The name "ratchet" can refer to a few different kinds of tools, but there is one common attribute that they each share. The head of the tool rotates in one direction and prevents rotation in the opposite. It's a pretty simple concept that makes any fastening job easier and faster. The main categories are manual, air powered and electric. Manual ratchets function much like a crescent wrench, but eliminate the need to re-position the wrench with every turn. Air powered ratchets require a compressor or air pump, which must be bought separately, but they offer unparalleled power. Electrical models can either come in battery operated or wall plug versions. The wall plug models will usually be much more powerful, but they are not as versatile and useful in jobs outside of the shop. Whether it's manual, air powered or electric; all ratchets are based on the same idea of unidirectional gears and the smaller the teeth of these gears are the smoother the action of the ratchet. This is especially important in manual ratchets where smaller teeth translate into finer working movements. The range you need to move the handle for the ratchet to engage will be smaller and allow for work in tighter situations. No matter the power source; you want your ratchets to be built sturdy, deliver the power needed for the job and function smoothly. Not only should a tool stand up to your abuse, but powered ratchets deliver enough force that they would destroy themselves if not built well. It should also be understood that more power isn't necessarily better because an air powered ratchet delivering 85 foot-pounds of power is going to rip the head right off a small fastener. Good function includes smooth gearing, low vibration and a low chance of busted knuckles. Pick from the right list of the best ratchets in 2022 and you'll find the right tool for your job.

Router tables transform any router into a shaper for cutting molding edges onto boards, rabbeting and dadoing. This is much more convenient than hand-holding the router, especially when cutting small to medium sized pieces.I've used a router table for years. In fact, I have one router (fixed) permanently mounted to my router table, while a second plunge router is available for the rare times that I actually need a hand-held one. As my home is somewhat antique styled, pretty much everything I make has extensive routing on the edges. With a router table, I am able to do this quickly and easily, without risk of injury.Router tables vary extensively in their design and manufacture. While most are tabletop units, there are some free-standing units on the market. With the right router mounted to them, these rival any shaper I've ever seen for capacity and accuracy.There are a number of important things to look at, when looking at a router table. First of all is the size. How much room do you have in your workshop for a router table and how big a work-piece are you going to be cutting? While a small router table can be used with large work-pieces, it’s difficult to maintain accuracy. While looking at size, be sure to look at the size of the insert in the table. If you are planning on using large diameter bits, such as those for making raised panels, you’ll need a router table that is designed to handle that capacity.The flatness of the table is extremely important for maintaining a consistent depth of cut. The cut made by many bits, such as beading bits will look extremely bad if the depth isn't consistent. Some of these router table manufacturers go so far as to provide a leveler for the table inserts to help with maintaining flatness. Some also provide special coatings to the table top, in order to reduce friction.The second thing to look at, after the table top itself, is the fence. If you are working on a lot of curved pieces, you may not use the fence much, but if you are cutting profiles on straight edges, you’ll have to have a good fence. Just like a table saw, the fence on one of these can make or break it. Fence styles differ widely, with some better for one thing and some better for others. I personally like a high fence, as it gives me the option of standing the board vertically for a different sort of cut.Finally, the miter gauge is important, especially for cutting profiles across the grain. There are times where you will use the miter gauge in conjunction with the fence, holding the piece as square as possible to cut the edge molding or for cutting a slot to be used as a drawer slide.Although you can do a good job with a low dollar router table (I do), a more expensive model will usually provide you with features that make it easier to work with, especially for ensuring that your profile cut comes out exactly like you want it. Check out our list of the best router tables in 2022.

