Tools and Gear for the Moms Who Get it Done
From work boots to power tools, these favorite picks make perfect gifts for moms and women who build.
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, so we’ve pulled together some of our favorite tools and gear that are perfect for the moms who love to build, fix, design, and create. From whole-house renovations to fixing a wobbly table and everything in between, these gifts will help the women in your life accomplish anything they set their mind to.
Durable Work Boots
Keen Utility Dover Boots • Weight: 720 g (per boot) • Leather
| The Keen Utility Dover boots are made specifically for tradeswomen. They feature a molded foot bed, a more narrow heel and ankle, and a wide toe box that won’t pinch your feet. The well-covered, carbon-fiber toe is fairly dent-resistant and can hold up through trenching, jackhammering, concrete, demo, framing, and more. Another reason we love these boots is that they’re made in Portland, Ore., using sustainable practices. |
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Click here to learn more about the Keen Utility Dover Boots.
General Home Repair Tool Kit
Craftsman CMMT99447 • 57 Pieces • Weight: 6.5 lbs • Polished Finish
| While you may not be able to build a house with the tools in this kit, they’re great to have around for general home repair purposes. The 57-piece kit includes a pair of slip joint pliers, a fiberglass hammer, bi-material screwdrivers, and more. Each tool is ergonomic, corrosion resistant, and can be easily stored in the included case. We also love that this kit comes with a lifetime warranty. |
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Click here to learn more about the Craftsman CMMT99447.
Air Leak Finder
FLIR ONE Edge Pro • Weight: 5.3 Oz • Compatible with iOS and Android Devices
| The FLIR One Edge Pro is a compact, cellphone-compatible, infrared device that allows you to quickly and accurately see where heat is escaping or entering a house in real time. It’s simple to use and, although it features a spring function that lets you clip the device to a phone, it can also operate independently from a mobile device. Setup only takes a minute and is as simple as connecting a Bluetooth device on your mobile phone. The device also has great battery life and a quick recharge period. |
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Click here to learn more about the FLIR ONE Edge Pro.
Cordless Track Saw
Festool TSC 55 KeB-F • Power: 18v • Weight: 22.1 lb. • Brushless EC-TEC motor
| The Festool TSC 55 KeB-F runs on a single, 18v battery and features a cutting depth adjustment with detents in the 1/32-in. increments (helpful for making grooves and other non-through-cuts). While the depth scale is in inches, the saw includes an optional adhesive metric scale. The track has reliable high-friction strips and a semi-transparent splinter guard that allows you to see pencil marks that would otherwise be covered. Our favorite feature of this tool is its kickback protection circuitry that stops the motor in the event of a bound blade. |
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Click here to learn more about the Festool TSC 55 KeB-F.
Bright Tape Measure
Milwaukee 48-22-0428 • Runtime: 2.5 hours • Water and Dust Resistant Lens
| The Milwaukee 48-22-0428 is compact, magnetic, and features an LED light and a four-way hook that grabs on to an object regardless of the orientation of the tape. It works great for areas with temporarily low or inconsistent light conditions such as crawlspaces, dark corners in basements, and under decks. The light has a high and low setting, and the 100-lumen high setting seems just as bright as a pocket flashlight. The battery is rechargeable through a sealed USB port. Numbers are printed on both sides of the tape to keep the measurements readable from most any angle. |
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Click here to learn more about the Milwaukee 48-22-0428.
High-Quality Clothing
Milwaukee GRIDIRON™ T-Shirt, Milwaukee GRIDIRON™ Joggers • Cotton/Poly Blend
| The Milwaukee GRIDIRON™ line offers functional workwear that fits and allows freedom of movement. Their jogger pants feature seven deep, reinforced pockets and nylon-reinforced clip-on zones for packing hand tools. The tools stay in place without stretching the pants, and the weight feels evenly distributed. They hold up through washing and can withstand screws and nails in the pockets. The GRIDIRON™ t-shirts are lightweight, breathable and not too tight (but snug enough that you won’t worry about getting caught on equipment). They also offer extra coverage in the back to ensure everything stays covered when you bend over or stretch. |
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Click here to learn more about the Milwaukee GRIDIRON™ line.
Hydraulic Impact Driver
DeWalt DCF870 • Chuck Size: 1/4-in. hex • Torque: 500 in.-lb. • Impacts per min: 4200
| The DeWalt DCF870 is a quiet and compact hydraulic driver with the highest torque rating in the industry. Hydraulic drivers are different from traditional drivers in that they use an oil chamber to transfer energy rather than the traditional mechanical hammer-and-anvil system to generate torque. This helps reduce noise and vibration while maintaining a high torque. The tool also features a ring of LED lights over the shoulder of the 1/4-in. chuck which are a huge advantage when working in tight spaces like attics and crawlspaces where lighting is limited. |
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Click here to learn more about the DeWalt DCF870.
