Best Industrial Sanders & Grinders
The Porter-Cable PC1500HG Heat Gun has a dual fan speed selector that delivers high and low fan speed settings. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I needed this for drying drywall mud patches, paint touchups and occasional heat shrinking tubing. I would recommend that you do this outside because you can smell the fumes of heated up plastic and paint. Speaking of which, I wish it had another button on the side that turned the heating elements on/off separately from the fan speed. That way you could turn on the fan, adjust the temperature and then kick on the heat when you needed it. I may coat it with some rubber handle dip for tools that I have sitting on my shelf when I get a moment. Don’t try to dry your hair with this, it can easily burn your hand if held close up in the airflow. It probably is a heat resistant part silicone coated cord, or maybe not. To be able to heat shrink without having to work it around all sides of the tubing would be nice. That is a must if applying heat shrink to wires that are in a compartment or box where you couldn’t get around to all sides of the tubing. If you apply paint over a dried surface but still wet interior of a mud patch, more than likely you will find cracked and peeling paint the next day as the moisture in the mud has migrated out."
"I removed old layers of paint easily from old cabinet and shelves in the garage that have been in there for many years."
"Was going to use on my phone repair (low heat), but used on removing bathroom silicone caulk (high heat) first."
"I am pleased with this heat gun so far."
"perfect for bending acrylic or PTEG tubing."
"I use this to light natural lump charcoal, and it works great."
"It helped me speed up the process of drying up my windshield after I used the windshield repair kit on it."
"Nice and handy tool to burn all "hairy" resta clean after re-webbing of furniture with Cane or Rattan."
The WEN Belt Disc Sander easily sands, smooths and removes all of the jagged edges and splinters on your wood and lumber. This package also includes an 80-grit sanding disc, an 80-grit sanding belt, a miter gauge for steady sanding on angled edges, a stop bar for safety and control, and a 2.25 inch dust port to connect a dust extractor. Two-in-one sanding machine includes both a 4-by-36 inch belt and a 6-by-6 inch disc.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"the disc and belt run true - no wobble at all - and the unit is quite heavy. I bolted the WEN to a plywood base, and using some scrap cabinet-grade plywood, made a table that is solid, exactly 90 degrees to the disc, and can be adjusted to get as close to the disc as I need it to be. If I ever need to sand at an angle, I can just put the table back on (but beware, the angle gage for the table is made of tape and is very inaccurate!"
"The machine is the same as the Ryobi Bench Sander Green BD4601G one at Home Depot, but with WEN labeling. After I watched my son almost stick his finger in the the danger spot where the belt meets the machine, I promptly looked up the model number for the Ryobi guard and bought it to replace the junky WEN guard."
"The main reason it only received two stars is because it struggled to sand some of the larger pieces I was working on, eventually coming to a stop. If I used my hand to get the belt going, the motor would eventually kick in and turn the belt, but it would be so slow it wouldn't be useful."
"My previous Delta brand bench sander would also have been underpowered for the amount and types of needs I have now as well. The belt sander is easier to change from horizonal to vertical than other models I've used."
"Its definitly not for someone who plans on having this sander for a life time."
"Got this for my wife (yes - I said my wife!)."
"There are definitely some loose tolerances on this unit, but it works well for the home shop."
"My sander still works but the aluminum main roller, the one connected to the belt is warped and makes awful noise when it is spinning."
Bosch's integral pad dampening system, a pad braking system, is designed to eliminate the most common complaint of random orbit sander users; swirl marks on the workpiece. Features microfilter system for optimal filtering of fine dust and trapping particles as small as a 1/2-micron in diameter. Features microfilter system for optimal filtering of fine dust and trapping particles as small as a 1/2-micron in diameter.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I had a black and decker orbital sander prior and it was hard to control and the speed was so fast it would marr the wood when applied."
"Love this sander works better than my old ryoby."
"The little saw dust holder is very small but comes with an attachment to put a larger one on."
"Our daughter asked for one of these and I was so impressed with it, I had to have one too."
"If I had to come up with SOMETHING to complain about, I guess maybe the filter lid is a bit of a pain to get off at times, but its not enough of an issue to even waste the time typing about it, so I don't know why I just did."
"Gift for my son."
"Does a great job."
"I like it, but the hard plastic dust container is difficult to open."
