Once again technology has made our old proverbs obsolete, take the old “square peg/round hole” saying, for instance… I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere, but I can't find it. Currently your choices for hole saws and drill bits are round and more round, so those pesky square holes that need cut for electrical boxes require a jab saw or a router. It’s not terribly difficult to cut square holes using those methods, but, one company has taken it upon themselves to make the process much quicker.
Read moreMakita Just Released the Lightest, Most Compact 18V Tools on the Market
As tools are continuing to drop the cords and move more towards battery power, the race is on to not only have the battery with the biggest runtime and most power, but also the lightest and most compact. Milwaukee and DeWalt seem to be battling it out at the top for the power and runtime category with the release of DeWalt’s 20V/60V FLEXVOLT battery and Milwaukee’s 9.0Ah 18V battery, but Makita has recently emerged as the company to beat in the light and compact 18V competition.
In the past, the compact tool market was dominated by 12V tools, offering a lot of convenience, but less power than some of your tougher jobs may require. With Makita now creating a new class of compact and utilizing their 18V batteries while doing it, tool users will get the benefit of using the same 18V battery that their other favorite Makita tools use, but the size and convenience of the 12V tools. That reduces the need for different batteries, different chargers, and even a different size of the same tool.
The first two tools released in Makita’s new LXT Sub-Compact Brushless tools, as they are calling them, are the 18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless ½” Driver-Drill (XFD11ZB) and the 18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless Impact Driver (XDT15ZB). Here’s the quick specs:
18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless ½” Driver-Drill (XFD11ZB)
- Weight: 2.8 lbs with 2.0 battery
- 6-3/8” long
- 0-500 & 0-1,700 RPM
- 350 in-lbs of Max Torque
18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless Impact Driver (XDT15ZB).
- Weight: 2.6 lbs with 2.0 battery
- 5-5/16” long
- 0-1,300/0-3,000 RPM & 0-1,600/0-3,900 IPM
- 1,240 in-lbs of Max Torque
Compared to the 12V versions, you’ll get roughly the same tool specs, but in a new black color. Makita currently only offers a 3/8” Drill/Driver in the Brushless 12V variety, so it’s not quite an apples-to-apples comparison. The tool lengths are roughly the same (18V drill/driver is 5/16” longer, impact driver is the same) and the 18V are a tad heavier (18V driver-drill and impact driver are each ½ lb heavier). The 18V driver-drill does have a higher RPM (0-450 & 0-1,500 vs. 0-500 & 0-1,700) and more torque (280 in-lbs vs. 350 in-lbs). Utilizing the 18V system will definitely increase the wattage of the tool, however.
The cost of the new tools falls between the 12V line and the full size 18V line. The combo kit, which includes the drill-driver, the impact driver, (2) 2.0Ah batteries, charger, and bag retails for $229 (you can get it here on Amazon). It also appears to have replaced Makita’s 18V compact line, which came in white, as they are shown to be discontinued on Makita’s website.
While you may not be able to toss your current full-size 18V drill-driver and impact to the side just yet, these new sub-compact tools are a step in the right direction, especially since it can eliminate the need for the 12V battery platform.
What do you think? Will you be investing in Makita’s new sub-compact tool class?
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The Ultimate Construction Holiday Gift Guide 2016
Now that we've got Halloween out of the way, it's time to start eating some turkey and buying gifts for your favorite people. Historically, construction professionals can be difficult to buy for, so we've compiled a list of products that we think would be home runs for that special person on your list or even help you decide what you'd like to ask for. We've got hands-on experience with many of these products and we like some so much that they also showed up on our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide! The list is broken up into four categories: stocking stuffers (small and inexpensive), apparel, tools, and kids.
Read moreSKILSAW Announces Release of Revolutionary Concrete Cutting Saw
courtesy of SKILSAW
SKILSAW, the brand name synonymous with wood cutting circular saws, is branching into new territory and it has concrete shaking in its boots. In the past, the user of a concrete saw would be responsible for finding third party attachments in order to make accurate concrete cuts, but SKILSAW’s new tool has several important features already incorporated, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars and tons of time.
Read moreMilwaukee Tool Introduces First Hydraulic Driver, Promises Longer Life, Less Noise
Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Tool
One thing’s for sure about Milwaukee Tool, they aren’t satisfied with putting the same tools out year after year. They’re constantly improving age old classics and leading in the innovation of new tool solutions. Their latest announcement is a variation on their extremely popular line of M18 tools.
Read moreKomatsu Unveils New Cab-less Self Driving Haulage Vehicle at MINExpo
photo courtesy of Komatsu
Even though self-driving vehicles are just that, self-driving, they’ve always still had a seat for a driver and a steering wheel. Perhaps that means that designers were afraid that their technology wouldn’t work correctly. Or maybe, customers weren’t fully committed to only being able to use them as a self-driving vehicle. Well, it seems as if Komatsu isn’t worried about either of those things anymore, as they’ve officially unveiled their newest autonomous (self-driving) haulage vehicle this week at MINExpo, which was held in Las Vegas from September 26-28, 2016.
Read moreTHE TRADE EXCHANGE: A new app that connects contractors and tradesmen
Trade Exchange App
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Read moreRitchie Bros. Will Hold its Largest Ever Construction Equipment Auction in Ohio at the End of the Month
courtesy of Ritchie Bros.
Ritchie Bros., one of the premier used industrial and construction equipment auctioneers in the world, has been in the business since 1958. In those 60 years the company has never had an auction like the one they’re about to have in the next couple weeks.
Read moreStrike Fear into Your Jobsite Lunch with This Tactical Spork
KA-BAR Tactical Spork
Would you rather just simply eat your lunch or make your lunch shake in its little lunch boots as you devour it? That’s what we thought. Why use some standard, throwaway plastic cutlery, when there’s a jet black tactical spork with a hidden serrated knife in the handle?
Read moreBosch is Giving Away a New $50K RAM Truck
Bosch, one of the construction industry's trusted tool manufacturers, has just announced an exciting new sweepstakes, giving you a chance to win $50,000 towards a new RAM truck or van. It is all part of a newly announced "Stand By Your Work" sweepstakes, which runs now through November 30th of this year.
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Last summer, Hilti announced that they had developed their first exoskeleton designed for construction tradespeople in a partnership with Ottobuck, a prosthetics, orthotics, and exoskeleton provider. Earlier this month, Hilti officially released the exoskeleton, announced more details, and published its retail price on their website.