Bucket Boss | Organizer
Want to save $300? Instead of buying an expensive multidrawer tool chest, get this organizer, which fits over a 5-gallon bucket. Made of an exceptionally rugged fabric, its 56 pockets holster your entire tool collection. Now when the project switches from one side of the house to the other, so can your tools. [$20; duluthtrading.com]

POWER TOOLS
Milwaukee | Reciprocating Saw Few things are as satisfying as ripping a reciprocating saw blade into, well, anything. But previous cordless models were either too heavy or simply lacked the gusto to sever thick pieces of metal or spike-studded floor joists. Thanks to its lightweight 28-volt lithium-ion battery technology, Milwaukee finally delivers enough juice to make cordless a viable option. It's a combination that allows the V28 to cut through 44 pine 2x10s on a single charge, more than twice what the company's 18-volt saw can dismember. [$420; v28power.com]
Ridgid | Miter Saw The world of benchtop saws is ruled by sliding compound miter models, which can cut angles along two axes for complicated roof framing and finish work. Ridgid's 12-in model can miter to 62 degrees (most saws only go to 50 degrees), and its laser alignment system makes it ridiculously simple to adhere to the old adage "measure twice, cut once." [$569; ridgid.com]
Skil | Screwdriver For every deck to build, there's a photo to hang. The palm-size iXO uses a lithium-ion battery, and the 3.6-volt motor turns a screw at up to 200 rpm. Try doing that with your fingers. [$39; skil.com]
Bosch | Rotozip It looks like a drill bit, but the spiral cutting bit on Rotozip's RZ20 can slice through tile, plastic, metal, or wood in the same motion as a jigsaw. It's particularly useful when hanging drywall -- dispatch switch-box and outlet cutouts with a flick of the wrist -- but it's so versatile you'll wonder how you ever managed without it. [$150; rotozip.com]
Makita | Circular Saw Early versions of cordless circular saws were really handyÉif you needed to cut, say, a piece of cardboard. Their meager motors simply couldn't handle much more. But with its 18-volt circular saw, equipped with an LXT lithium-ion battery, Makita makes cordless a realistic choice for everyday use. Like most, this cutter is equipped with a 6 1/2-in blade, which limits its abilities on angle cuts in thicker lumber, but for straight cutting of 2x4s, plywood, or trim, this untethered Makita makes sawdust fly. [$329; makitatools.com]
Metabo | Angle Grinder It's called "white finger," but it's not the color so much as the tingling and numbness that bother the operators of most grinders. To help combat the affliction, Metabo fits the 4.5-in W7-115 with an anti-vibration handle. The tools-free attachment-changing system means you can switch from metal brush to grinding wheel in mere seconds. Jagged edges, beware. [$115; metabousa.com]
Panasonic | Impact Driver While drill drivers merely spin screws and bits, Panasonic's 12-volt impact driver pounds as it turns. As a result, you get more than 1,000 inch-pounds of torque, enough to make an instant antique out of the most potent 18-volt drill driver. To harness the juice but keep you from sending a screw head through a $30 piece of cherry, the EY7202GQK is equipped with a 16-stage electronic clutch. [$300; panasonic.com]
HAND TOOLS
Craftsman | Adjustable Wrench Tightening and loosening nuts and bolts was never much fun. Then Craftsman revolutionized adjustable wrenches with the ReFlex. The wrench's auto-release mechanism allows you to tackle said fasteners without removing the jaws after each rotation -- an innovation that saves time and ends knuckle-busting slippage. [$25 for a 6-in and 8-in two-pack; craftsman.com]
Estwing | Hammer If you've never seen a hammerhead fly off its handle, best to keep it that way. Estwing's rugged 20-oz curved-claw hammer, forged from a single piece of solid steel, eliminates that possibility. First produced in 1923, this classic hammer's unique handgrip is made of round leather washers sandwiched together and coated with lacquer -- a look that will weather nicely, won't get slippery when wet, and molds to your hand after years of use. [$32; estwing.com]
Empire | Level Empire's True Blue e70 box level has a striking innovation: It's blue. Unlike the yellow fluid in most levels' vials, you can read Empire's bubble more easily because the blue fluid and bands are highly visible in even poorly lit conditions. And say you were to accidentally drop it from a 10-foot ladder, shock absorbers on each end protect the aircraft-grade aluminum -- and maintain its amazing accuracy (to .0005 of an inch). [$50; empirelevel.com]
Nicholson | Hacksaw Nicholson's Pro Series Hacksaw transforms into four distinct configurations, allowing you to saw a much wider range of cuts in metal and plastic. The four-in-one starts in the standard 90-degree angle. Then, for tight spaces, switch it to the low-profile look (shown). Need a flush cut? Angle the blade to 45 degrees. And when you've got those previously impossible-to-eliminate nails and screws in nooks and crannies, go with the sturdy jab saw. [$42; cooperhandtools.com]
Stanley | Laser Measure Your tape measure just became a dinosaur. Stanley's FatMax TLM 100 is the first affordable laser measuring device and, unlike the more unreliable and inaccurate laser-guided sonic measurers, this one actually works: At distances up to 100 feet, a push of a button will give you a reading within one quarter of an inch. The coup de gr‰ce? No guessing with carpet, paint, or AC units -- it'll also calculate the area and volume of a room. [$100; stanleytools.com]
Stanley | Socket Wrench Adjusting nuts and bolts when you don't have much room -- like between beams -- is a challenge with most socket wrenches. Enter Stanley's 3/8-in Rotator Ratchet. By simply twisting the grooved black and yellow grip, you rotate the square driver and, in turn, the socket -- just as though you'd torqued on the handle. Genius. [$30; stanleytools.com]
Irwin | Locking Pliers Locking pliers are the equivalent of a pit bull's bite. Rotate the screw at the end of the handle to adjust the heat-treated alloy jaws, then squeeze to chomp an object. Once the pliers lock, you can pull, hold, twist, bend, loosen, or give the object general hell until you're ready to release. Unlike traditional locking pliers, Vise-Grip Pro-Touches have cushioned grips to allow more clamping pressure -- and traction for when you're wearing gloves on cold days. [$30 for a 5-in and 7-in two-pack; irwin.com]

Photographs by: Charles Masters (tool bucket);
Tools: Michael Pirrocco; courtesy of: Skil; Metabo
(February 2006)