Best Power Grinders
The Porter-Cable PC1500HG Heat Gun has a dual fan speed selector that delivers high and low fan speed settings. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I needed this for drying drywall mud patches, paint touchups and occasional heat shrinking tubing. I would recommend that you do this outside because you can smell the fumes of heated up plastic and paint. Speaking of which, I wish it had another button on the side that turned the heating elements on/off separately from the fan speed. That way you could turn on the fan, adjust the temperature and then kick on the heat when you needed it. I may coat it with some rubber handle dip for tools that I have sitting on my shelf when I get a moment. Don’t try to dry your hair with this, it can easily burn your hand if held close up in the airflow. It probably is a heat resistant part silicone coated cord, or maybe not. To be able to heat shrink without having to work it around all sides of the tubing would be nice. That is a must if applying heat shrink to wires that are in a compartment or box where you couldn’t get around to all sides of the tubing. If you apply paint over a dried surface but still wet interior of a mud patch, more than likely you will find cracked and peeling paint the next day as the moisture in the mud has migrated out."
"I removed old layers of paint easily from old cabinet and shelves in the garage that have been in there for many years."
"Was going to use on my phone repair (low heat), but used on removing bathroom silicone caulk (high heat) first."
"I am pleased with this heat gun so far."
"perfect for bending acrylic or PTEG tubing."
"I use this to light natural lump charcoal, and it works great."
"It helped me speed up the process of drying up my windshield after I used the windshield repair kit on it."
"Nice and handy tool to burn all "hairy" resta clean after re-webbing of furniture with Cane or Rattan."
Best Sanders
Two-in-one sanding machine includes both a 4-by-36 inch belt and a 6-by-6 inch disc.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"the disc and belt run true - no wobble at all - and the unit is quite heavy. I bolted the WEN to a plywood base, and using some scrap cabinet-grade plywood, made a table that is solid, exactly 90 degrees to the disc, and can be adjusted to get as close to the disc as I need it to be. If I ever need to sand at an angle, I can just put the table back on (but beware, the angle gage for the table is made of tape and is very inaccurate!"
"The machine is the same as the Ryobi Bench Sander Green BD4601G one at Home Depot, but with WEN labeling. After I watched my son almost stick his finger in the the danger spot where the belt meets the machine, I promptly looked up the model number for the Ryobi guard and bought it to replace the junky WEN guard."
"The main reason it only received two stars is because it struggled to sand some of the larger pieces I was working on, eventually coming to a stop. If I used my hand to get the belt going, the motor would eventually kick in and turn the belt, but it would be so slow it wouldn't be useful."
"My previous Delta brand bench sander would also have been underpowered for the amount and types of needs I have now as well. The belt sander is easier to change from horizonal to vertical than other models I've used."
"Its definitly not for someone who plans on having this sander for a life time."
"Got this for my wife (yes - I said my wife!)."
"There are definitely some loose tolerances on this unit, but it works well for the home shop."
"Had a smaller grizzly that worked fine for the smaller jobs, but this is just what the doctor ordered for small/medium sized jobs for this DIY'r."
Best Air Sanders & Grinders
The slim elongated nose design allows you to get into cramped spaces and hardened hammer strikes powerfully to ensure that nail comes out every time. Sufficiently powerful to push nails out of hard woods, Quiet, efficient and accurate, All metal body makes for sturdy and durable tool, Rubberized ergonomic grip for fatigueless operation, Removes or sinks nails between 10 to 20 gauge sizes, Light weight die cast Aluminum body, Slim elongated nose gets into tight spaces, Maintains quality of the work piece. Applications: Remove nails from floorboards, weatherboards, fiber sheets, skids, pallets, boards, barn lumber, sheathing and wooden decks. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With this Air locker I'm able to punch nails out with ease and not damage wood. Although the description states you can use air pressure up to 120 psi, the manual says the Air Locker is safe up to 200 psi. Allows you to punch out nails that aren't even showing the head that are even with the wood."
"I purchased it to recycle old cedar fence to make weather wood paneling. I have a customer that wants a 200 square ft wall paneled with salvage, weathered, wood, and the nail holes are not an issue for this rustic installation. The punch extends 1/4" past the tube, it would be nice if an additional punch could be made available (at extra cost) that would give 1/2 or 3/4" drive to push the nail completely through."
"With this de-nailer, our Pallet Buster and the Cresent 56 nail puller, we can deconstruct and de-nail a pallet in 'bloody' short order. (bloody in the expletive sense, not the literal) But, it could also be literal because in some cases it completely ejects the nail from the material, even on hardwood pallet planks!"
"For anyone dismantling pallets, you just gotta get one of these!"
"excellent tool simple construction easy to repair good customer service this tool takes a lot of hard use an abuse this is the second one i have bought they save me many hours of labor and abuse on my body compared to doing by hand an hammer if you have a lot of nails to remove this is the tool for you especially if you reuse pallet wood this thing punches the nails right out for you pictures are of before an after what can be done with this tool."
