About The Author

Michael Williams

Associate Editor/Web Producer

With over twenty years of experience as a journalist, editor, and researcher, Mike is driven by an insatiable appetite for life’s many fascinations. He loves lawn maintenance, landscaping, and anything related to outdoor power equipment. Having cut his teeth as a hard-news reporter and features writer, he also writes for major national magazines on a number of topics, such as the Civil War, World War II, true crime, and firearms.

As associate editor and Web producer at Pro Tool Reviews, he helps keep the gears turning in the content machine: everything from Best lists and how-to guides to product tours, gear reviews, local, state, and federal legislation coverage, and breaking industry news.

He loves all manner of outdoor power equipment and pays close attention to the long-running War of the Fuels: Gas vs. Battery. He also enjoys collaborating with the product management and design teams at industry-leading brands like Milwaukee, Ryobi, Stihl, EGO, ECHO, Greenworks, Kobalt, John Deere, Husqvarna, and the list goes on. Being a part of the editorial staff is a constant learning process that involves attending major conventions like Equip Expo, along with media summits and facility tours at company HQs across the country. When he's not busy as a dad and editor, Mike is an avid classic rock historian, collector, and audiophile. He's currently working on a compendium of Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 North American tour, curating an incredible library of unreleased live recordings. He lives in northern Maryland with his 11-year-old son and 5-year-old daughters, both of whom look eerily similar …. Yes, they’re identical twins.

Gardening October 31, 2023 0

How to Overwinter Perennials in Pots, Containers, or Beds

Northeast winters are long and harsh, and there’s a lot to do before the snow flies. Even though it might seem like you don’t have time for everything, it pays to take a day to winterize your herb garden and prepare perennials for winter. Learn how to overwinter perennials to enjoy healthy herbs in the […]

Zero Turn Mower Reviews October 30, 2023 0

Ariens Zenith Zero Turn 991158

Ariens is one of those names that call to mind the commercial club, as we like to call it. In fact, they have a storied history that reaches back to 1933. Three brothers started this company and developed the first American-made rotary tiller. Ninety years later, they employ over 1,000 people and make an array […]

Leaf Blower Reviews October 27, 2023 0

Kobalt 40V Max Blower Review

Kobalt is one of those names that’s synonymous with tools, OPE, and otherwise. And on the outdoor power equipment side, they’re a consistent player in electric/cordless gear. In light of that, we think it’s worth your while to take a look at the Kobalt 40V Max Blower (KLB 1040A-03). We had a chance to put […]

Snowblower Reviews October 26, 2023 0

Skil Pwrcore Snow Blower

With winter fast approaching, it’s not a bad idea to have a snow blower on deck. Of course, year-round, the OPE Reviews team keeps their eyes peeled for models that you should know about. And we think the 40V Skil Pwrcore Snow Blower (SB2001C-10) is one of them. Overall, it has the features and the […]

Weekend Life October 26, 2023 0

EGO 56V Mini Bike

We all know EGO for their battery-powered outdoor equipment, and with good reason. They’ve been a leader in cordless technology across the vast spectrum of landscaping and lawn maintenance tools for quite some time. However, as the old saying goes: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Clearly, this is a mantra […]

Brushcutter Reviews October 25, 2023 0

Stihl FSA 120 R Brushcutter

Even though Stihl is something of an icon in the world of gas equipment, they’ve been doing an excellent job of producing battery-powered gear. Of course, this should come as no surprise to anyone. Overall, their standards are impeccable, as are their tools’ features and performance. A case in point is the Stihl FSA 120 […]

Hand Tool Reviews October 25, 2023 0

Ryobi Water Transfer Pump

A portable water pump is a tool that people rarely think to have on hand ahead of time. Yet, when the need arises, they wish they did. Indeed, there are numerous applications for a model like Ryobi’s 18V Water Transfer Pump (P3020). Whether you’ve got a backyard pond, hot tub, or pool cover that requires […]

Lawn Tractor Reviews October 24, 2023 0

EGO T6 Lawn Tractor

EGO’s fall lineup of product releases is pretty exciting, to say the least. In fact, we got a taste of what’s on deck at this year’s Equip Expo. We’re talking about everything from string trimmers, blowers, and augers, to snow blowers and mowers. Regarding the latter, we’re particularly keen on exploring EGO’s 56V T6 Lawn […]