Pro Tool Reviews is written by Pros for Pros. We strive to bring you a professional’s perspective on which power tools are either the best performing or the best value available. Our writers are tradesmen from just about every facet of the residential and commercial construction industries. Get to know our Pro Tool Reviews writers and editors, and feel free to reach out to them via our Contact page, or via the Comments section below any written review.
Pro Tool Reviews Staff Editors and Writers
Clint DeBoer – Founder and Editor-in-Chief
When he’s not remodeling part of his house or playing with the latest power tool, Clint enjoys life as a husband, father, and avid reader. He has a degree in recording engineering and has been involved in multimedia and/or online publishing in one form or another for over two decades. In 2008, Clint was one of the founders of Pro Tool Reviews. He also created the Pro Tool Innovation Awards in 2013 as a way to recognize the “movers and shakers” in the industry.
In 2017 he launched OPE Reviews for professional landscapers and heavy equipment operators. He hopes his efforts will provide tradesmen, builders, contractors, landscapers, mechanics, and shop owners with reliable and engaging tool reviews to help them make better purchasing decisions.
Kenny Koehler – VP and Managing Editor
An avid endurance athlete, Kenny has competed in triathlons (he’s an Ironman) and various other fitness activities. Still, his passions lie with his faith, family, friends, and now—his growing love for well-designed power tools. You’ll often find Kenny chatting up engineers at media events to better understand the chemistry and physics behind tool technology.
His chief responsibility is managing the massive amount of content that flows through our publication as well as being the “front man” on our weekly videos. Kenny continues to keep in shape by being a loving father to two very active twins!
Austin Holloway – Video Specialist
With a wildly creative bent and a fanatical love for baseball, Austin is largely responsible for everything that moves fast and furious through the Pro Tool Reviews Youtube channel. We “headhunted” Austin from an award-winning high-school video production team out of Polk County and put him to work in our shop. The goal? Take Pro Tool Reviews’ videos to the next level and grow our channel to reach more professional contractors, tradesmen, and power tool enthusiasts.
Austin loves being behind the camera lens. That’s good because the team at PTR loves how good he makes them look in front of it!
Josh McGaffigan – Staff Reviewer/Writer
Having worked in the automotive and metalworking trades, Josh has even found himself core drilling commercial properties for purposes of surveying. His knowledge and love of tools are exceeded only by a greater love for his wife and family.
A fan of all things that can stretch him mentally, Josh quickly dives into new products, tools, and product testing with ample amounts of both enthusiasm and precision. We look forward to many years of growth alongside Josh as he settles into his role at Pro Tool Reviews.
Noelle Howe – Staff News Writer
Both at work and as a hobby, Noelle enjoys working on creative projects. When not at work, she loves spending time with her husband, pets, and friends.
Noelle has quickly dove headfirst into all things Pro Tool Reviews, covering nearly all of the new products, tools, and accessories that the industry has to offer the professional tradesman and construction business owner. We look forward to seeing Noelle expand into other areas of news—including social media—as she helps us expand the reach of Pro Tool Reviews.
Tina DeBoer – Contributing Writer
Having been with Pro Tool Reviews since the beginning, Tina has been involved in the multimedia and publishing business since 1999 when she joined CD Media, Inc., the publishing company that started Pro Tool Reviews and its sister publication OPE Reviews.
A strong organizer and planner. Tina’s photography has also been published in various online magazines and websites including Pro Tool Reviews and AV Gadgets.
Thomas Gaige – Reviewer & Head-to-Head Specialist
Tom is one of the original founders of Pro Tool Reviews. He has over twenty years of experience in residential and commercial construction. He’s been a project manager at an engineering firm and started his own architectural design company. For several years, Tom even owned and operated a residential construction company as a licensed contractor in South Carolina.
Tom’s specialties are problem-solving and attention to detail—two traits that are apparent each time he tests and reviews power tools. More often than not, you can find Tom with his hands on the latest tool while standing knee-deep in a renovation or rebuilding a classic car.
Gregory Mills – Woodworking Reviewer/Writer
Gregory works at an art museum as the IT guy, the photographer/videographer, and the head of security. He has written, produced, filmed, directed, and edited his museum’s TV commercials for PBS and Spectrum. For almost 20 years there he was the exhibits manager and has installed over 40,000 works of art and 300 large-scale outdoor sculptures.
Gregory is also a sculptor himself and taught photography for over a decade. We consider Gregory our resident “Renaissance Man” as his life experiences seem to encompass what would take other people several lifetimes to achieve!
