About & how we test
Online Tool Reviews reviews power tools and woodworking gear for people who have to live with the purchase. Every article makes a clear recommendation and says who it is not for.
Who writes this
Articles on Online Tool Reviews are published under the byline Nate Calder, the site’s editorial pen name. Reviews are researched from manufacturer specifications, retailer listings, owner reports and long-term feedback from the trade — not from hands-on testing in our own workshop. Every page says so, and no article claims first-hand use it did not have.
How scoring works
Tools are scored out of 10 across four areas, then given one overall figure:
- Build quality — materials, tolerances, and how it survives being dropped.
- Power — real output under load, not the number on the box.
- Ergonomics — balance, grip, noise, vibration, and how it feels after an hour.
- Value — what you get relative to what it costs and what else is available.
The overall score is a judgement call, not an average. A tool that fails on one thing that matters can score lower than its individual numbers suggest.
Hands-on vs research-based
Reviews are labelled honestly. Hands-on means the tool was physically used for the work described. Research-based means the assessment draws on specifications, manufacturer documentation, owner reports and comparison against tools that have been used hands-on. Both are useful; they are not the same thing, so they are never presented as if they were.
How this site makes money
Through Amazon affiliate links. If you buy after clicking one, we earn a small commission at no cost to you. Commission rates do not vary by product in a way that could influence a pick, and no manufacturer pays for placement or gets to review an article before it goes live. See the full disclosure.