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Tools
May 15, 2013
WTI: the New Festool Track Saw
Dan Cary is Executive Editor of HANDY.
This looks like a circular saw, but it's so much more. It's the new Festool TS 55 REQ, the latest version ...
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May 06, 2013
In Las Vegas, Wish You Were Here
As the entertainers out here in Las Vegas like to say, "Thank you! We're here all week!"
It's true, we are here at the HANDY/Gardening How-To Test ...
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May 02, 2013
A Scary Look at Table Saw Kickback
The video opens with this qualifier: "There will be lots of people saying that I am an idiot for doing this to make a video and they are correct."
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April 25, 2013
Giveaway May Change Your Luck
"I never win anything!"
We've said that ourselves, and we've certainly heard it when it comes to running a sweepstakes. But we're hoping to change ...
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April 24, 2013
WTI: Tool Saves You From Bad TV
Gary Legwold is Web Editor for HANDY.
When I travel to see relatives, I take a tool bag because I don't want to sit and gossip and eat and watch ba...
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April 17, 2013
WTI: B&D Matrix Quick Connect
This week's We Tried It video features the "one-man band" of power tools: the Black & Decker Matrix Quick Connect System.
The Matrix features s...
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April 15, 2013
4 Tool Testers Win Free Vegas Trip
It's hats-off time here at HANDY!
We've found four winners for our fourth annual Top Tool Tester Contest. We were wowed that more than 1,000 Handym...
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April 10, 2013
WTI: Cordless Electric Chain Saw
This is a chain saw that'll get high marks — especially from your neighbors. The Oregon 40V Max Cordless Chain Saw is quiet, so if you want to get off...
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March 28, 2013
Giveaway: 5 Bosch Jobsite Radios
We're pretty upbeat about today's giveaway. Normally, we award one prize in our sweepstakes, but we're pumping up the volume for this Bosch Jobsite Ra...
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March 18, 2013
Steamer Makes You Better at Loving
Now, before you get all steamed about a misleading and even steamy headline — after all, the topic here is a not-very-sexy power steamer — let us expl...
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March 11, 2013
Don't Use E15 Fuel in Your Mower
It seems that E15 has received a grade of "F" as a fuel for lawn-and-garden equipment. That's the word from the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and ...
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March 07, 2013
Giveaway: 2 Toro String Trimmers
Cordless tools, of course, mean freedom, and that's especially true with a cordless string trimmer. You're free to roam, efficiently put the finishing...
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March 04, 2013
Tip: How to Work Safely on Ladders
Mike Tavis writes for HANDY Magazine. The month of March means ladders come to life as DIYers start doing outside projects again. While ladders and ...
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February 28, 2013
The Cat's Meow of Product Testing
Most of you probably came to the Handyman Club because of product testing. Hey, who doesn't want to test cool tools and innovative home-improvement pr...
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February 25, 2013
Get Your Tools Garden-Ready
Okay, raise your hand if you cleaned and sharpened all of your gardening tools before putting them away last fall. Yeah, we didn't do it either. We...
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February 21, 2013
Giveaway: Ryobi 6-Piece Combo Kit
We are giving away a brand new bag in our sweepstakes today — yes, a bag. But with that bag, you can scratch off lots of projects from your DIY to-do ...
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February 20, 2013
Tip: How to Use a Router Table
When it comes to versatility, a router is hard to beat. As a shaping tool, a router fixed to a table can turn an ordinary board into a piece of custom...
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February 07, 2013
We Need Your Entries—Again!
We made a big discovery about a big boo-boo. It seems that the online entry site for HANDY's fourth annual Top Tool Tester Contest shut down on Januar...
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February 04, 2013
Workbench/Sawhorse Fits in Toolbox
You've all seen it, and maybe you've done it. You're working on a project that includes making just a few cuts. Instead of lugging the lumber to your ...
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January 31, 2013
13 Innovative Hand-Tool Designs
There's always a lot of buzz about power-tool innovations, but hand tools have been enjoying a bit of a renaissance as well. In recent years, nearly e...
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January 23, 2013
A Work Light You Can Drive Over
Not that you'd want to drive over a jobsite work light. But if you often find yourself weighed down with worry about stuff like that happening on the ...
