Editorial desk
Tools & DIY
Hand tools, power tools, and the workshop that holds them.
Reviewed by a former carpenter. We cover the tools tradespeople would actually choose, and we don't pretend a budget multi-tool is a substitute for the right one.
Editorial perspective
A tool that wears in over years is worth more than one that arrives perfect. We weight long-term sharpenability, repairability, and parts availability.
Featured guide
Eight Years With a Makita 18V Drill
A driver that has built three kitchens, two decks, and a great deal of flat-pack.
By Bram Ostendorf · Last reviewed 2026-04-30
Read the reviewSupporting guides
More from the Tools & DIY desk
How to Buy a First Set of Chisels
A short guide that may save the reader several mediocre purchases.
By Bram Ostendorf · Last reviewed 2026-03-10
Three Years With a Compound Mitre Saw
A tools-desk long-term review of the saw that has built two sheds, one set of bookshelves, and several picture-frame mistakes.
By Bram Ostendorf · Last reviewed 2026-05-25
3
Guides on this desk
2
Long-term reviews
2026-05
Last desk revision
2024
Desk established
Editor's picks
What Bram keeps recommending.
01
Eight Years With a Makita 18V Drill
A driver that has built three kitchens, two decks, and a great deal of flat-pack.
Recently updated
What this desk revisited most recently.
Last reviewed
2026-05-25Three Years With a Compound Mitre Saw
Bram Ostendorf · Long-term review
Last reviewed
2026-04-30Eight Years With a Makita 18V Drill
Bram Ostendorf · Long-term review
Last reviewed
2026-03-10How to Buy a First Set of Chisels
Bram Ostendorf · Buying guide
Long-term reviews
Guides we've lived with for at least a year.
Eight Years With a Makita 18V Drill
Published 2024-05 · Last revisit 2026-04-30
Three Years With a Compound Mitre Saw
Published 2026-04 · Last revisit 2026-05-25
Reader questions
About this desk
- How long does the Tools & DIY desk test before publishing?
- Most reviews here represent at least three months of regular use, with a meaningful share extending to multiple years before publication.
- Do you accept review samples from brands?
- Occasionally, with clear ground rules: no editorial influence, no embargoed coverage, and full disclosure inside the review.
- How do I suggest something to cover?
- Reader suggestions are taken seriously. Write to us with the object, the question you wish someone would answer, and how long you've lived with it yourself.
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Gear that holds up in households with real animals.
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The accessories that determine whether a car feels well kept.
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Infant and family gear, judged by what gets used.
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