Years ago, when I started out as a young plumbing apprentice, the venerable Milwaukee Hole Hawg was the only right-angle drill used throughout the trades. It was big, heavy, and powerful. I went for more than one ride on that drill, and the countless smashed knuckles I endured were a real lesson in...
Cordless drill/drivers have come a long way since the first one I purchased more than 20 years ago. It's interesting, though, that some have come full circle and ended up about the same size as those small, early tools, but with much better performance.
The latest word from the world of pickup truck manufacturing is either very bad or very good, depending on your perspective. On the downside, both General Motors and Ford Motor Co. are teetering on the brink of insolvency. Isuzu has quit the U.S. pickup and car market entirely, and even Toyota has...
The U.S. Forest Service says 3.8 billion board feet of good timber–felled from storms, construction, disease, or every-day tree removal–is trashed each year. That really bothered Chris Holmgren. The proprietor of Seneca Creek Joinery in Dickerson, Md., about 30 miles north of Washington, D.C....
Goldblatt's BladeRunner drywall cutter wasn't even on the market when I first heard about it, but it sounded so cool, I knew I wanted to try it out: a tool that scores both sides of a panel at the same time, and makes drywall cuts a very quick snap. I even dreamed about it one night, and woke up...
Sometimes a tool is such an integral part of your daily routine, you don't think of it as a tool but as part of your shop or truck. A mechanic's vise is such a tool.
It's been more than nine years since Tools of the Trade began pushing for industry-sponsored, standardized test procedures so tool buyers could reliably compare performance specs across brands. So nobody could be happier than we are with the Power Tool Institute's release of new torque and...
-
The economy has brought truck sales to a near standstill, but there is opportunity amid the damage. If they buy now, contractors can get great deals on pickups brimming with mechanical sophistication (see Truck Report).
Global Electric Motorcars, or GEM vehicles (a Chrysler company), are finding buyers among builders because they offer a low-cost, low-maintenance, electric-powered alternative to conventional pickup trucks. These DC-powered vehicles plug into standard AC outlets, charge in less than eight hours...
-
In September, we reported on how after years of disagreement over testing protocols, power tool manufacturers finally agreed on industrywide standards for measuring tool torque and horsepower. These standards will give tool buyers a dependable method to compare and evaluate product specifications.
Times are tight–about as tight as anyone can recall–so it's smart to look for ways to keep costs in line and your business moving ahead. If you're in construction, tools are an expense you can't avoid, but one place to find big savings is to buy reconditioned tools.
DeWalt introduces two portable, European-style circ saws designed with integral straight-edge bases in 59- and 102-inch lengths for cross-cutting and ripping sheet materials.
Welding equipment maker Strong Hand Tools introduces an economically priced, modular welding table under the BuildPro brand.