Robot brains, brawn, books, and kits, plus 21st century hand tools, and things to not try at home.

TOOLBOX

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Torquey Little Tool Kit

Ryobi One+ 18V Cordless Tool Kit$160 ryobitools.com

With three substantial tools, the Ryobi One+ 18V Cordless Tool Kit is definitely worth the money. I’ve used the cordless drill time and again for both assembly and disassembly work, and I can tell you from experience that it has enough torque to not only drill out a malfunctioning bike lock, but effortlessly bore an inch farther into the hardened steel around it.

The reciprocating saw is quite nice, especially for handling either wood or metal, as both blades are ...

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