Tool-Rank.com Reviews

Milwaukee 12 Inch Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw - 6955-20: Loving It! Milwaukee 12 Inch Dual-Bevel Sliding Co

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:04:25 -0700

My husband bought this powerhouse and loved it! I went to the shop the other day to have some boards cut and he was busy. I thought - might as well try it! WOW! I changed the angle without a problem! Easy to use!! THANKS!

MTO Battery: MTO Battery Exceeds My Expectations Again!

Fri, 29 May 2009 13:32:37 -0700

I have sent many batteries in to MTO Battery and always come away a happy camper. Many of these battery places are impossible to get on the phone and are slow to answer emails. MTO has always replied to emails in just a few hours and always answers or quickly returns my call. I had tried another company who has a video on YouTube which displays guys dancing around like folks from the movie jackass. I was not impressed with their service and turn-around time and their video was just further proof of the type of people their company is made of. In closing, MTO is a professional battery company which has done a fabulous job rebuilding our power tool batteries and an even better job taking the time to communicate with me to keep me informed each step of the process. They get my unconditional recommendation for anyone with battery repair needs.

Bosch 4-1/2" 6 Amp Small Angle Grinder - 1375-01: well designed and durable

Wed, 20 May 2009 05:04:22 -0700

Great grinder. I have 3 and this on sees the most use. I have used it every week, more or less, for the last 7 years and it is still going strong. The paddle switch is a must have IMO. If the grinder gets away from you it stops turning. With a standard on/off toggle the grinder stays on until you grab it ( a fast way to an injury) or you unplug it. My only complaint is the that the blade guard release tab gets stuck occasionally and makes changing the orientation of the guard difficult.

Forrest Woodworker II 10-Inch 40 Tooth Saw Blade- WW10407125: Best on the market

Wed, 20 May 2009 04:56:14 -0700

Fantastic blade. I have been using the same blade in my Bosch 4000 TS for 6 years now and I finally sent it in to be sharpened. I have Freud, Tenyru and other blades but with the exception of the Tenyru the could not match the Forrest. The Tenyru initially gave the same quality cuts as the Woodworker II but dulled within 8 months. I purchased another Woodworker II blade and sent my original back for sharpening (about $25). I have no doubt that it will come back as good as new based on the sharpening job Forrest did on my miter saw blades.

Bosch 1664K 18v Cordless 6-1/2" Circular Saw Kit: great saw but lacks durability

Wed, 20 May 2009 04:46:32 -0700

My crew of 4 guys were using this saw (as part of a larger set with driver, jig saw, sawzall and circ saw.) The saw worked great but all 4 ended up with power issues in the drive train and also 3 of the 4 ended up have the blade guard stick in the open position. This happened after about 6 months and all within 3 weeks of each tool quitting The rest of the tools held up but the saws are a weak point. I have since switched to the Milwaukee V18 and now M18 cordless kits and the saw that comes with that kit is much better.

Bosch 10.8V Pocket Driver - PS20-2: and they laughed at me!

Wed, 20 May 2009 04:35:46 -0700

A must have driver for both the home owner and the contractor. For such a small drill/driver it packs a lot of power and the small Lithium Ion batteries have yet to show signs of loosing the ability to hold a charge. My crew and I were installing an under deck ceiling system that required A LOT of screws be driven into the lower portions of the joists. The guys laughed at me when I took this tool out of my truck. After 10 minutes of them holding their 14 and 18 voly tools over head they were getting sore shoulders. I was still zipping along, no stress, no fatigue. I bought a cheap set of drill bits designed to fit into the drills "chuck" so I am able to use it to pre-drill holes too. It is also great to carry in my drywall tool belt to use the set any screws that were under driven. Again, no wrist fatigue or strain.

Spring Tools 32R12-1 1/32 to 2/32-Inch Combination Nail Set: big time saver

Wed, 20 May 2009 04:25:08 -0700

I have this tool along with the spring loaded hinge pin driver. The both work exactly as designed and I find myself using the hinge pin tool much more that I anticipated. I do loys of trim carpentry so removing doors is a snap (;-). It even pops painted hinge pins loose and never leaves a mark on the head of the hinge (happens with brass pins all the time)when trying to extract the pin from the hinge leaves.

Bosch Digital Laser Range finder Kit - DLR165K: great tool for the money

Wed, 20 May 2009 04:18:52 -0700

Great tool. Price to value makes it a no brainer. Speeds up estimates for interior work, has a area and a volume function. Exvactly accurate. A few smal negatives when this is compared to the other laser measuring devices on the market: No memory to store measurements and no way to convert to inches/fraction, gives distance in feet, inches and fraction only.

Dremel 1.5 Amp Multi-Max Oscillating Kit - 6300-01: I love this Tool

Thu, 14 May 2009 07:10:12 -0700

I bought my first one six months ago to use in my remodeling business. At first I thought it would be good for trim work. Well, it is great for trim work. But it really, really excels or window repair work. Weather you are repairing rotten frames, sashes or sills, this is a must have tool. I now that Fein has had this tool for years. My hardwood man has one and I always thought it would be handy, but $300+ was a little steep for me at the time. What I like about the Dremel and the cordless Bosch over the Rockwell and Fein is the accessory mount. I like not having to remove the screw to change blades, especially when I'm 20+ feel up on a ladder. I can't help but think the cordless version would really be handy for window work. Being able to get new blades at Home Depot and Lowe's is the icing on the cake. Now I have 3 multi-max tools working nearly every day. Buy one, you will love it!

Klein 32500 11-in-1 Screwdriver/Nut Driver: Love this driver

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:03:44 -0700

This is my favorite screwdriver. No bigger then a normal screwdriver and with all those bits fewer trips to the truck. Also fewer tools in the truck. The only drawbacks are that you cant use it as a chisel or crow bar. When I use it as a nut driver the extra bit goes in my pocket.

