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Exhibitor Profile: Metabo A Porsche for hire fleets EHN’s power tools specialist Phil Mist tests a new machine with radical styling from Metabo, resulting from an intriguing design collaboration. While
few
European
and
American
power
tool
manufacturers
can
match
the
low
production
costs
of
Far
Eastern
companies,
many
have
maintained
a
competitive
edge
through
innovative
design.
Porsche is an iconic German brand and is renowned for high quality design and engineering excellence. The first result of the collaboration is an SDS hammer that looks utterly different from any machine seen before in Europe. The shape of the P7911 reminds me of a hand-held car vacuum cleaner, but it has, of course, an SDS tool holder at the front end instead of a dust collection nozzle. The tool has a top loop handle and an additional side handle to enable the operator to apply point pressure to the SDS drill bit. Powered by a 705watt motor, and having a single blow energy rating of 2J, its internal specification is based internally on Metabo’s well-known UHE20 Multidrill. There is a two-speed gearbox and the selection lever doubles up as the function switch to change from rotary only to rotary hammer drilling. The maximum rotational no-load speeds are 0-1,000rpm and 0-2,800rpm (0-640rpm and 0-1,750rpm full load) and impact rates vary from 0-4,600bpm. The P7911 is an efficient, if very strange looking drill suitable for drilling hard masonry and concrete. The ‘hammer stop’ feature also enables it to be used on wood and steel, and a keyless precision drill chuck was present in the tool case of the sample machine I tested. Both the SDS plus tool holder and this chuck utilise Metabo’s quick-change system. To move from one function to the other, you simply twist and remove the front-end mechanism. The top handle raised some queries in my mind in respect of HAV. Whilst I have not personally measured the vibration from the P7911, the handbook claims a 6.7m/s2 tri-axial figure. In use, I would not dispute this, since the machine felt quite smooth when drilling with a range of SDS Plus bits into concrete. Most of the body shell is manufactured from carbon fibre, but even so the machine weighs a mighty 3.2kg – it is certainly solidly built. The fan inside the motor directs a jet of air forwards towards the drill bit, reducing the level of dust reaching the operator. Whether the technical expertise provided by Porsche engineers will pay dividends for Metabo is, obviously, unknown. But when the machine is unveiled at the Executive Hire Show at the end of this month, it will no doubt form a subject of discussion for many people. Although on the expensive side, some discerning hire companies will doubtless consider this tool. What is certain is that the shape and design of the P7911 is a testament to advanced ideas. Purists might say it is gimmicky, but, who would bet against it obtaining a small share of the market? It will certainly bring a whole new meaning to the boast “I’ve got a Porsche”! • T
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732000 Executive Hire News › Archives › Jan/Feb 2007 › Exhibitor Profile: Metabo › A Porsche for hire fleets
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