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 Voltage Detector w/LED (2202-20) Review

Milwaukee Voltage Detector w/LED (2202-20) Review

The Milwaukee 2202-20 Voltage Detector with LED light is a simple, but perfectly useful tool. It’s strength is in the fact that it does what it needs to without frills and without costing an arm and a leg. It’s powered by a couple of AAA batteries and is small and light enough to store in a pocket, tool belt or just about anywhere.

Metabo KSA18 LTX 18V Cordless Circular Saw Preview

Metabo KSA18 LTX 18V Cordless Circular Saw Preview

Metabo Corporation, an international manufacturer of professional grade portable electric power tools and abrasives for industrial, construction and welding applications, has introduced a new cordless circular saw with a high efficiency motor. The KSA18 LTX cordless circular saw is ideal for projects that require fast straight cuts with relative accuracy through heavy material like cutting paneling, ripping lumber and making cross, miter and angled bevel cuts.

Ridgid 65' SeeSnake microDrain w/Sonde First Look

Ridgid 65′ SeeSnake microDrain w/Sonde First Look

Ridgid has some good professional and consumer response to their SeeSnake microDrain and microReel Inspection Systems. Now the company has announced a new addition to their microDrain line in the form of a 65′ microDrain w/sonde. Inspired by the feedback from professional tool users (pool service, plumbers, chimney inspection, etc.) to lengthen the microDrain, the company developed the D65S.

Paslode PF150S-PP Positive Placement Strap Nailer Review

Paslode PF150S-PP Positive Placement Strap Nailer Review

With joist hangers, hurricane ties, straps and other and other pieces of perforated metal connectors requiring 1-1/2″ nails in wide use across the country, Paslode has updated their Positive Placement Nailer. The new Paslode PF150S-PP Positive Placement Metal Connector Nailer is designed specifically for 1-1/2″ nails and is much more compact and lightweight than its predecessors. This nailer was designed for the job site, so you can be sure that you will get the durability you need to handle everyday use and, thanks to its many updated features, it should help boost your productivity.

Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2 12V Compact Lithium Drill/Driver First Look

Porter-Cable PCL120DDC-2 12V Compact Lithium Drill/Driver First Look

The 12 Volt MAX Compact Lithium 3/8″ Drill/Driver (PCL120DDC-2) features a single sleeve check with spindle lock, variable speed trigger, two-speed gearbox, and a reported 1,200 rotations per minute. Add to that an included belt clip that can be relocated on either side of the tool, a magnetic bit holder, an LED worklight, and two included batteries, a 30-minute charger, and a soft-sided case and the $90 price tag looks pretty reasonable. Pair it with the forthcoming Impact Driver (PCL120IDC-2) for a considerable savings.

Rockwell JawStand clamp stand

Rockwell JawStand Clamp Stand Preview

Whether it’s hanging a door or setting drywall into place overhead, there are a number of instances where it would simply be nice to have a friend to help out… or maybe just have a more versatile clamping system – one that doesn’t take coffee breaks and never drops stuff. The “new” Rockwell JawStand seems to fit that bill nicely, and it does it in a lean and mean package. We put ‘new’ in quotes because this tool has been out before from a company called Triton (MSA200) and is now appearing under the Rockwell name – something that, if it increases availability and distribution, can only be a good thing for consumers. Rock on, Rockwell.

Milwaukee 8975-6 11.6 Amp Dual Temperature Heat Gun Review

Milwaukee Dual Temperature Heat Gun Review 8975-6

The Milwaukee 8975-6 11.6 Amp Dual Temperature Heat Gun might look a little like your wife’s hair dryer but it really is a serious hand-held high heat throwing machine. With two temperature settings of 570 and 1,000 degrees F, you can pretty much peel the paint off of almost anything without having to worry about the issues that come with open flames. With a continuous duty rating, you can also plan on being able to work this tool non-stop for as long as you need it.

Ryobi Miter Saw Stand Preview

Ryobi Miter Saw Stand Preview

A miter saw stand will greatly improve both the usability and the capability of your saw. The Ryobi Miter Saw stand, pithily dubbed the Quickstand (model #A18MS01), is one of the more inexpensive and yet functional products you’ll find on the market. The miter saw stand has 400 lbs. of holding capacity, so it’s equipped to not only hold a large miter saws, it can support the saw while also provided enough strength of nearly any type of material you’re likely to cut. The stand is made of steel, and it folds up and down so you can tuck it away when not in use, plus this makes taking it to the jobsite all the more easy.