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January 21, 2013
Paint Applicator Holds 18 Ounces
We sent the HomeRight PaintStick EZ-Twist Paint Applicator ($30.99) to 130 of our product testers, and 94 percent gave it the thumbs up. Pretty impres...
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January 17, 2013
Giveaway: Stihl Chain Saw
When we can combine a tool giveaway with a good cause, we jump on it. In today's Stihl Chain Saw Sweepstakes, we're giving away this Stihl MS 271 cha...
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January 03, 2013
It Growls, Roars & Saves Your Back
Up until two years ago, we thought we didn't need no stinkin' snowblower. Nah, we took pride in taking on Ol' Man Winter the way John Henry would have...
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January 02, 2013
Test Tools in Vegas — Free (Maybe)
Just as the holidays start to simmer down, we kinda like to get things warming up again in the New Year with our best contest. It's a DIYer's ...
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December 19, 2012
A Table Saw, a Router and This
If you use a table saw, router and/or band saw, you'll want to use the DepthGauge ($6.99). It's a metal scale (marked in inches and millimeter...
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December 06, 2012
Giveaway, Festool and One Friend
Sorry, but you don't stand much of a chance at resisting today's giveaway. It's enticing because it involves you, a friend and Festool too...
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December 03, 2012
Tips on Buying a Drill/Driver
A drill/driver is so basic to a shop that we tend to take it for granted. Everyone knows the ins and outs of a drill/driver, right? Wrong. Newbies are...
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November 28, 2012
Tile Nippers With 3X Power
We sent out the QEP Compound Tile Nipper ($19.97) to 176 of our product testers. Guess how many said they would recommend them? 176.
Made from dura...
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November 21, 2012
Essential Power Tool for Parties
Thanksgiving is tomorrow, meaning it's "game on" for those who prefer to party pretty much all the way through Super Bowl XLVII in New O...
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November 19, 2012
This Tool Doesn’t Come With Yogurt
How does this new tool, Black and Decker's 4v Max Gyro Rechargeable Screwdriver, compare with a Greek gyro sandwich?
Both fit nicely in your ha...
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November 12, 2012
Can't Rip Plywood-Ripping Tool
Time for a "panel" discussion about rip-cutting. When ripping large panels of plywood, particleboard, melamine, MDF, etc., a circular saw is...
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October 29, 2012
Sawing Logs the Civilized Way
Look, we're not all professional lumberjacks and tree trimmers. We're homeowners, mostly, who pick up a chain saw a few times a year to clear ...
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October 22, 2012
A Push Broom That Squirts Water
This push broom packs a punch, and it's perfect for many of the tough areas around the house that you have to tackle during fall cleanup. The Home...
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October 17, 2012
Drill-at-Right-Angle Attachment
It's a prayer of thanks each time you have the right tool to drive screws and drill holes at a right angle in tight quarters. As 312 of our produc...
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October 15, 2012
What's 12, Makes Tool Makers Think?
The answer: the HANDY Innovation Award (HIA). Now in its 12th year, the HIA honors products that showcase initiative, creativity, invention, reinventi...
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September 26, 2012
Product Test: Weld w/o Inert Gases
Some of our product testers wanted to weld but did not want to mess around with inert gases. They got their wish when they tested the Multiplaz 3500, ...
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September 20, 2012
Giveaway: 3 Chain Saw Packages
We're going to cut to the chase because, with fall cleanup and firewood season fast approaching, you're going to want to jump on this giveaway...
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September 10, 2012
A Robot That Cleans Your Gutters
We humans conspire to make robots to do tasks that we loathe, so it's not surprising that one of the first D-I-I (Do-It-Itself) robots cleans gutt...
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September 06, 2012
Gaga Giveaway: YOU Pick the Prize
Dream analysis — that's what this special Pick-the-Prize Sweepstakes is all about. You have two assignments:
Answer one simple question: ...
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August 28, 2012
Addiction of Measuring Distances
Larry Okrend is Editor in Chief of HANDY Magazine.
Laser distance measurers aren't new, but they're still cool. They perform feats that are...
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August 27, 2012
Prune It Like You Mean It
Pruning small branches isn't a particularly thorny job, but it can be annoying if the cut branch falls out of your reach or gets hung up in the su...
