Hand Tool Reviews

A lot of praise has been heaped on this machine in previous reviews, so I will stick to my personal experience and try not to duplicate other views already stated.

I run joinery shop and needed a machine that could work all day everyday if required. I was initially in the market for a large chain/chisel machine, but didn't have enough 00000's after the numbers in my bank account. I was advised by a credible source that this machine would suit my requirements, and this has been the case. It does the work asked of it with ease, and it is quiet. I have so many machines that are noisy beasts, It is a welcome change to work in relative peace for once.
The Powermatic has already paid for itself in the last two jobs, having done over 300 mortises.

In spite of this, I do think that the machine could be improved in a couple of very minor ways:

1. The length stops are locked using small grub screws with a thin sheet metal strip for purchase, which is way too flimsy. A more substantial handle on the screws would be good, and also access to these screws is a little restricted.
2. The magnetic controls are mounted on the RHS of the base, which is too low for convenient use, and is tricky to get to in emergency, because my right hand is occupied on the pull handle. I have retro-fitted mine, so that the buttons are now mounted high, and on the lhs, so the I can easily turn the machine off, while still holding on to the lowering arm. Some will say that the switch is mounted where it is so that it can be knee bumped, but I am very tall, and I cannot do this easily.

That's it for the downsides, and they really aren't big issues.
I am a fairly harsh critic when it comes to machinery, so I have given the machine 4 stars, because it is not perfect, but I have yet to use any machine that I couldn't improve with a little bit of thought.
All up, I am very happy with the machine, and given the choice again, I would definitely go with the Powermatic.

The machine took a month to arrive. Take Amazon's shipping estimates with a grain of salt. It was easy to assemble while laying down (as other recommenders on this site suggested). However, it was a bear to stand up by myself (other recommenders on this site seemed to imply that it was easy). I would suggest asking a friend to help. The manual leaves a little to be desired. The mortiser itself, on the other, hand meets or exceeds my expectations. So far it seems well worth the investment.

Think of the engineering behind the task. You are taking a square chisel, and not slamming it into some wood with a mallet, but rather taking a long slow plunge. Plunging hardwoods like oak, cherry, maple etc. makes you think it is actually a near impossible task. It is helped because the bit in the center is drilling the core, making it easier for the chisel to scrape the walls down. This process is really a challenge for a drill press with a mortising attachment. Some say it could eventually waste a drill presses bearings. Ok so I stepped up to the plate and bought the Delta 16-541. It appeared to be the best out of the smaller dedicated mortisers, and it does do a nice job. That is as long as you are not doing mortises on anything larger than 4 inches. If your making doors, you need to convert the machine with a base spacer, which takes time, adjustment, and disables the adjuster on the fence. If you are an occasional Mortiser, that will suffice. The range of motion on the Delta is only a little over 3 inches. The 1/2hp motor is adequate, but the bit/motor jammed on me twice in a single project. I had to take the bit apart, clean, realign, and reinstall. I also had to be careful to manually keep the wood tight up against the fence. (No clamp)
All of this takes me to the fullest appreciation of the Powermatic and why I ordered the 719A. The fence has a large quick holding clamp, that assures you that your work is going to stay in a perfect line against the fence. The entire table moves left to right with a 16 inch range, and 4 1/2 inch range front to back by using the large wheels on the front. You simply crank with one hand, and plunge with the other. That is efficiency. If you are using a 1/2" bit, and want to make a 1" mortise, you can use the other wheel, move it back a half inch and finish the run. The Powermatic sports a 1 HP motor, twice that of the Delta, therefore it accepts bits up to 1 inch. So you can even make 1" mortises in a single pass. If you look at the very long plunge handle, you can see that it would be easy to create a lot of leverage.
I was concerned about the board capacity in size, so I called Powermatic. The rep measured the distance between the chuck, and the TOP of the fence, and it measured 9 inches. Add to that the 4 inch height of the fence, and you can see that this is a machine with a large capacity. It also has a plunge range of motion of 8 or 9 inches according to the rep. You can see that the Powermatic will handle most any size board. Using the large control wheel, moving the fence front to back, with a range of 4 1/2 inches, means you could put a mortise in the center of an 8" thick beam. Simply put, you don't need to disassemble anything for a full range of sizes. If you are doing repetitive runs, there is a built in adjustable stop on the right side. With a 282 pound shipping weight, you can put in a good size board, clamp it in, and not worry about it tilting onto the floor.
A last few considerations; It is shipped in two boxes, and one of them is 240 pounds. So my advice is to pay the twenty five dollars extra (current rate) for lift gate service. That way you don't have someone waiting in the truck while you offload the crate from a high bed truck. If you are unloading alone, your back is worth more than that.
The only downside is that the purchase does not include any chisel and bit sets. They are extra. Although I can see why Powermatic would do it that way, considering that Deltas bits, and several others fit the machine as well. That way you can get it for a more competitive price, and add the chisels only as you need them. I asked if the Delta chisels were as good as the Powermatics, and the rep professionally did not make an assertion, but I got from the tone of his voice that they were not. In all fairness Delta has two levels of chisels, at two different price points. Their professional bits are highly rated.
This Powermatic is a great commercial/industrial grade piece of equipment, that should give you a lifetime of service. The efficiency created with the unit will more than pay for itself. A foot activated automatic Mortiser is even more efficient, but you can only justify that level of price tag if you are mortising all day for a living. This Powermatic 719A fills the bill perfectly for a wood working professional, and the serious enthusiast. Highly recommended.

