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Executive Report: From NiCad to nano-phosphate Phil Mist appraises DeWalt’s newest product launches, and reports on the company’s latest battery technology. Back in January, DeWalt previewed two SDS Plus battery powered rotary hammer drills, which have now been launched. One was a 24V NiCad or NiMH powered unit, the other an 18V model. There was much debate as to whether the market was ready for an 18V SDS hammer or whether most users would still opt for 24V. I was inclined towards the latter, believing power tool users are traditional in their thinking. Time will tell. The
24V
DC224
(with
a
2Ah
NiCad
battery)
weighs
4.2kg
with
its
side
handle
and
depth
rod
fitted,
while
the
18V
DC213
weighs
in
at
3.4kg.
The
former
has
a
removable
quick-change
SDS
Plus
tool
holder
that
can
be
replaced
by
a
keyless
chuck
for
screwdriving
operations
and
for
drilling
into
both
wood
and
steel,
whereas
the
DC213
does
not.
Both
machines
are
comfortable
to
use
and
have
DeWalt’s
Active
Vibration
Control
(AVC)
mechanism,
designed
to
combat
HAV.
The
18V
machine
is,
of
course,
smaller,
but
in
drilling
tests
took
only
two
seconds
longer
than
its
larger
counterpart
when
drilling
a
6mm
x
75mm
hole
into
45Nm
concrete.
However,
when
increasing
the
drill
bit
size
to
10mm,
the
DC213
took
more
than
four
seconds
longer
to
drill
a
100mm
deep
hole.
This
is
quite
an
increase
for
anyone
using
a
drill
intensively,
and
could
lengthen
the
time
taken
to
complete
a
job.
EHN has also tested DeWalt’s new mains powered, variable speed 115mm angle grinder, the D28117. It has a dust deflector at the rear, near the on/off switch, to reduce the number of concrete or brick particles penetrating the machine. The tool is remarkably heavy for its specification, weighing in at 2.4kg without a blade (the owner’s manual claims 2kg), which is more typical of a rear handled machine. But it performs well: the 1100watt motor works overtime when heavy pressure is applied to the cutting disc, and the tool did not falter when I quite clearly overloaded it. However, I found there was still a build-up of dust around the switch at the rear, so it would be necessary to clean this area of the tool during extended operation in dusty conditions. That aside, the D28117 is comfortable in use and its side handle and auto balance reduce vibration. Hot on the heels of these new machines, DeWalt has announced a new breed of battery powered tools, powered by the now ubiquitous Lithium-Ion batteries. Test samples should be available shortly. The system uses ‘nano-phosphate’ technology, said to provide more power and reliability. It is claimed to give two to three times the running time per charge, and to allow more than 2,000 charge and discharge cycles. The range includes an SDS rotary hammer drill with a 2.5J single energy blow rating; a drill driver with 22 clutch settings; an impact wrench with a maximum tightening torque of 440Nm; a 184mm diameter circular saw offering a maximum 62mm depth of cut; a jig saw; a 29mm stroke length reciprocating saw; and a lamp. Cordless tools have obvious benefits, doing away with cables and transformers, and Lithium-Ion technology seems to be very close to giving the same performance as corded tools. • T
0700
4
339258 Executive Hire News › Archives › September 2006 › Executive Report › From NiCad to nanophosphate
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