ShopTalk

Cordless tools have nearly taken over the new construction and remodel jobsite entirely. With advancements like battery capacity, runtime and motor efficiency with onboard discharge monitoring today’s cordless tools are routinely performing at or above the level of production and power than their corded predecessors.

Sure, everyone has said it myself included; there’s really no need to lug an extension cord onto the job today. As old tools have reached the end of their useful and productive lifespan most are definitely being replaced with battery powered “upgrades”. As we all know not all tools are created equal the same should be said, and more often, about their power source; the battery.

With the multitude of choices in the cordless tool market I’m going to focus on one single platform to keep the message clear. I’m not choosing one brand over another out of preference or performance; my focus here is battery identification and what exactly we should be looking at to make the best purchasing choices with our hard-earned money.

Today’s manufacturers have invested entirely in lithium ion battery cell technology, long gone are the NiCad batteries of yesterday and to that I say good riddance. For the purpose of this article I’ll be using Milwaukee Tool’s M12 batteries in attempt to explain the differences in capacity and how to identify the right battery for your tool.

First, let’s get this out of the way, tool manufacturers in North America have long dropped the facts for the sake of marketing in labeling their tools lines. The 12V, 18V, 20V and 60V batteries produced by the major tool companies are all overrated in name and labeling. I’m not exactly sure why a 10.8V battery is labeled as a 12V but I’d guess it has more to do with the expected performance than graphics on packaging and more to do with 12 simply being the bigger number. Regardless, 60V [actually 54V] is the current king because it’s the biggest, right? We’re trained to think “bigger is better” and they’ve played into that 100%.

While it should go without saying that a typical 12V battery tool has less potential than its 18V bigger brother that’s not always the case for multiple reasons, one of them being the Ah [Amp Hour] ratings of the battery packs.

Runtime, potential power, voltage delivery etc are all tied back to or are related to this significant and often overlooked rating. The science behind the Ah is simple; a battery rated at 1Ah should be able to continuously supply a current of 1 amp to a load for exactly 1 hour, or 2 amps for 1/2 hour, or 1/3 amp for 3 hours, etc., before becoming completely discharged.

In an ideal battery, this relationship between continuous current and discharge time is stable and absolute, but real batteries don’t behave exactly as this simple linear formula would indicate. Therefore, when amp-hour capacity is given for a battery, it is specified at either a given current, given time, or assumed to be rated for a time period of 8 hours (if no limiting factor is given). Sometimes to understand the Amo Hour we need to also work with the Watt Hour [Wh]…just to further complicate things a little.

Let’s take for example the standard, lowest capacity M12 battery from Milwaukee. This battery is rated as 14 Wh [Watt Hours). Some simple math can convert Wh to Ah with this formula: (Wh)/(V) =(Ah). And you thought you left that back in 8^th grade… When calculated out the Ah rating for this example is 1.1666 Ah. Meaning this pack should delivery 12V at 1A for slightly more than an hour. Of course when placed under higher or lower load conditions performance will change.

Milwaukee offers M12 batteries of multiple Ah ratings of course, as do other manufacturers but there seems to be different ideas on how to label these batteries so knowing how to identify the capacity will help you make an informed decision.

Moving up the M12 battery line the next offering is rated 16Wh and when plugged in to the formula we find out it’s a 1.333 Ah pack. That’s not a significant jump in power potential, a few minutes really but it comes at a price at the register. Moving even further up the M12 line takes us to a more recent product in the 2.0Ah labeled pack. It’s a 22Wh pack and has theoretically twice the capacity of the first two discussed so far.

Recent advancements in lithium cell technology, along with manufacturing processes have brought along even larger Ah capacity batteries of all voltages, not just the 12V batteries used for example here. As capacity increases so does the physical size to a point, further advancement of heat dissipation and cell quality is underway making it possible to assemble battery packs that are actually more powerful and physically smaller or the same size as lower rated packs.

A perfect example is the M12 XC 4.0Ah and M12 XC 6.0Ah battery packs. Both are the largest in physical size of all the Milwaukee 12V batteries but identical in size to each other. This is due to the type of lithium cells used in manufacturing and how those individual cells are assembled inside the rugged exterior shell. Quick math would show that the 6.0Ah pack has the potential runtime of almost 600% more than the 14Wh M12 pack. That capacity rating comes at a cost of course but in staying with the “bigger is better” philosophy you will definitely be getting longer runtime and possibly more bang for your buck.

