As a control unit, representative of the simpler models, we also looked at the Hyde 06986 6-in-1 Multi-Tool. Within four minutes of starting our testing, one of the magnets that holds the screwdriver bits to the handle fell off. Hardly a project goes by—from installing a new door (pry-bar, door stop) to building a pergola (marking the ground) to what it’s actually made for: Painting a room—that we don’t use it. It was all part of a full gut and remodel and in the process, I became acutely aware of all the tools that added efficiency to what can be a mind-deadening job. Hyde in 1875, Hyde Manufacturing Company first used its superior blade-making skills to make rugged knives and blades for pros working in the tire, textile, and other industries.

Using the 17-in-1 as a screwdriver is really an “emergency only” option, so it needs to be functional and little else.This rugged tool has an overmold handle with a thumb stop for safety and a blade that resists rusting and is guaranteed forever. This patented multi-tool is the perfect worksite addition for any pro - but especially for pro painters who work with spray equipment. Clement has written for a wide variety of tool and construction publications and has a very good grasp of the needs of the homeowner as well as the full-time carpenter. If you’re planning on engaging in any painting projects at all, a painter’s multitool can make the process a lot easier.

The screwdriver storage is a little better on it, with the bits accessed through the side of the handle and placed into the butt end of the cap when in use. Squeezing paint probably sounds like pinching pennies, but proper use of a painter’s tool for cleaning rollers can add up to significant cost savings. The Hyde Tools 17-in-1 Painters Multi Tool is the perfect worksite addition for any pro – but especially for pro painters who work with spray equipment. In addition to the usual prying, scraping, and spackling, I once saw him use one to open and eat a can of tuna at lunch break.Squeezing out excess paint may not seem like a big deal, but you could argue it’s this tool’s most important task, because once you start adding up the dollar value of the paint you throw away on a full roller, it’s too much to ignore.