Tool Reviews & Buying Guides by Trade

If you want to read articles and reviews that are trade-specific, try our Tool Reviews by Trade section. This organizes our site into topics suited particularly for a specific trade such as plumbing, electrical, framing, roofing & siding, concrete/masonry, and carpentry.
Tool Reviews by Trade Craft
Roofing and siding pros will find pneumatic roofing nailers as well as tools like cap staplers and hammer tackers. Tile & Flooring Pros will gain easy access to our tile saws, flooring staplers, and floor scrapers. As a painting professional, reviews of airless sprayers and cordless sprayers may interest you the most. You can count on one thing: whatever your craft, you need good tools. Our tool reviews by trade will help you drill down to quickly find the information you need. If you want to avoid anything that sits outside of your trade, this way helps you do it. If you can’t find a tool here, let us know.

DeWalt DCS373 20V MAX Metal Cutting Circular Saw Preview

DeWalt DCS373 20V MAX Metal Cutting Circular Saw Preview

The new DeWalt DCS373 20VMAX Lithium Ion Metal Cutting Circular Saw delivers speed and power to cleanly cut a variety of metallic construction materials. The motor in the DCS373 delivers 460 Max Watts Out (MWO) and 3,700 revolutions per minute (RPM), making this saw ideal for electricians, mechanical contractors and professional metal workers. Equipped with a 5-1/2 inch, 30 tooth carbide blade and maximum cutting depth of 1-11/16 inches; this saw is set up to make quick, clean cuts in ferrous materials such as uni-strut, threaded rod, conduit, cold rolled pipe, metal plate and pan decking, in one pass.

Milwaukee 5317-21 1-9/16" SDS Max Rotary Hammer Preview

Milwaukee 5317-21 1-9/16 SDS Max Rotary Hammer Preview

Continuing their expansion of their rotary hammer line, Milwaukee has introduced a new 1-9/16″ SDS Max Rotary Hammer. This new rotary hammer delivers the durability users have come to expect from Milwaukee, with a 10.5-amp motor and 5.5 ft-lbs of impact energy. We’ve picked up and used several of Milwaukee’s rotary hammers and they are a force to be reckoned with. The new hammer is an improvement in that it offers new features to increase efficiency and lower the amount of work (effort) you have to expend in order to achieve the results you need.

Milwaukee 5316-21 1-9/16" Spline Rotary Hammer Preview

Milwaukee 5316-21 1-9/16 Spline Rotary Hammer Preview

Continuing their expansion of their rotary hammer line, Milwaukee has introduced a new 1-9/16″ Spline Rotary Hammer. This new rotary hammer delivers the durability users have come to expect from Milwaukee, with a 10.5-amp motor and 5.5 ft-lbs of impact energy. We’ve picked up and used several of Milwaukee’s rotary hammers and they are a force to be reckoned with. The new hammer is an improvement in that it offers new features to increase efficiency and lower the amount of work (effort) you have to expend in order to achieve the results you need.

Ridgid micro CA-300 Inspection Camera Preview

Ridgid micro CA-300 Inspection Camera Preview

We’re big fans of the inspection camera, having reviewed several on PTR. They allow home inspectors, plumbers, appraisers, HVAC technicians and electricians document and troubleshoot problems with an ease that was impossible before the advent of LED and micro-camera technology. Ridgid’s newest inspection camera, the micro CA-300 is the company’s next evolution of the microEXPLORER family. You can record both still images and videos of problems in hard-to reach areas and then share these findings with the RIDGIDConnect solution. On top of that, an embedded microphone means that you can also document your video with live commentary, so your notes are more complete.

Klein J2000 Side-Cutting Lineman's Pliers Review

Klein J2000 Side-Cutting Linemans Pliers Review

If you ask ten electricians which company makes the best lineman’s pliers, all ten would say ‘Klein’ (trust me, I actually asked ten… and I’m an electrician). In fact, most electricians call any lineman’s pliers “Kleins” – though they probably shouldn’t. They have set the standard for lineman’s pliers in the way that Xerox set the standard for copying machines back in the day, or Kleenex did for tissues. Klein tools are on the top of the list for electrician’s tools because it’s their specialty – and when that’s all you do, you tend to get good at it. The Klein lineman’s pliers are said to be the best made. With all of the recent competition, and years of other manufacturers crafting competing products, we were curious to see if they still held the title.

Porter-Cable PCC581B 18V Infrared Thermometer Review

Porter-Cable PCC581B 18V Infrared Thermometer Review

Getting a quick and accurate bead on the temperature differential around an AC duct or a door can be a lifesaver for air mechanical technicians and energy efficiency specialists. While there are a lot of tools on the market that can help you do this, it’s nice to be able to reach for a familiar name – particularly when your shop is already equipped with compatible batteries and chargers. Recently Porter-Cable launched the PCC581B Infrared Thermometer, which comes as a bare tool, making it a great choice if you’re already vested in their 18V cordless platform. And if you’re not, Porter Cable also offers a 9V-powered version, the PCC582B. Both of these infrared thermometers incorporate a tri-color beam that indicates temperature changes visually along with the digital readout. When you pull the trigger, the thermometer takes a reference temperature reading while it projects a circular green beam onto the surface at which it is aimed. The projected beam colors change when a difference in temperature is detected as you scan it across an area. A blue beam identifies a cooler spot, and a red beam indicates a hotter area.