How I Test Tools

Every tool on this site is one I bought with my own money and used on real jobs during more than 10 years of contracting and carpentry work. This page explains where my numbers and scores come from, so you can decide how much weight to give them. If I change how I test, I’ll bump the version number and note it at the bottom.

Impact drivers: timed test (v1.0)

This is the test I ran for my Makita XDT13Z vs XDT14Z vs XDT16Z comparison.

• Speed. Each driver, on a fully charged battery, drove three kinds of screws into two layers of 1/4-inch plywood: a 3-inch construction screw, a 2-3/4-inch cabinet screw and a 1-inch self-tapping metal screw. I filmed every drive and timed it frame by frame in a free video tracking program called Tracker, from trigger press to screw sunk.
• Size. I measured each driver from the back of the head to the tip of the 1/4-inch bit holder.
• Weight. I weighed each driver on a scale.
• Torque. I don’t have a calibrated torque tester, so the torque numbers are Makita’s and I label them that way.

Saws, jigsaws, nailers and hammers

These reviews come from using the tools on real work like trim, framing, decks and remodeling. Numbers like speed, capacity and battery life are the manufacturer’s unless I say I measured them.

How I score tools

My single-tool reviews get a score out of 5. I rate four things from 1 to 5 and weight them like this:

• Performance (40%): how well it does the job, like speed and power, cut quality, or how a hammer drives and pulls.
• Handling (25%): weight, balance, grip and controls.
• Build and features (20%): how it holds up, the features you actually use and the warranty.
• Value (15%): what you get for the price, batteries included.

The score is the weighted average, rounded to the nearest half point. Comparisons and roundups don’t get an overall score.

Changes

• v1.0: first published version.