"At max recommended power (120 psi), doesn't push nails all the way through a 2x4, but that would be a lot to expect."
"I've been doing hardwood floors for over 20 years and can't understand how I haven't found this product earlier."
"An unusual tool that works extraordinarily well."
Best Industrial Nailers & Staplers
The kit includes oil, adjustment wrenches and a custom carrying case for convenient storage between jobs. And it wouldn’t be a WEN product if it weren’t backed by a one year warranty, a friendly customer help line and a nationwide network of skilled service technicians. It features an adjustable exhaust deflector, a rubber-wrapped handle, a quick-release for jam-clearing, an aluminum body, and a magazine window that shows the remaining brad count. Lightweight aluminum body weighs in at 3 pounds with rubber-grip handle for maximum comfort.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This controls the depth the brad driver pushes the brad into the wood. Once I got the adjustment right for the wood I was working with, it does a beautiful job of driving the brad and not marking the wood."
"1- because of its affordable price. 2- it had pretty decent customer ratings(not a bunch of fake ones 😉). 3- it didn’t look too complicated. 4- I’m addicted to Pinterest! ($10 later I was back in business). I was afraid of setting it up wrong, So I decided to watch a few YouTube videos on how to operate it and 15 minutes later I started it up, it worked perfectly!"
"I don't think I got a single jam putting up around 30 linear feet of 3ft beadboard, wainscoting railing, base molding, and a custom doorframe."
"We were worried about buying this nail gun with the price being way less than most."
"I LOOOOVE THIS PRODUCT!!!!"
"It works and the price can't be beat."
"You can't beat the price with this, but you'd be hard pressed to beat the product itself."
"Read the reviews and took a shot(pun intended).This gun worked awesome, way better than a friend's gun I borrowed in the past."
Best Industrial Screwdrivers
Fast, efficient, and versatile, the DEWALT DW920K-2 1/4-inch 7.2-volt cordless two-position screwdriver kit features heavy-duty construction, the convenience of variable speed, and a 7.2-volt battery pack for quick charging and longer run time in small fastening applications. Fast, efficient, and versatile, the DEWALT DW920K-2 1/4-inch 7.2-volt cordless two-position screwdriver kit features heavy-duty construction, the convenience of variable speed, and a 7.2-volt battery pack for quick charging and longer run time in small fastening applications. Dimensions and Warranty Information At 3.5 pounds, the DW290K-2 1/4-inch 7.2-volt cordless two-position screwdriver kit is lightweight enough for all-day jobs without excessive stress on wrists and hands. The product is 7.2V CRDLS Screwdriver. Industrial quick-release hex-shank chuck allows for quick screwdriver bit change and prevents bit run out.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The best cordless hand tool I own."
"When I went to buy new batteries they were very expensive and even cheap Chinese batteries were $30 for two."
"But so far it is a good reliable screwdriver and works as it should."
"Powerful enough in almost every case to drive screws without first drilling pilot holes."
"I have a DeWalt cordless drill and the combination of these two tools saves so much time--drill pilot holes with the drill and sink the screws with this baby."
"Got the attachment to fit drill bits, and I've used this thing like crazy for assembling IKEA furniture and hanging stuff around the house."
"Having been the owner of a "Skil Twist" electric screwdriver that I bought many years ago, it became time to replace it since it completely died on me. I must admit I was reluctant to spend $70 bucks on the Dewalt when I could buy the Black & Decker for 1/3 of the price."
"I have owned this type of a tool for many years, I wanted another to have as back up."
Best Industrial Shears
With the. shock absorbing pads. that. reduce strain on your hand as you cut, you'll feel how this pruner does the work for you. To make pruning even easier for you, we added handy features like the. wire cutting notch. that protect the blade and saves you the hassle of carrying around a separate wire snip, plus a. sap groove. that prevents sticking and keeps the blade clean after each cut. Avoid the nightmare of having crushed or torn branches with our. micrometric adjustment system. that allows you to adjust the blade tension for precise, clean cuts. Sap Grooves Prevents the Pruning Cutters From Sticking And Saves Time By Channeling Off Sap To Keep The Bypass Blades Clean Of Debris After Each Cut - Convenient Wire Cutting Notch Is Incorporated Into The Clippers To Expedite Planting And To Protect The Cutting Edge Of The Snips.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great pruning shears."
"Haus & Garten also followed up with a phone call to make sure the product arrived on time and in good condition."
"Great product."
"THIS IS A OUTSTANDING PAIR OF SHEARS, AND THE COMPANY IS SECOND TO NONE, THEY CALLED JUST TO MAKE SURE I RECIEVED THEM, AND ALSO FOLLOWED UP LATER ON, TO MAKE SURE , I WAS HAPPY WITH THEM, ALL COMPANYS SHOULD BE LIKE THIS ONE."
