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.

Ryobi Tek4 RP4030 Professional Infrared Thermometer Review

Ryobi RP4030 Infrared Thermometer Review

The Tek4 4V Professional Infrared Thermometer delivers a constant readout of temperatures ranging from below 0 to over twice the boiling point of water. We found that this tool is most accurate when you are less than 2 meter from your target, but the tool can also measure from quite a distance away. The key to using it correctly is to understand that it has a 10:1 spot-to-distance ratio, so the closer you are, the smaller your measurement sample and the less it will be affected by the surrounding air temperature. This is an incredibly handy tool, especially for air mechanical inspectors and installers.

Ryobi RP4400 Tek4 High Intensity LED Flashlight Review

Ryobi RP4400 Tek4 LED Flashlight Review

its Tek4 4400 High Intensity LED Flashlight. While not as bright as a competing 12V version we handled from a competitor, it’s also just half the price – and half the weight! The Tek4 4400 weighs in at just under 7 ounces and will run for 6 hours straight. That’s one heck of a worklight! The light turns on by twisting the neck of the flash light. It’s pretty much all or nothing. We liked the light output we got from this work light. It was bright and a more-or-less “white” light, whereas incandescents are typically a very “yellow” white.

Ryobi RP4020 Tek4 Professional Digital Multimeter Review

Ryobi RP4020 Digital Multimeter Review

This is by far the most sophisticated of the tools available currently in the Tek4 lineup. The Professional Digital Multimeter (RP4020) can measure AC/DC current and voltage, resistance, capacitance, and can check the forward voltage drop of a diode. It can test for continuity and has an internal speaker to give tones when buttons are pressed (and to indicate continuity). The voltmeter adheres to the Tek4 gray/green styling and includes an aluminum-style faceplate that is inset into the front of the unit, surrounding the mode selection dial, LCD screen and buttons. On the back side, the Tek4 Digital Multimeter sports a kickstand and a flip out “Convenience Hook” that lets you hand the meter off of conduit or any other material with a slight lip. We also enjoyed the built in probe holders, which secured the probes perfectly when they were wrapped vertically around the entire meter and left connected.

Ryobi Tek4 4V Cordless Tools Reviewed

Ryobi Tek4 4V Cordless Tools Reviewed

Ryobi’s new Tek4 line of 4V lithium-ion products spans a range from measurement to safety to portable power backup. All tools share the same 4V rechargeable power source and sport an industrial look with Ryobi’s new signature green color adorning each of the dark-gray colored tools as trim. Since all of the new Tek4 tools use the same li-ion 4V battery (AP4001), delivering over 200 charges and longer-life than what you can get with standard Alkalines.

TWI International Flaring Tool Set

TWI Flaring Tool Set

TWI International is a Taiwan-based company that produces lots of forged products, some of which end up at places like Lowe’s. TWI’s Flaring Tool Set is a solid, durable product that will easily flare copper piping. The tool’s folding bar is made with heat treated alloy steel and it has a drop forged carbon steel yoke and wing nuts. The tool can be used to flare 3/16″, 1/4″, 5/16″, 3/8″, 7/16″, and 5/8″ OD copper tubing. We used it for a gas line and it was the perfect solution. At just over $10 at our local home improvement warehouse it was something we decided to try out and it really paid off in it’s performance.

Arrow HT50PBL Hammer Tacker Quick Look

Arrow HT50 Hammer Tacker Preview

Arrow’s HT50PBL Heavy Duty Hammer Tacker is a unique product that swings and hits like a hammer, driving a staple with each blow. Typically you use a product like this for anything ranging from installation of roofing insulation to tacking down roofing felt, carpet underlayment, or other materials. The HT50PBL hammer tacker features an all-steel construction with a rubberized coating that helps absorb impacts and delivers a nice grip.

Arrow PowerShot 5700 Staple Gun Quick Look

Arrow PowerShot 5700 Staple Gun Preview

The PowerShot “Heavy Duty” Staple & Nail Gun features a forward action design, meaning that you actually press down on the front of the tool to actuate it, rather than the back end. This is not only more ergonomic, it also applies the most pressure to the point where the staple is firing, delivering more power and control with less effort. This makes the tool easy to use, but also gives it an unusual mechanism which is more prone to jams.

PermaFlow PF-07001 Never Clog Drain

PermaFlow Never Clog Drain PF-07001

The PermaFLOW Never Clog Drain is a unique device that prevents clogs by allowing the homeowner to twist a dial to move the clog through the pipes. It’s designed to help easily remove the drain buildup before it becomes a problem and removes the need for plungers, drain cleaners, and of course disassembly of the drain. The shape of the PermaFLOW Self Cleaning Drain is designed to increases turbulence which helps reduce the continuous and typical buildup of dirt and debris, preventing blocked drains.