Just when you think you've already seen the ultimate cordless drill, stepladder, and framing nailer, along comes the annual Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association trade show. At this event, hundreds of manufacturers show a mind-boggling array of construction products - including new stock-in-trade tools with surprising upgrades - to distributors and retailers. The latest show was held in November in San Antonio, and JLC made its usual pilgrimage to see what's noteworthy. Here are some of the products that really stood out.
Radar Vision
To use Bosch's futuristic Wallscanner D-tect 150 wall/floor scanner, you turn it on, select one of seven modes for scanning anything from deep concrete to drywall, and then roll the scanner slowly and continuously over the surface on its four rear wheels. The tool's "Ultra-Wide Band Radar Technology" detects wood and metal studs, live and nonlive wires, copper pipe, plastic pipe, rebar (including rebar up to 6 inches deep in cured concrete), and other materials. A backlit LCD screen indicates the type, depth, and width of the material. Four AA batteries provide power. The scanner (including batteries and a case) costs about $1,000. Bosch, 877/267-2499, boschtools.com
Ultra-Bright Penlight
Though the new water-resistant Megapro work light is only 61?4 inches long and clips to a pocket, it contains six white LED bulbs that generate a surprisingly bright light. Three AAA batteries furnish power at the click of a button. According to Megapro, alkaline batteries yield 12 to 14 hours of illumination, and lithium batteries 17 to 19 hours. The light costs $15, alkaline batteries included. Megapro Marketing, 866/522-3652, megapro.net
Clean Cordless Rotary Hammer
Due to hit the market in late spring or early summer, Makita's 1-inch LXRH01 18-volt lithium-ion SDS-plus rotary hammer packs an easily removable HEPA mini-vacuum that shares the tool's battery but is driven by its own DC motor. The vacuum turns on when you squeeze the trigger, then stays on for two or three seconds after you let go, to capture more dust. The rotary hammer itself is powered by a brushless motor that's smaller and more efficient than standard brushed motors. With the vacuum running, Makita told me, the tool can drill 50 percent more holes on a single charge than the company's BHR241 7?8-inch SDS-plus rotary hammer, which has the same 18-volt battery, a brushed motor, and no vacuum. The new kit - including two batteries, a charger, and a case - will cost about $650. Makita, 800/462-5482, makita.com
Inspectable Fall Protection
Werner is rolling out its first line of fall-protection equipment this month, including harnesses, lifelines, lanyards, anchors, and complete kits that make it easier to comply with OSHA regulations. The Blue Armor 1000 harness features WebAlert inspectable webbing, which uses contrasting fibers to indicate wear or damage at a glance. The manufacturer declined to provide pricing. Werner, 888/523-3371, http://us.wernerco.com
Bar Talk
PacTool has been selling its Roof Snake composition-shingle replacement tool (left) for several years, and now it has lengthened the tool for better leverage and added a demonstration video to its website. The tool substitutes for the traditional flat bar to make it easier to remove a shingle and install a new one without whacking your fingers or damaging the overlapping shingles. At one end, it has a crow's foot that breaks the adhesive seal between courses and removes existing nails. At the other, an offset head holds your replacement nails the required one inch up from the bottom edge of the overlapping course as you hammer them home. The tool is made in the U.S. and costs about $25.
Stanley sold its first 55-099 Fubar functional utility bar in 2006. A cross between a wrecking bar and a hammer, it has a crow's foot at the base of the handle for pulling nails and prying, plus a pair of lumber-grabbing jaws right behind the hammer head so you can wrench a stud right out of a wall. There are now six Fubar models to choose from, including the new 14-inch 55-134 demolition bar displayed at the show. It resembles a flat bar but has a bi-material grip in the middle and a P-shaped chisel at one end, and three surfaces you can strike with a hammer so you can beat, pull, pry, chisel, or chop materials apart. It costs about $20. PacTool International, 800/297-7487, pactool.us. Stanley, 800/262-2161, stanleytools.com
