Hand Tool Reviews

I received this product for Christmas and was disappointed. The product description provided is wrong. The ruler is regular steel colored with black etched markings, not "Unique high visibility black blade with deep etchings filled with yellow paint". At first I thought they might have just shipped the wrong version, but it came with clear marked package labeled with the model #46-123.

Yes, the square works but it isn't nearly as easy to read as I had anticipated. I'm very disappointed.

You would have to spend at least $40 more to get a better square. this is great. at the current price you canafford to buy an extra for your other tool box.



James Hatsis

James1@OconeeAirService.com

A combination square has to do three things: Be square, move when the nut is loosened and not move when it is tightened. This is the first low-priced square I have found that actually does all three. All of the others wouldn't move when they should have and did when they shouldn't. This one moves easily when loose and a light tightening keeps it in place. Less fighting the tool; more doing the job.

This hammer is not as good as the titanium stiletto but at a third of the price I had to buy it.
I preferred the stiletto because of its light weight in the tool belt and excellent balance but I simply could not afford to replace it.
However this is the best of the bunch in the number two slot. Interesting enough I bought this hammer at $19.97 instead of the price listed here at Amazon. Perhaps someone needs to take them up on their offer to beat the price by 10 percent!

First of all I am a Post framer for a very large company in Washington state. I used to use an estwing 22 oz. curved handle hammer, but never liked the feel and balance of it. I bought this hammer from Lowes for 19.99, and have loved it ever since. The oversized face makes it nearly impossible to miss the nail, and the shape of the handle is amazing. I can hold the handle in the middle to start a nail, then drop it down, and it just slides into my palm like it's attached to my arm. No messing around when it comes to driving nails either, I can sink a 16 penny in a couple of whacks. This hammer is amazing for the price, and it beats the hell out of my estwing.

I have not tried the Titanium hammer yet so I can't compare but I have about 10 framing hammers, some steel, wood and fiberglass handles. Of all the hammers I have this Stanley is my favorite. It's feels real natural in your hand, especially when you grab the hammer close to the head to start a nail and after starting the nail let the hammer slide through your hand and your palm just seems to fall perfectly in place into the "sweet spot" of the handle. What I also really like is the size and shape of the face, it's a little wider than most and the sides of the face are tapered back instead of straight. This makes it really easy when toe nailing to just smack the nail with the edge of the hammer face. The price is cheaper than most of my other framing hammers as well.

Have used for 4 gas tankloads so feel my review is valid.
1. Engine is fine, 9 hp Briggs-Stratton industry standard: good match.

2. Electrical connections came loose underdeck, difficult to reconnect.

3. Wheel Engagement cable housing was poorly connected where it attaches to handle. It came loose and had to be doctored up for a temp fix. It allowed the drive wheels contunue rolling after I let go of the safty release. I.E. machine kept propelling itself-I plan on writing MFR.

4. Generally the Engine, Deck, Blade work fine, but many parts connecting it all together are Poorly/Under Engineered.

OK......I bought this monster a month or so ago and have run about 4 tanks of fuel through it.

To begin with, the free shipping to my residential address was great. It came on a lift gate truck and was set right where I wanted it. It is easy to uncrate and assemble. Basically you just have to put on the gear shift lever and handle. Maybe a half dozen bolts or so.

Once filled with oil and gas it was a quick start. Been a one or two pull every time since then.

The only problems after 6-7 hours has been the handle came loose (which I installed remember) and a gear shift nut (one I did NOT install) came loose. I retightened all and used loc tite 242 for assurance.

As for operation...........don't be fooled thinking this is gonna be easy!!!! Now, in all fairness, my woods (swamp) is REALLY thick and I have to thin the big stuff with a chain saw first. But it WILL run down anything as advertised, about 1.5" and maybe bigger.

If the ground is uneven and you are mowing down lots of standing trees this thing will man handle you if you are not careful. I am 6'3" and 200 lbs and it can fling me around if the wheels get caught just the right way and I can not let go of the drive release fast enough. For best (mulching) results you need to make multiple passes over fallen brush. Often, going in the opposite direction will get anything missed the first time.

There is an art to using one of these and it does not take long to figure out. Common sense goes along way!!!!!

Overall, I am more than pleased. It is hugely rugged and durable, easy to use considering it is a big piece of equipment, starts great and really performs.

Can't imagine the other brands (2x as $$) can do a whole lot better. And.........the other brands look way bigger which would just be more weight to have to handle. The Swisher is just the right size to handle for about 2 hours between breaks.

I purchased the Swisher brush mower several months ago to clear out the land and cut some trails near our place in West Virginia. I had been looking for a brush mower for some time, and had looked at the DR, Troy-Built and Billy Goat brands as well. For the money, the Swisher is by far superior (the others cost twice as much, and with Amazon, you get free shipping). It has been able to cut everything I've asked it to: heavy grass and weeds, small bushes and pine saplings up to about 1 inch in diameter and thorny thickets. In fact, I would guess that if you can push it under the brush mower, it will cut it.

