Must Have Tools – 2019 Popular Mechanics Tool Awards

The best tool lists usually come in two flavors. One says, “Here are 47 things you probably can’t afford but will absolutely daydream about.” The other says, “Please buy this screwdriver because it is blue.” The 2019 Popular Mechanics Tool Awards managed to do something much more useful: they highlighted tools that actually pushed the industry forward. Not just shinier versions of the same old gear, but products that made professionals, serious DIYers, and workshop nerds nod and say, “Okay, that’s genuinely clever.”

That is why these awards still matter. Even years later, the 2019 lineup reads like a snapshot of a major turning point in modern tool design. Cordless technology was no longer trying to “catch up” to corded tools. Battery-powered outdoor equipment stopped feeling like a compromise. Measurement tools got smarter. Multi-platform systems got more practical. And hand tools began sneaking in real engineering improvements instead of merely changing handle colors and pretending it was innovation.

If you want the short version, here it is: the must-have tools from the 2019 Popular Mechanics Tool Awards were not just award winners. They were proof that tool brands had entered a new era of power, portability, and surprisingly thoughtful design. For anyone building a shop, upgrading a jobsite setup, or simply trying to stop losing arguments to stubborn fasteners, this list still has lessons worth stealing.

Why the 2019 Tool Awards Still Deserve Attention

The biggest story in the 2019 awards was not one single tool. It was the pattern. A huge number of winners shared the same traits: more performance without a cord, smarter energy management, better ergonomics, more flexible systems, and designs that respected the fact that people use tools for long hours in awkward positions while muttering things not fit for family programming.

In other words, the winning tools were not just powerful. They were practical. That distinction matters. A tool can be impressive in a spec sheet and still become shelf décor in real life. The 2019 winners stood out because they solved real problems. They made work faster, safer, cleaner, or less annoying. In a world where plenty of tools overpromise and underdeliver, that made them memorable.

The Standout Winners That Defined the Awards

Tool of the Year: Stihl MS 500i Chainsaw

If the awards needed a headline act, the Stihl MS 500i was it. Popular Mechanics named it Tool of the Year, and for good reason. This chainsaw was a genuine leap forward, not just a revision with a fresh sticker and a marketing team doing jazz hands. Its big breakthrough was electronic fuel injection, a first for a chainsaw in this category. That translated into fast starts, sharper response, and a power-to-weight balance that made it feel less like a brute and more like a very disciplined brute.

What made the MS 500i so important was not just raw power. It was the way that power became easier to use. That is the sweet spot in modern tool development. Professionals do not merely want stronger equipment; they want equipment that gives them better control with less fatigue. The MS 500i represented exactly that shift. It made a traditionally demanding gas tool feel more refined, more responsive, and more modern.

Cub Cadet LT42e: A Battery Lawn Tractor That Felt Legit

Electric outdoor equipment used to come with a silent disclaimer: “This is nice, but maybe keep your gas machine nearby.” The Cub Cadet LT42e helped change that conversation. By winning Best Lawn Tractor, it showed that battery power had moved beyond trimming a suburban patch of grass and into serious yard work.

This machine mattered because it combined familiar tractor-style handling with the benefits of electric power. Less engine noise, less routine maintenance, no gas-can gymnastics, and none of the usual combustion drama. For homeowners who prefer the feel of a traditional riding mower but want a cleaner and simpler ownership experience, it pointed toward the future. It also showed that electric equipment did not have to look weird, act fragile, or apologize for existing.

Milwaukee M18 FUEL Quik-Lok: The Case for One Power Head, Many Jobs

The Milwaukee Quik-Lok system, which won Best Combination System, understood a truth every garage eventually learns: storage space is finite, but chores are not. Rather than forcing users to buy and store a separate tool for every trimming, edging, hedging, and branch-attacking task, Milwaukee built a modular system with one power head and multiple attachments.

That may sound obvious now, but good combo systems live or die by execution. If the attachments are weak, awkward, or annoyingly fussy, the whole setup becomes a dusty regret hanging in the corner. The appeal of Quik-Lok was that it promised real performance, not just convenience. That made it one of the most relevant award winners for homeowners and pros alike. It was a reminder that versatility only counts when the tool still has enough guts to get the job done.

Diablo Saw Blades and the Rise of Smarter Accessories

One of the most underrated parts of the 2019 awards was the recognition that accessories matter. A great tool paired with a lousy blade is like a sports car riding on shopping-cart wheels. Popular Mechanics highlighted Diablo’s wood-and-metal carbide blades as Best Saw Blades, and that choice said something important about where the industry was headed.

