Power Tools - Reviews and Buying Guide:

Whether you are using your tools at home on a DIY project or on a job site for work, owning a good set of power tools is essential to getting the job done efficiently and correctly. Those in construction know that a quality nailer or circular saw is mandatory. Power tools have evolved quite nicely over the last decade or so and many more homeowners are delving into projects around the house. Much like knowing how to cook saves you from having to go out to eat, being able to handle power tools will save you from having to hire a handyman. I used to be afraid to use power tools simply because I didn't grow up with them (my dad was no handyman). I took a shop class in high school and was sold on the usefulness of table saws, grinders, drills, power sanders, nailers, and much more. Once you know how to use each tool - you are set for life with a skill set that is invaluable. The top brands in power tools include Makita, Hitachi, Bosch, Ryobi, Skil, Panasonic, Black and Decker, Milwaukee, Porter Cable, Grizzly, Jet, and Ridgid.

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Depending on your project, you will need to have a variety of tools on hand to finish it. When I head out into my garden each year I make sure that my hedge trimmers and leaf blower are working properly and the lawn mower is always given a good tuneup at the start of the season. What we have tried to do on this page is include the complete list of power tools that may be necessary to do work around your house, in the workshop, or on the job. With the innovation of cordless power tools, now you can take them virtually anywhere as long as you have a charged up battery pack. For certain jobs, cordless tools are wonderful to have around, so don't shy away from them when doing your purchasing. I still prefer the corded models with some power tools, but the portability that is provided from cordless power tools is a godsend. You should always read the owners manual before operating any type of power tool or machinery and never drink alochol while working with them. Although I don't know anyone personally who has lost a finger using a power tool, I have heard of plenty on the news and in the paper. Wear protective eyegear and make sure your hearing is protected as well if you use power tools on your job. When deciding on new versus factory refurbished or reconditioned items, understand that often when something as simple as the box the product shipped in was damaged means that the item is reconditioned. That reconditioned framing nailer or air compressor could be brand new, but the manufacturer can't label it that way in those cases. When shopping for power tools, that's the best way to get discounts. With the Internet, you can easily search for power tool reviews and come up with 1000's of results that should lead you in the right direction. We have an entire list online HERE with full product reviews and detailed writeups. Amazon.com has a complete list of top selling power tools online.

Power Tools - Saw:

Saws are some of the most popular power tools right behind drills. Whether you are using a miter saw to install crown molding or a circular saw to cut wood to size, power saws are a great addition to any tool collection. We have done the research for you using sources like Consumer Reports, Popular Mechanics, and Amazon.com to find the best performing saws on the market. Names like Bosch, DeWalt, and Hitachi are the leaders in this field and you can see the entire inventory of best selling saws online at Amazon.com. We have tried to list the top rated reciprocating saws, jig saws, band saws, scroll saws, and tile saws on our main Household Tools page. Check it out, read some reviews, and make purchases that are based on solid research.

Garden Power Tools:

For anyone that loves to keep their yard and garden in tip top shape, owning power tools will make the job much easier. I find that if you have a good sized piece of lawn to maintain you need a quality lawn mower, a lawn edger or string trimmers, and a leaf blower to keep all the leaves off the lawn during the fall. If you are someone who has lots of trees in your yard, consider buying a chain saw to handle the cutting and trimming of branches. Once the branches have been cut down, you will need to have a log splitter or wood chipper to handle them. As for maintaining bushes and shrubs, consider an electric hedge trimmer to keep things looking manicured. Anyone that lives in the northeast understands how dabilitating snow can be, so look into a snow blower so you can keep your sidewalks, driveway, and walkways clear of snow. We have all these products listed on our Household -DIY page with reviews in each category - look HERE

Where to buy power tools?

You may wonder where is the best place to buy power tools. Certainly your local home improvement store like Home Depot, Sears, or Lowes is a good place to start, but you are limited to what the salesperson has to tell you about the product. We suggest shopping online for power tools whenever possible since you can not only see the most popular items sold in each category, but you can read reviews from other owners and consumers on sites like Amazon.com. This gives you a good feel of which brands are the most reliable, which models perform the best, and it's all unbiased feedback. You can see all the most popular power tools on Amazon. Two of our other favorite sources for power tools online are Toolbarn.com and Toolking.com. Amazon has the cheapest prices since they are a huge distributor of online goods, so check their site out first.

Woodworking Power Tools:

I rarely meet a guy who has never tried a woodworking project. When I was a kid my first experience with woodworking was building a fort in my backyard. I didn't own any power tools, but I can only imagine how fast the work would have gone if I had a framing nailer or table saw to cut the wood. As I mentioned above, my real experience came in high school woodshop class where we were allowed to use jointers, planers, lathes, table saws, routers, grinders, power sanders - you name it. Woodcraft.com is perhaps my favorite website for wookworking power tools - they carry virtually everything you would ever need to start and finish a woodworking project at home or in the shop. Woodworking tools are not cheap since they are finely tuned machinery. You can get pricing for woodworking power tools at Amazon.

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