Adam Spafford – Contributing Writer
A liberty-loving, sensible, God-fearing options trader by day, Adam Spafford is known for his quick wit, easygoing demeanor, and readiness to lend a hand when called upon.
When he’s not on the job, or behind a camera, Adam also writes for The Lakelander, a local publication here in town that specializes in local businesses and trades. This also serves to make him very well-connected in the local community.
Raissa Logrono – Writer
One of our “crack” news editors at Pro Tool Reviews, Raissa gathers all the latest power tools, hand tools, accessory, and product news and info. She then delivers it in a way that’s fresh and easy to understand. Raissa keeps her ears to the ground so we can focus on product reviews and head-to-head tool reviews.
Raissa is a quick study and loves to learn new things. That includes information about new power tools, accessories, and technologies in the residential and commercial construction marketplace.
Pro Tool Reviews Writers and Reviewers
Chris Boll – News Writer
Chris worked behind the scenes of almost everything Pro Tool Reviews and OPE Reviews produced from 2019 through early 2022. When he didn’t have his hands on tools himself, he was often the man behind the camera lens making the rest of the team look good. He also published our twice-a-week newsletter. In his free time, you might find Chris with his nose jammed in a book, or tearing out his remaining hair while watching Liverpool FC.
He enjoys his faith, family, friends, and the Oxford comma. And when he’s not busy finding new ways to abuse the English language, Chris enjoys banging around on guitars and hanging out with his cat, Craig.
Jonathan Bucklew – Reviewer, Male Model
Chief designer & fabricator of Seventeen20, Jonathan is a professional musician turned furniture-maker. He’s spent the last two decades years twirling drumsticks for multiple bands including Copeland, States, and Anchor & Braille.
His affinity for industrial modern design has been inspired in part by his travels, though his current inspiration comes from his biggest project in recent years: The Joinery—an upscale and modern food hall in downtown Lakeland, Florida.
Tim Johnson – Owner, Shop Tool Reviews
Having a love of automobiles that stems from his father’s racing days, Tim has spent a lifetime around cars and trucks. From restoring and renovating them as well as fixing them when they break, Tim always has a tool handy. He currently resides in central Florida with his wife and 5 kids where he divides his time as a mentor, devoted father, loving husband, and jungle gym.
Tim Johnson now owns and operates Shop Tool Reviews, but he still drops in every now and then to lend a hand and share his wealth of knowledge with us and our readers. His experience with automotive tools and shops gives him a uniquely honed perspective in this area.
Michael Springer – Reviewer
Craftsman and writer Michael Springer specializes in testing tools and covering the tool industry for construction and woodworking professionals. Based in Boulder County, Colorado, but going wherever the story takes him, Michael crisscrosses the country yearly to visit manufacturers and attend trade shows and occasionally gets as far afield as Europe.
When he’s not running the kilowatts through power tools, Michael enjoys drumming and rustic woodworking with chainsaw, ax, and adze.
Luis De León and Rita DeLioni – Reviewers
Luis De León and Rita DeLioni started Quality Management and Building Services (QMBS) in 2000 in Lakeland, Florida. Today, QMBS offers a wide range of services. This includes custom construction, historic restoration and renovation, remodeling, maintenance, and even landscaping services.
With dozens of contractors working for them, Luis and Rita tackle a wide variety of jobs. They are our go-to crew for testing the latest and greatest cordless power tools and accessories.
Ben Parker – Reviewer
Ben Parker has been a Journeyman Electrician since 2015. He’s worked in the electrical trade for over a decade. On the job, he enjoys service work, and off the job he enjoys golfing, clay pigeon shooting, church, and spending time with his family. He also very much enjoys trying out the latest tools and will tackle almost any project.
Ben lives in Lakeland, FL with his wife and three boys—each of whom will most definitely grow up learning how to tough their way through a project to get it completed…and how to cook a mean burger on the grill.
Jeff Crisp – Reviewer
Jeff Crisp has performed just about every carpentry task in his 35-year career. We mean it—from carpentry to siding, roofing, and more. Jeff tackles the job, uses the tools, and advances his craft. When he’s not building something, he enjoys swinging a different kind of tool…on the golf course.
Jeff knows that just because there aren’t a lot of obvious differences in some tools doesn’t mean there aren’t things to talk about. Pro Tool Reviews leans on him for feedback on the latest cordless and pneumatic products.
