Author Profile

ralph mroz

Ralph Mroz grew up in an extended family of tradesmen, and worked at the trades summers and weekends through school. He put those skills to good use in renovating the five houses he and his wife have owned. Even while working in the white-collar and law enforcement worlds, he's always had one foot in the construction trades.

All Posts by ralph

Husky 20” PRO Tool Tote

By ralph mroz

Husky 20” PRO Tool Tote The Husky 20-inch PRO Tool Tote is a great example of why Husky tool totes and bags are seen everywhere on jobsites, in use by pros of every trade as well as by DIYers. Husky, as most readers know, is one of the Home Depot house brands.  The Husky brand…

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Free Underused Tools

By ralph mroz

More Free Tools I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to consider something a free or almost free tool if it is either actually free or costs about what a couple cups of coffee do.  Earlier, I posted six of them that I find very useful, but don’t see tradies using much at…

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Free Useful Tools

By ralph mroz

*Or Almost Free In my main tool bag are six very small, very light, and virtually free tools that I use all the time.  They take up virtually no space, add no weight and cost nothing to at most a couple dollars. Yet I seldom see those tools in other people’s bags.  Here they are.…

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RYOBI 18V Cordless Battery 2 Gal. Chemical Sprayer

By ralph mroz

RYOBI 18V Cordless Battery 2 Gal. Chemical Sprayer I would go so far as to say that the RYOBI ONE+ 18V Cordless Battery 2 Gal. Chemical Sprayer (model # P2830) is not just handy, but an invaluable tool in some circumstances.  I’m thinking here of using a sprayer on an inclined surface, in a cramped…

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SKIL Cordless 20V 4½-inch Circular Saw

By ralph mroz

SKIL Cordless 20V 4½-inch Circular Saw The SKIL Cordless 20V 4½-inch Circular Saw (full name: SKIL PWRCORE 20™ Brushless 20V 4 ½-Inch Compact Circular Saw, Model CR5435B-10) belongs to that class of tool that for most tradespeople gets occasional use…but is extremely welcome when it’s needed.  True, there may be some production uses for it,…

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Husky Folding Utility Cart

By ralph mroz

Husky Folding Utility Cart The Husky Folding Utility Cart (model #00069) is something I’ve been waiting for for years.  To my knowledge, it’s the first trades-capable, reasonably-priced, widely and easily available folding utility cart on the market.  There have been other folding utility carts that were suitable for construction work, but they were quite expensive…

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MARVEL MVA-200 Pliers

By ralph mroz

Shear-Cutting MARVEL Lineman’s Pliers (and Scissors) MARVEL pliers are produced by MARVEL Corporation, a Japanese company focused mostly on tools for the electrical trade.  Their MVA-200 lineman’s plier is one of the few shear- (bypass) cutting lineman’s pliers available (as opposed to the traditional pinch cutters on almost all other lineman’s pliers).  Since I’ve never…

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BAUER Sawhorses from Harbor Freight

By ralph mroz

Feature Rich BAUER Sawhorses from Harbor Freight The two BAUER sawhorses from Harbor Freight described here are cost-effective examples of feature-rich versions of this basic tool.  After all, every pro and DIYer absolutely need a few sets of sawhorses, and today you have your choice of features over and above a basic stand. If you…

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