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August 20, 2012
Finally, a 48-Pocket Tool Backpack
It peeves us that so much time seems to be lost in toting tools and materials to and from the project site. Doggonit, setting up shouldn't be a pr...
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August 09, 2012
Giveaway: Great Garage Workbench
If you win this month's Gladiator Workbench Sweepstakes, you may want to "baby" the workbench because it's so striking in appearance...
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July 26, 2012
7 Simple Table Saw Safety Tips
Dan Cary is Executive Editor of HANDY.
The table saw is a very versatile tool. I've probably used it more than any other tool in the sh...
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July 17, 2012
Tip: How to Use a Jackhammer
The jackhammer is an all-business tool that's a jiggling joy to use. It's without pretense or subtlety, with the sole purpose to bust things u...
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July 12, 2012
10 Seconds: Bosch Discount or Not?
We hate to rush you, but we're just being real here. You see, Ohio Power Tool is offering a discount on Bosch tools to our readers only, but the d...
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June 20, 2012
Tip: Don't Remove Table Saw Guard
Mike Conner is a building contractor in Minneapolis.
A few weeks ago, I was wrapping up a kitchen remodel. I had a lot to finish that day, ...
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May 31, 2012
Tip: How to Buy a Cordless Trimmer
When we first used a gas-powered string trimmer, we were easy to please. Heck, anything was better than those old pain-in-the-forearm manual grass cli...
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May 21, 2012
A "Happy Hour" Utility Knife
This tool reminds us of a "Happy Hour," except instead of two-for-one margaritas, you're getting two blades in one utility knife.
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May 17, 2012
Wanna Save $40 on Impact Driver?
If you do, you've got four days to do it!
Here's the deal: If you're a Handyman Club of America member (if you're not, you&...
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May 14, 2012
Gripping Video About Dried Glue!
A video about dried glue? Is this a joke? Not to woodworkers, because that dried glue is on — and then off — the bristles. This glue brush...
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May 07, 2012
16' Extension Ladder Fits in Car
An extension ladder can be an unwieldy back-breaker that you have to hoist on top of your truck or van. Well, we found a 16-footer that'll fit in ...
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March 05, 2012
You Want to Find a Stud? Simple
Definition of typical stud finder: A device you throw at the wall after it sorta finds a stud in the wall — maybe. Maddening!
Yes, th...
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February 16, 2012
3 Paint Rollers, 0 Roller Trays
Look, Ma! No tray!
That's the idea with paint rollers that deliver paint from can to wall; they're skipping the dipping. They have ...
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February 15, 2012
Go Bonkers Over This Saw Blade
We sent these saw blades to 500 of our product testers. They all loved the Bosch 7-1/4-in. Daredevil Framing Blade ($9.99), giving it a 100-percent ap...
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February 08, 2012
3 Must-Haves for Aging DIYers
Aging happens ... if you're lucky. DIYers, embrace your years because experience and well-earned wisdom come in handy with projects. Still, take i...
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January 23, 2012
Bad Ass Built Into Sledge Hammer
Look at the "guns" on the guy in the image above! When you wield a sledge hammer, you don't necessarily need those kinds of biceps &mdas...
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January 11, 2012
Pole Saw With 144-in. Extension
Don't like ladder work? You may not because you insist that you do your best work with two feet firmly planted on terra firma and not on a tipsy l...
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January 05, 2012
Giveaway: It Throws Snow 35 Ft.
We have one wish with our first sweepstakes of the new year: that the sky doesn't dump a dozen inches of snow on the winner before he or she receives ...
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December 29, 2011
Raising the Bar on a Sharp Tool
When we tried the Work Sharp WS3000 a few years back, we instantly liked this versatile sharpening system. Nevertheless, it fell short of its full pot...
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December 28, 2011
Right On: Rugged Steel Truck Box
Ten of our toughest product testers took on this truck box — and lost. They tried to find flaws but couldn't; thus, the UWS ProGrade Steel Truck Box (...
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December 14, 2011
This Pump Made Quite the Splash
How pumped up can you get about a new pump? Plenty, according to our 39 product testers who gave the Wayne Auto On/Off Utility Pump ($169) a 100 perce...
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December 08, 2011
Giveaway: DeWalt 4-Tool Combo Kit
Our special holiday giveaway will ensure that one of you lucky TOOLBOX readers will have a very "MAXy" Christmas. We're talkin' 20V MAX because the pr...