This toolkit has both enormous plusses and significant minuses:

Plus:

Assortment of tools
Quantity of tools
Both metric and English sizes
Carrying case
Price

Minus:

Quality of tools (Good enough for simple around the house chores, but not do-it-yourself projects. The metal is not as strong as a higher quality set from other manufacturers. Although it hasn't happened yet, I expect metal stress fractures soon on the wrenches)
Tire Gauge (not really useful in a set of this type, useful in your glovebox)

Overall, an okay set for around the house chores. If you engage in do-it-yourself projects on any regular schedule, invest in a higher quality set.

Perfect for moving into a new house - it's got everything you need to get started.

But don't get this if you want to work on your car - the tools just aren't up to the job. I've had to replace a few of the sockets and the wrench itself already.

It's a pretty complete set. Only thing missing is a portable drill.

LOVE IT! Especially the price of $20 which was a SPECIAL on Amazon.com that I paid when I bought mine.

This set of tools are pretty complete collections. But they are not for heavy-duty jobs.

Anyway, for this price, you can't get more.

I am constantly working on cars so I bought a set to put in all of my vehicles. Great for this purpose!

This is a great tool set for the price. It is not designed for the repair shop mechanic in an everyday use situation, but is great for the casual user. The Companion line at Sears gives you much less for a lot more money. If you plan to use tools everyday at a repair shop, buy something with a lifetime guarantee like the Craftsman line.

I ordered this tool set on July 11th. I was really excited about it, and was very disappointed when I didn't receive it by the July 26th delivery estimate. The delivery was pushed back 3 subsequent times. I got so fed up that I canceled the order today. This could have been a really great tool set for me.. 2 months ago.

I'm a housewife with a husband that couldn't help even if he had the time. I bought my own tools starting with this kit. It's been almost 2 years, and I still absolutley love them.

This tool kit was one of the first wedding gifts we received. We've used it many times over the past few weeks to put together many of our other wedding presents. The tools feel and look great and work well. I love how the tape measure locks with the slight pressure of the thumb. I've used the hammer several times; it fits well in my hand and it's not too heavy. This is the perfect gift for newlyweds.

I,ve had them all, and you get what you pay for, fortunately Amazon helps on that end. Go ahead and get the best, you will only cry once.

I am a weekend woodworker and have had trouble with battery life in drills in the past ( just like everybody else in the tool world) but I can say that this drill is as good as all of the reviews that was posted and also all the articles that I have read in the woodworking magazines. The only reason I did not give it a 5 was for the price of this compared to other big name drills. But so far I am glad I spent the extra money.

Hello, I am a prototype machinest that is acustomed to outstanding tools. This is my second Panasonic ( my first lasted about 10 years , the batteries are a little weak now but I use them with the trouble light that came with this system, it also is a great tool for all round tasks that my whole family use three or four times a week , including camping trips ). This new tool is heavier than the old 12v machine. All things considered, these Panasonics are the best of the range that the home-centers offer with the bonus that they are '' Professional " , designed to do real work in real work enviorments ( I see the other companies drivers failing even though the new designs have improved ) . I am associated with the Auto Industry and keep seeing Panasonic products poping up in the tool shops. This is a Top Quality tool , if you end up buying one you will have the best tool of it's type . As an aside , I purchased the little Skil ixo screwdriver ( about $40 ) that even my wife and grandchildren can do thier screwdriving without chasing me down. Ah, I'm a complete man again. p.s. the old Panasonic 12v unit worked with me for a decade, I replaced it because the batteries were getting weak.

Looked a lot before finding an air stapler that used a common,wide crown staple. I have a lot of rescreening to do so and knew that the hand type I have was not the way to go. I have used it a little to get familiar and so far I love it. I have used it with 4 different lenghts of staples into pine and it shot them all with no problem. Nice and flush without cutting the screen.Would give it 5 stars but don't know about durability.

I have had my little Airy since June 2000. I couldn't be happier.
I have shot tens of thousands of staples through it with out as much as a single jamb. I have used it mainly for house wrap (Tyvek)and tar paper on several homes I have built. I would argue the quality or value with anyone......