"great product feels good thanks."
"But I have found them to be exactly as touted and they do a wonderful job of pruning my 25+ roses, pruning my many old Peony bushes and pruning the 20 miniature fruit trees of every variety that we grow here. We live in the middle of 20 acres surrounded by trees and our actual fenced yard is at least an acre large, stuffed with every imaginable tree, bush, flowering plant and vine imaginable so I desperately needed a work horse of a hand held pruner for the tasks that never end."
"I have arthritis in both hands, making pruners an almost impossible tool to use."
"they are not made for small hands, but fit mine just fine, the times I have used them they cut clean."
Best Industrial Wrenches
Wrench emits a click that can be heard and felt when the preset value is reached.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Update 9/18/2015. I got my replacement yesterday and I'm really satisfied on how Russ from Tekton took care of this, I asked how to return the other original item and instead let me hang on to it."
"The adjuster works ok but sometimes it's difficult to get it to lock down properly."
"Excellent quality for the price."
"Bought this mainly for torquing boat trailer lug nuts."
"You do have to listen for the audible click the first few times until you learn to recognize it, but it's easy to hear if you are paying attention."
"I was surprised but in a good way."
"Wasn't all it was cracked up to be."
"I have only used it once, but it worked well and was easy to set the amount of torque."
Best Strippers & Crimpers
The IRWIN VISE-GRIP Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper, 8", makes stripping wire from 10-24 AWG easier than ever. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They aren't lightning quick with shipping, but they do send me about a dozen at a time. I've tried to buy 100pcs from them, but they will not sell them and won't send more than 12 at a time. Grip teeth and blades all still work fine....even in my oldest pair which is about 2 years old."
"I used this for a fairly major job to add a fuse block and a few accessories to a few vehicles and not once has this tool cut the wire."
"It's a bit clunky at 12Ga, haven't tried it at 10Ga, and a bit aggressive at 24Ga."
"If you don't have a set of these, you are wasting time using the "old-style" wire strippers."
"I can't remember how many times that I had struggled to strip the wires with frustrations."
"The wire stripper shipped out and arrived on time."
"I've found that12 and 14 ga single strand take a couple tries, for me at least, but smaller stranded wires strip first time every time without damage to the wire."
"I expected the head to have cutters that fit a certain wire size and then pull it off."
Best Nippers & Snips
High-leverage, compound cutting design for cuts of up to 18-gauge steel. High-leverage, compound cutting design for cuts of up to 18-gauge steel.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Good straight cut shears."
"Cuts strait through sheet metal and other 18g metals easily."
"We've used this to cut through all kinds of tricky things, including roof shingles and hardware cloth."
"Excellent price for a quality product."
"Used to help redo relays, extend, repair, and rebuild fuse block on my LS3 standalone wiring harness used on my LS swap."
"I clipped a hole through the dog gate so the cats can go through but dogs stay out."
"I needed a good pair of shears to cut through cardboard boxes, thin sheet metal and other small jobs around the house."
"These are very good quality tin snips."
Best Hand Tool Cutters
The Hakko CHP 170 micro soft-wire cutter has an 8mm long jaw set at a 21-degree angle for flush-cutting terminal wires up to 16 gauge (1.3mm). Dolphin-style nonslip hand grips with curved fore-edge provide comfort and control, and Parkerized surfaces prevent glare and increase corrosion resistance.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The handles protect your palm when cutting, softening the feel when applying cutting pressure. Warnings on handles reminds you to ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION and CUT WIRE MAX THICKNESS 1.3 mm. Spring back handles feel firm and just right for repeated cuts."
"I guess it can't be helped, since the sharp points have to be thin for the cutter to cut. Ah well because of the blades that goes misaligned when you squeeze it hard, this doesnt cut female fan header pins off a strip well."
"These wire cutters have worked well for me so far."
"I generally use these to clean up small wiring like telecom or when i am doing small board mount soldering and i need to clean up some jacket issues or even small overflows of solder."
"I tend to grab these cutters as opposed to a small cuticle scissors or nail clipper as the black tips show exactly where you are cutting when faced with shiny wire and shiny atty posts."
"I literally keep one of these about every two feet on my twelve foot bench so I'm never more than arms reach away from one."
"I tried to cut ducting wire which is really thin but very springy and it managed to chip the cutter."
"I've used it just a couple of times at this point so I can't speak to it's ultimate longevity but it works well. The cutter I was using before I got these was just tool large for the task and I couldn't seem to get flush enough to the board."
