korean (IIRC)
conglomerates that is so vertically integrated they build everything
from the mining equipment to the ships that transport the finished
product to market and everything in between, most of which is on the
same massive waterfront complex.

Ironic thing about that is that here in the US, the Havard Business
School MBA model is counseling businesses to "focus on their core
competencies" and divest themselves of everything else. Thus, many of
us who worked for diversified companies found our divisions sold off
to other companies who were concentrating on that particular business
as a "core competency".

If anyone finds a 'core competency' among MBAs, be sure to let us know.

On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 22:15:43 GMT, "CW" wrote:


"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message Ironic thing
about that is that here in the US, the Havard Business
School MBA model is counseling businesses to "focus on their core
competencies" and divest themselves of everything else. Thus, many of us
who worked for diversified companies found our divisions sold off to other
companies who were concentrating on that particular business as a "core
competency".


What sucks about that is that, from time to time, that one specialized field
will be in low demand. Being diversified means far steadier income.


Yep. I'm sure that in about 5 to 10 years, if not sooner, the Harvard
MBA model will be to counsel businesses to "diversify and invest in
businesses that are counter-cyclical to the current core business" in order
to maintain a steady revenue stream, or to provide a "flywheel" effect to
maintain the core business during cyclical downturns. Then, in about 15
years, a bunch of us will be working for larger, diversified companies with
multiple business areas, same as the way we started out. ... and hopefully
that will carry me through to retirement and building furniture from my
shop for a small clientele before the next "focus on core competencies"
model gets evangelized again.


+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 01:59:12 GMT, Lobby Dosser
wrote:

Mark & Juanita wrote:

On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 15:11:56 GMT, "KaiS." wrote:

Odinn wrote:

snip

Well, considering Kawasaki is one HUGE conglomerate that makes
airplanes, heavy construction equipment, light rail, motorcycles,
.... snip


Saw a TLC or Discovery show about one of the Korean (IIRC)
conglomerates that is so vertically integrated they build everything
from the mining equipment to the ships that transport the finished
product to market and everything in between, most of which is on the
same massive waterfront complex.

Ironic thing about that is that here in the US, the Havard Business
School MBA model is counseling businesses to "focus on their core
competencies" and divest themselves of everything else. Thus, many of
us who worked for diversified companies found our divisions sold off
to other companies who were concentrating on that particular business
as a "core competency".

If anyone finds a 'core competency' among MBAs, be sure to let us know.

That's easy -- consulting for companies dispensing advice from the latest
Harvard Business Review. After all, consultants are experts, so their
advice carries much more weight than the folks in the trenches, who, after
all might be biased. ;-)


+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Steve knight wrote in :

Well I survived the ½ off sale. Man it wore me out and got me so
behind. I need a vacation bad but now no time or money (G) got a cold
out of this too.
Well time for my monthly sales. I have some cocobolo planes left and
I have enough cocobolo for a coffin or two and enough ebony for a
pocket plane or two if you're interested. Give me a email directly if
you want a plane take care and merry Christmas.
Knight-Toolworks
http://www.knight-toolworks.com
affordable handmade wooden planes

Hey Rick,
Did you ever build a plane out of that Mesquite I sent you?

--
Michael Burton
Thunderbird Hardwoods
Llano, TX

mhburton at tbird-hardwoods dot com