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Tool Reviews & Buying Guides by Trade

If you want to read articles and reviews that are trade-specific, try our Tool Reviews by Trade section. This organizes our site into topics suited particularly for a specific trade such as plumbing, electrical, framing, roofing & siding, concrete/masonry, and carpentry. Roofing and siding pros will find pneumatic roofing nailers as well as tools like cap staplers and hammer tackers. Tile & Flooring Pros will gain easy access to our tile saws, flooring staplers, and floor scrapers. As a painting professional, reviews of airless sprayers and cordless sprayers may interest you the most. You can count on one thing: whatever your craft, you need good tools. Our tool reviews by trade will help you drill down to quickly find the information you need. If you want to avoid anything that sits outside of your trade, this way helps you do it. If you can’t find a tool here, let us know.

Milwaukee Diagonal Pliers 48-22-4106 Review
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Milwaukee Diagonal Pliers 48-22-4106 Review

by Ben Parker

As an electrician, diagonal pliers are definitely a tool I use a lot in the field. This is especially true with commercial work where you have to cut a lot of cable and wire. Milwaukee’s Diagonal Pliers (48-22-4106) made a clean cut every single time I went to use them. This week we’re working on a remodel job on a commercial building built in the 1930’s. While some walls have been torn down and rebuilt, there are still some that are the original concrete block. On these I have had to put conduit and electrical boxes. Normally, this would be easy, but the wall was literally riddled with nails and screws. I found that these pliers were able to cut through the nails and screws with little to no difficulty. It sort of became my go-to tool for getting through the nitty gritty of clearing my area.

Milwaukee 6 IN 1 Long Nose Pliers 48-22-3068 Review
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Milwaukee 6 IN 1 Long Nose Pliers 48-22-3068 Review

by Ben Parker

Having just taken a look at Milwaukee’s 6 IN 1 Combination Pliers, we weren’t too thrown off guard by the 6 IN 1 Long Nose Pliers, which are a different tool, but similar in many ways. If anything, the 6 IN 1 Long Nose Pliers feel like they are meant for things that are a bit more heavy duty. These pliers are 1/4″ thicker than the combination pliers, which is good since they can be used to pull nails. We found that the design – particularly, the head of the tool which is squared off – does a pretty decent job at pulling nails out of wood. This really is a good tool if you are an electrician and need something heavy duty in the field. I really enjoy having it in my tool pouch at work and have recommended to other electricians to go buy one as well.

Makita EK7301 14" Gas Power Cutter Concrete Saw Preview
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Makita EK7301 14-inch Gas Power Cutter Concrete Saw

by Clint DeBoer

I don’t know about you, but whenever I get to slice through concrete I get a Tim Allen-style rush that makes me giddy with adrenaline. Of course, I don’t do it 8 hours per day, day in and day out. For those who do, they might appreciate the new Makita EK7301 14″ Power Cutter. The new EK7301 gas power cutter was developed to blend the best aspects of both convenience and performance. It improves upon previous Makita offers by including faster starting, more power, and better fuel economy.

Makita RT0700CX3 1-1/4 HP Compact Router Kit Preview
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Makita RT0700CX3 1-1/4 HP Compact Router Kit Preview

by Clint DeBoer

Makita is on a roll this week, releasing several new tools to the market. This time it’s the new RT0700C 1-1/4 HP Compact Router. The new Compact Router is also available in a kit (RT0700CX3), which is the only way to buy a router like this as it comes with a plunge, tilt and an offset base for a wide range of routing applications. Compact routers serve a great need in the woodworking and carpentry business – proving a very portable and controllable way to do simple bevels, laminate jobs, etc that would be a bit more of a pain with a full-sized tool. Now, we don’t recommend compact routers for anything heavy-duty – the added weight and bulk of a serious router is always going to outperform when you’re doing some serious projects.

Hitachi DS18DBL 18V Li-ion Brushless Driver Drill Preview
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Hitachi DS18DBL 18V Li-ion Brushless Driver Drill Preview

by Clint DeBoer

Following up on Milwaukee Tool’s FUEL Brushless technology announcement, Hitachi Power Tools, just announced a new line of 18V Brushless Motor Lithium-ion cordless tools. The first new tool to be released is the DS18DBL 18V Lithium-ion Brushless Driver Drill. Why brushless? Well, besides the fact that it appears to be a new trend, Hitachi claims that their brushless technology, which they first delivered in their 14.4V WH14DBL, manages the tool’s motor and delivers up to 50% longer run time between charges. It should also increase power and extend durability since there is essentially no maintenance on the tool. Hitachi’s DS18DBL 18V Lithium Ion Brushless Driver Drill delivers 593 in-lbs of turning torque. That’s not quite up to what we’ve measured on Milwaukee’s new 18V Brushless FUEL drill, but it’s certainly respectable. Hitachi also added an electronic speed control switch to the DS18DBL. That means that you can push a button and select from 4 different speeds. It’s likely overkill for most, but professionals may appreciate the delicate options for control.

Hitachi DV18DBL Brushless Hammer Drill Preview
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Hitachi DV18DBL Brushless Hammer Drill Preview

by Clint DeBoer

First it was Milwaukee’s Brushless FUEL Drills, then Makita got into the game. Hitachi Power Tools wasn’t far behind that (and really, the orders get confusing, but let’s just congratulate all of the manufacturers for innovating here). Now, the company is announcing new additions to its line of 18V Brushless tools. In particular, they are adding a new DV18DBL Brushless Hammer Drill. The new DV18DBL ramps up the power from the DS18DBL, which had 593 in-lbs of torque, to an impressive 654 in-lbs of turning torque. It comes with a 1/2″ ratcheting keyless all-metal chuck which feature carbide inserts for secure bit retention. This is a great addition for a tool designed to hammer into concrete. The clutch is designed to actually deliver 22 different torque settings, plus a hammer setting and drill mode for maximum torque. The tool is a compact 8.1″ in length, which is about a 1/10″ shorter than Milwaukee’s new Hammer Drill. It’s also fairly lightweight for a hammer drill at 4.8 lbs. The DV18DBL is sold as a kit and comes with two 3.0Ah Lithium-ion Slide Type batteries, a quick charger, side handle, carrying case and double sided Phillips driver bit.

Makita 12V Max Lithium-Ion Recipro Saw Kit RJ01W Preview
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Makita RJ01W 12V Max Recipro Saw Kit Preview

by Clint DeBoer

Earlier this week we spied out some of Makita’s new 12V tools that had made it to the UK market and wondered how quickly, if ever, they would make it to our shores. Turns out the first product didn’t take very long. Makita just released its new Makita 12V Max Lithium-Ion Recipro Saw Kit (model RJ01W). This is a new one-handed reciprocating saw that gives you power in a compact package to accomplish all sorts of tasks. What’s more, Makita is also offering the new saw as part of a 2-piece combo kit (model LCT212W) where it’s bundled with a 12V max Lithium-Ion 3/8″ Driver-Drill.

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