Tools I Actually Use
My Gear
25+ years in the trades — concrete foundations, flips, custom builds, and running my own GC business. Nothing on this page is here because a brand paid me. It's here because it earns its spot in my truck.
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Concrete & Foundations
Where I started 25 years ago. These are the tools that survive concrete work.
Marshalltown 14" Magnesium Float
The float I've used for two decades of flatwork. Mag floats open the surface right — don't use wood on air-entrained mixes.
Kraft Tool Blue Steel Finishing Trowel
Blue steel breaks in faster than stainless and gives a tighter finish. My go-to since my foundation days.
Stabila 48" Level
Drop it off a wall form and it's still accurate. Cheap levels lie to you — this one doesn't.
Bon Tool Concrete Edger
Crisp edges separate pro flatwork from DIY. Stainless, comfortable, lasts forever.
Rubber Concrete Placement Boots
Concrete burns are real — I've seen guys lose skin. Proper boots are non-negotiable.
Framing
Production framing gear that holds up day after day.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Framing Nailer
No hose, no compressor, drives 3-1/4" nails all day. Changed how my crews frame.
Makita 7-1/4" Magnesium Circular Saw
The hypoid drive on these outlasts every sidewinder I've owned.
Stiletto 15oz Titanium Hammer
Pricey, but your elbow at 50 will thank you. Titanium kills the vibration.
Stanley FatMax 25' Tape
13 feet of standout, survives drops off a second-story deck. I buy them by the 3-pack.
DeWalt 20V Max Circular Saw Kit
For the homeowner/DIY crowd — best balance of price and capability in cordless.
Finish Carpentry
Trim, doors, and cabinets — where accuracy pays.
DeWalt 12" Double-Bevel Sliding Miter Saw
The heart of my trim setup for nine years running my own company.
Milwaukee M18 18ga Brad Nailer
Sequential fire, no dry-fire, no compressor in a finished house.
Starrett 6" Combination Square
Trim work is won or lost in 64ths. Starrett is the standard for a reason.
Festool Track Saw TS 55
Cabinet-grade cuts on site. Expensive, pays for itself on the first built-in.
Drywall & Paint
The difference between a patch you can see and one you can't.
DeWalt Cordless Drywall Screw Gun
Collated attachment turns a board-hanging day into a half day.
Purdy Clearcut Paint Brush Set
After 25 years: buy good brushes, clean them properly, they outlast cheap ones 10 to 1.
Wooster Sherlock Extension Pole
Locks solid, doesn't spin while you're cutting in a stairwell.
Festool Planex Drywall Sander
Dustless sanding. The single biggest quality-of-life upgrade in drywall.
GC Essentials
What's in my truck every single day as a general contractor.
Bosch GLL3-330CG 3-Plane Laser Level
Layout, cabinets, tile, framing checks — the most-used tool in my truck.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Hammer Drill/Driver Combo
If you buy one cordless platform, this is the one I'd start on today.
Knipex Pliers Wrench Set
Replaces a whole drawer of adjustable wrenches and never rounds a fitting.
Thermal Imaging Camera (Klein)
Find leaks, missing insulation, and overloaded circuits before they're demo problems. Clients love seeing it.
Safety
The gear that's kept me working for 25 years. Don't cheap out here.
3M WorkTunes Hearing Protection
Saws took my high frequencies before I got smart. Protect your ears — these make it painless.
Mechanix Work Gloves
Dexterity plus protection — the glove that finally made my crews keep gloves on.
3M Half-Face Respirator + P100 Filters
Silica dust ends careers. Wear it cutting concrete, tile, or sanding drywall. Every time.
First Aid Kit (Job Site, ANSI)
OSHA requires one. More importantly, you'll actually need it someday.
Video & Tech
The exact cameras and mics I use to film this channel.
Sony ZV-E10 II Camera
The talking-head and walkaround camera for the channel. Flip screen, great autofocus.
DJI Mic 2 Wireless Lavalier
Clean audio on a loud job site — clips on, just works, records backup internally.
Small LED Light Panel Kit
Basements and garages are dark. Two of these fix every interior shot.
Heavy-Duty Tripod with Fluid Head
Job sites kill flimsy tripods. Get one that survives being knocked over.
Fast SD Cards (V60, 2-Pack)
4K video eats cards. Buy the speed class your camera actually needs.