Knowing what Wh and Ah really means and using that to compare one battery to another will hopefully help you select the best value for your cash and at the end of the day we all share the common goal of getting the most out of our time and money. Hope this helps.

One of the worst feelings in the world for a certified heating professional is to be on a jobsite and to realize he/she doesn’t have the tools necessary to complete the task. While experience in the field is the best education when it comes to identifying the essentials, a little guidance is always helpful. Here are our picks for the top 3 tools every Hydronic heating professional should have.

Combustion Analyzer:  The primary purpose behind a Combustion analyzer is to verify whether or not the boiler is performing at peak efficiency. By measuring the products of combustion through this preventive maintenance measure, a service professional is able to quickly identify appliance issues that could hinder product performance. Such problems include, but are not limited to, low fuel pressure, backdrafting, lack of make-up air, obstructed flue or a cracked heat exchanger.

Manometer:  A device used to test incoming gas pressure and how much the pressure drops on start up. If your incoming gas pressure is too low, the unit could experience delayed ignition, failure to ignite, and reduced operating efficiency. These are all factors which contribute to increased callbacks and a decrease in customer satisfaction.

Multimeter:  Essentially this tool helps contractors to identify whether power is going to the boiler or not. Typically, it has 3 units of measurement: Volts, Ohms, and/or Amps, which are used to verify that an electrical current is reaching all the intended components. The volts option is used to test voltage to the blower, gas valve, and pumps, while the Ohms setting checks fuses, sensors, and continuity. Something else worth considering is that most multimeters in the mid-range price point have numerous accessories built-in, allowing one tool to satisfy multiple demands. In many cases, your meter can also be a very accurate temperature tester, which is ideal in cases when the boiler display doesn’t read the sensors value individually, when your water heater isn’t working with your mixing valve or if you need to determine the rate of flow in an emitter loop.

What are your top “must have” tools for performing work on hydronic heating equipment? Is there an apparatus that you find yourself utilizing regularly for service calls or installations?

Jaime Jimenez is the marketing coordinator for ACV Triangle Tube. Headquartered in Blackwood, New Jersey, ACV Triangle Tube engineers and manufactures a wide range of space heating, water heating, and other HVAC related products for residential, commercial and industrial markets. Visit www.triangletube.com.

Innovation takes on many forms, but in the world of plumbing and HVAC piping systems, change and or progress has been somewhat slow to take place. Copper press fitting systems have been on the scene for nearly 20 years in the U.S., even longer in Europe, but industry-wide adoption is a work in progress. If you’ve been following us here on The Hub you already know my opinion that pressing copper or iron pipe for nearly every application is not only efficient but also profitable for any size contracting firm. But I’m not here to debate the merits of press versus soldering or threading; instead, I’d like to talk about a couple new tools we’ve had in the shop for review.

The new Gorilla™ pressing tool line features two unique tools: the inline battery pressing tool (INLNPRESS-KIT19kN) and the pistol grip battery powered pressing tool (PSTLPRESS-KIT32KN). I’ve personally put both tools to work on a handful of plumbing and heating projects over the last month, and I’m impressed.

Not unlike other press tools in the market the Gorilla press tools will complete a watertight connection, whether pressing copper, steel or PEX, with a 3-5 second cycle time. Here are the features of each tool kit broken down separately:

Pistol Press (PSTL-KIT32kN)

The larger of the two Gorilla press tools is capable of pressing up to 2″ copper or steel fittings with the included tongs/jaws. When equipped with compatible jaws such as the RIDGID XL-C or Milwaukee M18 ring sets the pistol tool is capable of joining 2-1/2″ thru 4″ copper and steel. Greenlee offers additional factory supplied jaw sets for PEX Press systems (NIBCO) as well.

The key here is jaw compatibility. For contractors who already own other press tools or for those looking at a new press tool as a first purchase knowing what tool is right for you based on its capabilities should be the focus. The PSTL tool is compatible with all of the Viega PROPRESS copper, stainless and iron pipe (MEGAPRESS) fitting systems when either using the Greenlee jaw sets for 2″ and smaller copper or the RIDGID or Milwaukee M18 jaws for XC copper fittings or MEGAPRESS. A list of compatible jaw sets is included at the bottom of this review.

