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.

Sola BR48 Big Red 48" Aluminum Level Review
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Sola BR48 Big Red 48-inch Aluminum Level Review

by Thomas Gaige

There are many things to consider when looking for a level and the new Sola RB48 Big Red 48″ High Profile Aluminum Box Level really appeals to pro users thanks to its many on-target features. Extra large shockproof acrylic block vials makes it easy to quickly and accurately see if your project is plumb or level. With a thick wall aluminum box frame design, accuracy is maintained, yet the level never feels unwieldy due to its lightweight construction. With a lifetime warranty and great features like phosphorescent vials, we are excited to see this European brand coming to North America.

Crescent R2 Rapid Wrench Preview
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Crescent R2 Rapid Wrench Preview

by Clint DeBoer

The R2 (R-squared) Rapid Wrench from Crescent is advertised to supposedly replace your entire socket set. Now, if your idea of using tools is the occasional non-rusty nut or wingnut, then this might be the tool for you. If anything, it might be fun to see the look on your Dad’s face when you give it to him on Fathers’ Day (the look will undoubtedly be some form of “What exactly IS this thing?”) The answer is a bit more complex. The R2 Rapid Wrench by Crescent (now a licensed name from Cooper Hand Tools) is part ratchet, part crescent wrench-turned-sideways and passed through a multi-dimensional wormhole.

Porter-Cable PCC581B 18V Infrared Thermometer Preview
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Porter-Cable PCC581B 18V Infrared Thermometer Preview

by Clint DeBoer

Porter-Cable launched a couple of brand new Infrared Thermometers, the 18V-powered PCC581B and the 9V-powered PCC582B. These infrared thermometers are very different from the ones we’ve seen in the past, incorporating a three-color indicator beam that indicates changes in temperature visually. When you pull the trigger, the thermometer takes a reference temperature reading while it paints a green circle beam onto the surface at which it is aimed. The colors change when a difference in temperature is detected as it is scans across an area. A blue beam identifies a cool spot, and a red beam shows a hot spot.

Johnson Level 1812-0025 Stud-Squared Review
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Johnson Level 1812-0025 Stud-Squared Review

by Matthias Gaige

The Johnson Level 1812-0025 Stud-Squared is the love-child offspring between a tape measure and a square. The general idea is that you can use the tape to both measure and mark a straight line on dimensional lumber with relative ease. No more making your mark and then looking for a square or straight edge to complete the perpendicular cutting line. Without even having to extend the marking ruler, you can scribe across a regular 2×4 since it shares the same width.

Milwaukee Pliers, Snips, and PEX Cutting Hand Tools Preview
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Milwaukee Hand Tools – Pliers, Snips, and PEX Cutting

by Clint DeBoer

When we attended the Milwaukee New Tools Event this year, Tim Albrecht showed us some of the new hand tools that fall into three basic categories: Pliers, Snips, and PEX Cutting. At the time, the info was under NDA, but now that has been lifted and we an bring you all of the first impressions and info we learned first-hand about the new tools. First up was a focus on build quality. First off, the new hand tools are all drop forged, machined for maximum precision, and treated to resist rust. In fact, using chrome plating instead of nickel, Milwaukee demonstrated the advanced corrosion resistance of their new tools by leaving two new aviation snips left in salt water overnight and then in the sun. Milwaukee’s tool showed considerable resistance to rust while the other brand had a ton of rust around the hinge points and across the blade.

DeWalt DW089K Line Laser Level Preview
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DeWalt DW089K Line Laser Level Preview

by Clint DeBoer

DeWalt put out a brand new Line Laser, its DW089K, which improves on its past DW088K by adding some new features like a micro adjust knob for easy alignment, a metal “roll cage” for durability, and an integrated pivot bracket and universal wall mount that is perfect for installing acoustical ceiling tile. In particular, the micro adjust knob is especially handy as it lets pros adjust the 90-degree layout lines in small increments without having to nudge the laser or adjust a tripod to hit a specific mark. To make the beam more visible, the DW089K uses a laser that is twice as bright as the DW088K.

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Warranted Superior Hand Saw Circa 1921

by Clint DeBoer

We’re going to just admit this up front – we have no idea how old this saw is. We do know, or at least surmise, that it is in excess of 90 years old due to how it came into the family. It belonged to my great grandfather and was used on a number of lumber-cutting tasks. This is a Warranted Superior Hand Saw, which is to say that it’s commonly referred to as a “lower class” of saw since it doesn’t bear the Disston seal, but rather a more generic moniker. Warranted Superior is actually a company by Warren and Ted Superior, makers of a ton of hand saws back in the early 1900’s. The blade on these saws is actually reminiscent of those old two-man saws used by loggers before the advent of chainsaws and gas-powered cutting machines in general.

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