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]

And, not a few minutes later, we found this article from Good Housekeeping.  Apparantly having looked over the same crop of tools we did, their only complaints were that the 7 oz. hammers included in most kits were too light and that they liked the Black & Decker Smartdriver better than the included drivers.

They loved the Barbara K! Power-Lite Cordless Drill we covered earlier, saying it was:

…the best of breed. It has a removable battery that clips onto your belt, making it nearly two pounds lighter than the other brands tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute, so testers had no trouble reaching high places.

There you go.  I guess Barbara and Good Housekeeping agree on the “wear the battery” drill, but not on the hammers.

“GH Institute Product Tests: Best Tools for Women” [Good Housekeeping]

After a little looking, we came across this article ConsumerReports.org published last summer reviewing the Barbara K! and Tomboy tools. 

In short:

The women’s tools nailed it. Overall they performed as well as or better than the tools from Sears. Our testers–women and men–could exert much more twisting force with the Barbara K! and Tomboy tools because they have fat, padded grips. A quibble: Panelists said the ribbed padding on the Barbara K! pliers dug into their hands. Still, our engineers give the nod to the Barbara K! kit, sold online and at stores including Bed Bath & Beyond. Its 30 tools can perform a variety of tasks. The Tomboy kit, sold online and the way Tupperware is sold, has fewer tools; some, such as the hacksaw and long-nose pliers, may not get much use.

“Tools for handy women (and men)” [ConsumerReports.org]

Part 3 of our “tools for Mom” feature (Mother’s Day is May 14th — write it down) takes a look at Tomboy Tools’ range of Mom-friendly toolkits.

Tomboy Tools takes a sort of “Mary Kay” approach to selling tools, working with all-female “consultants” who sell the tools directly through “in home workshops.”  Ok, stop thinking Amway or Tupperware parties for a moment and relax: you can buy some of the tools — including most of the ones you might want for Mom’s day — directly from their website.

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We continue our look at tools you might consider buying for Mom this Mother’s Day (May 14th… remember?) with Part 2 — a look at the Little Pink Tool Kit Company’s (duh) Little Pink Tool Kit.

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Rockler Woodworking and Hardware stores are focusing their in-store demos this weekend on turning — specifically on making pens and wine stoppers for mother’s day.  They say:

The demo will cover everything you need to know to make Mom a truly unique gift. And when you’re ready to get started, you’ll find plenty of turning tools, kits and blanks at Rockler.

So, if you’re still looking for a great way to leverage those woodworking tools into a great gift for Mom (or just want to learn more about turning), check it out.

“Upcoming Demos Focus on Turning” [Rockler Woodworking Blog]
Information on Demos & Locations [Rockler.com]

Whether you just want to give Mom something practical this year or whether you’re tired of your tools slowly disappearing from the garage, you know you’ve thought about giving Mom the gift of tools.  Well, Toolmonger is here to help, leading up to Mother’s Day (May 14th for those of you who may have forgotten) with a multi-part series covering some of the tool products targeted directly at women as well as their standard counterpart products.

Part 1 focuses on Barbara K!’s line of “tools for women.”

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