If you ever remodel something, you’ll probably need to add or move an electrical outlet, and a fish tape’ll make that job a lot easier. No, a fish tape isn’t an adhesive for catching fish; it’s a steel tape that you “fish” through walls or floors — you attach your cable to the end of the fish tape, then retract the tape to pull the cable through the cavity. Ideal makes this 120′, 4.6-pound fish tape from high-grade steel, and it’s housed in a molded plastic case with a non-slip, oversized, finger-grip handle. Sears has marked it down to $30, so it won’t break your bank.

Tuff-Grip Fish Tape [Sears]
Tuff-Grip Fish Tape [Ideal]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

In a recent Dealmonger, we let you know that the big boxes were clearing out their Circuit Alert wire strippers, but it turns out it wasn’t because of slow sales. In fact, the Circuit Alert tools have sold so well, they decided to completely overhaul the product line.  Now all Circuit Alert tools come with the same tiny, interchangeable voltage sensor.

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We spent a little time with Stanley’s new 24” FatMax magnetic (43-525) and non-magnetic (43-524) levels here in the Toolmonger test shop. They look like any other level — and even a bunch like the old FatMax lineup — except for a few new features. But instead of just checking out the new features and moving on, we decided to put them through a little hell to find out how they hold up to some real-life abuse. Specifically, we dropped them each from eight feet onto concrete a hundred times.

Guess what happened! Wait, don’t guess. Just read on past the jump and we’ll tell you.

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Let’s be clear: the press hates Husky’s 5-in-1 drywall tool. Popular Mechanics named it one of their “10 Worst Gadgets of 2007″ — along with the Zune, leading dozens of Microsoft fanboys to blog, “at least my Zune isn’t as uncool as the Husky 5-in-1.” And it’s not pretty. It’s freakin’ huge, and it looks like unplanned result of a one night stand between a utility knife and a Swiss Army multi-tool.

But sometimes form follows function. The Husky 5-in-1 wasn’t designed to cram five drywall tools into a smaller space, but rather to combine them in a way that they can still function. Specifically, its boxy end makes squaring off freshly cut drywall holes a breeze.

Is it a misunderstood tool or waste of toolbox space? Read on past the jump to find out.

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You know a tool’s good when the only place you can buy it is from the online corporate store. The Flexiwrench Plus smart tool system is so hot, they can’t keep it in stock anywhere else. Yes, I’m being sarcastic. The system features two different handles, each with a 3/8″ socket that accepts different wrench or socket heads, similar to the Stanley MaxDrive.  One handle sports two pivot points for snaking the wrench into hard-to-reach places, and the other handle functions like an articulated screwdriver.

In addition to the handles, the 19-piece Flexiwrench Plus set includes 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, and 5/8″ open-end, box, and socket heads; a universal socket adapter for using standard 3/8″ sockets; and a generic looking case.

We can’t vouch for how well this tool works, but we’re pretty sure it isn’t the tool set we’d choose if we crashed our boat into a desert island. Can anybody take this tool seriously considering the Comic Sans-like font they chose for the case?

It’s a little late for Mother’s Day, but only $20 buys the Flexiwrench Plus 19-piece set for the father that has everything — if you really want to disappoint your father.

Flexiwrench Plus [Corporate Site]

If you’re stumped for a Mother’s Day idea for your mom, don’t go the standard route and send flowers or candy. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Toolmonger recommends giving mom a set of tools to help around the house. You don’t have to shell out for a new Snap-on rolling tool chest filled with ten grand worth of shiny chrome — though that would be cool — but a nice set of sturdy gear makes a great gift for anyone, including mom.

Before you rush off to the Net to get the latest in pink fashion tools, stop and think about that. You wouldn’t want a set of pink tools that aren’t up to shop-quality, so why would she? Think decent and functional, the types of tools anyone could use around the house. If you can’t find a set that fits the bill, make one yourself, especially if you have a clue what she might need or what she’ll use ‘em for.

Here’s where you get to channel all your creative tool-buying knowledge gleaned from hard research and firsthand experience, and put it to work. Does she like to hang pictures? Then perhaps your mom’s kit should include a tack hammer and a box of angled picture hooks that hold 5, 10, and 25 lbs. apiece.

