Professional Tool Reviews for Pros

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Corded Tool Reviews

Our corded tool reviews include corded saws, routers, sanders and grinders, and more. We try to ascertain the best compound miter saws and best table saws to name a few. When it comes to corded tools, often power is key. Our power tool reviews try to determine whether a new product has advanced features or specs. Once we understand what’s new we can then test the tool to get a feel for it and see if it’s truly an upgrade. When we look at tools like rotary hammers or even oscillating multi-tools, we try to determine which tools have the least vibration while performing the most work. A power tool may be able to provide more power, but at the expense of ergonomics. Other tools add great features, but sacrifice in other areas. We evaluate the whole tool, so that we get the entire picture.

Porter-Cable PC60TPAG Angle Grinder Cut-Off Tool Preview
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Porter-Cable PC60TPAG Angle Grinder Cut-Off Tool Preview

by Clint DeBoer

This week Porter-Cable announced a couple of new products due out in October of this year (next month), including their new PC60TPAG 7-amp 4-1/2″ Small Angle Grinder and Cut-off Tool. The new Angle Grinder really seems to benefit form some of the advances the company has made with its cordless tools. In particular, the tool is lighter and more agile than its predecessors and it delivers excellent performance while still maintaining an ergonomic form factor.

Porter-Cable PC70THD 1/2-inch Hammerdrill Preview
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Porter-Cable PC70THD 1/2-inch Hammerdrill Preview

by Clint DeBoer

When Porter-Cable announced it had launched a new 7-amp 1/2″ 2-speed hammer drill (PC70THD) we perked up our ears. The tool is designed to take advantage of new power-to-weight ratio advantages in motor and transmission technology and apply that to the corded tools that so often lag behind their “updated every 9 months” cordless brethren. The new corded hammer drill seems to really target pros who are looking for an ergonomic rotary hammer drill driver that doesn’t cost a fortune, but isn’t slack on performance.

Porter Cable PC60TCTAG 4-1/2 Inch Cut-Off Tool and Angle Grinder Kit Review
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Porter Cable PC60TCTAG 4-1/2 Inch Cut-Off Tool and Angle Grinder Kit Review

by Matthias Gaige

The Porter Cable PC60TCTAG 4-1/2 Inch Cut-Off Tool and Angle Grinder Kit comes equipped to tackle just about any grinding or metal cutting project you can throw at it. Given that two different blade guards are included, one that is optimized for grinding and the other one for cutting, you can be sure that not only can to complete the task at hand but also do it safely. Just to sweetened the deal and get you started on your projects they threw in 5 general purpose grinding wheels and 5 cut off wheels in the box! With 6 amps of power, a compact size and a rock bottom price, we are pretty sure that this is angle grinder combo pack is a winner.

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Rockwell Model 4420 Type 2 Finishing Sander Circa 1971

by Clint DeBoer

In continuing our “Old Tools” mini-series, we wanted to follow up on our last installment and cover a Rockwell 4420 (96) Type 2 1/3rd sheet Finishing Sander that was purchased for a penny back in 1971 and has been in use ever since. It was purchased alongside a Black & Decker 7301 Circular Saw and a corded drill for $19.99 (for the pair). When you purchased the two Black & Decker tools you received your choice of another tool for just a penny. Needless to say this was a good deal at the time – in 2011 dollars that would equate to around $120 for three tools – and this was before the advent of Chinese manufacturing and cheap parts and materials. Add to this the fact that both the Black & Decker Circular Saw and the Rockwell Finishing Sander are still in usable operation and you really have a great deal!

Mall drill
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Mall Drill Model 143-T Circa 1947

by Clint DeBoer

This “Old Tools” mini-series has gotten pretty popular, so we went deep down and pulled out an antique drill from 1947 a Mall Drill Model 143-T one-speed corded drill. This tool was actually purchased when my grandfather got out of the Army right after World War II ended. He used it for his antenna installation business where it was employed heavily up until 1969. After that, this tool saw part time usage for the next 20 years. For the past 20 or so years it has seen only occasional use, mostly due to the advent of cordless technology and variable speed tools with integrated brakes.

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!

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