Best Pliers
With the Knipex Cobra water pump pliers, you can simply position the upper jaw to the workpiece, push the button, and close the lower jaw. A simple push of the patented push button adjustment maintains jaw size setting and gives you the correct size opening every time. Just position the upper jaw to the workpiece, push the button, adjust the opening, and close the lower jaw. Cobra water pump pliers are constructed from chrome vanadium electric steel, an innovative high alloy, oil tempered steel that ensures longevity. About Knipex Headquartered in Wuppertal, Germany, Knipex is an independently-owned family enterprise steeped in tradition and specializing in the manufacturing of high-quality pliers. 00 20 06 US1 Cobra Pliers, 3-Piece Set At a Glance Adjustment at the touch of a button directly on the workpiece Fast, firm adjustment directly on the workpiece Self-locking on pipes and nuts: no slipping on the workpiece and low hand force required Gripping surfaces with special hardened teeth Pinch guard prevents operators' fingers from being pinched Chrome vanadium heavy-duty steel, forged and oil-hardened. Fast Adjustment Directly on the Work Piece, Just Position the Upper Jaw to the Work Piece, Push Button and Move Close the Lower Jaw.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You dont have to squeeze down as tight as humanly possible when breaking things loose like traditional channel locks."
"These pliers are great."
"perfect set, just what a true journeyman needs, very nicely engineered tools."
"The narrow head helps reach in tighter places and there is no sacrifice in grip strength or applicable torque."
"I have had them for a couple years now, I always put one of these in my tool bag for road trips because they are so reliable and can be used in place of standard wrenches in a pinch."
"Throw out your vice grips!"
"Love these pliers blow channel locks away with ease use them daily at work on at equipment."
"I recomend these tool to all professional techs in hvac and plumbing industry."
Best Sockets & Socket Sets
Each kit includes pear-head ratchets, deep well sockets, standard sockets, a spinner handle, extension bars, spark plug sockets, a set of bits, and a durable plastic carry case. The Stanley 82-839 Black Chrome and Laser Etched Socket Set includes 99 pieces that meet or exceed the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) specifications for combination wrenches, sockets, and ratchets. The laser etched sockets provide hi-visibility markings, making it easier to read compared to standard marked sockets. About Stanley Sockets and Ratchets Stanley sockets feature the proprietary Max-Drive design, a unique radius corner design which provides 15 percent more torque, making it easy to tighten fasteners and simplifies the turning of rounded corners. 99-piece black chrome and laser etched socket set meets or exceeds ANSI standards for sockets and ratchets.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great set, has everything neatly organized so its easy to find and carry and I love the large laser etched sizing on the side so I can easily see the size socket I need."
"This Set Is Not Everything Youll need But it will get most of the job done if your working on cars at home this set is a must for you love tge Quality and everything."
"Purchased as a gift for my husband."
"These are great."
"Great set to put into car trunk for most any repair."
"Haven't used it much, but it feels very well made not cheap at all, the coating is excellent, and the locking mechanism for the wrenches is super useful."
"Love this set.. My only complaint is that the pieces were dirty (from the factory) and needed polishing."
"These is a very nice set of tools, I told myself that I was going to purchase tools once a week, to make my home garage toolbox complete."
Best Hammers
Head length: 7 inches.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Ok, I've broken more axes, mauls, hammers, hatchets and other hand tools than most will ever own in their life. I've used them, abused them, and feel I can honestly say that I know a well-made tool when I see one; whether it is a true Ames shovel or an Estwing hatchet. To the reviewer that said his 11-year old daughter broke it on the first day, got news for him, I'm 6'5", almost 300 pounds, can probably lift my weight plus some, and I am NOT going to break this hammer this year. Considering that I gem-hunt and gold prospect dry placers, that amounts to thousands of blows by a gorilla that knows how to break a tool. Yes, the handle is rubber (overcoating the single forged piece of steel underneath), and yes, it is a hammer. It is a rather BIG rock hammer, the sticker on it said it was 20-ounces, and I didn't weigh it when I got it, but I'm guessing closer to 26-ounces, by the feel of it compared to my ripping hammer (again, I'm stuck on a 11-year old girl breaking this beast...it's like saying, 'and yes, my daughter just came out of diapers yesterday and she threw my 20-pound sledge out in the yard and broke it, right there, on the spot!)."
"I metal detect and I was running into problems where I wanted to metal detect gravel parkinglots. Only a minor con which isn't really a con but sometimes I smash the #*#*#* out of the coins trying to dig them out."
"OIt makes the swing part of the job so much easier on the muscles, it gives the right amount of impact on the target, in the case, rocks."
