ToolBUSINESS+HIRE A note from The Editor


Is published 10 times a year by:


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As I write this, the weather is decidedly un-Spring like, with rain and wind and more forecast for the rest of the week. It does seem historically, that once a hosepipe ban is in place it’s a signal for the heavens to open! Interestingly, one of our independent tool reviews for this month addresses the problem of the drought for those of us who live in hosepipe ban areas. Karcher have devised a system sourcing stored water for use with a pressure washer. See Peter’s review of the Karcher Expert Deluxe and find out how he used it to solve a rather unusual problem with his drains! Peter has had a particularly busy month testing eight products for you to


read. As well as the Karcher product, he tested the T15+3 Cordless Drill from Festool, the Joker combination spanner from Wera, the Flex PE14-2 Polisher, the Btx530 Cordless Tacker from Rapid, Dart Holesaws from Serracon, Elmer’s Glue products – one of Toolstream’s new product ranges, and last but not least, Tools of the Trade NWS 4-in-1 Multicutter. Also this month, Peter accompanied me on two company visits. First of


all we were in Barnstaple visiting THS member, John Taylor Fasteners’ new premises. Read their profile on page 12. Then a week later we were off to France to visit GYS in Laval near La Mans. This company manufactures welding machines and battery chargers and has made great strides in the use of electronics. Neil Pulsford accompanied us from the British subsidiary based in Warwick, and Bruno Bouygues of GYS gave us a fascinating history of the company and a tour of the factory and made us very welcome. Peter and I even put our hands to a bit of welding! Their Company profile will be in the June edition and will make for interesting reading. Features this month include Automotive Tools and Electronic products and we also have the promised follow up to the


Troy Means Business Show held last month at Silverstone. See more photos and comments from those that attended this successful trade exhibition. I also see on the news today that the UK economy has officially dipped back into recession, the first double dip since the


1970s. The Talk Shop article this month is written by Ben Baker from TBS Building Supplies in Towcester where business is brisk. He comments that we need to give people confidence to spend their money and stop talking down the economy. In his view, the future of the tool trade is looking positive. This was certainly born out on the previously mentioned visit by Peter and myself to John Taylor Fasteners in Barnstaple, and at the many successful trade shows we at ToolBUSINESS+ HIRE Magazine have visited in the last twelve months. Don’t forget to visit our website www.toolbusiness.co.uk for instant links to the Advertisers and Directory entry


websites and their emails. This is a quick and easy way to follow up the wide range of information in the following pages and to revisit past articles, from tool reviews to product news. If you would like to contribute to any of our features in future editions of the magazine, don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to hear from you!


contents


Voice of the Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Product News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Toolstream/Elmers Independent Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Festool Independent Review. . . . . . . 6 Talk Shop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 NWS Independent Review . . . . . . . . 8 Electical/Electronic Tools/VDE etc. . . 9 Dart Independent Review . . . . . . . . 10 THS Member Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . 12


If you wish to express any opinion on any subject covered by ToolBusiness+Hire magazine you can write to: ToolBusiness+Hire c/o the Editor, Anne Hall, or e-mail (info@airstream.co.uk)


Flex Independent Review . . . . . . . . 14 Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Wera Independent Review . . . . . . . 16 Karcher Independent Review . . . . . 18 Troy Show Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Rapid Independent Review. . . . . . . 24 Hire Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Company News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 ToolBusiness Directory . . . . . . . . . . 32


Toolbusiness+Hire magazine receives editorial contributions from many different sources, we endeavor to ensure all information contained in the magazine, including claims about products’ performance and any company’s market position are accurate.


However we cannot accept responsibility for any omissions or errors in material we reproduce in good faith, either in contributions from individuals or companies, or in advertising reproduced within Toolbusiness+Hire.


All information contained within this magazine is provided for general information purposes only and on the understanding that none of the content herein constitutes legal or other professional advice. The application and impact of laws can vary widely depending on the specific facts involved.


We have made every attempt to ensure that all information contained within this magazine and our associated web site has been obtained from reliable sources, but all such information is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness or accuracy. We provide no warranty of any kind, express or implied, as regards the information herein, and disclaim all liability and responsibility for any loss that may arise from reliance on information contained within this magazine. In the case of a specific problem or query, professional advice should be sought.


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