Stop! Hammer time! And drill time. And saw time…

Wednesday 26 November

The world of technology stops for no man (or woman). Fact. Take a look around. Only a few years ago the iPod was a hulking behemoth, had a black and white display and sounded like a wheezing mule. And now what do we have? The super-trim, touch-sensitive, all-seeing, all-doing iPhone.

Similarly, tech has taken the world of power tools to new heights. You can forget about accidentally trimming your lawnmower cable and sending yourself to a premature grave in the process. Now most are cordless and have endless safety precautions.

The other notable improvement with power tools is their size. They’re getting smaller, but no less powerful. Which is useful for people with small hands, but who still need to do a spot of home improvement. Here I enlist the help of DIY expert Dave Wellman to pick our top five power tools. From the tiny Bosch Prio Cordless Multi Sander and Black & Decker 18V compact Chainsaw, to the ultra-quick charging GMC PFC46V Flashcell Cordless Screwdriver, which fills its battery in just 45 seconds!

The Bosch Uneo 3-in-1 multi-tool and the Power8 Workshop – your own shed in a box, if you will – round up the top five. But which is best? We get chopping trees and building bird houses to find out. One thing’s for sure: if the old proverb “a workman’s only as good as his tools” is true, then we must be bloody good workmen!