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Tool Reviews

You can access our tool reviews in many different ways. Here, we organize tool reviews by tool type. This includes power tool reviews and hand tool reviews as well as reviews of air tools and pneumatics. We also cover hardware, outdoor, and industry-specific products. All are organized by specific tool type. You can also check out our tool reviews by the tool brands or manufacturer, but if you’re looking for a circular saw, hammer drill, or other particular tool by tool type, then this section will get you to everything you need. Use the dropdown in the menu above to further refine your selection. With that you can get to a listing of exactly the right tools you’re interested in. Pro Tool Reviews covers and/or reviews over 400 tools each year, making this your one-stop shop for everything tool-related. If you want to know what the best tool in a particular category is, you’re in the right place.

Bosch DDS181 Compact Tough Drill/Driver Review
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Bosch DDS181 Compact Tough Drill Review

by Clint DeBoer

We don’t normally romance our tools, but it’s hard not to fall in love with Bosch’s new DDS181 Compact Tough Drill/Driver. It’s sleek, ergonomic, and will literally run all day long on one battery. The design is new from Bosch and the tool presents itself as a super-compact drill/driver that will run seemingly forever when set to work on fasteners or drilling pilot holes in dimensional lumber or furniture. This compactness and power come at a price to be sure, but with the benefits, it’s actually still a pretty good value for professionals looking to get the most dependability, features, and power-to-weight ratio out of their tools.

Chicago Electric Rotating Handle Reciprocating Saw Review
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Chicago Electric Rotating Handle Reciprocating Saw Review

by Clint DeBoer

Everybody – and we mean everybody can use a cheap reciprocating saw to accomplish household maintenance and repair projects (well, OK, maybe not your mother-in-law). It’s just a super-convenient tool that lends itself well to being a multi-purpose “grab-it” solution. Harbor Freight’s Chicago Electric Tools 4-1/2″ Rotating Reciprocating Saw looks to be the cheapest product we’ve seen in some time, retailing for $25 and often being on sale for less than $20 (we know, that’s less than a combo pack of recip saw blades ). We had wanted to review this product for some time and finally were able to procure one – on an out of town trip, no less. Never truly off the job, we latched onto the tool and opened up the box to begin our testing. Within, we quickly found the 6-amp 4-1/2″ reciprocating saw, a 10 tpi wood-cutting blade, 24 tpi metal-cutting blade, and even a pair of replacement brushes. Lifting the saw from the box to feel how well it was made, our initial impression was that it was not exactly top-notch in the build quality department, but it did feel like a great occasional-use power tool.

Dremel 3000 Rotary Tool Preview
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Dremel 3000 Rotary Tool Preview

by Clint DeBoer

Dremel’s 3000 is its newest rotary tool and updates the line to include some very handy and ergonomic features. One of these is the new EZ Twist nose cap. The cap has an integrated wrench used to tighten accessories and which takes away the need to include a separate wrench that can be misplaced. The tool is also a bit shorter than the Dremel 300 series, but its rated at 1.2 amps, so it’s powerful enough to handle tasks requiring both power and finesse. The new rotary tool has a more efficient fan design with side vents for better cooling. The Dremel 3000 also claims to be quieter and runs with less vibration. From our initial viewing of the tool, we like the new design, which also offers a trumpet-shaped nose cap which yields a secure and comfortable hold on the tool during use. Dremel is targeting the 3000 Rotary Tool for cutting, grinding, sanding, carving and polishing.

Black & Decker 7301 Circular Saw
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Black & Decker 7301 Circular Saw Circa 1971

by Clint DeBoer

We got a chance recently to put our hands on a classic, a Black & Decker 7301 1HP circular saw. This rugged circular saw was purchased back in 1971 and has been running ever since. It has a cast aluminum body and a stamped steel shoe. It was purchased alongside a Black & Decker drill for $19.99 for the pair (in 2011 dollars that’s about $120!) On top of that, when you purchased two Black & Decker tools you got a third tool for a penny more (my dad picked up a Rockwell 4420 (96) Type 2 1/3rd sheet Finishing Sander.) Three heavy duty tools for that price, at that time wasn’t bad. And it was a REALLY good deal considering two of the three are still in operation!

Rockwell RK7321 BladeRunner with Wall Mount Review
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Rockwell RK7321 BladeRunner with Wall Mount Review

by Thomas Gaige

The Rockwell RK7321 BladeRunner with Wall Mount might be a good choice for the hobbyist or do-it-yourself type because of its ability to adapt quickly to different materials and types of cuts. For many casual project people, the lack of adequate work space, along with cost considerations, make it difficult to have a band saw, scroll saw, and table saw individually. Thanks to its ingenious use of t-shank jigsaw blades, the BladeRunner gives you the ability to do scroll cuts, rip cuts and cross cuts in many different types of materials. With a smooth stainless steel table and a unique material tension system, guiding materials though the cutting area is very easy. The ability to free up bench space by use of the included wall mount bracket is a significant feature as well that we really liked.

Bosch D-Tect 150 Wallscanner plumbing
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Bosch D-Tect 150 Wallscanner Preview

by Clint DeBoer

We recently got back from Bosch’s Global Leadership Tour media event and were fascinated by all the new tools they are working on. One tool that we saw LAST year, however, was the Bosch WallscannerD-Tect 150. This tool uses Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) radar technology and is the first detector at a sub-$1000 price point that detects rebar, water-filled PVC, copper piping (non-ferrous metal), wood studs and live wiring. The BoschD-Tect 150 does more than detect these materials, though, it gives the user material type, depth, and relative width information. The D-Tect 150 works through concrete, wet concrete, and even deep concrete up to 6″. In fact, you can use it in any of seven surface modes.

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