With four forward speeds and reverse, you can use it at a slow crawl for the thick stuff to a brisk walk for grass and weeds. The machine is a beast (probably close to 300 pounds), however, and maneuvering it around obstacles can be difficult - it is not for the weak of heart! Note also that this is a rough-cut mower: it will not make your field into a nice even manicured plot, but will cut down the waist or head high weeds and bushes and give your field a decent looking appearance.

The brush mower starts easily - no more than two pulls every time I've used it - and is very solidly built. With all the power you need at a very reasonable price, I have not found anything to dislike about the Swisher brush mower. I would highly recommend it for anyone desiring to clear out a decent-sized plot of land or to cut a trail through the woods.

The strap to hold you drill in has only one position and it needs more to hold all drills securely. A strap with velcro would solve this problem.

txtrapper

This holster is handy anytime or anywhere you do lots of drilling or driving. It's also great when you're on a ladder and don't have enough hands. It saves time by keeping your tools right there where you need them. I've used it with cordless and corded tools when hanging electrical boxes and running wire through studs, hanging drywall, and siding work. I like the snapping strap to secure the tool when you're busy with something else. It has slots to hold extra bits and extensions, too. However, I found it works best with smaller drills. I tried this holster on my belt with my big 19.2V PorterCable hammer/drill/driver and it about jerked the pants right off me. It wasn't quite big enough to keep that heavy tool from tipping back and out of the holster. Instead, I use it with a large leather tool belt to put around my middle and that worked out much better by balancing the drill while it hangs. At any rate, I now have no trouble with trying to find a place to set my drills and drivers when doing working in difficult places. And the holster is good for holding other tools too. Thanks, Amazon !!

This is by far the best left-handed holster I have used. The thick padding of the holster keeps the drill securly in place even without the strap. The bit pockets are very handy for pencils(or even screws) as well as bits. Bucket Boss somehow made this durable, comfortable, holster better and cheaper than any other holster I've seen.

I have been waiting years for Dewalt to make an 18V cordless cut-out tool kit like the DC550K. It's great to finally have a cordless version that can utilize the same charger and batteries as my other 18V tools. I bought one of these as soon as they became available online and now use it almost every day on the job. Before the DC550, I was most indignant about having to drag an extension cord along when using my Roto-Zip, as this is the last holdout in a tool collection that I use daily which still required being plugged into an outlet to operate.
I use the DC550 mainly to make cutouts in wood, drywall, plaster and acoustical tile for recessed lighting or electrical boxes. With a carbide burr bit, it will make cutouts in ceramic wall tile, solid surface or laminate backsplashes, but of course, won't cut harder floor tile materials. It also makes clean, splinter free cutouts in solid wood or veneered cabinets, such as when installing an outlet for a microwave/hood over a range or outlets in kitchen island or peninsula base cabinets. I have even used it for cutouts in thin stainless sheet clad walls that are found in commercial kitchens, and it works well on aluminum and vinyl siding too.
Battery life is very good and since the DC550K kit comes with two batteries, you can have one on charge and keep going all day long. The extra length and weight the battery does make this tool slightly less well balanced than the corded version when using it in the horizontal position, but the rubber grip area allows you to hold the tool firmly in various positions and as with anything else, the more you use the tool, the less noticeable this imbalance becomes.
There is no bump switch on top of the tool but the push through type on/off switch sticks out far enough so you can get at easily.
The tool-less quick-change bit holder is the same as on Dewalt's corded cut-out tool. It takes a little getting used to, but is much better than having to use a wrench every time you need to change a cutter bit. At 27,000 rpm's it's not as fast as the corded version but this doesn't really seem to affect its cutting ability. Overall, I feel that the DC550 is a very good tool that can go along way toward making your workday easier and more productive.

This tool has lots of cutting power and runs forever on a battery. It is a little heavy and awkward at some cutting angles. Overall a good tool.

This tool has excellent battery capacity and is easy to handle;
has plenty of cutting power. The only drawback is the tool just slightly heavy.

Very light, long cord, and plenty of power to pick up dog hair and other light items. This is not for someone who wants a full fledged vacuum. My only complaint is that it's made of cheap plastic and will most likely crack/break if dropped.

I had an old Eureka electric broom similar to this one. It picked up better when it was about to "croak" than others I have purchased when they were brand new. It is also easier to empty than others I have tried. I have hardwood floors and this vacuum works great.

I have two dogs and a cat and my house gets pretty hairy. This vacuum works better than the larger, more expensive ones I have used. I got it as a gift and just saw the price now. I cannot believe how cheap it is. I was thinking it was more expensive than the bigger ones because it is smaller and easier to use but works even better!

