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Sunday 19 May 2013

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50 best power tools and DIY gadgets

DeWalt DCD985M2 18V cordless power drill screwfix.com, £329.99 DeWalt is known for resilience, reliability and quality. This powerful drill, with a long-lasting battery, will make you feel less of a DIY amateur.
Bosch IXO Gourmet johnlewis.com, £59.99 This beats the lot for versatility. The IXO is Bosch’s most popular screwdriver. It works brilliantly and has 12 bits. The Gourmet add-ons are a salt and pepper mill and a corkscrew.
Makita BFS441RFE screwdriver toolstop.co.uk, £364.95 Top-end screwdriver, with a price to match. Light and very powerful. It has a charging time of just over 20 minutes and comes with two batteries.
Dremel DSM20 System compact saw toolbox.co.uk, £99.49 A compact saw with a powerful motor that cuts wood, plastic, metal and tile to 20mm depth. Its abrasive-wheel technology promises clean cuts.
Black & Decker Multievo blackanddecker.co.uk, £75 A useful multi-tool with heads for drilling, sawing, sanding and screwdriving. An oscillating tool makes it easier to cut all sorts of materials.
Black & Decker Gyro Driver diy.com, £39.98 The world’s first motion-control screwdriver, which means there is no trigger. Twist right and it drives a screw, twist left to unscrew.
Bosch Uneo toolstop.co.uk, £129.99 Light and versatile multi-tool: screwdriver, drill and rotary hammer. It’s powerful enough to deal with masonry and  light and small enough to be carried around with ease.
Stanley FatMax 850w 115mm angle grinder homebase.co.uk, £49.99 With an angle grinder you can cut, grind and finish materials including brickwork, stone slabs and more. You can also use it for removing rust.
JCB 1400W electric circular saw diy.com, £99.98 This fearsome looking gadget is good for cutting precisely. The laser guide helps you cut in straight lines and there’s a dust-extraction port.
Bosch PSR Select Driver johnlewis.com, £59.99 The bits on this screwdriver are built in – turn the BitSelect box until you find the one you need. The battery promises to deal with 90 screws before needing to be recharged.
Black & Decker HPL106KB High Performance drill toolnet.co.uk, £89.24 The High Performance range offers extra power, durability and effectiveness. A compact drill with extras, such as a belt hook so it’s always to hand.
JCB 1500W router diy.com, £89.98 If you have DIY jobs where you work with wood a lot, a router is useful for cutting grooves, making joints, and finishing the edging on skirting boards. This model has a powerful motor and is well-priced.
Bosch Xeo 2 cordless universal cutter pixmania.co.uk, £37.99 This is like a pair of scissors on steroids. It has self-sharpening blades and is suitable for many materials, hence the name. Carpet, cables and pipes will be make short work of.
Black & Decker Workmate 536 screwfix.com, £69.99 This workbench is still an essential for every DIYer. This model has two working heights and a front section that swings up so you can use it for clamping work in place.
Bosch All-Rounder Kit PMF 10.8 Li homebase.co.uk, £79.73 If shed space is at a premium, choose a multifunction tool like this. You can saw, cut, remove grout, sand, rasp and scrape with this tool. It’s light (0.9kg) and comfortable.
Bosch PSB 18 Li-2 drill homebase.co.uk, £89.98 This is Bosch’s best drill, and that’s saying something. The powerful motor is versatile with 30 torque settings and two gears. A handy light illuminates your work.
Stanley FatMax 18v hammer drill homebase.co.uk, £99.99 Stanley’s power tools are ergonomically designed to be comfortable in use. A switch stops the battery becoming overloaded and damaged.
DeWalt DWD525KS-GB 850W percussion drill screwfix.com, £174.99 There are times when only a corded power tool will do. Here, there’s a mid-handle for greater stability, a comfy grip and lots of power.
Makita 18V Li combi drill diy.com, £129.98 A highly capable drill. It comes with two batteries, a charger that works in 30 minutes and a tough case. A 2-speed gearbox makes it a decent screwdriver.
Ryobi 4.0v Lithium-Ion screwdriver diy.com, £29.98 This has an ergonomic pistol grip shape and an LED light. Its 12 torque settings mean you can work with the most stubborn screws.
Makita 4350CT/2 720W 240V jigsaw screwfix.com, £139.99 A solid jigsaw, ideal for a range of cutting jobs. There’s an  anti-splintering device built in and a dust extraction feature. It recharges quickly.
Stanley FatMax FMC670LB reciprocating saw uk.stanleysites.com, £179.99 A reciprocating saw excels at cutting through steel and wood and, being cordless, it’s great for use in the garden.
Dremel Moto-Saw dremel-direct.com, £99.99 A scroll-saw and fretsaw combination that’s ideal for craft work and light DIY. Cunningly, it works both docked in its base and in the hand as a fretsaw.
JCB 650W jigsaw diy.com, £84.98 Another decent jigsaw with plenty of power. It’s good for straight or curved cuts at angles from vertical to 45 degrees. It has a keyless chuck, so that’s one thing less to lose.
Black & Decker KW900EKA 1200w router homebase.co.uk, £69.08 A high-performance tool and the flat top makes it easy to change bits upside down. Six router bits are supplied.
DeWalt XR  framing nailer toolstop.com, £429.95 Most nail guns use gas canisters. This one is powered by a battery. Press the nozzle against the surface and the motor starts, then press the trigger to fire the nail.