"I used this for a 6 week field camp as a geology major in college so it's gotten a lot of use in the short amount of time I had it."
"My Grandkids needed some expanding of their outlooks."
"Purchased this as a gift for a fellow rock hound and she absolutely loved it."
"Holy cow this thing is a substantial rock hammer!"
"Hammer works well and feels very good to hold and swing."
Best Tool Sets
The Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener is designed to sharpen every knife you own, quickly and easily. VARIABLE SPEED MOTOR - handle every sharpening task, from grinding to honing. MULTI-POSITION SHARPENING MODULE - for precision knife sharpening or various positions for a wide array of tool sharpening or detail shop grinding tasks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The construction is very solid and can turn the most novice knife sharpener into a pro if judging the blade edge. However, I would add a razor sharp blade is not as forgiving as a sharpened blade. Practice With a Cheap Knife: The real skill is when to let go of the trigger so that is does not grind more on the tip of the blade than the recommended "1 inch per second" and following the contour of the knife edge while maintaining proper contact with the belt. It Can Make a Mess: After sharpening 8 or so blades I noticed my dining table (live in an studio so no man cave garage here) covered in shavings and whatnot. I also wished I had a face mask for the first marathon since you will be looking and making excuses to sharpen every blade in the house to make it pass the paper test. Master the Marathon: I noticed that the main difference between say a kitchen knife and pocket knife is the angle since they both use the same main 3 belt grits (coarse, medium and fine). If I’m going to have a sharpening marathon I separate my kitchen and pocket knifes yet use the same belts instead changing the belts per group of knives."
"The Worksharp Knife & Tool Sharpener Ken Onion edition...For 7 months I debated w/ myself over and over about "biting the bullet" and getting a power tool to help me sharpen knives more efficently. If the weight of the knife is all the pressure you use, the blade can easily be "leaned back" and hovered past the belt and the sharpness you seek comes faster. Set the knife into the sharpener, and REST it on the angle guide, using JUST enough pressure to keep it sliding against the guide. This is a great tool for beginners, and a Godsend for experienced sharpeners, but it doesn't possess the power of an angle or bench grinder. Remember that sharpening isn't a race, and if you don't feed your family doing it, its far better to proceed SLOWLY and watch what youre doing. NEVER drag the tip of any knife blade more than 1/2 way off the belt. Start w/ tool OFF, set blade into the angle guide, and using the weight of the blade, and GENTLE guidance, manuver the blade toward the tip, following the shape of the blade. If you are using the "crossbar" blade guide, DO NOT press the knife edge into it, that will dull your knife, defeating the purpose. The coarser belts will produce loads of fragments that can gum up the sharpening guide, cassette workings etc. I sharpened a RUSTY old HC steel butcher's knife, started w/ the coarsest belt I could find, established a "working edge", and went from there. All belted abrasive tools need time/patience to get good, but it'll be less time than with stones!! The "medium grit" belt is normally used for sharpening a well-cared for blade on occasion as needed, the fine grit for semi-regular honing, where you want something more aggressive than a steel, but less than attempting to adjust a primary grind to facilitate sharpness. Also, if you have a combo edge knife, each portion of the edge must be sharpened INDEPENDENTLY. Sharpen the plain edge parts as normally done and then follow the directions for sharpening the serrated parts the way you would a fully serrated blade."
"Aslong as you FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS you will get great results.keep the edge perpendicular to the belt and stop the tip in the middle of the belt and kill the power you won't get rounded tips.also place the knife in position before turning it on, otherwise you'll end up making you knife a recurve."
"Also, I ordered several additional 3/4 x 12 inch belts in varying grits from Econaway Abrasives (I don't work for them) so I am set for years. If you are looking for the perfect gift for a hunter, fisherman, or knife enthusiast, then this is it!"
Best Tape Measures
High impact ABS case with rubber over mold for strength; Mylar-coated blade; heat-treated spring for repeated use.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I purchased 2 of these at the same time and discovered varied printing qualities."
"After buying several newer designed tape rules and having them fail in a mater of months or even less I went back to the first one I ever used thirty years ago."
"Stanley's new stuff has started lacking in quality like tape locks that don't hold under any circumstances."
"I've had other, cheaper tape measures and they all have broke in some capacity - the tape rips and becomes dangerously sharp, the lock breaks, or the tip bends."
"I hope this 16' gives my son as good service as my old Stanley measure has given me."
"For years, this tape has been a standard for me so when I needed to put together some tools for my remodeling projects, this tape was one of my first picks."
"I know this is a great tape measure, we've had one in the house for years."
"But not smooth. Then yesterday the tip fell off and the tape wound into the body...so useless to me."
