[LyndaJ]

The impress tool is easy to use, and beats Jim's tool on price. I would put it at best value for your dollar.

But if you have the money to spend, I think Jim's tool is slightly easier/quicker and more versatile.

My short list of pros/cons

Jim's tool
pros - ease of use, excellent appearance after coring with the least extra work, versatility (small to 1/2 inch inner diameter,), no limit to outer diameter, can core beads of different heights without changing parts
cons - price, a little bulky to store if you have limited space

Dave's Impress tool
pros - price, very good appearance after coring (some hammering needed for finished appearance), easy size to store in the studio
cons - limited to ~1.25" outer diameter bead. That is if you are making a big disc/mandala type bead, it can't be larger than about 1.25" or it won't fit into the tool. Somewhat slower to core beads because of the tightening/loosening that has to be done with each flip of the bead.

So, I think you can't go wrong with either tool. They both make a great finished product. Depends on your price point. I do no currently own the Jim Moore too, but it is at the top of my list of tools to purchase. They are both extremely well made, and should last indefinitely under normal storage conditions.

I have no experience with the retro tool.