Tools & Equipment Review: Top NotchThese new products were designed to help you work smarter, faster, and better.

Each year, the editors of The Journal of Light Construction, a sister publication of this magazine, select what they believe are the year's most promising new products. The editors look for items they think will improve the quality of your work, increase your efficiency on the job, or make your business more profitable. Many products are too new to have a track record, so they rely on user feedback. If you come across a product that changes your business, the JLC bunch want to hear about it. (You can contact them at www.jlconline.com.) Maybe it will be in next year's roundup.

--BUILDING PRODUCTS

Fein USA

Fein USA. Remodeling is messy work, and we all know customers hate messes. Luckily, the MF 12-180 Dustless Construction Cutter allows you to cut new openings, make holes and channels for new mechanicals, and do exploratory demolition "virtually dust-free," the company says. With its depth-adjustable (2-3/8-inch maximum) 7-inch diamond blade spinning at 7,000 rpm, this specialty tool cuts plaster, concrete, drywall, ceramic tile, and metal studs. It's available for around $1,200 with one blade and a metal case. 800-441-9878. www.feinus.com.

BrassCraft

BrassCraft. Want your plumber to speed up your trim-outs? Suggest SureConnect. The rather conventional-looking quarter-turn shut-off valves install without tools on the manufacturer's preformed stub-outs. Stub-outs are slotted so the valve can be oriented for the best appearance; they're available in elbow, straight, and short configurations for connection to PEX, CPVC, and copper. List prices for shut-offs start at about $12. Straight stub-outs for copper and PEX start at about $2. CPVC stub-outs start at $3. 248-305-6000. www.brasscraft.com.

Burgess Edge

Burgess Edge. Hate iron-on edge banding? Take a look at this product developed by Mike Burgess. This tool consists of two profile-matched 1/2-inch router bits; the first makes a D-shaped groove in the plywood's edge and the second carves out a piece of solid stock to fill it. Kits include shims for adjusting the cutters to nominal-thickness plywood. The 3/4-inch-bit set costs $130; the 1/2-inch set, $120—or you can buy both for $200. A similar setup is available for spindle shapers. 802-233-1489. www.burgessedge.com.

Moen

Moen. Imagine washing the car or filling the hot tub with warm—not freezing-cold—water. This outdoor faucet allows homeowners to do just that. Unlike most other hot/cold hydrants, this model has a single handle, like a shower valve, making installation and operation easier. The frost-free design includes a built-in vacuum breaker and comes in 8-inch ($64) and 12-inch lengths ($68). 800-289-6636. www.moen.com.

Tuffy

Tuffy. Wrapping base trim around bullnose outside corners commonly involves copious amounts of caulking or the tedious assembly of a three-piece corner, but a little gizmo called the Squarz It can simplify the job. The 4-1/2-inch-tall plastic adapter attaches to the existing bullnose with adhesive and can be finished with either conventional or setting-type compound. A box of 50 sells for $60. 866-369-9479. www.squarzit.com.

Werner Ladder

Werner Ladder. In the past, setting up an extension ladder on uneven ground usually required propping up one of the legs with bricks, scraps of lumber, or the like. No longer. The Equalizer is an aluminum extension ladder with integrated leg-levelers that adjust in 3/8-inch increments. It comes in Type II (225-pound capacity) and Type I (250-pound capacity) versions in lengths of 16 to 28 feet. A small spirit level (below) built into the bottom rung makes setup easier. Prices range from $180 to $250. 888-523-3370. www.wernerladder.com.

Ridgway Structural Systems

Ridgway Structural Systems. Need a fast and easy fix for bouncy floors and sagging joists? Check out the Joist Jack. This 8-foot light-gauge-steel strap increases the effective depth of any solid lumber member or I-joist accessible from below. Installing the device takes only minutes, the maker says—much less time than is required for sistering joists or adding solid blocking. The jacks sell for about $50 each; the maker says five or six are usually sufficient to correct problems with a "standard-sized" living room. 970-596-1787. www.ridgwaystructuralsystems.com.

Stanley

Stanley. Call it "The Mother of All Wrecking Bars." The lethal-looking, four-in-one Fubar is an 18-inch pry bar with a combination board-gripping/demo-hammer on one end, a more-conventional flat bar on the other end, and a vibration-dampening, rubberized grip in between. Part of Stanley's new FatMax Xtreme line, it sells for about $45. 800-262-2161. www.stanleytools.com.

Wagner Electronics

Wagner Electronics. Installing finished flooring on a concrete slab without proper moisture testing is a huge gamble. If the slab proves to be too wet, you're facing a very expensive callback. But Rapid RH allows you to get accurate data on a slab's relative humidity and temperature with a mere push of a button. The manufacturer says the 3/4-inch probe, which installs directly into the slab, is faster and more accurate than conventional moisture-testing methods. A kit containing five Rapid RH probes, two drill bits, a cleaning brush, and an analog moisture meter—plus a carrying case—costs about $800. 800-585-7609. www.rapidrh.com.

Dricon

Dricon. Installing blocking for cabinets, fixtures, and railings is one of the slowest parts of framing walls with light-gauge steel, but Danback Wood Backing Plates can speed things up by 90 percent, claims the maker. Precut and fire-treated, the plates are suitable for commercial spaces and fire-rated assemblies. They sell for about $6 each. 866-873-3789. www.dricon.com.

Starborn Industries

Starborn Industries. Ever try to run deck screws into exotic hardwood decking like ipe without predrilling? If so, you know it can't be done, unless you're using Deckfast Razorback Screws. With their serrated threads and super-sharp point, it seems these screws can't be stopped by any decking. They come with brown trim heads (1-5/8- and 2-1/4-inch #7s; 2-1/2- and 3-inch #8s), uncoated trim heads (1-5/8- and 2-1/4-inch #7s; 2-1/2- and 3-inch #8s), and uncoated flat heads (2-1/2- and 3-inch #10s). Prices range from about $45 to $145 per 1,000 screws. 800-596-7747. www.headcote.com.

North American Green

North American Green. Many erosion-control products rely on synthetic netting and other materials that can hang around for years, snaring lawn-care and gardening equipment. BioNet erosion-control blankets, however, are made entirely of biodegradable natural materials. Depending on the model, they feature straw, coconut, or straw-and-coconut fibers stitched with cotton thread to jute netting. Prices range from 75 cents to $1.30 per square yard. 800-772-2040. www.bionetblankets.com.