MIDLANDS TOOL SHOW AT THE HAWTHORNS, SPONSORED BY ANGLIA TOOL CENTRE


Midlands Tool Show round-up


TAKING place over three days in May, the Midlands Tool Show is a new venture hoping to fi ll a geographical gap, and enable tool users a chance to catch up on new tools, special off ers and demos from major manufacturers.


With over 32 stands, there was enough to see and certainly enough to buy – I treated myself to a few not-to-be-missed deals.


On a serious note to start though, the stoptoolthievesuk rep gave me a leafl et and a small chat about the rising levels of tool theft from workshops and vans in the UK, often leaving trades unable to work. The campaign is asking for government, insurance companies, and hotels to decide on a series of measures to make tool crime less prevalent by increasing security and detection rates.


I am a natural sympathiser here because I have items ‘go missing,’ and every year the list of tools I include for my insurance company gets longer.


Modern tracking technology and remote tool disabling should help discourage theft, so tool companies can help too.


I had a closer look at Metabo’s new wall chaser, and it does look like a very integrated solution – not just a dust shroud, attached to an angle grinder.


With its extended rollers and built-in extraction port, it looks to provide a stable platform for accurate chasing - as well as a way of getting rid of most of the dangerous dust directly.


A very compact and powerful new Metabo 200Nm impact driver was also on show – electronic switching provides a lot of user choice, and it is quieter too – bless Metabo for that, as I am fed up with impact driver rattle on site.


Festool’s new insulation saw was a surprise too. I was introduced to its main features and given a chance to try it on some Celotex – like a knife through butter, as they say.


At DeWalt I was introduced to three new saws, all using the Dewalt’s


54v battery platform. The table saw was genuinely portable and powerful, and from what I could see had enough table area and fences etc to make for a useful site saw. With the option of a plug-in mains lead too, its fl exibility is a key part of its appeal.


A couple of hand held circular saws proved to be as powerful in feel as a mains version.


The American style version with the main handle placed low down and far back for a greater push through action when cutting looked great. My Health and Safety hackles were raised a bit when the demonstrator showed me the American way of cutting with it, by resting the workpiece on his thigh!


The cordless plunge saw was designed to fi t on Dewalt’s own double-sided rail (such a good idea for those having to work in narrow spaces). It also fi tted a competitor’s rail, another plus point.


REVIEW BY PETER BRETT


Add to the mix a BIG cordless mitre saw with massive capability and a mains lead for alternative power, and it is starting to look like a dominating Dewalt saw off er.


Not being demo’ed because it is still not launched, was the 54v disc cutter. It is bound to be very useful for cutting lintels and blocks onsite, without having to reach for large and noisy petrol- powered disc cutter.


I was assured that lighter and better Dewalt 12Ah battery packs are on the way, with ingenious travel caps that isolate the banks of cells and are therefore compliant with Li-Ion transport regs.


Fein had a couple of new products on off er – a couple of cordless angle grinders, and a compact 18v SDS drill. As the company looks to expand and take account of the increasingly competitive oscillating tool market, it is making use of its very considerable knowledge and expertise in the metalworking tools market.


The Hitachi cordless nailers were still attracting attention from buyers. All the demonstrators needed to do was fi re a series of nails in ‘bump’ mode to attract attention. Then the explanations begin to dispel the disbelief that a cordless nailer could indeed do the job, and fi re 90mm ring nails that easily.


Andy King from Trend was, in his relaxed and amiable way, demonstrating the delights of the new jigs for cutting out draining grooves on wooden worktops.


With some new patterns that are cooler and trendier than the straight grooves commonly used, they off er a great choice for trades to sell something diff erent to their kitchen clients.


Some exhibitors had a few questions about the show’s opening times and dates, as many had to spread themselves thinly to cover other show dates. But, next year’s show is already in the diary, so hopefully these teething troubles will be solved.


@ToolBUSINESS TBH June, 2018 27


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