Hand Tools
Best Hand Planes for Beginning Woodworkers
The hand plane is the woodworking tool that changes beginners into woodworkers. Before power jointers, planers, and sanders, hand planes…
Archives: Reviews
Hand Tools
Best Allen Wrench and Hex Key Sets
Allen wrenches – also called hex keys – are indispensable for any DIYer who assembles furniture, maintains bicycles, adjusts power…
Hand Tools
Best Torque Wrenches for DIY Automotive and Home Use
A torque wrench isn’t a luxury for precise mechanics – it’s a safety tool. Fasteners torqued to specification maintain their…
Hand Tools
Best Socket Wrench Sets – 3/8 vs 1/2-Inch Drive for DIY
A socket wrench set is the most efficient way to tighten and loosen hex fasteners – faster than a combination…
Hand Tools
Best Adjustable Wrenches – Every Option Reviewed
The adjustable wrench – sometimes called a Crescent wrench after the original brand – is the most versatile wrench in…
Hand Tools
Best Locking Pliers – Vise-Grip Style Tested and Ranked
Locking pliers – commonly known by the Vise-Grip brand name – are one of those tools that seem redundant until…
Hand Tools
Best Pliers Sets – Standard, Needle-Nose, Lineman, Slip-Joint
Pliers are among the most versatile tools in the hand tool category, and yet they’re also among the most frequently…
Hand Tools
Best Pry Bars and Nail Pullers for Demo Work
Pry bars and nail pullers are the tools of deconstruction – for removing trim without damage, pulling stubborn nails, separating…
Hand Tools
Best Screwdriver Sets – Manual, Ratcheting, and Stubby
A screwdriver set is the most-reached-for tool in any home or shop, and yet it’s also one of the most…
Hand Tools
Best Utility Knives – Fixed, Folding, and Auto-Retract
Utility knives are among the most frequently used tools in any workplace – for cutting drywall, slicing packaging, scoring laminate,…
Hand Tools
Best Japanese Pull Saws – Why Woodworkers Swear by Them
Japanese pull saws occupy a category of tool fanaticism that seems disproportionate to how a blade cuts through wood –…
Hand Tools
Best Hand Saws for DIY – Cross-Cut, Rip, and Japanese
The hand saw has been supplemented – though not replaced – by power tools in most workshops. But there are…