Quiet leaf and snow blowers

As one writer put it, noisy, gas-powered leaf and snow blowers are the second most horrible invention of all time.

But now there are electric blowers. Long live the quiet!

More on Generators - for Hurricane Katrina

Friends, generators aren't for fun. They can be life-saving machines, especially in the aftermath of a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Be prepared for the loss of power by having a generator on hand!

Lathes

If you're like most people, you may not even know what a lathe is. So, we're here to tell you.

A lathe is a power tool that can be used to shape metal or wood. The lathe turns the object around on an axis, sort of like a potter's wheel does when you're making a clay bowl, so that you can work on it in 3D.

You can see lathes described with more info and reviews at the Tools and Reviews Lathes page. Some leading brands include Jet, Powermatic, Delta, PSI, Grizzly, Vega, and Wilton.

Generators

What do Generators do?

They provide a backup source of electricity when your normal power supply is interrupted. Those of you in cold climates may use generators for when ice storms knock down power lines; those of you in warm climates subject to hurricanes, tornadoes, or other powerful spring and summer storms may use generators then.

Generators come in different sizes and capacities, from home to industrial uses. Among brands you may want to compare are Generac, Briggs & Stratton, Porter-Cable, DeWalt, Yamaha, Xantrex, Coleman, and Makita.

Tool of the Day

When we created the Tools and Reviews web site, we figured most tools would be, well, familiar. Saws, drills, whatever. But we soon discovered that there are tools out there that most people probably have never heard of.

Hence this blog, whose mission will be to identify one weird tool a day and provide some information on what it does.

Hope it's helpful!