Hand Tool Reviews

My boyfriend saw a show on the history of hand tools and really liked the design.It prompted me to purchase two of the Stanley anti-vibe hammers. He has noticed a great reduction in vibration induced numbness in his hands since he started using them in the construction field.I recommend these hammers to any person who swings a hammer for a living.

The art of making a good hammer isn't exactly new. This claw hammer isn't too different therefore from the claw hammers of our fathers or our father's fathers. This hammer does absorb the impact very well, and is very lightweight for its strength. The hammer is made by Stanley, so you know its going to be a good quality construction, but there is really nothing here that is much different from any other hammer. Its not laser guided and doesn't have GPS tracking, but it is reliable when it comes to knocking nails into things.

This is a great hammer and well worth the price. I probably have about 10 hammers and I'd give them all up for this one. I received it just in time to start working on my new garage. This is a must have for the do-it-yourselfer.

I've used these stanley pro screwdrivers before, and they're quite solid. I've yet to dull the tip on one. This is the #2 size -- the most popular, and the size that fits all the screws on your home computer.

This will handle 99 % of all your screwdriving jobs. This is the one I keep in my tool bags. Every so often I need a longer one or a wider blade but this usually gets the job done. A must have tool.

I have used one of these since Jr. High shop class 30 years ago. It is a great tool to use for setting the center of a drill or screw hole on wood. Just place the point on your mark and whack it with the heel of your hand. That little dimple will keep your drill on mark or break enough fiber to give your screw a grip. It is a basic hand tool that should be in every woodworkers war chest.

This gadget has a lot of great features that really make it stand out from the crowd. Magnetic base, uses AA batteries, multi-angle level and a changeable laser pattern - simply move a small slider and the lens changes. Select a dot or a cross-hair. The cross-hair draws a solid line - not just a dot. Black anodized aluminum - lightweight and rugged, plus it looks cool. I've used mine for over a year and love it!

Standard Stanley quality, which is good. This unit operates by measuring the replaceable line as you spool it out. Great for measuring line of sight or even around some standard geometric shapes where the line will lie straight along what you are measuring. Obviously, it also works well for heights. You can attach a weight to it and even measure water depth (keep in mind the line gets wet though). The thing you need to think about is what you need it for. Small area surveying. Foundational layout and checks. Some height and area calcs. Many of these items can be done with a rangefinder or sonic measurer, so unless you need very accurate measurements over a long distance, this is probably overkill. I have both a Nikon rangefinder and a Stanley Intellimeasure, which work great for my applications. I'd love to have one of these (I tried a friends) but I see no real need at this price.

Some of my tools were stolen and decided to replace the adjustable wrenches with the MaxGrip. The grip is rounded so when you really apply pressure it's much more comfortable than a standard adjustable wrench. The down side is they don't open up quite as far as a standard cresent wrench. But if you get the 8", and 10" you'll be happy. I really can't tell you how much more comforatable they are than a standard adjustable wrench. You'll need to try one out in a hardware store and I know you'll agree they are worth the price. I only wish they sold them in sets of three or four.

I use these (it takes two) for heavy gauge stainless steel chainmail. The handles are comfortable and it takes little effort to open or close the rings. I haven't used them for cutting, but for weaving they are perfect.