Best Power Drills
20V, Max, Lithium-Ion Brushless Compact Drill Driver, Compact Lightweight Design, High Performance Motor Delivers 340W Out of Power, with 75% more runtime with Lithium Ion batteries, High Speed Transmission Delivers 2 Speeds, with No Load speed of 0-50 & 1,750 Rpm, 1/2" Single Sleeve Ratcheting Chuck, Includes: Two 20V Max Compact Lithium-Ion Battery Packs, Compact Charger & Contractor Bag. ERGONOMIC DESIGN: Compact (7.52 in.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The tool is a great brushless driver, but as a drill the plastic chuck is a little iffy--my first couple holes were tight against a metal edge and the chuck got chewed up right away."
"After using the drill in December, I topped off the batteries."
"My projects, however, called for variable speed and having 2 rechargeable batteries is perfect for switching out when one gets drained."
"The fabric bag this comes in is also much more compact than the big plastic case my earlier model came in."
"Battery life has been outstanding and charges fast, coming with the second battery has been a huge value and time saver since I always just run the thing dead rather than plug it in every night."
"As have not used it much for drilling, It is a good robust drill for the do-it-yourselfer."
"The drill I have always wanted but was to "cheap" to buy it since I only use a drill once every other month."
"Aw cons I Went to drill some holes for ice fishing and compared to other similar drills, ya I’m retunring this pos."
Best Chisels
Machined from high carbon steel, the Sweetheart chisels sharpen easily and retain a razor-sharp edge over long periods of use. This helps the user to avoid inadvertent marring of the work when precise cuts are critical. Designed for striking and paring, the hornbeam handle provides a comfortable feel that transfers energy effectively when struck by a mallet. High-carbon chrome steel with tapered bevel sides.16-782 - Sweetheart Chisel 1/4inches,16-785 - Sweetheart Chisel 1/2inches,16-787 - Sweetheart Chisel 3/4inches,16-788 - Sweetheart Chisel 1inches.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I used water stones (Norton) for flattening and honing and then stropped to a mirror finish on the hollow ground bevel. I have touched up the bevel on my finest stone on the 3/4" chisel and two of the larger ones for some paring work. I've switched from waterstones to oil stones (Dan's Whetstone Company) followed by stropping on green compound charged leather. No sink, much, much less flattening, no water, For me this is a big deal as I'm likely to always have a very sharp chisel and don't have to fuss with the water stones. Using the oil stones and strop, it's two minutes from dull to sharp (mirror finish on bevel and chisel face)."
"I read the reviews carefully and decided that the people who have actually bought, own and use these chisels were saying some very positive things. You'll note that the Veritas set is significantly more expensive, but price really wasn't the deciding factor. You can scan a plethora of the other reviews and read many comments about the sealer that has to be removed (yes, it's a pain) from the blades. That the overall quality isn't up to Lie-Nielsen's standards and that the beveled edges are too thick for chopping some dovetails. the handles of all socket chisels will come loose (yeah...they're supposed to) especially with changes in humidity. Ironically, my Stanley Sweet Heart chisel handles are seated just fine and I didn't even resort to using the hairspray or shavings tricks to keep them on. Just the shank or store them in a drawer or tool roll like the excellent leather one that comes with this set. I would say that if you plan to cut many hundreds of dovetails, the Lie-Nielsen's would offer much better edge bevels and a tougher steel. Whatever the case, I think there are no reasons that these chisels will not outlive me and still be usable for decades to come, long after I've finished with them."
"I was so excited when these came out."
"Once on, they are pretty fixed on."
"Once you get the blades clean, they will need a good flattening, sharpening and honing. And - I'm just sayin' - the Lie-Nielsen chisel handles fit perfectly."
Best Shop Knives
Our new key knife just might save the day, unless of course you lock it in the trunk. Black key handle is made of stainless steel that's shaped like a house key.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This little knife is really sharp, has a good locking mechanism, and a hefty metal build."
"I like having mine around and readily available for opening packages, cutting strings off clothing, or gettings those little plastic tags off of merchandise."
"My only complaint is to fold it back you can only grip it from the sides which is awkward to me."
"Awesome emergency knife with limitations of course."
"With the index and middle knuckles wrapped around each side of the head. For $5 SOG mades an alarmingly dangerous and easily-concealed self-defense weapon, especially if used by the right hands."
"Incredible quality, looks awesome, and an extremely high quality blade."
"Great little addition to my clip-on keychain."
"Love this little knife I’ve had it on my keys for about a year now and it’s still very sharp and in good condition."
