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. 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.

September 13, 2009 0

Swanson Framing Wizard T001WZ Review

by Thomas Gaige

Swanson took the age-old framing square and made it into a folding, 5-in-1 layout tool they are calling the T001WZ […]

September 13, 2009 0

Swanson Wood Magnet T04424 Review

by Thomas Gaige

The Swanson Wood Magnet T04424 is one of those tools that, once you use it a few times, you realize how […]

Ryobi RP4000 Tek4 Self Leveling Plumb/Cross Laser Review

September 7, 2009 0

Ryobi Self-Leveling Plumb Cross Laser Review RP4000

by Clint DeBoer

The Ryobi self-leveling plumb cross laser RP4000 represents one of the best values we’ve seen in a while. It’s also […]

August 27, 2009 0

Arrow HT50 Hammer Tacker Preview

by Clint DeBoer

The Arrow HT50 Hammer Tacker HT50PBL is a heavy-duty model and a unique product that swings and hits like a hammer, driving a […]

Arrow PowerShot 5700 Staple Gun Quick Look

August 27, 2009 0

Arrow PowerShot 5700 Staple Gun Preview

by Clint DeBoer

The PowerShot “Heavy Duty” Staple & Nail Gun features a forward-action design, meaning that you actually press down on the […]

Swanson BBL24M 24" Magnetic Box Beam Level Review

July 18, 2009 0

Swanson Box Beam Level BBL24M Review

by Clint DeBoer

Sometimes, I like my tools to be basic, indestructible machines—items with no glitter or fancy options. You know, like the […]

Swanson Savage and Lil' Savage Magnetic Torpedo Levels Review

July 15, 2009 0

Swanson Savage Magnetic Levels Review

by Clint DeBoer

Sometimes you make do with an average level, but when you finally get hold of something professional, like the Swanson […]

July 10, 2009 0

Leatherman Kick Multi-Tool Review

by Thomas Gaige

The Leatherman Kick multi-tool was designed for folks who prefer a little less weight yet need a full-size multi-tool that […]

June 30, 2009 0

Stiletto Titanium Pry Bars Review

by Thomas Gaige

Stiletto titanium flat pry bars weigh 45% less than a typical steel flat bar of the same size. They also […]

June 12, 2009 0

Channellock Rescue Tool

by Thomas Gaige

The Channellock rescue tool was designed by firefighters, for firefighters and first responders. Using feedback received from firefighters, first responders, […]