The best part: you’ll get to explain why you got her the items you did, showing her, through your selection, that you were really thinking about her and about how to make her life a bit easier. What would you get mom? Let us know in comments.

Street Pricing [Google Products]

It’s hard to get a job done without the right tools, but I’ve often found it close to impossible to get even simple tasks done with no tools. So what do you do if you find yourself faced with a job that requires a few hand tools, and you’re stuck with no tools? Believe it or not, your local grocery store might be able to help you out when you’re in a bind.

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When you absolutely positively need to be inside a building two minutes ago, you need a Mini Pro-Bar. Fire and rescue crews commonly reach for this Halligan-type tool as a one-stop multi-tool for forcing entry into a building.

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Since the advent of mechanization in the paper industry, there’s not as much call anymore for the pulp hook. Traditionally used to catch the ends of four-foot pulpwood sticks for stacking, the pulp hook features more commonly today in spooky campfire stories.

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This stylish new carpenter’s bracelet…um, this set of carpenter’s brass knuckles…OK, this carpenter’s circular rasp sells for $10 at Woodcraft. The rasp, originally used by staircase makers to smooth curved handrails, shapes tightly curved or concave areas where a straight rasp won’t work.

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Watch what happens when non-Toolmongers audition for a home shopping network by trying to sell a camouflaged drill set. I laughed so hard when I saw this — what a great item to weed out the bad salesmen. Not only do they concentrate on the least important feature, the camouflage, but they have no idea what they’re talking about. My favorite quote: “Maybe you wanna lay in the grass and drill.”

With the Rotate-A-Blade utility knife you can rotate a standard notched blade to different angles, so it can function as a knife, scraper, or ripper — no need to buy multiple knives with different blades. The knife also features blade storage and a nifty hex bit driver. It looks like they might need to work out a few kinks, but let’s hope we see this bad-boy on store shelves soon. I’ll buy one.

If you work construction or renovation, you often need to straighten a twisted stud or joist.  Tools such as Stanley’s Fubar will do the trick, but what if you don’t want to carry a separate tool to get the job done?  Estwing adds board-tweaking ability to a tool already in your hand: the hammer.  The patented Hammertooth hammer can straighten any 2x board — just place the tooth and claw on either side of a board, and twist.

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In response to this recent post, Toolmongers have come out strongly in favor of pocket knives. Almost everyone agrees that pocket knives come in handy all the time, even if you don’t always have the right tool for a given situation. But if your pockets are big enough to carry this 87-tool Swiss Army knife, you will always have the right tool for the situation.

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Sharpen those shears, ’cause this Harbor Freight coupon expires today. You can check out their other coupons, too, but this knockout punch kit makes the top of my list. It allows you to cut perfect holes in 10-gauge mild steel, aluminum, and fiberglass. The kit includes dies sized 1/2″, 3/4″, 1″, and 1-1/4″, and hole punches sized 7/8″, 1-3/32″, 1-11/32″, and 1-11/16″, all made from heat-treated, high-carbon steel. You’ll also get driving screws and a mold-blown plastic case to hold it all. After today, the price reverts back to $15.

Knockout Punch Kit [Harbor Freight]
Coupons [Harbor Freight]

How do you make the world’s smallest violin? With the world’s smallest plane, of course. Herdim claims this diminutive plane is “the smallest functional plane in the world ever to be manufactured in a series.” Despite its ridiculously small size, Herdim actually makes this plane for violin makers to hollow small surfaces.

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Sometimes you need a thin wrench, sometimes you need an adjustable wrench, and sometimes you need a wrench that’s both thin and adjustable.  The jaws of the adjustable Smart Wrench from Engineer measure just 1/16″ thick — thin enough to slip into all but the tightest locations. The 6″ long adjustable wrench can accommodate nuts as large as 3/4″.

Grab one Smart Wrench for $28 at Garrett Wade, or two for $50.

Smart Wrench [Engineer]
Smart Wrench [Garrett Wade]