The PSTL-KIT32kN kit includes six V-profile copper/steel press jaws in sizes from 1/2″ to 2″, two 3.0Ah 18V Makita battery packs, rapid battery charger and heavy duty case with foam tool organizer insert. The 7,200 lb (32kN) force is delivered to the jaw set at the end of the swivel shaft. The unique pistol-grip offers an ergonomic design, placing the majority of the weight directly over the users hand and wrist for more balanced control when using the large diameter jaws. A single trigger deploys the hydraulic piston for a 3-5 second press cycle but is not automatic, requiring the user to fully depress the trigger for the entire cycle. However, once the press is complete, the tool retracts automatically, which does not require the operator to hold the trigger. In addition, the tools have the ability to retract the jaws at any point in time. An indicator light illuminates if the tool senses insufficient force during a press cycle and AUTOSTOPP technology stops the piston once optimal force is reached to complete the press of a fitting. The tool carries a 5-year warranty from the manufacturer and boasts the ability to go 40K press cycles before factory authorized service is required.

Inline Press (INLNPRESS-KIT19kN)

This is the more compact tool of the Gorilla lineup. Measuring in at just over 17″ when geared up with the 3/4″ copper jaws this swivel shaft tool is sleek and capable of sitting in tight spaces where only one hand may be appropriate for tool operation. The 4,275 lb (19kN) force tool features a single trigger, swivel head and 18V Makita 2.0Ah 18V battery.

The inline tool is capable of pressing both PEX press [up to 1-1/2″, see video]  and v-profile copper/steel fittings (Viega type) up to 1-1/4″ diameter making it prime for all residential applications. As with the pistol tool the inline tool carries a 5-year manufacturer warranty and is capable of pressing 40K times in between service intervals. Press cycle time is 3-5 seconds depending on fitting type and diameter. The user is required to depress the trigger for the entire press cycle until the AOTOSTOP technology feature senses sufficient force, the piston retracts automatically the same as the pistol tool. The kit includes two Makita 18V batteries, rapid charger and heavy duty case with rigid foam organizer insert.

Recap

Overall the build quality of the Greenlee Gorilla press tools is high. Having been manufactured in Germany by the Greenlee owned Klauke tool company they’re developed from years of pressing experience and thousands of tools having been in use for many years. The 5-year warranty is impressive and compatibility with other manufacturer jaw sets makes both models very attractive in my opinion. Current jaw offerings open these tools up to the popular Sporlan Zoomlock refrigeration press fitting system as well even further expanding the capabilities and usefulness of these tools to HVAC contractors as well as plumbers. The Inline tool kit should be expected to price out between $2,100-$2,300, the more capable pistol tool will cost a contractor $3,300-$3,500 for the kit making both tools competitive in the press tool market.
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One of my favorite parts of my job is meeting people from all over the world working in the trades. John and I have met face to face with dozens of plumbing and heating pros at trade shows, on job sites and at industry events but its our daily interaction on social media that puts us in contact with countless new friends annually that keeps us on our toes.

Whether on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram I get messages weekly from seasoned pros to new guys and gals just entering the trades. Some are sharing their experiences with a certain product, pictures of an install they’re proud of or something crazy they encountered on a job. Often I’m asked by the new hires the same question: What’s that one tool or few tools you just can’t be without?

I never have a solid answer, or at least the one they’re likely expecting. For me that one tool I couldn’t be without is the only tool needed to complete the job at hand. So the answer is “all of them”, I suppose.

Take this basic tubing bender. It’s as old as the hills, super simple and will outlast my career as a plumbing and heating contractor. It’s only good for about one or two things but without it what could’ve been a simple task to turn out a proper product, I’d instead be hand-bending and likely taking too long to get an offset right or simply ending up with a crappy looking bend. I don’t even use it every day, I have others for various size tubing and wouldn’t want to be without those either, no matter how infrequent they leave the truck.

The point is there are obviously a handful of essential tools but if you need to be told to never forget your tape measure then we’re not talking about the same thing. My advice is this: Pay attention to what you’re doing daily, weekly, monthly and make note of the tools you use on a regular basis. Then, buy the best available within your budget and they’ll last you a long time, like this Imperial-Eastman bender that my now retired Grandfather gave me when I started out over 20 years ago. It wasn’t new then and it’s bent at least a few thousand offsets over the years. To all the new guys and gals I say good luck and don’t hesitate to contact us!