Paul Smith
- Indexed articles, last 90 days
- 16
- Latest publication
- Sep 24, 2026
- Outlet visibility, for Popular Mechanics
- Top 50K sites
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 7, 2026
Latest articles
Cordless Drills and Impact Drivers Look Alike. Here’s Why You Actually Need Both. (opens the original)
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My cordless drill/driver and my impact driver always travel together. In fact, I happen to have two of each. One pair takes up permanent residency in my truck, and the other lives in a closet at home. The fact is a lot of jobs, whether I’m contracting or working on my own home, call for using both. It’s rare I only need one of the two, unless I’m really just doing a quick, singular task. And I know, they look a lot alike, but the reason why each of these tools offers something unique relates to
DeWalt Prime Day Deals Are Up to 66% Off—Including Editor-Loved Drills, Saws, and Batteries (opens the original)
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Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? I’ve spent years working with DeWalt tools, and if you’re already invested in its 20V Max platform, or looking for a good excuse to join “team yellow and black,” Prime Big Deal Days is back with some seriously big deals on seriously impressive tools. I’m talking about tools that really make a difference on a weekend project: a cordless drill/driver that makes short work of drilling
How to Pick the Right Paint Sprayer Tip for Your Next Project to Save Time and Prevent Overspray (opens the original)
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You just got an awesome new paint sprayer—maybe our Best Overall, the Titan ControlMax 18V Backpack Paint Sprayer, or our Best Value pick, the Graco TrueCoat 360. You also have a fresh bucket of latex paint and a surface—a wall, cabinet, or fence—that’s waiting to be covered. Now to choose the right paint sprayer tip for the job. Every tip has a three-digit number, like 313, 515, or 621, that contains useful information for your particular job. The last two refer to the size of the sprayer tip’s
Makita’s New Backpack Blower Has More Kick Than I Expected (opens the original)
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I’ve always considered backpack leaf blowers to be the heavy artillery of fall cleanup. My process has always been to mow my lawn weekly during the fall, if for no other reason than to grind up all the oak and maple leaves that tumble down like falling snow. Afterward, I fire up and throw on my trusty RedMax and become a leaf shepherd, corralling all of those minced bits into tight, manageable piles. To that end, I think I’ll always be of the mind that—for my purposes—nothing beats a gas-powered
Gas vs Electric Pressure Washers: Which One Is Best for Your Property? (opens the original)
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For most of my adult life, I’ve operated under a fairly simple assumption when it comes to most tools and power equipment: Louder, stronger, and sturdier usually means “better.” So, naturally, when it came to pressure washers, I gravitated toward gas machines. The idea of plugging a pressure washer into an electrical outlet just seemed weak—damn near sacrilegious–to me. I wanted an engine. I wanted a substantial frame. I wanted a machine that I had to yank on to fire up—and made a ton of noise t
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Top 50K sites
For Popular Mechanics, the outlet · Measured Aug 1, 2026
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