Why buy that? Having trouble choosing between tools? You're not alone. Here are some tips you can use next time you have to make a choice

Tools of the Trade, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Mark Clement, Rick Schwolsky

Walking into a tool store and standing in the middle of a square mile of tools and equipment, it's hard enough to remember why you came in--let alone figure out what you should walk out with. Tool buyers now have so many choices between brands and features in each category, you could spend all day wandering the aisles. But you don't have all day. You're on the clock, and you need to make the right tool-buying decision and get out of there. The challenge is that you need to choose the best tool for your work and decide how much of your hard-earned money to spend on it. So beyond buying what You've always bought, what criteria should you use to maximize your buck?

One key, says Tim Landry, sales and marketing manager at Berland's House of Tools in Lombard, Ill., is to understand something contractors often overlook: "The most expensive tool out there isn't anything you can buy at the store--it's your crew. Giving them what they need to work proficiently is the key to making the right tool choice." So we asked Landry to help us lay down some buying tips and clear up some common questions about choosing the right tool for the job.

WORMDRIVE OR SIDEWINDER?

What most people call "wormdrives" are really hypoid-geared or in-line saws (only Skil, Bosch, and Ridgid have the oil-soaked worm gear). No matter what you call them, wormdrives, hypoids, and sidewinders do the same thing, just differently. How do you make the call? Maybe you tool up with one of each.

WORMDRIVE/HYPOID

PROS:

Weight: Front heavy, which is good for drop-cutting, especially studs, rafter tails, and deck joists.

Blade Options: Blade left provides clean line of sight.

Tool Body: Long; good for reaching across stacks of sheathing.

Power: Engineers say these kinds of saws have greater torque for the toughest cutting,

Durability: The motor will go before the gears.

CONS:

- Weight: They're front heavy, side heavy, and back heavy. They're just heavy,

- Blade Options: Only comes in blade-left configuration.

- Tool Body: The blade's distance from the handle can make them harder to manage or position for awkward cutting.

- Power: The heavy gearing that gives these saws power also can cause them to twist in your hand at start-up as the gears engage.

- Brake: There's usually no option for an electric brake (DeWalt has the only one).

- Maintenance: You need to change the oil every now and then.

- Blade Change: Tapping out the diamond knock-out adds a step to the blade change; if knock-outs don't remove easily, you can warp the blade, which is bad for finish work.

- Price: Higher.

SIDEWINDER

PROS:

Weight: Lighter, easier to use in more positions.

Blade Options: Comes in blade-left or blade-right versions.

Tool Body: Compact body design, wide shoe, and good sight lines for accurate cuts, even in finish work like doors and panels.

Power: Strong in all sorts of materials.

Brake: Many models have an electric brake.

Maintenance: No oil to change.

Blade Change: No knock-out (or resulting blade damage) to contend with.

Price: Lower.

CONS:

- Tool Body: Beach is shorter for rips or across plywood; compact body and blade-right configuration make drop-cutting more difficult in many applications. (It's not as tough in blade-left configurations.)

- Durability: Tough, but generally less durable.

HOSE OR HOSE-FREE NAILERS?

As much as we all want to leave the hoses and compressor in the truck, hoseless nailing is a supplement to pneumatics. For fast framing, plug in. Going hoseless is better for out-of-the-way jobs or for punch-out. It's a much closer call for trim carpenters due to improvements in features, performance, and selection of hoseless trim nailers. There's still room for improvement in cost, maintenance, and speed.

CORDLESS DRILL/DRIVER OR IMPACT DRIVER?

Should you get a cordless drill/driver or a cordless impact driver? They do the same thing, right? Not exactly.

CORDLESS DRILL/DRIVER

PROS:

Go-to Tool: It's versatile in light- to medium-duty work.

Drive Mechanism: Drills holes over 1/2-inch diameter more efficiently: some have a hammering function for concrete and masonry.

Speed: Clutches and low-rpm settings make them right for more finicky work.

Chuck: Grab all kinds of bits, especially round shank bits.

Noise: Quiet, even when working with your head jammed inside a cabinet.

Price: Lower.

CONS:

- Drive Mechanism: Constant torque is better for drilling--but not even close when it comes to nut-, screw-, and bolt-driving oomph.

- Speed: Slower, especially when taxed.

- Chuck: Adds size and weight as it adds versatility; can spin against and damage finish work.

- Size: Almost one-third larger.

CORDLESS IMPACT DRIVER

PROS:

Go-to Tool: For big driving power--and all-around drilling/ driving--in a small package.

Drive Mechanism: An anvil hits a driver, turning it hard, which achieves gobs of big old power in most driving applications.

Speed: Variable-speed trigger and delayed impact help control that power in all but the most delicate tasks and make these tools useful almost anywhere on site; for all-out driving, they're way faster.