Pro Tool Reviews is an online publication that was created when one of the founders, Clint DeBoer, saw a need for tool reviews that addressed the professional industry. Tradesmen, builders, and contractors all contribute reviews on hundreds of brands and tools that help professionals find the best tool that can help save both time and money. Learn more about Pro Tool Reviews in this interview with Clint DeBoer.

The Lakelander: When did you first start Pro Tool Reviews?

Clint DeBoer: We started back in 2008 because we didn’t see a lot of publications that were addressing the professional.

TL: Why was there a need for a website like Pro Tool Reviews?

CD: There were a lot of DIY, print, and online publications that catered to people who were building projects on their own. However, there wasn’t anything that took a professional approach to tool reviews that really had a sense of wanting to provide information that would help a tradesman or business owner make a good call on which tools really were the best.

TL: What did you do prior to starting Pro Tools Reviews, and how did you come up with the idea?

CD: I had renovated a couple of houses, so I was very familiar with tools in general and which ones I did and didn’t prefer. I already had experience reviewing products for people, so I understood how to lay out a review that would be very informative and fun to read at the same time. What I realized was that there was definitely room in the market for something that addressed reviews of power tools. I brought onboard a friend of mine, Tom Gaige, who has since moved on, and we took almost a year to build up content and debuted the site with about 500 pages of reviews and content.

TL: In what industries are your reviewers?

CD: Our reviewers are actively involved in the trade and range from plumbers and electricians to framers that build houses for a living. Tom, who started the site with me back in 2008, has actually come back into the company to help us with doing in-house reviews when we pit tool against tool for our category reviews.

TL: In addition to providing reviews, does Pro Tool Reviews do anything else within the industry?

CD: Every year we do something called the Pro Tool Innovation Awards, which recognizes innovation in the industry. We have been running it for seven years and it is amazing because every major manufacturer enters their tools. This year was our biggest; we had over 350 entries from major tool brands like Milwaukee, DeWalt, Black & Decker, and more.