This is a must have item! I doubt you will find a better bargin anywhere. Regardless if your project is large or small, you will love this stapler. The quality exceeded my expectations.

I was really amazed at how smooth the operation is and the amount of wood you can hog out with this sander.
You can bear down on it and it won't bog, it has plenty of power.
The only problem I have is that the velcro pad doesn't hold the discs very tightly, even new out of the box.
I have a friend that uses them for production sanding and in about 4 months has gone thru 15 or more new backer pads on the 2 3725's he uses every day, the discs just start flying across the room.
I still have my old 3283 VSRO model and the pads on it grip the discs alot better.
This is a problem that Bosch needs to address, so that the sander will truly be a 5 star model.

I PURCHASED THIS AFTER MY DEWALT VS 5" QUIT. AFTER USING THE BOSCH, I WISH I NEVER PURCHASED THE DEWALT! THIS IS SUPERIOR IN EVERY WAY. I GETS THE JOB DONE MUCH FASTER AND IS NEAR DUSTLESS!(THE DEWALT LEFT A CLOUD OF DUST IN MY SHOP EVEN THOUGH I BLEW IT OUT FREQUENTLY. IF YOU'RE COMPARING THE TWO SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY AND BUY THE BOSCH...YOU WON'T BE SORRY!! IT WILL SAVE YOU SO MUCH MORE TIME THAN THE DEWALT IN ITS PERFORMANCE AND CLEAN UP!! WELL WORTH IT!!!

I purchased this orbital sander about a year ago, when I installed my wood floors. I absolutely loved it, and still do. It is quite the little workhorse. Just make sure you get the proper sand paper for it. It shreds the adhesive variety.

This product lived up to my expectations, but you should be warned that the maglite offer is not true. I ordered 5 of these for groomsmen at our wedding (about $150 purchase) and did not even receive a single maglite even though the minimum purchase was $25 and every knife we received repeated this offer. I wrote in about the error and never even received a reply email. Just a fair warning if you are buying this brand over another for the free gift.

Other people who have reviewed this tool have already described its high quality, small size, and infinite coolness. I'd like to emphasize those points first and add my own comments on some of the minor "user interface" problems with the design.

As you can probably tell from the pictures, when the tool is closed the pliers are basically tucked neatly inside a rectangular box. The first pair of pivots allows the hollow handles to swing out to reveal the pliers--they lock in place and the pliers can be used in this way for light work. At this point each handle forms a U-shape with the open end facing out (obviously) which doesn't offer a very comfortable grip when squeezing tightly. The screwdriver and knife can be accessed at this point by folding them out; the tool can be closed with either tool exposed for a better grip. The interior of the U-shaped handle can also be folded out and they lock into position as full-sized needle-nozed pliers. The closed side of the U-shape faces out for a stronger grip.

One of the caveats of the tool is the position of the lanyard hole. I put a small keyring through the hole and found it takes a bit of finesse to get the keyring positioned correctly to allow the tool to close without binding on the keyring between the two handles. The hole is in the best possible location (I think) but it would have been nice if a ring was provided that was small enough not to bind (no ring is provided at all.)

The other thing that I found unnerving was getting the blade closed. It locks securely in place but there is no release button so it requires considerable force to close. This wouldn't be such a big deal except the blade is very sharp. In fact, not two minutes after having it out of the box did I cut myself doing just that.

There is an alternative, however. The second handle part for the pliers can be opened over the blade (as if you were using the pliers alone) and the sharp edge of the blade is now enclosed within the U-shaped handle. Closing the blade by opening the second handle first seems to be a good way to avoid cutting yourself.

First: Mine came with a split ring. But it was tucked inside the instructions and the registration card stuff. Not obvious. I do agree it has a tendency to get pinned in the hinge but its not difficult to avoid this. You just have to nick it in place as you close it. Which makes me think I may remove it as I'm not hanging it on my keychain.

Second, The instructions are somewhat confusing. It mentions opening the handle extension to get at the blades. That's so wrong as to cause me to write Leatherman directly. You want to open the handle extensions to _CLOSE_ the blade. Not open it.

Also it would have been better if the photo showed the handle extensions locked out in place. Then you could see that you really have a full size leatherman. I put it up next to my Pulse(tm) and its the same size! (Same pliers head) The Pulse has more tools and costs more but it doesn't fold down into as small a package. Which btw is about 2x wider that of the Micra, but the same length.

Field tests on the can opener, well it works but its not as easy as the military field can opener. You know the one, that incrediable easy to use, super simple two pieces of steel on a hinge or the next best the swiss army version. But the can of olives was successfully opened and dinner was saved.