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November 30, 2011
Can a Hole Saw Make You Happy?
Can a hole saw make you happy? You already know how it can make you unhappy when it jams and you can't dig out the dang plug. Well, the bimetal Lenox ...
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November 17, 2011
Giveaway: 6 Award-Winning Prizes
The 2011 HANDY Innovation Award winners are tickled pink about the honor. It's become a big deal in the DIY industry, so they want to brag it up a bit...
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November 16, 2011
Chain Saw: Quiet, Cordless and 40V
This is a chain saw that'll get high marks — from your neighbors. The Oregon PowerNow 40V MAX Cordless Chainsaw is quiet, not to mention lightweight a...
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November 14, 2011
Handy Tool for Gutter Cleaning
Gutter cleaning from a ladder gets high marks for being a high-anxiety, low-fun-factor task. So we're pretty excited to have found a tool that makes t...
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November 08, 2011
Split Wood in Half the Time
The problem with most conventional log splitters is they are s-l-o-w. Yep, you position the log on the splitter, pull the lever to activate the ax-lik...
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November 03, 2011
Just the Idea of Blowing Snow ...
"Say it ain't so, Joe ... snow?"
Yep, it's that time again. Snow's coming (or already here), so select a snow thrower and ...
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November 02, 2011
Reasonably Priced Router—100% Yes
Routers are wonderful tools and pert' near indispensible — but they can be downright pricey. Well, the Skil 1830 Combo Router Kit (at $110) carries su...
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October 26, 2011
Wall Scanner Superman Would Love
You don't need Superman's X-ray vision to hang pictures and cabinets, install shelving or to do electrical upgrades. A stud finder helps, but traditio...
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October 20, 2011
Giveaway: Blower-Shredder-Vacuum
Think twice before entering this giveaway. Don't bother if you want to take your sweet time raking and bagging leaves because you love soaking in the ...
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October 12, 2011
One Tool Blows and Shreds Leaves
It's not surprising that our product-testing team gave this handheld shredder/vacuum a 100 percent approval rating. After all, it blows yard debris an...
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October 06, 2011
Vote for HANDY Innovation Award
Each year, HANDY Magazine editors do the DIY world a good deed by presenting the HANDY Innovation Awards. The editors earmark new tools and products t...
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September 29, 2011
Build This Woodworker's Bench
What is it about a woodworker's bench? After one project, the bench isn't just a work surface anymore; it's a friend and a tool — maybe the hardest-wo...
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September 28, 2011
95/100 = Yes for Oscillating Tool
Bosch has been deliberate in making its way to the oscillating tool party, but our product testers' response to the new MX25EK-33 Multi-X Oscillating ...
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September 22, 2011
Giveaway: Two Go-To Bosch Tools
There are tools that you have, and then there are tools that you use. The ones you use are your go-to tools; you grab them when you're off to a job an...
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September 21, 2011
Manual Scraping? That's History
It's like manual sanding versus power sanders, right? Once you flip the switch and enjoy the sander's ride to smooth surfaces, it's tough going back t...
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September 15, 2011
Auto Hammer Has Some Chutzpah
We like a tool with an attitude — one that can handle fussy fasteners in need of a little friendly persuasion. Well, Craftsman NEXTEC 12.0 Volt G2 Ham...
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September 01, 2011
Juiced: Boost Battery in 3 Minutes
We're calling this the "Save Your Butt" battery charger. You've been there: You're this close to finishing your epic project (and then go fishing with...
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August 31, 2011
Impact Driver Improves Sleep!
DeWalt doesn't dwell on it, but it's true: You sleep better with this impact driver under your pillow.
OK, not under your ...
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August 10, 2011
Design a Shop — You Deserve It!
This project is a bit different, but nevertheless, it is the parent of all projects. Because once you design a workshop that's efficient and comfortab...
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August 08, 2011
Prisoners Pray for This Hacksaw!
For two reasons:
They want to escape (video). Invariably, however, these plots flop; either the law is one step ahead o...
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August 04, 2011
Giveaway: JawSaw, Trimmer, Blower
Think of your yard as a lion that needs weekly taming. Most of us are going about the task armed only with a chair (the mower), but to really whip tha...
