Need New Tools and Equipment for Building Season? We Have Ideas

The summer home building season is just around the corner and it may be time to replace some of your old tools, jobsite equipment, and construction apparel. We did a little digging and found options for you to consider.

For obvious reasons, construction season has always heated up in the spring months of April or May to September—unless you build homes in a warm or temperate climate. The days are longer and the weather is better. Plus, if you are able to complete outdoor work, such as foundation, framing, roof, and siding, workers can turn their attention to the interiors before the sun gets too hot.

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Selling season has traditionally kicked off in the spring as well as potential buyers emerge from winter hibernation in search of the perfect new house, fixer upper, or existing home.

But 2021 will be different. There will be no mad rush to the model homes or open houses—at least not in person.

“The pandemic forced the entire housing industry to change fast, replacing virtual showings and sales with in-person appointments, resulting in more site-unseen offers,” writes PRODUCTS sister publication Pro Builder. In some cases, even when a client can view a home in person, they are choosing virtual tours, the publication says.

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Yes, you can compensate for no in-person selling season, but there is no work around for in-person home construction. Sure there are pre-fab and modular construction options, but the bulk of homes are built on-site with power tools, pneumatic nail guns, circular saws, and many other tools.

This year is likely to be particularly active. Buyers will face difficulties as housing inventory has dropped almost 50% compared to last year, so home builders will be scrambling to meet the demand.

Thos means it's a good time to refresh your tools and equipment. We did some digging and found some for you:

Milwaukee Tool

Part of the new MX FUEL Equipment System, the ROCKET Tower Light/Charger is the most portable 10’ light for inside or outside use, the company says. It delivers up to 27,000 lumens of task and area lighting, and features outriggers for leveling. Built with all-terrain 8-inch wheels, the unit requires little effort to move across uneven ground—whether it’s rolled across rough terrain during early phase construction or across pan decking for early morning concrete pours, the brand says.

Ridgid

The 18-volt brushless 21° framing nailer provides all the power of a pneumatic nailer but with the freedom and convenience that comes with being cordless, the company says. With no compressor, no hose, and no gas cartridge, it allows faster set-up and easier maneuvering on the jobsite. It drives three nails per second with no gas cartridges and zero ramp-up time. The brushless motor in this framing nailer delivers enough power to sink 2-inch to 3½-inch full round head framing nails into engineered lumber. The company says it drives up to 750 nails per charge when paired with an 18V 4.0Ah battery.

ToughBilt

The GelFit Fanatic are thigh-support stabilization knee pads that are designed for all-day kneeling ergonomics, comfort, and functionality, the company says. The pair provides ultimate stability while maintaining easy side-to-side movement and integrated thigh support keeps the knee perfectly centered, never twisting out of the kneepad. Lower platforms raise shins off of the ground, alleviating pressure on the ankles, while the abrasion-resistant 1680D fabric, double-injected shell with non-slip rubber, and shatter-resistant plastic results in years of durability.

Cat Footwear

The brand has released its newest work boot designed for injury prevention. Designed with Cat Edge’s ergonomically correct footwear platform, the boots are designed to focus on the reduction of stress on the body for workers who are standing for long periods of time. The outsole design of the boot provides stability with a wide, full-ground midfoot contact to reduce ankle rotation and weight bearing stresses, while the insole design supports the three main arches of the foot in order to reduce lower extremity fatigue.

EGO

The Nexus Power Station is a battery-powered inverter that can be a replacement for compact gas generators, the brand says. Offering WiFi and Bluetooth connections, the smart unit makes controlling outlets and USB connections from anywhere possible. The flexible design allows users to harness power from any EGO POWER+ ARC Lithium battery delivering clean, pure sine wave power for hours, or even days, to give consumers a gas generator alternative. It uses anywhere from one to four batteries to deliver power, and when power is restored, it doubles as a charger for the 56-volt ARC lithium batteries.

Makita

The manufacturer has released two improved 18-volt brushless cordless wet/dry dust extractor/vacuums. The two models, XCV20Z and XCV23Z, offer longer run time and lower noise, and now give users 100 minutes of run time on the normal setting with two LXT 5.0Ah batteries. Operating at 64 decibels on the highest speed, they offer variable speed control dial to match the speed to the application, large rubber bumpers to prevent damage to the work environment, an oversized on-off switch for convenience, and quick-release metal latches for easy removal and disposal of debris from the canister.

Senco

The brand has expanded its cordless framing nailer line with a new full round head model. Opening the door for users of plastic collated nails, the F-35FRHXP drives up to 3½-inch full round head, plastic collated nails that many users prefer, the company says. Built with the company’s FUSION cordless pneumatic technology, it relies on a sealed compressed air cylinder that delivers the speed, feel and performance of a true pneumatic tool. It is capable of sinking nails fully into the hardest substrates, including engineered lumber and OSB, the brand adds.