Page 31 - HW MARCH 2020

power tools & accesssories
Safety-first approach top of mind in NZ but not fully endorsed?
With workplace safety increasingly top of mind, Daniel Birch at Paslode says both the working-smarter-not-harder, and working safer ethos are really being driven home in the building industry.
“Awareness and general acceptance of the potential long-term health hazards that prevail when working on construction sites
is very evident of late. Builders are both nervous and scared after seeing what years of this business can do to the uninformed and unprotected.”
Troy Scragg at Bosch however believes more still needs to be done to combat worksite hazards such as dust extraction. He says he has noted “small soundbites of this” but insists New Zealand is still not taking the issue as seriously as is needed.
“In this case, we need to take a leap out of the Australian books, and not wait until cases of silicosis start to appear.”
Baiju Lal of Fox & Gunn says workplace safety is being taken more seriously and that his company is gearing up accordingly. “We have taken on Shop-Vac wet and dry vacuums and the number of people looking for an ‘L’ or ‘M’ class vacuum is unbelievable. Work sites can be closed down if they do not have an L-class vacuum on-site.”
Tooline’s Martin Toon says he observes huge quantities of very cheap angle grinders being sold into the industrial market and finds it hard to understand why.
“In contrast, our ‘safest of the safe’ Metabo angle grinder is growing in popularity and it happens to be the most expensive.”
Its appreciation in the marketplace, he adds, is especially growing with large corporates “who treat safety seriously” and for whom the productivity message also resonates strongly.
Paslode cordless
framing nailer
If builders can’t find one tool that can do it all, they at least want a tool that can do more.That’s where Paslode steps in with a range of accessories that open the application scope door wide open. The Paslode framing nailer with No Mar tip can do cladding, decking and cosmetically important applications where a perfect timber finish is key. And the new Joltfast Cladding Guide allows timber weatherboards to be nailed up in almost half the time. No more hand hammering or compressors needed, just lightweight cordless performance.
www.paslode.co.nz
“That’s a cut-throat market and it seems that whoever’s got the cheapest on the day tends to get the business,” he laments.
OVERALL FLIGHT TO QUALITY
Despite some reservations, most industry commentators report a push towards higher quality accessories, especially in the building trade.
“It seems many builders have finally worked out that a drill bit they’ve got to replace every 20 holes is a false economy,” comments Rob Lawson, Country Manager at Simpson Strong-Tie.
“Time’s worth too much to a builder, hence higher-quality, longer-life accessories.”
Daniel Birch, Market Manager at Paslode New Zealand,
Torque about Simpson Strong-Tie’s cordless shift
Redesigning a screw thread sounds easy but has proven a complex two-year project for Simpson Strong-Tie’s American engineers.
Rob Lawson, Country Manager for Simpson Strong-Tie, reckons the power tools category is in great shape, thanks in no small part to the evolution of cordless products.
“The convenience of cordless is driving builder preference and any weight penalty from heavy batteries doesn’t seem to be a factor.”
However, the uptake of cordless has been something of an obstacle for Simpson Strong-Tie because of the high torque required for its screw-driving system, which is so high that the company has continued selling corded tools despite a resistance to corded tools in general.
the company’s entire range of screws, bearing in mind that Simpson Strong-Tie products cater for some heavy-duty structural work.
“We had some cordless tools that would drive six or seven screws,” Rob explains,“and then the battery got too hot and the safety systems would engage. Builders don’t want to be always waiting for a battery to cool...”
As a result Simpson Strong-Tie in the States has redesigned the threads on its biggest-selling screws for 25% lower torque input without losing structural capacity...
“After exhaustive testing, we’re now introducing the new screws to the market, and we’re ready to go cordless in April/May,” says Rob Lawson.
To date, says Rob, no cordless tool has had enough torque to drive
https://strongtie.co.nz/
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MARCH 2020 | NZHJ 29