Product Reviews

April 2020

Odyssey

A PFD with plenty of pockets

The Odyssey from Northwest River Supplies is a Type III PFD that’s comfortable to wear, even in hot weather, and equipped with lots of pockets and attachment points for keeping essential gear on your person.

Small Boats Annual 2021April 2020

GasOne’s Mini

A dual-fuel camp stove

Stoves that use gas cannisters are convenient to use and well suited to meals that require careful cooking. The GasOne Mini is a good deal more compact than the standard stove of its type and takes both butane and propane cannisters.

March 2020

A Full-Featured VHF/GPS

Standard Horizon's HX890

The HX890 is a full-featured waterproof VHF that includes GPS navigation, Digital Selective Calling, FM radio, a rechargeable 1800mAh Li-Ion battery with an alkaline back-up, group monitoring, and a water-activated light. And it floats.

March 2020

Wen Band File

Detail work on wood and metal

We boatbuilders are by nature do-it-yourselfers, and when we finish a boat and it’s time to rig and outfit it, there are a lot of small parts we can make instead of buy. Wen’s compact ½” x 18” belt sander makes quick work of metal and wood fittings.

February 2020

Colonial’s Marlinspike Knife

United States Navy issue

The U.S. Navy introduced the Marlinspike Knife in the First World War and it has been used by sailors ever since then. Its stainless-steel sheepsfoot blade and locking marlinspike are as useful now as they were a century ago.

Small Boats Annual 2021February 2020

Jackery Explorer 160

A portable power station

Electronic devices have become essential tools for our daily life and when our boats break us free from the grid, it’s handy to have a portable power station to recharge them. The Jackery 160 is a compact unit with lithium-ion batteries, several charging ports, and a built-in flashlight.

January 2020

Gaffer Tape

A duct-tape rival

Duct tape finds its way into almost every boater’s and camper’s repair kit but there are some jobs that are better left to gaffer tape, with its tidier adhesive and soft-cloth feel.

January 2020

Vintage 3-Strand from New England Ropes

Modern material, traditional look

In boats with a traditional vibe, multi-colored braided cordage looks out of place. Vintage 3-Strand from New England Ropes has not only the right look but also a soft feel and good flexibility and strength.

Small Boats Annual 2021December 2019

Grayl’s Geopress Water-Treatment System

Water treatment made simple

Most wilderness water filters require a lot of pieces: one container for dirty water, another for clean water, a pump, a filter, and hoses to connect everything. Grayl turned the containers for dirty water and clean water into a pump for an ingenious and compact system.

December 2019

MaxxHaul Trailer Dolly

Rolling a trailer with ease

The caster on a trailer jack provides some mobility for a trailer when it’s off the vehicle’s hitch, but it can be a nuisance on gravel or grass. This trailer dolly with a pair of 12” tires isn’t so easily mired.

November 2019

Gill Deckhand Gloves

Durable protection from Gill

If you enjoy rowing but don’t get out as often as you’d like, you may not be able to put in the time it takes to toughen your hands. Kent Lewis counts on his Deckhand gloves from Gill to keep blisters and hot spots from spoiling his outings.

November 2019

Outboard Extension Handles

Handi-Mate and HelmsMate

Sitting right next to a small outboard motor, hand on the throttle, isn’t always where you want to be, especially if your weight puts the boat out of trim. With a tiller extension you can move to a better spot.

October 2019

Grappling Hooks

Salvaging and scavenging

When valuable gear finds its way over the side and sinks, you might have a chance of getting it back if the water’s not too deep. We take a look at two compact grappling hooks to see if they can retrieve sunken trash and treasures.

October 2019

Circular-Saw-Blade Sharpener

Diamonds aren't always a blade's best friend

Carbide-tipped circular saw blades can have a long life, but they do eventually get dull. Sending one out to be sharpened can cost almost as much as a new blade, so we tried an affordable sharpening device with a diamond wheel to do the job at home. Unfortunately, it did more harm than good.

September 2019

Rolling Relief for Boat Trailers

Dual pneumatic jack-stand tires

The small wheel on a trailer’s jack stand may function well enough on smooth pavement, but on sand and soil it will plow when you want it to roll. A pair of wheels with 10” pneumatic tires will make moving a trailer much easier.

September 2019

Dust Deputy Cyclone Separator

Oneida's Dust Deputy

Shop vacuums are useful tools for gathering the wood chips and dust produced by power tools, but cleaning the filters is a messy chore and collection bags can get expensive. The Dust Deputy dumps the debris into a bucket before it even gets to the vacuum.

August 2019

Pedal and Paddle Switches

Safer switches for workshop tools

Bandsaws and table saws demand our full attention, so they should be easy to turn off. Alternative switches allow us to keep our eyes on the blades.

August 2019

Image-Stabilized Binoculars

The Canon IS II 10x30

The usefulness and pleasures of binoculars are often lost because it’s nearly impossible to hold them still. We take a look at an offering from Canon that’s equipped with image stabilization.

July 2019

DeWalt’s Benchtop Planer

DeWalt's DW734

DeWalt’s DW734 bench-top planer can handle lumber up to 12” wide and 6” thick. Its three-blade cutter head spins at 10,000 rpm, making 96 cuts per inch. With powerful feed rollers, it can cut up to 1/8” in a single pass.

July 2019

Quickloader Retractable Ratchet Straps

A better ratchet strap

Quickloader’s retractable ratchet straps are thoughtfully engineered and simple to use. The QL15 model has a reach of 12’ and neatly coils its 1” polyester webbing around a spring-loaded drum. The strap feeds out and retracts like a tape measure so there’s never any slack to get knotted, tangled, or twisted.

June 2019

16” Wandel Bandsaw

An economical DIY project

Matthias Wandel, a Canadian engineer, woodworker, and YouTuber makes many of his shop tools out of wood and offers remarkably detailed plans for his creations. His 16” bandsaw is a rewarding project for frugal do-it-yourselfers.

June 2019

WS-3000 Tool Sharpener

Turning sharpening upside down

Work Sharp’s WS-3000 tool sharpener uses see-through sanding disks, tempered-glass wheels, and an air-cooled guide to make quick, accurate work of sharpening chisels, plane irons, and other edge tools.

May 2019

Compact Routers

Better visibility, easier handling

A lot of the jobs a router can do don’t require a lot of heft and horsepower. A compact router that is easily managed with one hand will quickly prove its usefulness in the boat shop.

May 2019

Versa Vise

Making itself useful since 1901

A bench vise is an essential tool and the Versa Vise, with its smooth-faced jaws and ability to pivot in four different ways, can handle wood, brass, and bronze without damaging them.

April 2019

A High-Thrust Caulk Gun

The Newborn 250

If you’ve squeezed hard on the grip of a caulking gun and couldn’t get a bead of thick caulk or adhesive flowing from the tip of a cartridge, it’s not you, it’s the gun. The Newborn 250 puts the mechanical advantage in your favor.