Here at Habitat DIY, I review various hand tools, power tools, and workshop equipment for those in the Do it yourself, home renovation, and construction space. The Habitatdiy review process is to help DIYers, hobbyists, and tradespersons make informed decisions for tool and accessory buying.
Having been in the woodworking, metal fabrication, and home renovation space for over 40 years I have sound knowledge in the use of all types of power tools and equipment, and, what’s good in a power tool and what’s not. Not all power tools are equal and with significant price differences between models, it can be hard to sort which model is appropriate for you. This is what we look to address in our product reviews.
Product Review Categories
Our focus for the types of product reviews is on woodworking and metalworking/welding. These are the areas I am most familiar with and use on a daily basis in my own workshop for my business and hobbies.
We write product reviews in two ways, first we give an overview, generally the best of where we compare several products on one page. Next, we break these products down into more in-depth individual reviews on their own page.
We cover most of the main brands such as Miller, Lincoln, Weldpro, Hobart, Forney, and Esab in welding, and, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, Shopfox, Graco, and Warner to name a few in woodworking.
Many of these power tools manufacturers provide information about their products by way of an overview and tool specifications, and while this information is mostly genuine, having someone using the tool in a real on-site situation can unearth a better understanding of how the tool in question actually performs.
This is where I come in, to provide people with real information about these products, we’ve done the tests, read the forums and other online reviews to help you make an informed decision on what’s the best for you to buy for your circumstance.
Are Product Reviews Reliable
The answer is yes and no. I need to spend a lot of time researching various products that I review, and I come across a lot of absolute crap reviews that have obviously been written by someone who has no idea how a welder works or what a wood router does, or how to use a paint sprayer! You’ve probably seen some, these articles usually start with something like “When it comes to …bla bla!”
Do I buy all the products reviewed? nope, there’s no way I can (nor can 95% of product reviewers) go and buy a dozen Mig welders, or Miter saws, or Paint Sprayers, not going to happen. Some people claim they do and then return the product but to me that sucks!
But, I do personally have and use all of the types and brands of gear I review, I know how they work, what they are supposed to do, and what works best in certain situations. I also sift through forums, websites, and other legit reviews to get the best info on each product.
I simply do the best I can to give the best account of a product to help prospective buyers with their decision, without and particular brand bias.
What Are The Benefits Of Product Reviews
For many DIYers and especially tradespersons the value of a product review is zero. They already have a preference for a brand, like DeWalt or Milwaukee, that’s all they will buy because they know it’s good gear and already own it. For others though product reviews are a great source of pre-buying information, especially for those starting out. Online reviews can be compared over several websites giving a great picture when the same brand keeps bubbling to the top. Always try to check the credibility of the reviewer, however, a good place to start is checking the About page of a site.
All The Best
Noel