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July 21, 2011
Whack Weeds With Stand-Up Tool
Any time we can whack weeds without throwing the back outta whack with stoop labor, we're happy. So we're halfway to heaven when holding this stand-up...
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July 18, 2011
Really Safe Chain Saw With Jaws
We'll cut to the quick: Chain saws are dangerous, and that's bound to make you justifiably apprehensive. But we recently discovered a new kind of chai...
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July 15, 2011
Giveaway: Festool Drill/Driver!
Actually, we shouldn't beat around the bush — just send you directly to the Sweepstakes entry page. Because, really, nothing needs to be said when the...
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July 05, 2011
Spade Aids to Ease Shoveling Pain
If you've ever handled a spade, shovel, pitchfork or just about any tool with a long handle, you're really going to dig these two handy, affordable to...
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June 29, 2011
Our Dream Drill Is the Real Deal
In our dreams, the fantasy drill/driver is cordless (of course!) and has 18 volts of power — AND it is smaller, lighter and tougher than a 12-volt mod...
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June 22, 2011
Stay Organized, Keep Dust at Bay
Remember R2D2, the super-handy little droid from "Star Wars" that was more versatile than a pocketful of Swiss Army Knives? Festool, long recognized f...
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June 01, 2011
Start-to-Finish Project Updates
Besides recording their projects for posterity (ah, vanity), our testers gave this cool Timelapse ProjectCam an impressive 98 percent approval rating....
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May 12, 2011
Test Tile Saw, Then Do the Strip
In Las Vegas, our four Top Tool Testers are too much! You'd think after two tough days of reviewing tools in the Product Test Shop (and tougher nights...
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May 11, 2011
Vegas Test--Skil Oscillating Tool
In Las Vegas, it was fun to read the faces of the four lucky Top Tool Testers reviewing tools now in the Product Test Shop. Recall that these three gu...
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May 09, 2011
The Vegas Test: Impact Wrench
Tool manufacturers gotta be pretty confident in their new tools to put them up for micro-analysis by our four Top Tool Testers. Recall that the fearso...
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May 04, 2011
100% Raves for Multipurpose Saw
Right on, RotoZip! You've managed to do what few tool manufacturers have done — please 100 percent of our very picky TOOLBOX Testers! Your versa...
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April 27, 2011
14 Hot Painting Tasks, 1 Cool Tool
We always try to paint in the shade, but inevitably we end up working in the heat on exterior jobs. Well, our tool testers found that hot painting get...
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April 14, 2011
Product Test: THIS Is a Utility Knife!
You might say that with our handy testers, this utility knife made the cut — big time! To the point, the Clauss SpeedPak Utility Knife received a 99 p...
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April 11, 2011
Quiz Question: What Won't This Saw Cut?
This question must be a multiple choice, with one of the answers being, "None of the above." Because the Ridgid TwinBlade Saw R3250 is sort of the "ut...
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April 06, 2011
Prudence & Patience, Dear Pruner
Winter whacks the best of us, especially our trees. We notice the damage during spring, and we're typically pumped to prune away the problems PDQ. Pro...
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March 16, 2011
Impact Driver Had a Big Impact
It's DIY embarrassing but unavoidable, really — going to a hardware store and drooling all over the new power tools. But at least our tool testers don...
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March 02, 2011
Giveaway Lineup—Need Your Vote!
You can tell that the "G" Team (aka the Giveaway Team at the TOOLBOX and the Handyman Club of America) is into sports. Because the March tool giveaway...
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February 10, 2011
Giveaway: Compound Miter Saw
You've voted on Facebook for which Skil tool you'd like to win in this TOOLBOX giveaway, presented by the Handyman Club of America. Now it's time to b...
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January 31, 2011
Giveaway Line-up—Need Your Vote!
We've got the G Team working hard. The G is for giveaway; the Team is the TOOLBOX and the Handyman Club of America. Tomorrow is the start of another m...
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January 27, 2011
Giveaway: Drill/Driver, Recip Saw
You've voted on Facebook for which Ridgid tool you'd like to win in this TOOLBOX giveaway, presented by the Handyman Club of America. Now it's time to...
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January 13, 2011
Today's Giveaway: Compressor Kit
We've teamed up with the Handyman Club of America for our first January giveaway — and we listened to your vote. That is, we presented four Craf...
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