Kent Peardon – Reviewer
Having spent the last 15 years of his career as a carpenter, Kent has braved the ever-changing weather conditions in Central Florida. Whether it’s putting up drywall, framing a house, decking, or laying down a roof, Jeff has done it all.
His tool arsenal grows each year but relies heavily on pneumatic nailers, saws, and cordless drivers. His dedication to his craft allows him to review tools with an eye to whether or not they present a truly helpful way of saving time and money.
Scott Strollo – Reviewer
Scott has been a service plumber with Curry and Company for over 15 years. He currently serves as their lead repipe and project technician and focuses on re-pipes, remodels, new construction, and service work.
Scott’s specialization in plumbing brings along great opportunities for testing the latest cordless tools. He also helps us test the latest accessories designed to speed up various processes. His years on the job help him quickly determine which tools truly make the grade.
Derek Nichelson – Reviewer
Derek Nichelson has been a carpenter for over sixteen years. He owns Redeemed Carpentry, a family-owned and operated company that strives to bring a totally unique experience to all of its clients. He specializes in finish carpentry, cabinet carpentry, windows, doors, and siding.
Derek tackles everything from design to completion of single-family homes. He also tackles remodels of all sizes in the greater Lakeland area.
Dan Bedard – Reviewer
Dan Bedard grew up around tools, mostly in woodworking thanks to his grandfather’s passion for it. As a plumbing and gas fitting Pro, he leads a rough-in crew north of the border in Edmonton Alberta. Due to his specialization, Dan has helped us review professional plumbing tools that other Pros might not handle on a day-to-day basis. His daily grind has him running for PEX and copper tools as needed to get the job completed. Crimping, sweating, and fastening are all part of the job. Dan’s great at measuring the true effectiveness of real-world tools and accessories. In his free time, Dan enjoys renovating his home and working on new landscaping concepts for it.
David Delk – Reviewer
David has always enjoyed working with wood, ever since his teen years. Naturally, this landed him in the carpentry business. He has over 35 years of experience that spans a couple of decades of trimming out new construction. More recently, he’s tackled work designing cabinetry and doing custom fabrication. Partially retired, David enjoys taking on select “old school” finish and trim carpentry work. We asked David about any pet peeves. The solitary answer: dull blades. As a Pro, David is invaluable when it comes to determining if a tool is truly useful for getting a job done more quickly or efficiently.
Luke Smith – Reviewer
Luke does remodeling and repair construction work by day. During his “off” time, he helps maintain a horse farm in Georgia. This gives him the perfect opportunity to try out a variety of power tools and hand tools. When he’s not out enjoying the outdoors, you can catch him as a riding double on Fox’s Sleepy Hollow. Incidentally, he also makes the best burger this side of the Mississippi. Of course, we love Luke because he’s been responsible for giving us some of the best photography we’ve ever taken of tools. We chalk that up to the expansive farm and a stable full of some beautiful horses.
Matt Kent – Reviewer
The son of a journeyman carpenter, Matt Kent has taken to the carpentry trade himself. It’s been somewhat of a homecoming. Spending the majority of his adult life as an accomplished photographer, Matt now owns and operates Kent Made, LLC with his father. Specializing in custom stair installations and fine trim carpentry, Matt spends most of his time either in front of a saw blade or behind a finish nail gun. And, oh how sweet it is. We appreciate Matt’s penchant for quickly getting to the point of whether or not a tool performs as needed. He quickly gets to the point of whether new features are helpful…or just gimmicks.
Ernie Conover – Reviewer
A veteran woodworking author with nine books, Ernie Conover has many videos and hundreds of articles to his credit. Ernie has also designed lathes, having worked on the designs of the Nova and the Powermatic 3520b. His work has received numerous awards and has been the subject of several one-man shows. He lectures widely for clubs, trade show groups, and woodworking stores. Frequently, he gets called upon as a consultant and expert witness in the woodworking field. When not writing, lecturing, or consulting, Ernie provides academic oversight and teaching at Conover Workshops—a craft school founded by the Conover family.
Joshua Sturm – Reviewer
Joshua works with his father and brother at Sturm Plumbing (“The Faucet Doctor”)—a family-owned, plumbing sales and service business in the small town of Harrison City, Pennsylvania. With over 40 years of experience as master plumbers, Sturm Plumbing has helped customers from across the country with hard-to-find parts. Their plumbing expertise has landed them articles and awards in Fine Homebuilding, Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine, The New York Times, and The Bob Vila Show.
