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.

Hitachi WH10DFL 12V Lithium Ion Micro Impact Driver Review

Hitachi WH10DFL 12V Lithium Ion Micro Impact Driver Review

Take something that is good and make it better. That’s what Hitachi did with their new WH10DFL 12V Peak Lithium Ion Micro Impact Driver. This impact driver is also part of the KC10DFL 12V Driver Drill and Impact Driver Micro Combo Kit. Features like a smaller size, lighter weight, better batteries and more power are just a few of the improvements that make this new tool stand out. In a market with many new tools in the sub-compact category, it can be a tricky endeavor to add value and good features.

Hitachi DS10DFL 12V Peak Lithium Ion Micro Driver Drill Review

Hitachi DS10DFL 12V Micro Driver Drill Review

Take something that is already good and continue to make it better. That’s what Hitachi did with their new Hitachi DS10DFL 12V Micro Drill Driver. This drill is also part of Hitachi’s KC10DFL 12V Driver Drill and Impact Driver Micro Combo Kit. Features like a smaller size, lighter weight, better batteries and more power are just a few of the improvements that make this new tool stand out. In a market with many new tools in the sub-compact category, it can be a tricky endeavor to add value as well as good features.

Milwaukee M12 Cordless 4-tool Combo 2491-24 Review

Milwaukee M12 Cordless 4-tool Combo Kit 2491-24 Review

Compact tools are all the rage and, to make sure they have their market share, Milwaukee Tools has beefed up their M12 line with some pretty cool goodies like the 2491-24 four tool combo kit. Two of the included cordless tools that drew us in were the 850 in-lb impact driver and a small sized reciprocating saw.

Kershaw Zing 1735 Folding Knife Review

Kershaw Zing 1735 Knife Review

If you are a pocket knife kind of guy who is always on the lookout for innovative knives, then you need to check out Kershaw’s new folder knife. It’s called the Zing 1735 and it has a unique 3D machined blade. This folding pocket knife is made with special stainless steel and was designed by the famous knife designer RJ Martin.

Ryobi CAH120LK Auto Hammer Review

Ryobi Auto Hammer Review CAH120LK

Ryobi decided to follow the Craftsman Nextec Hammerhead’s lead and came out with their own version of a cordless Auto Hammer just in time for the 2009 Christmas Holiday Season. Since this tool seems to be a popular gift item this year, and just about every Home Depot store has a sample station set up so you can test it before you buy it, we decided to put it through our own battery of tests. In the past we have been pleasantly surprised by the balance of quality, features and price of the Ryobi brand products. Read on to see if this tool lived up to our expectations.

Porter Cable PC180DK-2 18V Drill Driver Kit Review

Porter Cable PC180DK-2 18V Cordless Drill Review

When you hear the name Porter Cable, thoughts of quality tools usually come to mind; so when we heard about the new PC180DK-2 18V cordless Drill/Driver Kit we were pretty excited to check it out. This cordless drill/driver kit comes complete with two Ni-Cad batteries, a “fast” 60-minute charger, carry case and double-ended bit. As we began to remove the drill from its packaging we quickly noticed its quality, like the gray hard-molded ABS plastic body with black overmolded rubber grips. The tool has a decent heft to it that seemed to convey a rather robust build quality. This is a tool that is ready for business.

Milwaukee M18 Cordless Work Light 49-24-0171 Review

Milwaukee M18 Work Light 49-24-0171 Review

We got to take a look at the Milwaukee M18 Cordless Work Light (49-24-0171). Initially we liked the basic design of the work light, but had to complain, respectfully, that any stand-alone light in this day and age should include a new super-bright LED bulb. Milwaukee sells both an LED-based Work Light 2735-20 ($55) and a 50,000-hour stand-alone LED upgrade bulb 49-81-0090 ($30).

Milwaukee 2620-22 M18 Sawzall Reciprocating Saw Review

Milwaukee 2620-22 M18 Sawzall Reciprocating Saw Review

The Milwaukee M18 Sawzall (2620-22) is just plain fun to use. It’s cordless, which opens up a wide range of opportunities for use, and weighs just shy of 8 lbs with the battery. The weight puts it surprisingly close to its corded brethren. What it gives up in power (and lack of orbital action) it makes up in strokes per minute. In fact, it has more SPM than the corded 11-15 amp models Milwaukee offers. Since it lacked orbital action (which reduces its effectiveness at demolition work) overall cutting progress was considerably slower than a corded or even cordless orbital model.

Milwaukee 2601-20 M18 1/2" Drill/Driver Review

Milwaukee 2601-20 Drill Review

When we picked up the Milwaukee 2601-20 M18 drill we immediately noticed its serious heft. Weighing in at 4 lbs, this is not a light-duty model that you’ll want to reserve for assembling furniture and pre-drilling holes for shelves. This is a heavy-duty tool that can certainly hold up to commercial use. It also weighs much less than Milwaukee’s V28 line of tools – which makes it a good fit for professionals who want as much power as they can get without having to look like circa-1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger to carry the tool around all day long.