POWER8 Workshop WS1 Full Workshop-in-One with Armored Case

by POWER8workshop

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The versatile POWER8workshop is the world's first cordless workstation that also gives you the option to use each tool as a portable hand-held or a powerful benchtop tool. Ideal for professional tradesmen and DIY enthusiasts, the POWER8workshop includes an innovative stainless steel armored case that transforms four 18-volt cordless tools into their powerful benchtop equivalents.

A halogen flashlight/table light keeps work spaces well lit. View larger.

The drilldriver offers 21 torque settings and doubles as a drill press. View larger.

The circular saw clips into the case for use as a sturdy, accurate table saw. View larger.

The jigsaw doubles as a scroll saw. View larger.

Do-It-Yourself Convenience with Professional Results
The POWER8workshop includes everything you need to complete your tasks in one compact package. With this innovative system, you have four convenient, 18-volt hand-held tools at your disposal. And for added versatility, each of the tools easily slides into the armored case and becomes a powerful table-top tool.

The POWER8workshop includes a cordless drill driver that converts quickly into a bench top drill press; a circular saw that can be converted to a table saw; a jig saw that turns into a scroll saw; and a handy halogen light that converts into a bench top table light.

The tools are stored in a sturdy canvas bag that fits neatly into the durable steel armored case, which also doubles as the system's portable bench top. When your project is complete, simply pack it all up and tuck it out of the way--every tool has its own place in the carrying case for easy storage and portability.

Innovative 18-volt Powerhandles
At the heart of the POWER8workshop are interchangeable 18-volt Powerhandles. Powered by rechargeable 18-volt batteries, the handles attach easily to each tool, and they also slide effortlessly into the integrated docks on the table when your project requires a sturdy bench-top tool to get the job done.

The one-hour fast charger is built into the case so there is no need to unpack anything to start charging the batteries; there’s also a secondary charger point so that you can charge a battery at the same time as using another to power the benchtop functions.

Cordless Drill Driver Transforms into Cordless Drill Press
The drill features a two-speed metal gear box with spindle lock, 3/8-inch keyless chuck, 21 torque settings, and two double-ended driver bits. It offers a no-load speed of 0-350 RPM and 0-950 RPM.

Cordless Circular Saw Transforms into a Cordless Table Saw
Clip the circular saw into the case's lid to turn the POWER8worshop into a shielded table saw that safely tackles a variety of cuts. The 5-1/2-inch blade is backed by a 700 class motor and all-metal gearbox with spindle lock. The saw offers 3500 RPM no-load speed, an adjustable cutting depth of up to 1.5 inches, bevel cuts of up to 45 degrees, and a rip fence and protractor.

Cordless Jigsaw Transforms into a Scroll Saw
The jigsaw doubles as a scroll saw for cutting tight patterns. It features a variable speed 2400 RPM motor for bevel cuts up to 45 degrees, and metal and wood cutting of up to 1.6 inches in depth. The integrated blade guard keeps you safe as you work.

Cordless Flashlight Transforms into Table Light
Attach the halogen flashlight to the table so you can easily see your work, even in low-light environments. The 0.6-amp bulb lasts up to 300 hours, and the lamp switches easily from pistol-grip to torch-style. A spare bulb is included in the swivel head, and the lamp offers either a 0- to 90-degree flash, or a constant control.

What's in the Box
POWER8workshop case, one-hour charger with secondary charger, two POWERhandles, drilldriver head, circular saw head, jigsaw head, halogen flash light head, table clamp, table saw shield, spirit level (post/fence), protractor, push stick (pillar drill lever), canvas bag, two accessory cases (assortment of drill bits, driver bits, blades, screws).

The unique, armored case and convenient canvas bag make it easy to transport tools and keep them organized. View larger.

Product Description

The versatile POWER8 workshop is the world's first cordless workstation that also gives you the option to use each tool as a portable hand-held or a powerful benchtop tool. Ideal for professional tradesmen and DIY enthusiasts, the POWER8 workshop includes an innovative stainless steel armored case that transforms four 18-volt cordless tools into their powerful benchtop equivalents.

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Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 36.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B001FWXODC
• Item model number: WS1
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,127 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #78 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tools > Combo Kits

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Armored Case....hmm, December 24, 2008

By 

E. Coy "handyman" (seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: POWER8 Workshop WS1 Full Workshop-in-One with Armored Case (Tools & Home Improvement)

Negative:
I have 2 concerns about this kit:
1) The armored case is far from durable. It is made of cheap brittle plastic. I can imaging it cold outside and cracking/breaking when you throw it in your truck bed. If this was made of tougher rubberized plastic it would be better. Case will NOT take much abuse and you must be delicate with it. Considering the case is the unique key feature of this kit, they should have "beefed" it up.
2) The tools themselves are typical mid-range NiCad quality. I have some concerns about the connection points between the handle and tools. If you step on the drill on the floor the weakest point is this junction point between the handle and the tool. If this breaks, it will render the tool useless.

Positive:
- Like the features/Idea
- Like the jig/saber saw. Most kits don't come with this.

Over all, this kit needs to be more durable and is NOT for someone(contracter) that works with these tools everyday. However, the kit is "nifty" and is a great Idea. I just wish they 1) Made the Armored Case tougher and 2) Had used lithium rather than NiCad or 3) Priced the Kit lower.