Field tests on the bottle opener. Better than the dual purpose bottle opener/can opener as it doesn't puncture the bottle top. But its less easy to use than the best Leatherman opener which is on the locking pliers and the micra. Works though, you just have to remember to not try to use the can opener instead as they look almost identical. If you find yourself trying to left hand open a bottle, you've probably got the can opener out. (It won't work.)

I got this Mini-tool thinking that there are times I want a set of good pliers with me but I don't want to wear a belt sheath to carry them and the Pulse(tm) et.al. is too large a lump in my pocket. This set of pliers fits the bill. And they are so much better than the squirt pliers (P4) that it defies imagination why you would buy those.

Minus: No philps screw driver. (But my Micra has a 1/2 philips head) No sizzors, (micra has those) File is small for real work, blade is also really too short for real work. (about 1 inch long)

Plus: ok bottle and ok can opener. Great pliers, with the handles extended the surface is smooth against your palm. File nearly locks in place as does the blade.

In comparison if you are looking for "pocket" pliers, you might consider the Leatherman C2, its a little longer, about the same width, but has corkscrew, Or the S2 which has the sizzors. But definitely skip the squirt P4. But these are still a neat little package of pliers.

We bought our widepath 4 years ago when we purchased our house. Cleaning companies charged more than the cleaner cost to clean the entire house. We were very happy with it, and still are as the hard floor attachment is great on our hardwood. After having a puppy that is now a 3 yr. old dog, it has been a great asset to have. Most of the messes have come up although there have been a few stains that just won't come out.

I'm only giving this four stars, even though it has been a great product. The reason being is that we have noticed that the hose attachment has cracked all the way through on the interior part of the machine. You pretty much have to lay the thing flat to put in the water take-up tank and at the bottom where you see the hose is where it has cracked.

The spin brush attachment was excellent on stairs, as our carpeting is around 12 years old and still in good condition. It brought the nap back up and has helped us put off replacing carpeting.

I will probably invest in a smaller carry around unit, like a Little Green Machine for the stairs as I think this will also be good for the car as well. As long as the hose on it works, I wouldn't buy another cleaner, but since mine failed, I think it might not be worth it to have it repaired as I think it will eventually crack again.

I got one of these for Chistmas 2001 and Have been using it atleast once a month since then. My carpets have never been cleaner to say the least. I am a renter and you never know what the person that lived here before spilt on the floor and all I can say is that whatever it was is gone. You'll never know how truly nasty your carpets and for that matter upholstry are until you use this thing. It sucks everything out so well. I used it in my car too on the upholstery, floor and even the floormats and my 12 yr old car looks brand new. I am now the envy of both sides of my husband and I's families or atleast my carpets are. Every time we call and say we are going to visit they ask me to bring my Steam Vac. This is so much easier to handle then renting a rug doctor and does't hurt your back and much more convienient too so you use it more, OK alot more. Not only that, it works a [heck] of a lot better too and the attachments are great!! It even fluffs up your carpet and once totally flattened old carpet looks so much better. My husband works in the oil field and always gets very dirty with sand and oil ect.. and I only let him sit in his recliner when he gets home because it's gross and his chair , if it was'nt for this Steam vac would be in the [garbage] by now. It gets every filth and grime you can imagine out and makes the upholstery look brand new. I highly highly highly recommend this product !! I honestly could not be happier . Hoover has truly put out a great product in this Baby!

This is a fantastic machine. I couldn't believe how clean it got my well-abused older carpet. It even brought the crushed traffic areas back to life! One tank handled the whole kitchen, landing & stairs - another took care of the dining room and hall. I was concerned that I'd have to keep emptying the tank and adding more solution, but that was not the case. I also found that my carpets dried within a couple of hours - no different that with a professional cleaning service. I suspect the person who had a problem with wet carpets did not use it properly or go back over the cleaned areas as many times as recommended.

Since it normally runs $$$ to clean my carpets (and that doesn't include the upstairs bedroom) I can see where this will be a tremendous money saver.

I also have a dog that sheds a great deal, and even though I thought I vacuumed thoroughly before cleaning, this extracted a ton of hair that I couldn't even see.

I can't wait to do my upholstery!

These work great for light wood and small peices, but they didn't hold larger pieces (18"x30") of 3/4 inch plywood very accurately. They've been invaluable (and much quicker than corner clamps) for smaller case work though.

This is a great product, and you can get it, along with any other products on Amazon up to $500 Free! Participate in this special promotion and get a free $500 Amazon Gift Card at this web site: stuffnocost.com/amazon

These clamps are cleverly-designed and well-made. They don't work well for very narrow or very wide boards, but they're great for everything in between (as long as the boards are no more than 7/8" thick).

Have a careful look at the pictures and you'll see that the two clips on each clamp are not symmetric. One is wider, so it acts as a stop to keep a corner butt joint aligned.

One small negative: it's easy to get glue on the clamps when sliding them onto boards.