Smarter cutting accessories save time, reduce frustration, and help users stretch the usefulness of the tools they already own. If a blade can cut metal cleanly, handle embedded material, and last longer under demanding conditions, that changes what a circular saw can realistically do on site. It also proves that innovation does not always have to come from the tool body itself. Sometimes the magic is spinning at several thousand rpm.

DeWalt 60V MAX Mixer/Drill: Cordless Power Grew Up

The DeWalt 60V MAX Mixer/Drill winning Best Cordless Drill was another sign that cordless tools had officially stopped asking for permission. This was not a light-duty drill pretending to be tough. It was built for serious mixing and large-hole drilling, the sort of work that traditionally made people reach for corded equipment and a slightly concerned facial expression.

That is what made it special. It showed that battery platforms had matured to the point where heavy-duty applications were fair game. The included safety features, especially the anti-kickback style control systems, were just as important as the power itself. The message was clear: more muscle is good, but controlled muscle is better. No one wants their drill auditioning for a helicopter role halfway through a bucket of mortar.

Metabo HPT MultiVolt: One of the Smartest Ideas on the List

If there was a “why didn’t more brands think of this sooner?” award, the Metabo HPT MultiVolt system might have taken it. Popular Mechanics gave it Best Tool System, and the reason is easy to see. The platform offered a rare kind of flexibility: run compatible tools on a 36V battery or use an AC adapter for corded-style power.

That dual-power idea was brilliant because it recognized how people actually work. Some jobs reward total mobility. Others happen near an outlet and run long enough that constant battery management becomes a chore. Instead of making users choose one camp forever, Metabo HPT gave them options. It was practical, adaptable, and exactly the sort of systems thinking tool buyers appreciate once they start building around a battery ecosystem.

Makita XSL06PT: The Cordless Miter Saw That Felt Serious

Miter saws are one of those categories where users can be wonderfully skeptical. They want accuracy, repeatability, capacity, and enough confidence to cut expensive trim without sweating through their shirt. The Makita XSL06PT, winner of Best Cordless Miter Saw, helped prove that cordless could belong in this demanding space.

What made it notable was the combination of cutting capability, brushless efficiency, and real jobsite practicality. This was not a novelty saw for occasional weekend use. It looked and behaved like a tool meant to earn its keep. That mattered because once a cordless miter saw becomes trustworthy, the entire workflow around trim, framing, and punch work becomes more mobile. Suddenly the cord is no longer a necessity. It is just one less thing trying to trip you.

Bosch Blaze GLM400C: Measurement Got an Upgrade

The Bosch Blaze GLM400C winning Best Laser Measure reflected another major trend from the awards: tools were becoming more digital, more precise, and more helpful in the field. Good measuring tools are not flashy, but they quietly save projects from ugly mistakes. And ugly mistakes, unlike tasteful mistakes, are expensive.

This Bosch unit stood out because it pushed laser measuring beyond simple distance checks. Extended range, strong accuracy, angle reading, and calculation functions turned it into a compact problem solver for layout work, estimating, and planning. The bigger story here was that technology was making layout tools more useful for a wider group of users, not just specialty trades. It was easier than ever to measure smarter, not harder.

Leatherman Free P2: A Better Multitool, Not Just a Busier One

Multitools often suffer from a familiar problem: they technically do many things, but some of those things feel like punishment. The Leatherman Free P2, winner of Best Multitool, stood out because it focused on access and usability, not just stuffing more functions into the handles like a hardware-store clown car.

Its magnetic architecture and one-handed accessibility gave the tool a smoother, more modern feel. That sounds small until you have wrestled with a stiff multitool while balancing on a ladder, crouching under a sink, or pretending you definitely did not just drop the proper tool somewhere impossible. The Free P2 showed that convenience features are not fluff when they genuinely improve how quickly and comfortably a tool gets used.

Ryobi Cordless Air Compressor and Other Quietly Brilliant Winners

Not every memorable award winner came with dramatic headline energy. The Ryobi cordless air compressor, named Best Cordless Air Compressor, was one of those tools that made people instantly picture three or four situations where it would be wildly useful. Tire inflation, finish nailing, quick cleanup, portable air on demandnone of it glamorous, all of it practical.

That practicality also showed up in winners like the Ridgid hammer drill/driver, the Wiha electric screwdriver, the Bessey GearKlamp, the Bondhus hex wrench set, and the Wilton vise. These were not “look at me” tools. They were “you’ll appreciate this every single week” tools. And frankly, those are often the best tools to buy.

