The appetite of our reads for router reviewsseems to be insatiable. To make this week's review moreinteresting, we took a look at a compact router, the Porter Cable450. Until the term was coined by the company this category did noteven exit. Let's take a look at how the Porter-Cable 450 performedin our shop, and if you want to own a compact routers.

The Porter Cable 450 Compact Router

Porter-Cable calls the 450 a compact router. It is smaller thana mid size router, but significantly larger than a trim router. The450 h

Every woodworker seems to collect routers. Forsome reason we can never have too many routers. One style missingfrom my collection was a good d-handle router. With one of theseedge routing should go much faster.

The model the community wanted to see the most is the DW618Drouter. This model is part of the excellent DW618 series. It shouldperform very well, judging from the reviews it gets online. Let'stake a look at how good the DW618D really is.

The DW618D Router

In standard d-handle fashion the DW618D

Working our way through the lineup of 1/4 sheetpalm sander Makita's offering has found its way into our shop. TheBO4556 made a great first impression when it arrived in a ruggedand stylish looking carrying case. The sander concealed within,however, was very pedestrian looking. Knowing that looks can bedeceiving, we put the BO 4556 through its paces. Let's see if thetool was able to impress, or sink to the level of mediocrity thatis so common with palm sanders.

The Makita BO4556 Palm Sander

The Makita Bo 4556 follows t

Like every reviewer I want to review the best ofthe best to establish. I'll claim that I do this to set areference, but it's just as much about being able to play withthose tools. In the circular saw market one of the candidates forthe top stop is the DeWalt DWS535 circular saw. This intimidatingbeast sports a lot of metal. That's just the way we like it. Let'ssee if the saw is indeed elite.

The DWS535 Circular Saw

The DWS535 is a heavy duty circular saw for all day work on thejob site. DeWalt has engineered the saw t

More power is usually a good thing. It usuallygets things done faster with more of a spectacle. What's not tolove about that. When I had the chance to review the DeWalt D28402angle grinder I jumped on it. This grinder is probably the mostpowerful grinder I can rationalize to keep around the house. Let'stake a look at just how long the spark trail of the D28402 actuallyis. This should be fun.

The DeWalt D28402 Angle Grinder

The DeWalt D28402 is a heavy-duty 4 1/2" angle grinder. It'sbeen engineered to work on tough pro

We here at Hingmy are just as vulnerable togadgets and cool stuff as the next person. When something is shinyand new we want to have it in our shop. The Worx WX254L screwdriverwith its semi-automatic loader caught our attention for that verysame reason. While buying power tools from a TV infomercial isusually not a good idea, we made an exception for this one. Let'stake a look at what the Worx WX254L screwdriver can do in ourshop.

The Worx WX254L Screwdriver

The Worx WX254L is a light duty screwdriver for those every-

In the world of 1/4 sheet palm sanders there areonly a handful tools most woodworkers gravitate to. The DeWaltD26441 palm sander is the yellow variety in this bunch. A lot ofwoodworkers and contractors swear by this little devil. Let's takea look at how well the D26441 did in our tests.

The DeWalt D26441 Palm Sander

The D26441 is a typical 1/4 sheet palm sander. It has a rubbercovered knob handle and a very square body. A dust collection bagconnects to the oval dust port in the rear of the tool. In mostaspects DeWalt'

The 4 1/2" angle grinder market is full ofmodels competing for your attention. Prices vary widely, yet allthe entries seem to look the same. This week we decided to pick agreen grinder out of the pile to review in our shop. The HitachiG12SR3 is a surprisingly cheap angle grinder that gets greatreviews all over the net. Let's take a look if the G12SR3 candeliver on its reputation in the Hingmy shop.

The Hitachi G12SR3 Angle Grinder

The G12SR3 is a small form factor 4 1/2" grinder. It is intendedfor light to medium duty

Next to the established 18V line DeWalt secondsignificant battery system is the 20V MAX line. The system offerslighter, more powerful batteries on any tool that uses it. DeWalt'sentry level 20V drill/driver, the DCD780, found it's way into ourshop. It's said to be an excellent medium size drill that performslike a full sized one. Let's take a look at what a 20V drill/drivercan do.

DeWalt DCD780

The story of the DCD780 is that of a compromise between weightand performance. The designers of this drill tried to build a l

The DW849 polisher I have used in my shop forabout 5 years now was one of the best polishers available at thetime. If you had heavy polishing work to do, the DW849 was yourbest buy. DeWalt has since upgraded this model to address a fewdesign flaws. The DW849 spawned a line of excellent yellow cladpolishers. Let's take a look at what made the DW849 such a goodpolisher.

The DW849 Polisher

The first impression one gets from the DW849 is one of heft. Themotor, metal head, and worm gear make the DW849 a very heavypolisher