Editorial policy

ToolsLiving helps you match the right tool, bit, glue or fastener to the job in front of you. Our short version is "know what works on what." This page explains how we write those answers, how we check them and how we fix them.

Who we are

ToolsLiving is a small independent website. Robert D. Miller writes our guides. Each guide shows his name and links to his author page.

How we choose topics

We write about the questions people ask when a job goes wrong or a choice is unclear. Our topic ideas come from:

• What people search for, using our own search data.
• Questions readers send us by email.
• Gaps we find in manuals and data sheets.

We stay in our lane: hand tools, power tools, outdoor power gear and the materials they work on.

Where our facts come from

Every number and every safety step on a guide needs a source. We list them in the "Sources" box at the end of each page. In order of preference, we use:

1. Maker documents. Owner's manuals, technical data sheets (TDS), safety data sheets (SDS) and spec pages.
2. Standards and codes. For example, ANSI, NFPA 70 (the National Electrical Code) and the International Residential Code.
3. Safety agencies, government and universities. For example, OSHA, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and university extension services.

We use store pages only for prices and what's in the box. We don't treat forums, reviews or other blogs as a source of fact. When makers disagree, or a spec isn't published, the page says so.

How a guide gets made

A person is always responsible for what we publish.

Before a page goes live, a person:

• Edits the draft.
• Checks each number and safety step against the source listed on the page.
• Cuts anything the sources don't support.

We don't:

• Publish pages no person has edited and checked.
• Publish many near-copies of one page with a keyword swapped in.
• Make up photos or test results.

Hands-on tests and photos

Bench tests are planned, not done yet. No guide shows results from a ToolsLiving test. When we run one, the page will show the method, the numbers and the photos. See how we research and check our guides.

No reviewer program

We don't have licensed pros who review our pages, and we don't claim to. Safety topics get extra care instead:

• The safety step goes where you need it, not at the bottom.
• We tell you plainly when to stop and call a licensed pro.
• We follow the maker's instructions over shortcuts.

Our guides are general information. Always read the manual for your own tool and follow local codes.

How we keep pages up to date

Tools, batteries and products change. Each guide shows the date it was last updated and a short change log. We check a guide again when a maker changes a product, a manual or a data sheet, and when a reader reports a problem.

Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it and say so. A small fix, like a typo, is made without a note. A change to a fact, a number or a safety step gets a dated note on the page. Bigger errors also go in our corrections log.

To report an error, email [email protected]. See the corrections page for what to include.

Independence from advertisers

ToolsLiving may earn money from affiliate links and, later, ads. Here's how we keep that apart from our advice:

• Advertisers and stores don't see, edit or approve our guides.
• No one can pay for a verdict, a ranking or a "pick."
• If a maker ever lends or gives us a product, the page will say so.

Our affiliate disclosure explains how affiliate links work on this site.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Email [email protected].

Change log: Nov 7, 2026: Rewritten for launch: how we research, check and correct guides. No reviewer program. Nov 6, 2026: First version for the v2 site.