42 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Clever design doesn't fix quality problems..., October 15, 2010

By 

G. Conner "OldSchoolSkill" (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: POWER8 Workshop WS1 Full Workshop-in-One with Armored Case (Tools & Home Improvement)

Six-months ago I got one of these to try, but do not have it anymore. I had it for a weekend and promptly returned it. I bought it out of curiosity and confess I had little intention of keeping it, so that may skew the value of my opinion. Having stated that up front, here is what I think.

Pros
--- This truly is a clever design for portability, lightweight and compactness. It is small enough to fit in a small trunk or in the corner of a crowded apartment. (Though I am not sure what kind of renovations you might be doing in a crowded rental property)
--- It has sufficient safety features to protect a moderately careful amateur, and that's good, because i can only imagine amateurs using this.

Cons
---None of the individual tools are ANY good. In fact these may be the cheapest imported toys I have EVER seen. Even the light is crummy, and I don't count the light as a "tool" unless it's dark.
--- All of the mounting mechanisms are sloppy. The "table saw" is held in place loosely and slips back and forth, canceling any possibility for accurate cuts. The hooks that hold the "drill press" in place wobbles.
--- The "fence" of the "table-saw" attaches firmly at both ends, but is hard to move and nearly impossible to square.
--- The "drill press" lever-arm sticks and binds. The post is weak and prone to twisting. Its action is loose and sloppy, even with only light pressure in softwood.
---The circ-saw is too small and underpowered. Its bearings are junk, noisy, plastic that could not possibly last long. The stamped-metal baseplate is out-of-square, thin and weak. My was bent right out of the box.
---The jig-saw is even worse than my son-in-law's B&D clone that cost $18 dollars. The blade moves up and down, but also wobbles left and right, with almost no cutting power even with a freshly-charged battery and a good blade.
---The Bag is a nuisance to pack. (Especially if you try to pack everything the way it came so you can return it)
--- The box is brittle thin plastic that would easily shatter if dropped or pounded on as shown in videos. I doubt the thin Polypropylene latches would last either.
---None of the motors have enough power to cut anything except thin soft pine.
---The drill has a nice handle, but bogs down when you press into wood or even soft metal, like aluminum.
---The blades that come with the saws are ultra cheapo, not sharp, and get duller quickly.
---Batteries do not charge in one hour as stated in the manual and advertisements. Even if they did, they don't last long.
---The manual is terrible; one of those poorly-translated, "Gee-wiz! Look at all these groovy things this swiss army-knife will do! Congratulations on your most wise purchase" kind of manuals.
---The price is ridiculous for this level of "quality." You can get MUCH better quality tool-sets for this money at almost any home-store, or even Wal Mart. It would be no bargain at half the price.

As admitted, I got this partly out of curiosity, expecting it to be junk. Also, I often buy inexpensive tools to try out to see if they work at all, or if they can be modified for some special use. Over the years, I've learned a lot about customizing cheap tools or building my own using features of commercial designs. Occasionally, I'll find a "diamond in the rough;" some tool that can be tweaked, modified, reconfigured or adjusted to work well. That's great when it happens because you can save some money and still get a certain minimum level of performance. Or sometimes cheap tools can just be cannibalized for motors and other parts. But this? It's surprised me by being even worse than my low expectations.

Nevertheless, you could cull a few ideas from its design by incorporating GOOD tools into your home-made portable tool-box / work-station.

I will also admit that I got one good idea from this design which I then incorporated into my home-made jig-saw table; the blade guard. The guard on this is merely to prevent wandering fingers from touching the blade. It is flimsy but functional.

After thinking about it, I redesigned my own jig-saw table (a board mounted to a tall trash-can) to guard my fingers AND provide lateral support to the blade using two ceramic guide-bearings called "cool-blocks." With a solid plywood table and this rigid guard / guide, my Bosch jig-saw now operates like mini band-saw / scroll-saw.

If someone was motivated to do so, he or she could adopt some of the design features of this gimmicky little set-up to his own tools or custom workstation. Other than that, I can see no reason to spend money on this disturbingly flimsy junk.

I have no compunction about using cheap tools when they work, and I revel in light-weight, portable, clever engineering. I Actually LIKE some cheap tools better than high-priced stuff in some cases. But this tool-set only guarantees poor results and frustrating woodworking attempts that would probably thwart anyone's interest in craft-work forever. Even if you were the most inexperienced home-owner looking for a cheap "one-size fits all" solution to home repair or DIY projects, you could do much better for much less with standard tools from any home-store.

Ryobi or B&D tools are better. "Tool Shop" and "Work-Force" tools are better. Harbor Freight has better stuff.

Avoid this, unless you just want to return it to annoy and punish those who sell it for hawking such junk.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent customer service......, April 14, 2011

By 

G. O'Donoghue "[e-mail]" (The Caribbean) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: POWER8 Workshop WS1 Full Workshop-in-One with Armored Case (Tools & Home Improvement)

I bought this product for use on a sailboat. To date, I love it. No, you won't build the Ark with it and it won't rip 4x2's but for most boat projects it fills a perfect niche between expensive bench tools and hand tools. I did have a problem with the charging element after a few months and e-mailed the company. Same day reply from the UK boss, same day reply from the US (Jon T. F. Martin -Vice President of Sales). Next day shipping of replacement case at no cost to me. These people deserve to do well.

I have no affiliation with the company etc.

Gerry