Dremel 3000 multi-tool dremel-direct.com, £49.99 The redesigned craft, hobbyist and DIY tool promises reduced vibration – useful when you need pin-point precision as you grind, cut, sharpen, sand, polish, drill and so on. This model comes with 15 tools.
Bosch Electric paint roller PPR 250 argos.co.uk, £129.99 Make painting easier with this electric roller, which works with most common emulsion paints, without dilution. It pumps the paint directly onto the roller. It’s easy to clean too.
JCB 710W 2mm cut planer bristolcameras.co.uk, £49 Finish that piece of wood with a planer. A knob is rotated to set the cutting depth exactly and the dust extraction outlet can be switched from one side to the other, which is handy.
Black & Decker speedy roller argos.co.uk, £29.99 Another fast paint option, this sucks paint from the pot and can cover 80 square metres before needing a refill. A pivoting head makes awkward corners more accessible.
Dulux PaintPod Compact homebase.co.uk, £30.99 Plonk this on top of the special Dulux paint pot and you’re off – no pouring necessary. This lacks the self-cleaning system of the full-size PaintPod.
DeWalt D26414 heat gun toolbox.co.uk, £74.57 Strip paint with this useful tool, which has a variable temperature control and cone and fishtail surface nozzles to achieve the right focus of heat. This is a heavy-duty tool.
Bosch PFS 55 Fine Spray System John Lewis, £57.99 Painting or varnishing is faster and less labour-intensive with this fine spray system. Flow control minimises mist. You can also use it for pesticide.
Black and Decker KX3300 wallpaper stripper asda.com, £39 This machine steams the paper so it’s easy to remove. It heats fast but can’t boil dry. Works with all wallpapers.
Bosch PKP 7.2 Li cordless glue gun johnlewis.com, £55.99 Insert a glue stick (four are supplied) and turn on. In  15 seconds it’s ready to glue a range of materials. Automatic switch off after five minutes.
Dyson DC50 Animal dyson.co.uk, £359.99 A small but powerful machine. It has a ball instead of wheels, making it extra manoeuvrable. The turbine tool is especially good at removing hair and other dirt from carpets.
Bosch PSM 10.8 Li cordless multi-sander pixmania.co.uk, £82 The pointy front makes it easy to sand into corners, the battery is long-lasting and it’s easy to change the Velcro-attached sanding sheets.
Stanley FatMax 8m magnetic tape screwfix.com, £19.49 More accurate than those with magnets mounted on an end hook. The magnet attaches to the tape so the hook and magnet move independently.
Black & Decker steam mop FSM1600D johnlewis.com, £73.01 High-temperature steam, rather than chemicals, breaks down dirt and bacteria. Great for wood flooring, tiles and even carpets. Satisfying to use.
Karcher K3550X pressure washer argos.co.uk, £169.99 Cleaning is made much easier with a pressure washer. The detergent tank is built in and the pressure is enough to clean most surfaces.
Vax S6S Home Pro steam cleaner argos.co.uk, £149.99 This steam cleaner uses a detergent that breaks down grease effectively. It’s powerful and versatile, with tools for lots of surfaces. A large tank gives 40 minutes steaming.
Vax Rapide Ultra 2  carpet cleaner vax.co.uk, £159.99 Clean up with this effective cleaner. One tank shoots water and a special cleaning solution into the carpet and dirty water flows into the other tank while the vacuum dries the carpet.
AEG Ergorapido AG941 vacuum cleaner currys.co.uk, £169.99 Sometimes a little spill doesn’t justify bringing out the big vacuum cleaner. This cordless is powerful and its shape makes it easy to use. It has a clever self-cleaning brush.
Bosch Laser tape measure PMB 300 L screwfix.com, £34.84 As well as a traditional 3m tape, a projected laser line helps you to accurately align objects and it has a laser spirit level built in. It’s accurate to about 1mm across its length.
Stanley TLM99 distance measurer screwfix.com, £89.99 This laser-only measurer claims to be more accurate than a traditional tape measure (at least it doesn’t sag like a conventional tape). It has a range up to 30m.
Challenge Xtreme 50 piece tool kit argos.co.uk, £29.99 It’s good to keep a basic tool kit on hand. Includes wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, scissors, fasteners and more among its 50 pieces.
Dyson AM04 hot fan johnlewis.com, £299.99 If you’ve had to turn the central heating off while you work, you still need to keep warm. This fan heats rooms evenly and quickly, and there’s no unpleasant burning smell.
Stanley 14 in 1 multi-tool toolventure.co.uk, £10.95 A very handy tool to have in your work belt or glove box. The 14 tools include a mini saw, screwdriver, knife, socket driver and more. It’s built to last and solid in the hand.
Bosch Quigo Cross and Line Laser Level argos.co.uk, £49.99 Efficient and snazzy the Quigo self-levels so you know that when it tells you its laser lines are perfectly horizontal and vertical, they are.
Stanley Intellilaser Pro tooled-up.com, £73.95 This stud sensor has audio indicators so you know where studs and live wires are and can read depths of up to 0.75ins. It has a laser that makes it easy to mark the wall.

26 January 2013

Whether you’re planning to shove up some shelves or take on a major project, David Phelan has everything you need to get the job done

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