Tools of the Trade: Latest Tool Tests & Reviews

DeWalt DWV012 Dust Extractor

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:15:47 EST

This self-cleaning HEPA vacuum is designed to collect the fine dust produced by sanding drywall, demolishing plaster, and cutting, grinding, and drilling concrete.

Festool Hybrid Driver

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:17:54 EST

The Ti 15 brushless impact driver is also a drill/driver.

Crescent 18-Inch Indexing Flat Bar

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:14:45 EST

The curved head of this pry bar can be pivoted and locked into 16 different positions.

Bosch Bulldog Xtreme Max SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:56:27 EST

This tool is faster and more comfortable to use than the Xtreme

Ansell ActivArmr Carpenter Gloves

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:47:50 EST

These knit work gloves are tougher than they look

Paslode IM250A Li Cordless Finish Nailer

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:29:58 EST

Though expensive, this tool offers some real advantages over comparable pneumatics

18-Volt Cordless Circular Saws

Mon, 4 Feb 2013 03:12:28 EST

The best models have good runtime and cut dense material without slowing down

High-Voltage Cordless Chain Saws

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 02:20:11 EST

When lithium-ion tools first hit the market, a number of manufacturers introduced 28- and 36-volt models.

Senco Joistpro Metal Connector Nailers

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:28:05 EST

My crew and I used to hand-nail framing hardware, but as codes changed and we had to install more and more of the stuff, it became impractical to nail by hand.

Tools Up Close: Two Fuel-Powered Framers

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:06:05 EST

Early this year, Tools of the Trade sent me the newest models from Paslode and Bostitch, and this story is about my crew's experience with those guns.

Tools Up Close: Milwaukee M12 Band Saw

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:15:57 EST

Earlier this year Milwaukee added a tool to its M12 line that I never expected to see: a cordless portable band saw. Many tool companies make 18-volt band saws, but this is the first subcompact (10.8-volt/12-volt max) model. At 6.75 pounds and 12 inches long, it's small enough to be used one-handed.

Full-Size Oscillating Multi-Tools

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:24:55 EST

Look for a powerful model that offers quick blade changes and is easy to grip in any position

Tools Up Close: Makita LXSL01 Cordless Miter Saw

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:15:53 EST

Over the past decade or so, a revolution of sorts has been occurring within the cordless tool industry. Thanks to improved motor and battery technology, power-hungry tools that were once available only as 110-volt corded models are being offered without cords. The list is long and includes rotary hammers, impact wrenches, angle grinders, and more.

Tools Up Close: 16-Gauge Fusion Nailer

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:15:51 EST

In my work as a finish carpenter, I use a variety of nails: 18-gauge brads for molding and trim, 15-gauge nails for door jambs, and 16-gauge nails for everything else. I prefer to work without hoses, and for the last 10 years have been using 16- and 18-gauge fuel-powered nailers from Paslode. They work very well, but I dislike having to buy gas cylinders, breathe exhaust fumes, and oil and clean the guns.

Tools Up Close: Benchmark Worktable

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:15:52 EST

The Benchmark differs from the tables I've used before (usually a door blank on sawhorses) in a couple of important ways: It folds, so it's easier to transport; and it has an open top consisting of a series of cross bars covered with stepped plastic caps. Since the top isn't solid, you can cut on it with a circular saw without damaging the work surface — you just position the piece so that the blade passes between the cross bars or through the channels where the caps step down. If you misjudge and hit a cap, you'll only be hitting plastic.

Tool Test: 18-Volt Drill/Drivers

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:15:50 EST

Today's cordless drills are significantly better than the ones I used four or five years ago — they have more power and greater runtime, and take less time to charge. Many of them are lighter, too. The most obvious change has been the move from nicad to lithium-ion batteries, with lithium-ion becoming the de facto standard for pro-grade tools. But it's not just the batteries that have gotten better; now motors are smaller and more efficient, and chargers charge more effectively, because they communicate with the batteries.

Tools Up Close: Milwaukee M12 Cordless Jigsaw

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:15:16 EST

When it comes to jigsaws, I'm an avowed barrel-grip guy, so even though many of my other tools are cordless, I've been stuck using a corded jigsaw. But with Milwaukee's recent introduction of the model 2445 saw (which takes M12 batteries), I've been able to add a cordless model to my tool kit.

Tools Up Close: Erecta-Rack Drying Rack

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:15:15 EST

Erecta-Rack consists of 40-inch steel cross bars that snap into plastic support blocks, which stack and snap together like Lego blocks. As the rack goes up, the individual sections begin to resemble ladders, with towers of blocks for the sides and cross bars for the rungs. It's designed to be assembled as you go: Set up one level of the rack, fill it with freshly painted material, add another level, and so on.

Tools Up Close: RotoZip ZipSaw

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:15:17 EST

About a year ago, Tools of the Trade sent me a ZipSaw, a grinder-based cutoff saw that takes 3-1/2- and 4-inch proprietary cutoff wheels.

Tool Test: Affordable Line Lasers

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:15:13 EST

For this article, my crew and I tested 11 self-leveling line lasers that can be purchased for $300 or less – an amount any tradesperson should be willing to spend for a tool that can pay for itself. Our pricing came from reputable online dealers; you may pay more or less based on when and where you buy the tool. We chose not to include point-to-point (dot) lasers, mostly because they're not as applicable to the tasks contractors perform every day.