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Handheld angle grinders have traditionally been popular for metal working, but smaller diameter models are gaining wide use among masons, painters, and woodworkers. The variety of wheels you can equip them with -- wire, wire cup, stone, sanding, flapper, and diamond masonry-joint blades -- gives...
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As both a master plumber and master electrician, I drill more holes for pipe and wire in a day than most tradesmen might in a week. It seems like I've got a drill in my hands most of the day, and more often than not it's a cordless tool. Using cordless drills improves convenience, safety, and speed...
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Working in concrete and masonry can be fun?at least in theory. Knocking down a brick or block wall, drilling anchor holes in concrete, and even hogging off ceramic tile can be an adrenaline-rich, physical diversion from the office and clients. But anyone who's spent much time drilling or chipping...
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I can't count the number of times I've needed the dimensions, square footage, or volume of a room quickly and wished there was a faster way. In new construction, getting measurements with a tape is time consuming. In remodels, taking these measurements can be tedious. The only solution is to put my...
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My grandfather taught me something a long time ago: A good tool will pay for itself many times over. While that's true for almost every tool I own, it goes double for powder actuated tools, or PATs, as they're known.
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This is our fifth year bringing Tools of the Trade's Site Commander to construction workers across the country, and it has generated the same kind of enthusiasm and excitement as it did the first year. Our goal each year is to show contractors and crews the latest in work truck features and...
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If your hammerdrill struggles in concrete packed with heavy aggregate or while using large bits like mine does, and you carry star drills or sharpened masonry nails to break up hard aggregate, then this Tool Test is for you. I tested seven hammerdrill-sized pistol-grip rotary hammers that take...
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I had the opportunity to try out the Hilti TE 7-C and the Milwaukee 5363-21 rotary hammers while working on an addition to my own home. For this fairly average addition, my crew and I found ourselves reaching for these tools a lot more than I had expected we would. We used the tools to punch a...