Typically, tools evolve slowly, with improvements and new features added over time. Of course, occasionally there are breakthrough developments that dramatically change a tool or tool category. The introduction of the lithium...
Terminating a connection correctly requires training and experience, concentration, patience, the right connector for the application, the proper wire preparation and the right connection tools. It is critical to make...
Remember when the basic portable personal light for trade workers was a flashlight 8–12 inches long with a small incandescent bulb powered by two D batteries? More powerful models required three D batteries. The flashlight...
Saws are basic tools. Tool makers are actively promoting the latest models of cordless saws, but there is still a place for corded models, and it’s likely one or more manual saws will always be in electricians’ tool kits...
Widespread power outages, power failures in commercial and industrial facilities, construction in areas where electric service is unavailable, debris cleanup and essential service restoration following storms or human-caused...
Portable storage containers and work stations can help electricians and other employees work faster and more efficiently. Today’s tool bags, however innovative, can only hold so much, and floors or stacks of wallboard are not...
The laser—light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation—has been ranked by some, along with the transistor and computer, among the most important inventions of the 20th century. Narrow laser light beams are used for...
Ballpoint pens, key chains, notepads and other items imprinted with a company’s name have been an inexpensive marketing tool to sustain and bolster name and brand recognition for years. Over time, this simple concept has...
Innovations and advances of handheld power drills, saws and other tools that cut and make holes have proceeded at a rapid pace. Lithium-ion batteries, brushless motors, conveniences and ergonomic features enable electricians...
Many powered devices in a building’s systems today are not directly connected to a standard AC source because electricity is brought to them by the same wires that transmit data by power over ethernet (PoE). PoE systems...
There are numerous tools for cutting wire, cables and conductors, and these tools can be very job-specific. Selecting the right tool for each task affects work quality and efficiency. In training, apprentices are introduced...
Easily movable storage boxes or container systems on work sites provide secure, convenient places to store tools and material, enabling personnel to work faster and more efficiently. Simple metal or composite boxes are...
Manually pulling cable with a fish tape is something every electrician knows how to do, and for residential and small commercial jobs, that’s the best way to pull cable through conduit. However, when cable runs are long and...
When evaluating work trucks, owners and managers of electrical contracting firms consider load capacity, power available, durability, suitability for upfits and service. In addition, current models feature many safety and...
Certification testers confirm if a datacom network or cabling in a structured wiring system is installed correctly to meet industry standards. Test equipment evolves and new models are developed to be ready when standards...
Gadgets are innovative, time-saving products that fall outside the basic categories of tools electricians use. I am not being disrespectful calling these clever items “gadgets.” That said, the items featured here are...
A rotary hammer is one of the most powerful electric hand tools and is many electrician’s tool of choice for making holes in concrete blocks and brick. Rotary hammers help them install anchors for conduit clips, junction...
Whether its electric wire pulled through conduit or wall space or voice/data/video cable placed below subfloors or above a suspended ceiling, special tools simplify the work. Today’s fish tapes don’t look much different than...
Getting wire and cable from the warehouse to the job site and installed to a project’s specifications requires logistical planning, execution and a variety of equipment and tools. Wire can be transported by several methods...
The impact of brushless DC motors for battery-powered hand tools is often compared to the lithium-ion battery revolution. Together, these two technologies have changed cordless tools used by electricians and those in other...