It's very cheap, works great, small, light and you don't have to spend money on vacuum bags.

I absolutely recommend this vacuum.

I own several Leatherman tools, and two of them are these miniatures: a Squirt P-4 and the MICRA. Of the two, the better is the Squirt series. Why? The Squirts are simply better-made. They are of a more solid construction. Their opening and closing actions are solid and give a nice satisfying "click." The MICRA, on the other hand, is a bit flimsy in comparison and it's opening and closing action is sticky and slow with no great "click." With a Leatherman, you want that "click." It's part of the Leatherman mystique. On the other hand, the MICRA does possess a better choice of implements, and the quality of the implements themselves are equal to those on the PS-4. DILEMMA! What to do?

Get 'em both.

A truly great little tool with excelent usability and qualitiy. My only complaint with it is I now have to remember to take it out of my computer bag when I travel by air.

When I first received my Leatherman Micra as a gift, I was dubious about its usefulness. What a laugh! Since then, I've used it more than any other tool I own. It's great for opening boxes, cutting line or string, any occasion when you look around for a sharp blade and you're not likely to have one handy. The only problem with it is that anyone - man or woman - who sees it in use immediately wants to borrow it. My solution is to put it in the Christmas stocking of every adult in the family. Be careful about the kids, they will want one, too, but make sure they are responsible enough to handle it safely. It's definitely not a toy.

I bought the "juice" on Leatherman's reputation, before actually handling it in a store. The first time I tried to flip out the screwdriver blades, I nicked my thumb and actually drew blood. OUCH! After a few tries, I figured out how to get them out safely, but I wish I had a tutor before hand. Another gadget buddy bought one too and brought his in to work to show me. He also showed me his bloody thumb - so it wasn't just me. All is not bad. The pliers are strong. The corkscrew actually works well (tried it on a tough cork). The philips head screwdriver blade is strong and useful. The wirecutters work well too. The basic knife blade is just the right size to cut a NY bagel - wish it locked in place for safety. All in all, it needs a little refinement to be "best in class" but it's getting close. Try it in a store first and be careful not to get nicked. As with all "edged" tools, for safety, exercise extra care when handling.

A note on the corkscrew: While the corkscrew and assist work very well and better than any corkscrew-only design I've ever seen, you do need to take a minor bit of care to line up the assist's single "leg" dead-center on the bottle's neck or it will slide off. A regular "waiter's friend" has a two-legged assist that's self-centering, for comparison. But, a waiter's friend won't have a blade that's nearly as sharp as this one, not to mention it won't have pliers or screwdrivers. The screw works equally well in real cork and the new plastic corks.

The "3-D" Phillips driver blade is a joy compared to the totally flat wanna-be imitations of screwdrivers I've seen on other pocket tools. It's multi-talented in that it fits both #1 and #2 screws.

All in all, this is yet another fantastic creation from Tim Leatherman. This one's earned a permanent place on my keyring.

i like it as much as a swiss army knife. this one doesn't have scissors, so you might want to get one of the fancier in the leatherman juice series. looks good, i'm just getting to know it.

I have a few of these around. They represent a much needed update to the original cordless saws. They realy cut fast for a hand saw. That tooth design is superior. BUT I like the Japanese pulls saws even better. They have a very similar tooth design but it's reversed so they cut on the pull stroke. This enables them to have a thinner blade so you expend less energy for the same amount of work. They cut even faster than the stanley's. Check the saws from shark corp. I beleive you will find them to be superior for a very reasonable price. You can spend hundreds of dollars on a hand made Japanese saw but you don't need to.

this saw is well made and of good quality. It cuts quick and clean.I've cut a lot of wood with it in the past year and it's still sharp.If you are looking for a short cut saw, this baby is a safe bet

I've had several hand saws that have worn out over the years. While building my deck a couple years ago, the contractor that was helping me with the heavy work used this saw. He gushed over it so much that I had to get one. I bought it then and still use it today and it is absolutely as good as new.

I highly recommend this saw. Unless you work with very large lumber, no need to be a longer length .. the 15" is perfect.

I just received this tool set last week and have yet to put it to real use, but so far it seems great. All of the tools feel very sturdy, not light and flimsy like a lot of bargain tools. They sure feel like they will hold up through whatever abuse I manage to put them through. The set contains every hand tool I can imagine needing as just your average guy. At the price, it even makes sense to keep one in the car and one at home, you never know when you might need a 14mm socket while on the road,.

Such a good collection at such a good price,
that when my first set was stolen, I had no
hesitation in ordering a second.

This set is GREAT! It's got a TON of different wrenches and 3/8-inch drive sockets. This set is especially good as a gift for those people who are just moving in to their first home and don't have a ton of tools yet. It comes in a very nice custom plastic storage case with a spot for each tool, so its easy to carry around and put away so you can stay organized! This set has been a lifesaver around my house - I highly recommend it!