Professional Tool Reviews for Pros

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Hand Tool Reviews & Buying Guides

Hand tools make up a large portion of the equipment we carry every day. Pro Tool reviews pays close attention to recent innovations. Our hand tool reviews include knives & cutting tools, wrenches, chisels, fastening tools, hammers, and more. These hand tools covers the gamut from one end of the industry to another. Possibly our favorite series is our best framing hammer review. In that head-to-head review we compared nine popular models. This type of comparison isn’t always possible, but we do test out these tools on the jobsite. Hand Tool Reviews for the Pro Tradesman This is also where you’ll find popular lighting products and even folding knives from Kershaw, CRKT, and Zero Tolerance. Even Milwaukee Tool has new Fastback knives for use by contractors and tradesmen in the field. We try to review as many of these types of tools as possible. This helps us remain a leader in reporting industry trends. This is particularly important when manufacturers add new features or make tweaks to their products. Sometimes they revamp an entire line. Other times they include something that only slightly improves a hand tool over a previous model. It all adds up.

Irwin 250 Series 9" Magnetic Torpedo Level Review
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Irwin 250 Series 9-inch Magnetic Torpedo Level Review

by Clint DeBoer

It’s easy to say that all torpedo levels are the same. It’s just as easy to think that if you have one you don’t need another, or that any 9″ level will do. For some that might even be the case. But as we’re introduced to more and more products, like the new 250 Series Magnetic Torpedo Level from Irwin, we are being made away of more and more handy features that will appeal to some trades over another. Let’s dive right into the 250 and talk about some of the stand-out features. A mirror on a level isn’t something you see every day, but Irwin put one on the 250. They dubbed it, sensibly, the “Plumb Site” and it’s there so you can check if you’re plumb without having to look around the level or move it to the side.

Milwaukee Diagonal Pliers 48-22-4106 Review
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Milwaukee Diagonal Pliers 48-22-4106 Review

by Ben Parker

As an electrician, diagonal pliers are definitely a tool I use a lot in the field. This is especially true with commercial work where you have to cut a lot of cable and wire. Milwaukee’s Diagonal Pliers (48-22-4106) made a clean cut every single time I went to use them. This week we’re working on a remodel job on a commercial building built in the 1930’s. While some walls have been torn down and rebuilt, there are still some that are the original concrete block. On these I have had to put conduit and electrical boxes. Normally, this would be easy, but the wall was literally riddled with nails and screws. I found that these pliers were able to cut through the nails and screws with little to no difficulty. It sort of became my go-to tool for getting through the nitty gritty of clearing my area.

Milwaukee 12'' Tongue & Groove Pliers 48-22-3212 Review
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Milwaukee 12-inch Tongue & Groove Pliers Review

by Ben Parker

Tongue and groove pliers are one of the many tools that are used by commercial electricians, especially when working with conduit. One of the main reasons is because of the compression couplings that are used to put conduit together, but also, they just plain come in handy. I would definitely recommend buying two of these if you work on putting up conduit. You will get your money’s worth if you find yourself frequently using compression couplings. I really like that Milwaukee angled the head of the tool at 45 degrees and not 80-90 degrees. It makes it easier to tighten the couplings in hard to reach places. Plus, the smooth transition grips are especially nice because it feels like the tool is a part of your hand. The grips also don’t feel as if they’re likely to slip, even when you’re applying significant pressure to the tool.

Milwaukee 6 IN 1 Long Nose Pliers 48-22-3068 Review
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Milwaukee 6 IN 1 Long Nose Pliers 48-22-3068 Review

by Ben Parker

Having just taken a look at Milwaukee’s 6 IN 1 Combination Pliers, we weren’t too thrown off guard by the 6 IN 1 Long Nose Pliers, which are a different tool, but similar in many ways. If anything, the 6 IN 1 Long Nose Pliers feel like they are meant for things that are a bit more heavy duty. These pliers are 1/4″ thicker than the combination pliers, which is good since they can be used to pull nails. We found that the design – particularly, the head of the tool which is squared off – does a pretty decent job at pulling nails out of wood. This really is a good tool if you are an electrician and need something heavy duty in the field. I really enjoy having it in my tool pouch at work and have recommended to other electricians to go buy one as well.

CRKT M21-02GL Left Handed Kit Carson Folding Knife Review
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CRKT M21-02GL Kit Carson Folding Knife Review

by Brian March

For $40, you can’t beat this knife. The CRKT M21-02GL-Kit Carson Design is a tactical, plain-edge, folding knife for left-handers that features the company’s AutoLAWKS technology and G10 handle. This is not a blade-assisted knife but with the flipper, there is really no need for one. With the G10 handle, the knife is built like a tank. It is heavy for a small knife, but it fits perfectly in your pocket. It also offers a perfect balance between the blade and the handle, which makes the M21-02GL feel stable and strong. There are no wobbles on this knife and the flipper acts as a blade guard when opened, which is an absolute necessity on a tactical knife. There are plenty of expensive tactical knives on the market, but the CRKT M21-02GL offers an uncanny amount of quality for the price.

Bosch GLM 50 Laser Distance Measurer Preview
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Bosch GLM 50 Laser Distance Measure Preview

by Clint DeBoer

Ever since the Bosch DLR130K Laser Distance Measurer we’ve been keeping an eye on these products. This week, Bosch launched the new GLM 50, which is a budget product designed to be a simple yet durable project for those who don’t quite need all of the features of their more advanced models. This also allows them to keep it simple, pricing the laser distance measurer at around $120 (street). In our mind, this makes the GLM 50 a great solution for users who need a simplified, yet durable laser distance measurer for daily use on the jobsite. With the five most commonly used measurement modes, a backlit display, and an accuracy of up to 1/16-inch, the GLM 50 is a fairly complete solution for most common measuring needs.

ZipWall ZipDoor Dust Barrier Solution for Doorways
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ZipWall ZipDoor Dust Barrier Solution for Doorways

by Clint DeBoer

We attended the 2012 International Builders Show in Orlando, Florida and were making our rounds when our eye was caught by the ZipDoor. This is a dust barrier product that makes it super-easy to cover a doorway and seal off a room from dust ingress and/or egress. The ZipDoor kit comes with everything you need, including a roll of tape and plastic lining and is designed for use in residential or commercial applications. Featuring ZipWall’s new double-sided tape and heavy duty, glued-in zippers, the ZipDoor installs – literally – in under one minute to provide a complete dust barrier. The ZipDoor is made of 4 mil plastic sheeting and comes in both standard (doors up to 3’x7′) and commercial (doors up to 4’x8′) sizes. In addition to being larger, the commercial version of the ZipDoor is also fire retardant.

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