Reliable Radon Reader
Airthings 2950 Wave Radon Monitor • Weight: 7.7 Oz • Battery Operated
| Exposure to radon leads to a greater risk of lung cancer, and the EPA recommends a home undergo radon mitigation if the level of radon gas is above 4.0 pCi/L. The Airthings 2950 Wave Radon monitor is a battery-powered, compact disc that provides real-time radon readings as well as temperature and humidity readings. This device can be wall- or ceiling-mounted or simply set down, and only requires AA batteries. |
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Click here to learn more about the Airthings 2950 Wave Radon Monitor.
Compact Cordless Router
Milwaukee 2723-20 • Power: 18v • Weight: 4.6 lb. • Base Diameter: 2-7/8 in.
| The Milwaukee 2723-20 has great visibility thanks to a large-diameter opening in the base and two LED lights. It’s solidly constructed, with the main body and base manufactured from metal parts. It takes two hands to turn the tool on or off with a dust-protected rocker switch. It’s well-balanced, feels good in the hand, and features an engraved scale with 1/16-in. graduations and a screw-type depth adjustment with 1/64-in. markings so depth adjustments are fast and precise. The router comes with a dust-extraction port, an edge guide, and two baseplates — 4 in. dia. and 5-3/4 in. dia.— made from polycarbonate. |
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Click here to learn more about the Milwaukee 2723-20.
Paint Scraper
Proscraper • Weight: 7 Oz • Material: Plastic
| The Proscraper is a hollow plastic paint scraping tool with a curved shape that makes it easy to apply strong downward pressure when using a two-hand grip. The thick tungsten carbide blade removes paint easily and holds up well during use. What makes this scraper our favorite is the fact that you can connect it to a vacuum hose to speed up the process. As you pull the scraper toward you, the paint chips are sucked through a slot behind the blade and into the vacuum, leaving very little clean up. |
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Click here to learn more about the Proscraper.
Safe Outlets
Leviton E5325-MW Decora Edge Wall Outlet • Material: Plastic • Size: 4.25″L x 1.63″W
| The Leviton E5325-MW Decora Edge wall outlets feature color-coded, snap-and-click lever terminations that create a more reliable connection than standard stab-in terminals. Plus they’re faster to install because even the ground wire shares the new termination system. In addition to saving time on installation, the lack of exposed screws on the sides of these devices greatly reduces the chance of generating a potentially dangerous short. |
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Click here to learn more about the Leviton E5325-MW Decora Edge Wall Outlets.
Compact Line Laser
DeWalt DCLE34033D1 • Power Source: DeWalt 12v or 20v packs • Run Time: Up to 10 hr.
| The DeWalt DCLE34033D1 uses a “high precision” laser with an accuracy rating within an impressive 1/8 in. at 50 ft. The base’s magnets are very strong and can hold on well to metal drywall corner bead. We like the DeWalt’s fine-adjustment knob because it has enough precision to accurately dial in the laser where you want it. What really makes this tool a winner is the laser’s brightness — it’s easy to see both indoors and outdoors. |
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Click here to learn more about the DeWalt DCLE34033D1.
Portable Paint Sprayer
Titan ControlMax 1650 • 18v • Capacity: 1.25 gal.
| The Titan ControlMax 1650 is a backpack paint sprayer featuring High Efficiency Airless technology. The 9-ft. hose gives you enough length to work with for all types of scenarios and the 1.25-gal. capacity is great for medium-sized projects like a shed. Powered by Bosch batteries, it’s an incredibly handy tool for any job where electricity is hard to reach or nonexistent. It also cleans out quickly and without much waste. |
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Click here to learn more about the Titan ControlMax 1650.
Cordless Planer
Milwaukee 2623-20 • Speed: 14,000 rpm • Max cut: 5/64 in. • Weight:* 6.28 lb.
| The Milwaukee 2623-20 comes with a large fence featuring a bevel adjustment which makes it great for folks not accustomed to using this type of tool. It’s lightweight but powerful and has a quick, easy lever to switch discharge direction.
*Weighed without batteries or accessories |
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Click here to learn more about the Milwaukee 2623-20.
Tool Pouch
Holstery Joey Pouch • Material: Nylon, Ballistic Polycarbonate • Size: 5.5″L x 4″W x 7.5″H
| The Holstery Joey Pouch is a one-compartment pouch with a couple slots on the sides for hooking small tools. It features a slim profile and a belt hook rather than a loop. When you’re finished using the pouch and set it down, a drawstring deploys a cover that helps keep everything inside the pouch instead of all over the floor. It’s perfect for storing tools, holding fasteners, and so much more. |
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Click here to learn more about the Holstery Joey Pouch.
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