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.

Bosch 4310 10" Dual-Bevel Sliding Miter Saw Preview

Bosch 4310 10″ Dual-Bevel Sliding Miter Saw Preview

The new 4310 10″ dual-bevel sliding miter saw from Bosch builds off the success of its award-winning predecessor, the 4410 and has many of the same features and specifications. Ideal for woodworkers, finish carpenters, remodelers and others, Bosch’s 4310 packs big-saw performance into a more compact and affordable 10″ chassis. The make-or-break measures of any miter saw are the power and speed to get the job done, and the 4310 seems to deliver. Operating at 4,800 RPM (800 RPM faster than the nearest competitor) and powered by a gutsy 15-amp motor, the Bosch 4310 seems to want to sit at the top of its category in a big way.

Makita GA4534 4-1/2" Paddle Switch Angle Grinder Preview

Makita GA4534 4-1/2″ Paddle Switch Angle Grinder Preview

Makita announced the new GA4534, engineered with non-protruding brush holders and an innovative motor housing that reduce the barrel diameter to a scant 2-3/16″. In addition, the GA4534 has an ergonomic grip for added comfort, and weighs only 4.2 lbs. for reduced operator fatigue. The side handle is positioned at an increased 20-degree angle for added comfort and control, and the paddle switch has a no lock-on mode for added user preference.

Milwaukee M12 Palm Nailer Kit 2458-21 Preview

Milwaukee M12 Palm Nailer Kit 2458-21 Preview

It didn’t take long for us to be amazed at the power and efficiency of Milwaukee’s new M12 Palm Nailer when we saw it at the company’s 2010 Press Event. The tool is literally a 12V lithium-ion powered palm nailer that can drive 12D and 16D nails into 2×4 studs flush without any problems – we know because we demoed it and were just as surprised as anyone reading this article. The M12 Palm Nailer provides a portable solution to professional nailing applications without the hassle of an air compressor or hose. It also makes a joke out of those cordless 12V autohammers made by Craftsman and Ryobi. For whatever reason, this palm nailer hits hard, while those other tools come off feeling like they couldn’t do more than hang a picture with a finish nail.

Little Giant SumoStance 16-foot Ladder Preview

Little Giant SumoStance Ladder Preview

Little Giant Ladder Systems just announced a new SumoStance extension ladder, a wide-stance extension ladder which they showed off at the National Safety Congress and Expo in San Diego, California last week. The SumoStance triples the base width of ordinary extension ladders and increases side-tip stability by over 500%, resulting in a new category of extension ladders that work on nearly any uneven surface.

Skil Octo Sander 7302 Preview

Skil Octo Sander 7302 Preview

Skil Power Tools recently launched its new 7302 Octo Multi-Finishing Sander. The novel thing about this particular sander is the presence and inclusion of eight assorted attachments. The options make it uniquely suited to sand hard-to-reach areas and multi-task by hitting multiple surfaces at once, or more effectively sanding particular, or hard-to-reach places. Skil also added something it calls Pressure Control Technology to the 7302. The technology involves a series of pressure control lights that indicate when the user is pressing too hard, too light or just right. It’s a neat idea that is meant to help keep scars and marks off the wood and ensures optimal surface smoothness.