Power Tool Reviews

Often, power tools are where it’s “at”. When people visit the site, they want to know who makes the best corded and cordless power tools. This includes drills, drivers, hammer drills, saws, lights, sanders, multi-tools, best shop vacs, and more. These powered tools have reduced the time it takes to complete many jobs and tasks tradesmen work on every day. Our power tool reviews take the most recent tools and talk about how they rate and rank in the industry. Our reviews are targeted and written for the tradesman and business owner. Our goal is to allow the Pros a chance to see which recent developments in the industry are increasing productivity and which are just gimmicks. We also want to help you know which power tools are best overall. For this, we have round-up articles to find the best cordless hammer drill, best impact driver, and the best reciprocating saw. If these don’t help you find the best power tools, we don’t know what will.

Black & Decker LDX112C 12V Max Lithium Drill/Driver Review

Black and Decker LDX112C 12V Max Lithium Drill/Driver Review

Seeing how just about everyone else has a compact 12V lithium-ion powered line of power tools, Black & Decker jumped on board with their value-targeted LDX112C 12V Max Lithium Drill/Driver. Using what has become an industry standard format for the battery style, they opted for a slightly different approach to its integration into the handle of the tool. The front load style actually makes it so that the drill can stand on its own and offer pretty good balance. This little drill has most of what we have come to expect from this type of tool – like an integrated LED worklight, rubber over-molded grips, and variable speed trigger. What actually surprised us was the metal gear box and 3/8″ metal chuck which seemed like nice touches on a value priced tool. The Black & Decker LDX112C 12V Max Lithium Drill/Driver comes in a cardboard box that includes a battery, charger, and a bi-sided driving bit. Sorry, but only one battery is included and there is no nifty carry case. But given its pretty small size, it could easily live in the junk drawer in your kitchen. Come on, admit it, you might not call it a junk drawer, but everyone has one. Its that central drawer in your kitchen or office that houses all the odds and ends that don’t seem to belong or fit elsewhere. It is the first place you will look for masking tape, screws, tacks, candles and a host of other necessities (yes, I too have one) – and what better place than to store this handy little drill/driver.

Craftsman 17562 NEXTEC 12V Right Angle Impact Driver Review

Craftsman 17562 NEXTEC 12V Right Angle Impact Driver Review

Removing or driving fasteners in cramped spaces is easy with the new Craftsman 17562 NEXTEC 12V Right Angle Impact Driver thanks to its compact head size of only 3-1/2″ and 700 in-lb of torque. This handy tool comes with lithium-ion battery power, a variable-speed trigger, 1/4″ hex quick chuck and a compact size that will surely make it one of the go-to tools in your collection. The engineers at Craftsman did a fantastic job of combining the functionality of a right angle drill with an impact driver. The Craftsman 17562 NEXTEC 12V Right Angle Impact Driver represents what might be an industry first with their design and from what we can tell, they engineered a great tool. This impact driver proved to be very versatile when working in cramped spaces and for some projects it’s a must.

Dremel 8300-01 12V Cordless Multi-Max Oscillating Tool Kit Review

Dremel 8300-01 12V Cordless Multi-Max Oscillating Tool Kit Review

We were impressed with the original Dremel Multi-Max Oscillating tool – and to this day it remains one of our most trusted go-to tools in the Pro Tool Reviews arsenal. What makes the Dremel even more successful is the prevalence of its accessories, which can be purchased just about anywhere. That means that if you are in the middle of a job and you “spatula” your blade, you can run to the local home improvement warehouse and get a replacement. Try that with some of the more obscure brands. Now Dremel has released its Cordless Multi-Max Oscillating Tool and we couldn’t be happier. It takes the speed and agility of the original tool and cuts the cords. It allows the tool to be more and do more. What may come as a surprise to most is that it really doesn’t cost all that much more. It’s also not a replacement for the Multi-Max, but a different product that caters to a different user requirement. Dremel will continue to manufacture and offer both products.

Porter Cable 14" Chop Saw PC14CTSD Preview

Porter Cable 14″ Chop Saw PC14CTSD Preview

The chop saw isn’t a new tool by any stretch of the imagination, but as anyone knows who’s done a lot of metal cutting or fabrication, this is a tool you really need. Porter-Cable’s new 15 AMP Chop Saw (PC14CTSD) has been built to ensure it offers contractors performance, ergonomics, ease of use, and durability. This chop saw seems ideally suited for a number of trades, including mechanical contractors, electrical contractors, metal fabricators, and many other areas that need a simple, but durable tool for cut-in-place sawing. The PC14CTSD simply performs like a tool that is capable of handling a number of metal cutting applications on professional jobsites. This tool, in particular, seems to have been built with the contractor in mind. To start off with, the 15 AMP, high torque motor delivers 3,800 RPM, which enables the new chop saw to cut through tough materials, including cast iron pipe, angle iron, threaded rod, conduit, square tubing, and more.

Milwaukee M18 Cordless 3/8" Right Angle Drill Driver Preview

Milwaukee M18 Cordless 3/8″ Right Angle Drill Driver Preview

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation expands its M18 Lithium-ion system with the new M18 Cordless 3/8″ Right Angle Drill Driver. As the only 18V Right Angle Drill with an adjustable clutch feature, the new tool provides eleven torque settings, plus one drill mode, for complete control in close-quarter fastening applications. Featuring a 3/8″ one handed, keyless ratcheting chuck, the user can quickly change bits without additional tools. In addition, an extended paddle switch design provides easy trigger actuation from the top, middle, or bottom of the tool to allow the user to change hand position depending on the application.

CEL Multi2PRO MT1 Cordless Multi-Tool Review

CEL Multi2PRO MT1 Cordless Multi-Tool Review

There are now over a dozen oscillating multi-tools on the market, which begs the question: which one do I buy? What we’re finding, especially thanks to universal accessory adapters now coming to market, is that they all cut basically the same – provided you are comparing them using the same blade. What that leaves is features, price, and of course, rugged build quality and ergonomics. CEL’s Multi2PRO has some nice features that make it stand out, and it’s an easy tool to use, so it fits nicely into the mix of oscillating multi-tools and provides the company with a competitive product with which to round out their product line. We tested the CEL Power8 Workshop all-in-one compact benchtop tool earlier last year and we’d rank the Multi2PRO in the same category. If you’re looking for an inexpensive multi-tool with decent features, CEL has something that’s at least worth a second look.