What the Awards Revealed About Tool Trends

The 2019 Popular Mechanics Tool Awards revealed four major trends that still shape buying decisions today.

First, cordless power was no longer a compromise. From a mixer/drill to a miter saw to a lawn tractor, battery platforms were proving they could handle work once reserved for cords or gas engines.

Second, systems mattered more than single tools. Buyers were no longer just choosing a drill. They were choosing an ecosystem. MultiVolt and Quik-Lok made that reality impossible to ignore.

Third, convenience became a serious engineering goal. One-handed operation, easier starts, safer torque control, simpler setup, and better portability were treated as real performance gains, because they are.

Fourth, the accessories and support gear got smarter. Better blades, better measurement, better clamping, better socketsthese improvements made entire workflows more efficient, even when the core tool stayed the same.

Who Should Still Care About These Award Winners?

If you are a contractor, serious DIYer, woodworker, mechanic, landscaper, or just a person with a dangerous amount of confidence after watching home improvement videos, these awards are still useful. They offer a checklist for what makes a tool truly worth buying. Not hype. Not influencer sparkle. Not “limited edition tactical graphite stealth mode.” Actual value.

The best tools from the 2019 awards share common DNA: they solve a problem clearly, improve workflow noticeably, and feel better to use over time. That is the kind of standard smart buyers should always chase, whether they are shopping for today’s models or evaluating older favorites that still hold up.

Real-World Experience: What Living With Award-Worthy Tools Actually Feels Like

Here is the part that usually gets lost in award write-ups: what happens after the applause? In real life, tools do not live under perfect studio lighting. They get tossed in truck beds, dragged through sawdust, leaned against garage walls, loaned to neighbors who say, “I’ll bring it right back,” and returned three presidential administrations later. That is where good tools separate themselves from impressive tools.

My experience with award-worthy gear, and with tools inspired by this same class of design, is that the biggest difference usually shows up in the tiny moments. A better tool does not always make you gasp. Sometimes it just removes ten annoyances from your day. A chainsaw that starts cleanly and responds fast feels less exhausting before the second cut. A cordless miter saw that is easy to move changes where you decide to work. A laser measure that gives reliable numbers on the first try spares you the old ritual of stretching a tape, squinting, retracting it into your knuckles, and pretending that was fine.

The same goes for modular systems. At first, they can seem like a storage solution dressed up as innovation. Then you use one during a busy weekend, switching from trimming to edging to pruning without digging through a maze of separate tools, and suddenly the idea feels less like marketing and more like sanity. You stop thinking, “This saves space,” and start thinking, “This saves momentum.” That is a bigger deal than people realize. Home projects often stall not because the work is hard, but because setup, swapping, and cleanup are annoying enough to drain your motivation.

Another lesson from tools like these is that comfort is not softness. Ergonomics are not a luxury feature for people who alphabetize their socket sets for fun. A better handle, less vibration, a smarter balance point, or a safer clutch system can mean the difference between finishing a project sharp and finishing it with tired hands and a new respect for ibuprofen. Once you use tools designed around real human fatigue, it becomes much harder to tolerate clumsy ones.

And then there is the quiet confidence factor. Good tools reduce hesitation. You cut cleaner because you trust the saw. You drill straighter because the machine feels stable. You reach for the multitool because it opens smoothly and does not fight you like an angry crab. Those seconds of confidence add up. They speed up work, but they also make the work more enjoyable. That matters. People are more likely to tackle repairs, build furniture, maintain property, and learn new skills when the tools feel like partners instead of pranksters.

So the real legacy of the 2019 Popular Mechanics Tool Awards is not just that they identified cool gear. It is that they highlighted a kind of tool design that respects the user. Power, yes. Innovation, absolutely. But also less friction, less compromise, and fewer moments where you stand in the garage staring at a tool and wondering whether it was engineered by a genius or by a raccoon with a branding budget.

Conclusion

The must-have tools from the 2019 Popular Mechanics Tool Awards earned attention because they represented real progress. They showed that power tools, outdoor equipment, and hand tools were becoming smarter, more adaptable, and more useful in daily work. Whether it was the Stihl MS 500i redefining chainsaw performance, the Cub Cadet LT42e proving electric lawn tractors could be serious machines, or systems like Milwaukee Quik-Lok and Metabo HPT MultiVolt making flexibility a selling point, the common thread was clear: the best tools made work easier without making excuses.

That is why this award list still resonates. It was not just a collection of shiny products. It was a map of where tool innovation was headed. And if you are looking for the kind of gear that improves your workflow, saves time, and makes projects feel more achievable, that is exactly the kind of map worth following.