Oh, he also happens to be married to the talented and beautiful singer-songwriter, Lacey Sturm (the former lead singer for Flyleaf).
Richard Kent – Reviewer
A professionally trained Journeyman carpenter, Richard co-owns a stair and trim installation company with his son Matt. When not wearing one of the many hats of a business owner, he enjoys spending time with his 7 grandchildren and traveling with his wife Lori. Richard provides an excellent perspective on all things woodworking.
His experience proves invaluable for distinguishing well-performing tools from those better left to the DIY crowd. Whether a saw or driver, Richard backs up his reviews with years of experience.
Caleb DeBoer – Contributing Writer
From driving zero-turn mowers to practicing Wing Chun Kung Fu, Caleb loves to move. His constant pursuit of adventure leads him to enjoy creating things—particularly drawing and trying out the latest video games. Once his typing speed catches up to his brain, Caleb may indeed prove to be a writer to be reckoned with!
Caleb takes various tools we’ve reviewed and puts them into various fictional scenarios—contributing a bit of editorial fun to the publication.
Tom Rutherford – Contributing Reviewer
A jack-of-many-trades, Tom is a professional painter and landscaping professional. He’s as comfortable in the field with an airless sprayer as he is with a zero-turn mower or string trimmer. Tom’s attention to detail and wide variety of experience with OPE and painting tools brings a unique perspective to the site. It also affords us an opportunity to accurately and thoroughly test tools that perplex many other Pros.
Tom also takes a no-nonsense approach to tools. It keeps him from being impressed with a new gadget unless it truly performs.
Steve Villarete – Contributing Reviewer
A contributing writer for Pro Tool Reviews, Steve is a father, devoted husband, sportsman, and avid practitioner of the Wing Chun fighting style. Steve’s interests put him in contact with a rather large assortment of knives and cutting instruments. He’s also developed a rather devoted affinity for cordless outdoor power equipment. Steve continues to provide the enthusiasm for tools that truly energizes everyone else around him.
Former and/or Contributing Reviewers
Robert Robillard – Contributing Reviewer
Editor of the online publication AConcordCarpenter.com, Robert Robillard is a remodeling contractor based in Concord, Massachusetts. He is a recognized leader in tool and how-to information for building professionals. He also hosts the cable TV show, A Concord Carpenter, offering the do-it-yourself audience in Boston’s Metro West region expert advice on home repairs and maintenance. On his website, Rob covers all aspects of home improvement and remodeling. He offers problem-solving advice to both contractors and DIYers. He enjoys all aspects of construction but particularly enjoys using his knowledge and experiences to help and educate people on the correct practices of the construction trade.
Todd Fratzel – Contributing Reviewer
Todd is the editor of ToolBoxBuzz.com and the president of Front Steps Media, LLC, a web-based media company focused on the home improvement and construction industry. He is also the principal engineer for United Construction Corp., located in Newport, New Hampshire. In his capacity at United, he oversees the residential and commercial building division along with all design-build projects. Todd also serves as the editor of HomeConstructionImprovement.com and has the experience and know-how to discern a good tool from a great tool.
Brad Staggs – Contributing Reviewer
Brad has been in and around the construction industry since he was eight years old. Combine that with his love of television and radio broadcasting, and you have a truly eclectic mix. He has hosted several home improvement shows on the DIY Network and also produced and hosted content for HGTV.
From hand tools to power saws, if it’s a tool, Brad has likely seen it or tested it. Brad has worked as a host for on-air commercials at The Blaze and is now the host of The Daily MoJo on MoJo 5.0.
Scott Butler – Contributing Reviewer
Having been in the usability field since 1990, Scott has a Master’s Degree in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Maryland at College Park. He was a founding member, Secretary (2004), and webmaster for the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the UPA.
When not applying user-centered methods to a wide variety of products, you can find him tinkering in his shop. His background ensured that his reviews pay particular attention to his the tool performs against the competition.
Mike Hurta – Contributing Reviewer
The former plant manager of a 300-acre, 200,000-square-foot multi-building facility, Mike managed 400+ employees and sales of over $61 million per year. That might seem a bit daunting.
Apparently not to Mike. He decided to simultaneously construct a dedicated home theater room and then renovate his home.
Biting off more than he can chew is an art form—one that Mike still works on perfecting. All in a day’s work, we suppose! In the meantime, his love for tools shows in all that he writes.