Innovative Iron Awards 2016: Hand Tools from Miller, Hilti and DeWalt
The Coolest and Most Creative Compact Equipment of 2016
The bad news: Future growth in construction and landscaping will require increased skills and productivity to stay competitive. The good news: Manufacturers from Cat to Yanmar are creating cutting-edge equipment to help machine owners reach that ever-increasing goal for more efficiency. With a serious shortage of skilled workers, contractors are specifically searching for the most innovative machinery (the toughest skid steers, most productive excavators, safest wheel loaders, most versatile tractors) to help offset workforce woes and increase production and performance. Well, search no more. To expedite the process, we just went ahead and gathered together that list for you, highlighting the most inventive off-highway equipment, diesel engines, hand tools and OEM services and systems released to the market in 2016. We were challenged with picking the best of the best, but that just makes the honor of inclusion that much more impressive.
Big Blue
With the addition of the Big Blue 600 Air Pak, Miller strengthens its already diversified and well-rounded portfolio of engine-driven welder generators with integrated compressed air. This sucker has the best rated output in its class. At max output, the Big Blue is capable of 600A at 44V at 60 percent duty cycle, which is more than enough power to tackle the absolute most demanding welding and gouging jobs in the field. Unlike analog gauges on other engine-driven units, the electronic engine display on the Big Blue 600 Air Pak is able to communicate and display more detailed information than ever before. Plus, this is the only manufacturer to offer a work truck specific model.
For more info, visit millerwelds.com.
On!Track
For contractors, asset loss is an expensive cost of doing business. More than $1 billion in valuable tools, commodities and consumables are lost each year. The new Hilti ON!Track asset management system was specifically designed to help solve these problems, save contractors money and reduce their liability. ON!Track uses a three-part system to keep track of your assets and documents: 1) Cloud-based software (accessible from any web-enabled device) that includes an unlimited number of subscribers; 2) An RFID-barcode scanner designed for construction environments and robust RFID-barcode tags that make it simple to tag and inventory all your assets, from hammer drills to vehicles; 3) And Hilti’s professional, on-site service for setup and support.
For more info, visit us.hilti.com.
Flexvolt
The Flexvolt System from DeWalt means cutting the cord once and for all. Heavy-duty corded power tool applications can now be performed with cordless tools, without sacrificing performance. The Flexvolt System offers the power equivalent of corded tools and more runtime than previous cordless tools, supporting the existing 20V Max System, as well as new 60V Max and 120V Max tools. Plus, the 20V Max System features more than 70 tools and is more popular than ever in the building and construction trades. In the landscape of cordless tools, the Flexvolt System changes the game by expanding the capabilities of existing DeWalt 20V Max tools in the outdoor power equipment category.
For more info, visit dewalt.com.