Best Power Rotary Tools
The Dremel 8220 variable-speed cordless rotary tool offers the highest performance and versatility of all Dremel cordless rotary tools. Compact size and weight allows access into tighter areas and reduces user fatigue. Kit contains 28 accessories, carrying case, 1-hour charger, and one 12V max lithium-ion battery.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I just received my new toy, and after looking it over, I did a little checking to see how the Dremel 8220-2/28 12-Volt Max Cordless Rotary Tool Kit compares to the Dremel 8200-2/28 12-Volt Max Cordless Rotary Tool Kit. Based on the photos, they look pretty much the same other than the model number, but there are some notable differences... First off, here are the improvements in the 8220 rotary tool vs the 8200 rotary tool: * 33% longer run time compared to the Dremel 8200 when cutting screws (direct quote from Dremel's site). * EZ Twist nose cap with wrench for fast accessory changes. What was removed from the 8220-2/28 kit vs the 8200-2/28 kit: * 191 High Speed Cutter. * 411 3/4" Sanding Disc, 180 grit (2). * 420 Emery Cut-Off Wheel (2). * 575 Right Angle Attachment. * 932 Aluminum Oxide Grinding Stone. * 84922 Silicon Carbide Grinding Stone. What was added to the 8220 kit vs the 8200 kit: * 426 1-1/4" Fiberglass-Reinforced Cut-Off Wheel. * A550 Shield Attachment. Multiple included accessory quantities that changed: (8220 kit on left vs 8200 kit on right). * 408 1/2" 60 Grit Sanding Band (2 vs 3). * 414 1/2" Felt Polishing Wheel (3 vs 2). * 425 Emery Wheel (4 vs 1). * 429 1" Felt Polishing Wheel (3 vs 1). * 445 1/2" 240 Grit Sanding Band (3 vs 2). The most notable loss for the 8220 kit was the Dremel 575 Right Angle Attachment, about $23 on Amazon. It was replaced by the A550 Shield Attachment (not the Dremel A550 Rotary Tool Shield Attachment Kit, which is about $20 on Amazon). This seems like a good deal, but in the interest of comparing apples to apples, you need to subtract off the price of the accessories that would have been included in the kit to determine the actual value of the shield attachment alone: $6.79 for the EZ402 EZ Lock Mandrel, included in both the 8220 and 8200 kits. $1.81 (based on the EZ456 1-1/2-Inch EZ Lock Rotary Tool 5-Pack Cut-Off Wheels for Metal pricing) for the EZ456 cut-off wheel, included in both the 8220 and 8200 kits. $4.22 for the Dremel 428 Carbon Steel Brush, included in neither the 8220 nor 8200 kits. $3.99 for the Dremel #8193 5/8" Wheel Grinder, included in both the 8220 and 8200 kits. Take all that away, and you're left with a value of $3.18 for the shield attachment alone. What stayed the same between the two Dremel kits: * 401 Mandrel. * 402 Mandrel. * EZ402 Mandrel. * 407 1/2" 60 Grit Sanding Drum with Mandrel. * 421 Polishing Compound. * 432 1/2" 120 Grit Sanding Band (3). * EZ456 1 1/2" Reinforced Cut-Off Wheel. * 541 Aluminum Oxide Grinding Wheel. * 561 MultiPurpose Cutting Bit. * 565 Cutting Guide Attachment. * 8193 5/8" Aluminum Oxide Grinding Stone. * 12V Max Lithium-Ion Battery Pack (2). (note: the 8200 kit includes 1.3 Ah "875-01" batteries, while the 8220 kit includes 1.5 Ah "B812-01" batteries). * 876-01 Lithium-Ion 1-Hour Charger. * Micro Case. * Wrench. The 8220-2/28 kit is a little bit more expensive than the 8200-2/28 kit, but you lose the Right Angle Attachment and gain the A550 Shield Attachment. The batteries that are included with the 8200-2/28 kit are Dremel 875-01, and they're rated at 1.3 Ah capacity, so the newer batteries have about 15% more capacity than the older batteries."
"After only a couple of minutes, the stereo system in our living room where the charger was plugged in at the time let out a loud hissing sound, and immediately after that the "smell of burnt electronics" was evident in the vicinity of the Dremel charger. Called the number on the back of the instruction guide and listened to their barely audible menu system."
"I've had other brands of rotary tools with those old batteries and while the tool works fine for the first couple of months, the battery quickly degrades - device loses torque without ramping up the RPM which can cause lots of heat transfer. The new Lithium battery holds a charge much longer even if the device is not being used, can top off anytime as well - notice how all new cellphones are switching to Lithium? The new 8220 has the newest Lithium battery so I'm hoping it will last longer than the 8200 which has mixed reviews on the battery."