Kenny Koehler
Editor-in-Chief, Pro Tool Reviews
Kenny Koehler brings a scientist’s rigor to every tool that crosses the PTR test bench. With a biology degree, a decade-plus of hands-on evaluation, and a childhood shaped by two generations of skilled craftsmen, he’s as comfortable designing a repeatable torque test as he is swinging a framing hammer — and he takes both equally seriously.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | B.S. BIOLOGY | 10+ YEARS TESTING | 1,800+ ARTICLES | LINKEDIN
More About Kenny
Kenny Koehler’s path to becoming Editor-in-Chief at Pro Tool Reviews didn’t start in a newsroom—it started in his grandfather’s garage. Before he got his B.S in biology or designed controlled tool tests, Kenny watched his grandfather (an airplane mechanic who served in World War II) transform rough lumber into furniture. He built bookshelves, lazy Susans, and other furniture. Several of those pieces still sit in Kenny’s home today, more than 30 years later!
His father carried that same “make-it-work” spirit into everyday family life. He preferred to make repairs himself rather than calling a contractor for every odd job or crisis. Soon, Kenny was rolling up his sleeves and working right alongside him. He quickly learned how to install and repair irrigation, do basic electrical work, perform basic car maintenance, and maintain landscaping. By his teen years, he had already rewired the family’s bass boat on his own. The lessons came, not from the classroom, but from the driveway, the boat dock, and the backyard. Growing up with this kind of practical know-how helped developed a confidence similar to what pros get from apprenticing.
“My grandfather could look at a piece of raw wood and already see what it would become. That’s the same lens I try to bring to a new tool. I ask myself, ‘What does this actually do? Does it do it better than other tools—and, finally—Why?'”
Kenny earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. During that time, he developed skills in hypothesis-driven inquiry, controlling variables, and generating reproducible results. It turned out to be the perfect foundation for tool testing—something few in the industry can match. Where many reviewers rely on feel and first impressions, Kenny designs tests. He builds repeatable methodologies for PTR’s head-to-head shootouts that control for variables, document procedures, and produce data that can be compared across tools and across time. It’s the kind of rigor that has made PTR’s comparative reviews the most trusted in the industry.
TESTING PHILOSOPHY
Every head-to-head test at PTR begins with a written protocol: defined tasks, measured outcomes, and controlled conditions. No matter if the test involves drilling speed, fastening torque, runtime per charge, or ergonomics, the goal remains the same. Our goal is to produce results that are objective, reproducible, and genuinely useful to the professional or serious DIYer so they can make better purchasing decisions.
As Editor-in-Chief for Pro Tool Reviews, Kenny oversees and helps shape the editorial direction and testing standards for the entire organization. That includes managing a team of writers and testers while still contributing his own reviews, buying guides, and head-to-head comparisons. Having published more than 1,800 articles, he has become one of the most widely-read tool writers in the industry. He’s covered everything from the best cordless drills and impact wrenches to brand deep-dives and technology articles designed to help Pros understand the capabilities and features inside the tools they use every day.
Life Off the Test Bench
When Kenny isn’t running a test or editing a buying guide, he’s likely found somewhere outdoors, still finding new ways to break in the latest gear that crossed the PTR bench… especially if he can find a way to do that on a fishing boat!
Away from the shop, Kenny is the kind of person who genuinely enjoys working around the home. He’s done plenty of home repairs and modifications and even designed and built pergolas and patio spaces. Combining his technical curiosity with years of hands-on tool expertise makes it easy to apply those skills around the home—and knock out many honey-do lists! This is likely what contributes to helping make his writing more accessible to both seasoned tradespeople and homeowners picking up their first impact driver.
He grew up in central Florida and still exercises those DIY instincts instilled by both his father and grandfather. The multi-generational love of tools—from wartime aircraft maintenance to weekend woodworking to a teenager rewiring a boat in the driveway—isn’t backstory. It’s the lens through which every tool review he writes is filtered: Does this product work the way a working person actually needs it to?
It’s worth saying plainly: Kenny Koehler came to this job honestly. The appreciation for quality tools, careful craftsmanship, and the satisfaction of a job done right wasn’t something he developed on the job at PTR. It was handed down across two generations before he ever wrote a review. His grandfather could identify a warped board by eye and joint a perfect miter by feel. His dad could diagnose a faulty irrigation valve on a Saturday morning and have it running by early afternoon.
That background is why Kenny’s reviews resonate. He isn’t evaluating tools as “just” a journalist. He’s evaluating them as someone who grew up understanding what it means when a tool actually works, and what it costs when it doesn’t.
Recent Reviews and Articles by Kenny Koehler
