- Q.I’d like to
know why cordless tools don’t have trigger
guards anymore. Bosch used to make one, but they gave
it up, or so it seems. Does it have something to do
with government requirements? With the gun I use now
(Bosch), I hang it in the spare hammer loop on my left
hand nail bag, but the new guns without trigger guards
cannot be hung this way without the trigger being
depressed.
I use three nail bags and a separate hammer loop, so I
don’t have room for an additional drill
holster. If you have any influence on the
manufacturers, please bring this to their
attention. A.Tool editor Dave
Crosby responds: I called several cordless
tool manufacturers about your question, and it
seems that the disappearance of the trigger guard
is a change in style as much as anything. To keep
your cordless driver-drill from running by itself
in your hammer loop or nail bag, try putting the
forward/reverse selector in the midway, or
"neutral," position. Some tools are intentionally
designed by the manufacturers to lock the trigger
in this position. Most tools, even if not
specifically designed to do so, will resist light
to moderate trigger pressure with the selector set
halfway between forward and reverse.
But heavy pressure on certain tools will allow
the selector to engage one way or the other, so
even though this usually works, it’s
obviously a compromise. If your particular tool
isn’t designed to actually lock the
trigger securely, there could be a safety
consideration here, so if you decide to do this,
use care. As for bringing this common and
irritating problem to the manufacturer’s
attention, consider it done.