The TOH Top 20 Best Tools of the Year list has debuted online at www.thisoldhouse.com/top20 and will appear in the January/February issue of This Old House magazine, just in time for the holiday gift-giving season. Curated by This Old House magazine’s editors after months of research, review, testing, and input from industry pros, The TOH Top 20 Best Tools of the Year list includes products that stand out for their innovative and practical solutions to everyday problems. This year, that list includes Eco-Strip’s Speedheater™ Cobra infrared paint remover.
“We are thrilled to have six Top 20 lists this year giving us the chance to honor even more game-changing products in our most popular categories,” says This Old House editor-in-chief Susan Wyland. “And now that we’re rolling out the lists seasonally, the selected products will be revealed at times when they’re most likely to be needed for projects high on consumers’ to-do lists.”
The Top 20 Tool winners from 18 companies run the gamut from clever hand tools to versatile accessories, and the latest advances in power-tool technology.
The Speedheater™ Cobra is the ideal tool for stripping paint and varnish from interior wood. The Cobra is the smaller, lighter version of the original Standard Speedheater™ 1100 and weighs only 22 ounces. This new design allows it to easily fit into tight spaces like stairs and furniture spindles and controls the heated area for efficient stripping of detailed woodwork. With just one application of less than three seconds, the Cobra heats old paint at a temperature low enough to prevent the release of toxic lead fumes but warm enough to gently separate multiple layers from the wood underneath. The warm paint is easily scraped into soft clumps which minimize the spread of toxic dust.
When the Speedheater™ Cobra was named to the TOH Top 20 Tools list, Eco-Strip owner Catherine Brooks said, “We are excited that the prestigious This Old House experts recognize the value and effectiveness of our new infrared technology for safe paint stripping. Historic restoration professionals have been using our products for over ten years. Now DIY homeowners see that our tools make the time-consuming, messy, and potentially dangerous job of stripping old, lead-based paint easier, faster, cleaner, and safer.”
A complete list of the TOH Top 20 Tools can be found here and in the January/February issue which will reach subscribers on December 12.
The next TOH Top 20 lists of the year will recognize breakthrough products in five additional categories: Bath (March/April), Lawn & Garden (May/June), Building Materials (July/August), Kitchen (September/October), and Home Tech (November/December).