The first jointers were long-bodied manually operated planes, which were naturally enough called "jointer planes." Their purpose was to smooth a piece of wood after cutting, ensuring that it was both flat enough and smooth enough for use.These manual versions of the jointer have long since been replaced by power jointers, which still hold the same basic purpose. However, as power tools, they operate differently than the original. Instead of having one fixed blade, they have multiple blades, placed on a revolving drum. While this cuts much faster than the original manual plane, it isn't as smooth. The ripple appearance that is visible on the surface of many commercially produced boards is a result of being run through a power jointer.Many woodworkers feel that they don't need a plane today, as boards purchased at the lumberyards have already been smoothed. Of course, if one is cutting their own boards on a sawmill, that would eliminate said reasoning. Nevertheless, a jointer is still a useful tool, providing the ability to thin boards as needed and match their thickness.More than anything, jointers are used by those who make furniture. When laminating a number of boards together to make a tabletop or the top of a dresser, it's not uncommon to have slight variances in the thicknesses of the boards. This problem increases dramatically when the boards have come from a variety of different sources, as not all sawmills finish their boards exactly the same.There are a wide variety of jointers on the market today, showing that they are still used extensively, even if a lot of people don't have them in their workshops. While there are not that many manufacturers producing them, each manufacturer has several models to choose from.Jointers come in a variety of sizes, mostly measured by the width of cut they can produce. The wider ones are also referred to as planers, although the two are essentially the same tool. The major difference is that a true planer doesn't allow material to be edge cut on it, but only cut on the flat. A jointer on the other hand, allows the material to be cut on the flat or edge cut.A couple of these jointers have helical or spiral knives. This is a relatively recent design innovation, created to reduce the waviness that power jointers typically produce in the sides of boards. While they have many more blades to set up, it is worth it, for the smoother cut that they provide.The other important feature that some jointers have and others don't is parallelogram ways. This refers to the way that the bed of the jointer meets up with the center part of the jointer's body. By placing the sliding ways at an angle, making the center part of the jointer shaped like a parallelogram, it ensures zero clearance between the blades and the feed table. This reduces chatter, helping to reduce the waviness in the board.Finally, power and size are important considerations. For the sake of this list, I've tried to stick with planers that were reasonably enough priced that they could be considered for a home workshop. I'll have to say, it was hard picking out the best models to choose. For each one you see here, the same manufacturers make other, larger models. However, those larger models have larger price tags as well. Check out our list of the best jointers in 2022.

Winches are a vital part of any truck owner's arsenal that frequently goes off-roading. That being said, winches are also great to have for many other things as well such as pulling out stubborn tree stumps, loading your ATV or UTV onto a trailer, or getting your truck out of a ditch if you get stuck. Due to the fact that the winch you choose can often times save your life, it's very important that it's top quality. Think about what you’ll be using your new winch for. Will you be crawling on rocks in a forest somewhere? Take a look at our best winch list. Maybe you’ll just be using your best winch in 2022 to help load your jet ski onto a trailer to take to the lake every other weekend. Check out our best budget winch list. No matter what you need a winch for, one of our lists will have you covered.

Performing maintenance on your car in your garage is a great thing to consider doing. Not only is it easy on your wallet, it's also mentally stimulating because you constantly have to learn all kinds of new things in order to successfully perform the maintenance. One of the most important repairs you can perform on your vehicle is changing your spark plugs. In order to make this easy on yourself, you'll need a spark plug socket. They generally come in two sizes: 5/8 and 13/16 inches and they work by fitting down around the spark plug to make it easier to remove. The better spark plug sockets on the market also have some way to hold the spark plug in place, inside the socket, once you remove it from your vehicle.What spark plug socket is best though? All of the best spark plug sockets in 2022 on this list have some sort of feature that holds the spark plug in place after removal (like I mentioned above). Also, spark plug sockets generally aren't very expensive to begin with, but all of the sockets on this list come with a lifetime warranty.