Ryobi 18 Volt One+ Impact Driver P230: Good tool

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:49:39 -0700

This tool works. Well made, great battery (Lithium Ion version), light mounted in handle. Bought it at the last minute to repair some fencing figured I would take it back if I didn't like it, drove a couple hundred screws flawlessly. It's a keeper.

Stanley Quick Change Utility Knife With Twine Cutter - BOS10499: My favorite cutter

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:50:20 -0700

This is a great knife and my favorite. PutnamEco is right I wouldn't want to use this if I was a drywaller to many parts and drywallers don't need retractable blade. I am a carpenter and use the knife for general duty work. Cutting the paint line where the trim meats the wall, opening containers, occasional roofing, occasional drywall, sharpening pencils. The knife is small and light enough to fit in a pouch the blade is easy to change without tools and it carries 5 or so extra blades, so no running to the truck for a sharp blade.

Bosch 18 Volt Litheon Compact Tough Drill Driver - 36618-02: Might technically be an 18 volt but seems like a 1

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 01:42:02 -0700

I THOUGHT IT WAS UNDERPOWERED FOR AN 18 VOLT DRILL IT PERFORMED MORE LIKE A 14 VOLT, I TRADED IT IN AFTER A WEEK FOR A MILWAUKEE

Tools R Us: My Local Tool Store

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:58:06 -0700

Tools R Us is a great tool store here by me. The store is pretty big, and they have the big name tools separated in sections by Manufacturer. This makes it really easy to find a tool if you are shopping by brand. They also have a nice 20% off sale twice a year, with reps and demos from most of the major brands. During these sales is when I buy most of my tools from them. Their tool selection is also good, but they don't have everything. I am disappointed they do not carry Vix-Bits, Flexeel hoses, and some other things. They do carry shop tools, if you need them. There is always someone there ready to help if you need it, and I have found them to be knowledgeable. They are also an authorized repair center for just about every brand. While I have not had anything repaired by them, I have purchased tool parts from them.

MTO Battery: New Life for Old Tools

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:30:22 -0700

Battery rebuilding is a wonderful thing. The batteries that I have had rebuilt by MTO have surpassed the quality of the original tool batteries. I was getting about a year out of my OEM Milwaukee batteries. I am now going on three years with my rebuilds. They show an increase in run time also, with the heavy duty rebuilds they offer. A great reason to resurrect your ancient cordless tools, if for nothing else, to use as loaners. I hope they take up rebuilding Lithium ions

Milwaukee 5615-21 1-3/4 Max HP BodyGrip Router Kit: Handy sized router

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:12:21 -0700

One of my favorite routers. At first I thought the body grip was just a gimmick, but the more I use it the more it grows on me. I most often prefer a D handle, but this router may change my mind. The only shortcoming of this router are that it does not have a soft start.(one of those "new" features, had they never came out with I would have never noticed it lacking) and there is a small amount of slack in the micrometer style depth adjuster. Both problems are hardly noticeable and easy enough to work around. The case has a work stand that allows you to set the router down upright with a bit still installed.

CordWiz: Neat Cord Reels

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:54:10 -0700

Another of those great semi idiot proof knot avoidance gadgets. I purchased these after many frustrating hours spent untangling extension cords that people that I've worked with have turned into huge knots. The only downside to these, is the occasional loss of the snap on stand, which in my opinion is not really needed. I usually coil these differently than what is pictured. I leave the male end in the top section with about 6 feet of cord coiled and I coil the female end on the main body. Reason- I go to where I need power with cord reel and lay down the Female end and uncoil towards power outlet/generator, once at outlet put coil down and then uncoil enough from the male end to reach outlet, Leaving excess cord coiled on reel. (Note, this is not really recommended as a heavily used cord can overheat, better to uncoil cord completely)

Mega Clamp: Not a Knot

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:34:16 -0700

I use this as an idiot proof tie for my air hoses. It is a lot easier to undue than a Granny knot, and with no risk of a slice, from having to cut a poorly tied or jammed knot off my hoses, has in the long run saved me both time and money. It is kind of cheaply made and I am always wondering when it will break, but so far in the time I've used them they have not let me down. For the price they get for them at the big boxes, I would have bean happy if I got 6 months out of them. They do work as advertised.

Milwaukee 6310-20 18-Volt Circular Saw: Great with V18 batteries, Not so great with NiCads

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:48:05 -0700

I would have rated this saw higher in the battery life rating had it come with the V18 batteries. With NiCads the run time is pretty poor, with the V18 it is just tolerable. I use this saw fairly often for odd jobs and punch list type work, it serves me well. It will cut a fair amount of 2X material and or a few sheets of ply.It will cut 2X material at 45°. It won't do it as quick as a corded saw, but it will do it just the same. This saw fits my hand well and is well balanced for cutting both on the flat and overhead. It is fairly light, though not as light as the Makita LXT. This saw works best with a thin kerf blade, standard kerf seems to kill batteries even quicker.

Crescent SDMBRT25 24 Bit Ratcheting Screwdriver: Cheap and Cheerful ratcheting screwdriver

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:26:53 -0700

A great cheap ratcheting screw driver. It is my everyday screwdriver.It fits my hand fairly well, with a "triangle" type grip.It has storage for 7 bits, 6 in the handle, one in the drive, unfortunately you cannot store a nut driver in the handle. This screwdriver does have a neat feature, contained within the shaft is an extendable magnet, which I have found very handy on more than one occasion, for grabbing wayward screws and nuts. You can usually find this tool for sale in the $15 range, it is well worth it.