Simple explanations of confusing product specs like PSI, GPM, watts, amps, volts, amp-hours, CFM, torque, lumens, and cord gauge.
Peak horsepower is one of the biggest numbers on a wet/dry vacuum box, but it is not the motor’s normal operating horsepower. Here is what CFM, water lift, hose size, filtration, and tank capacity tell you instead.
Shop-vac hose diameter changes debris capacity, flexibility, accessory fit, and how the vacuum feels to use. Here is when 1-1/4, 1-7/8, and 2-1/2-inch hose systems make sense.
Red, yellow, green, white, and black pressure-washer tips are not just color coding. Here is what 0, 15, 25, 40 degrees and soap nozzles actually change, and which ones are easiest to misuse.
A longer extension cord can cause more voltage drop, heat, and power loss if the wire is too small for the load. Here is why 25, 50, 100, and 150 feet can change the gauge you need.
Those letters printed down an extension cord are not random. Here is what S, SJ, T, O, OO, and W mean, how to identify outdoor-use cords, and why gauge alone does not tell you where a cord belongs.
An 18V label and a 20V MAX label can be more similar than the numbers make them look. DeWalt explicitly rates its 20V MAX platform at 18V nominal. Here is what that means — and what voltage labels do not tell you about tool performance or compatibility.
Cordless tool batteries are covered in numbers: 12V, 18V, 20V MAX, 2.0Ah, 5.0Ah, 8.0Ah, and sometimes watt-hours. Those numbers look like a simple ranking system. They are not. Voltage, amp-hours, and watt-hours describe different things. A larger number may mean more stored energy, a different tool platform, more weight, or a pack designed to supply…
If you are comparing pressure washers, you will see two numbers over and over: PSI and GPM. The problem is that most shoppers notice the bigger number first, and that is usually PSI. That makes sense. PSI looks impressive. A pressure washer with 3,000 PSI sounds much stronger than one with 2,000 PSI. But when…