There are several reasons why a person might choose to drink oat milk instead of dairy alternatives. For example, if you are lactose intolerant, you may be searching for a tasty dairy replacement. Good news for you - oat milk tastes great in tea and coffee, on cereal, and can also be used to replace cow’s milk in various baking recipes.Many studies show that animal agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gases. Dairy milk uses about 8 times more land than any of the plant-based alternatives. The amount of water needed to produce cow’s milk is much higher than the amount needed to produce oat milk. It takes over 160 gallons of water to produce 1 quart of cow’s milk and it takes a little over 12 gallons of water to produce the same amount of oat milk. Basically, if you care about the environment, you should consider making the switch if you haven’t already.Not only does it have a lovely creamy taste, in time, the majority of oat milk drinkers don’t miss dairy milk at all. In fact, the popularity of oat milk has grown exponentially in the last few years, creating a large variety of brands and flavors to choose from. To help you find a drink that suits your taste buds, we have created a list of the best oat milks in 2022. Check it out below! If you want to do further research, we've compiled an oat milk buyer's guide as well.

The keto diet is one of the most popular eating trends among American men and women who are determined to shed their excess weight and get into great shape. The ketogenic routine involves very low carb intake while replacing them with healthy fats. This reduction in carbs eventually makes your body go into a metabolic state known as ketosis.Similar to the Atkins and other low-carb diets, keto can lead to some pretty dramatic results, especially if you’re looking to shed a lot of weight over a few months, or if you suspect you have a gluten intolerance. If you are a breakfast lover, this does not spell doom and gloom. In fact, there are numerous delicious ket cereals on the market today. Sure, you’re going to have to ditch the PB on toast and bacon sandwiches for the foreseeable future, but you can still enjoy a delicious (and convenient) breakfast meal thanks to these handy products.Let’s face it, cereal isn’t cheap at the best of times, unless you’re buying store-brand corn flakes which, you know, you can’t really eat on a keto diet. To help you make a decision, we have collected some of the top keto cereals on the market in our handy buying guide below. We’ve also taken the time to break down some important factors for you to consider before making any purchase.

Glowing facial skin is often a sign of healthy living, and while it comes naturally for some - others, not so much. Every skin expert knows that exfoliation is a simple trick to getting dazzling, spotless skin, which is why it is an integral part of every skincare routine. Facial exfoliation is a way of peeling old, rugged skin off your face, and as simple as it may sound, this procedure will make your face shine brighter and better.Exfoliation today is way better and safer than it used to be, and the best facial exfoliation pads in 2022 listed in this buying guide take it up a notch. The best thing about these exfoliation pads is that they combine mechanical (abrasive surface) and chemical action (active ingredients) to deal with facial skin blemishes.Exfoliation pads are typically infused with potent face cleansing substances like lactic, mandelic, or glycolic acids, generally known as alpha-hydroxy acids or salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid. These chemical agents have been found to increase collagen production, improve facial skin tone, eliminate dark spots, and reduce breakouts - and thanks to exfoliating pads, you get to apply some or all of them on your face.There’s an exfoliation pad for every skin, no matter the sensitivity or tone. And luckily for you, this buying guide has information on everything you need to know about these face scrubbers.

Acne is the worst! They leave you feeling self-conscious, insecure, and unable to have fun or be yourself. However, the really awful thing about dealing with acne is trying to get rid of it with a product that doesn’t work. If you’ve been there, we totally get it. Everyone’s skin is different, and what works for someone else may not work for you. So, to give you the best chance at getting rid of that acne, we have compiled the best acne treatment kits in 2022.

If you are a hardcore weightlifter or just your average gym enthusiast who knows how to take care of yourself when exercising, you’ll know the importance of a recovery drink. Usually, in the form of a shake or smoothie, recovery drinks are full of essential amino acids and proteins which are slowly released into the body over several hours, aiding your recovery and turning your body into an efficient, muscle-building temple.If your aim is to tone up, post-workout recovery drinks should be a compulsory part of your exercise routine. Not only do they help you build muscle, but they also boost your immune system and even improve your bone structure. Of course, you can make your own shakes with supplements, powders, and natural foods. But who has time for that? Many companies provide pre-made recovery drinks which give you absolutely everything you need with minimal fuss.Need help choosing the perfect drink for you? We’ve compiled a list of the very best recovery drinks in 2022, as well as some nifty tricks for choosing the right recovery drink on the fly.