The REVO R502 Mag Drill
We are so used to newspapers telling us how our industrial base is reduced to rubble and that modern engineers don’t even know how to use a Meccano set that it was a welcome surprise to get the REVO R502 mag drill and realize that the tool is a bit of engineering excellence developed by a British company, G and J Hall, based in Sheffield. First impressions of the machine when I opened
the carry case were very positive and my user experience confirmed my first impressions all the way through my testing. Firstly, it is clear that this tool has been made and
built with care. There are no rough edges, poor mouldings or afterthoughts. The whole thing is screwed together well in anticipation of the hard working life it is bound to have. Secondly, it is clear that someone with a lot of
experience of mag drills has designed the machine and has included a variety of features that are useful and helpful when using it. For example, the strong carrying handle is well placed for easy one-handed carrying and the coolant bottle is carried in a metal cage with magnets attached so that it can be placed wherever it is handy no matter which way up the machine is or even held by hand if necessary. The REVO R502 is the most powerful of the
REVO range and has been designed for workshop and onsite use. It has two speeds on its 1100 W motor and a cutter capacity of up to 50mm so it can handle TCT, twist drill bits and HSS annular cutters. Since the sizes of these cutters can vary considerably, the REVO R502 has an adjustable height slide to accommodate them easily. From my point of view one of the cleverest and
most useful bits of engineering on the R502 is the quick-release Weldon chuck adaptor option. Forget about fiddling with hex keys, particularly if you are perched on a girder somewhere, this chuck allows you to change cutters in seconds by simply releasing the chuck collar and pulling out the old cutter. An optional extra available with the R502 is a
standard three-jaw chuck Weldon adaptor so that ordinary twist drills can easily be used too. In common with many other mag drill designs the
user has to screw the three operating handles into the rosette on the right hand side of the body. The handles are quite short so that they do not snag work
in use, but the rack and pinion system operates smoothly so you don’t really need a lot of leverage. The rack and pinion slide system has also been
cleverly designed. A very robust and accurate alloy extrusion holds the motor on the front and the racking gear on the back. This system allows the dual height selection of the motor/chuck assembly for the
Independent Review by Peter Brett I liked the gearing speed selection system too.
It is securely behind a protective ridge of metal on three sides, so it unlikely to be accidentally bumped out of gear. The gear change switch is large enough to be moved with a gloved hand and clicks positively into place with a ball bearing ratchet switch. When it comes to getting the machine ready for a
job, things are easy to organize. The plastic drill guard is attached to the front of the maximum adhesion magnet with a couple of butterfly nuts. I like plastic guards in this kind of application because they are flexible and return to their original shape, unlike thin steel guards. The coolant bottle is made of semi-opaque plastic
and holds a good supply of coolant. A long tube is connected to the chuck via a red nipple on the left side of the drill. The coolant flow is controlled by a valve on the base of the bottle and coolant flows through the chuck to the site of the cutting. Switchgear is big, clear and easy to understand.
The on/off switches are protected against water intrusion with a plastic overcoat and some way below, the magnet rocker switch is large and distinct so it is clearly differentiated from the other switches. Since safety is hugely important, especially if this machine is being used at height, a strong safety chain is included. This is looped through the cast handle and around the beam so the machine is securely held should there be a power failure. A large tubular magnetic swarf remover stick is also available. This too is clever since you can move the magnet, and hence the swarf up and down the tube to clear it. On a minor (?) but to my mind important note, G
and J Hall is to be congratulated on the clarity of the instruction manual. It uses clear black and white photos in combination with simple, clear English to explain all the functions. There should be no excuses for unsafe operation of the machine. After all of the above it is also great to report that
the REVO R502 is a great machine to use. It has the “geary” noise of most mag drill machines, but the motor is very powerful and works very efficiently in all departments. In fact I found myself at home with it very quickly and felt confident using it. This is a tribute to good design and handling built-in.
Reply No. 226
use of varying types of drills, as well as a smoother sliding system on the alloy surface. Potential wear of the gibs or dovetail sliders is taken care of by several bolts on each side of the slider mechanism that can be adjusted to take account of wear. The sliders themselves run on brass inserts that I guess could be easily replaced if they become too worn. The net result of this system is that the motor can
be moved smoothly and easily up and down the column.
8 ToolBUSINESS+HIRE
www.toolbusiness.co.uk
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