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It’s been ten years since Armeg Ltd first sparked an electrical revolution with their E.B.S square hole drill. Now a decade later the newest addition to the Electrical Box Sinking family has arrived, giving users the maximum performance in hard materials.

With the E.B.S Tri-Cut, there’ll be no more nightmares for electricians about trying to sink a back box into the toughest materials.  As part of a two stage process the Tri-Cut, which works on an SDS Plus drive system, allows users to drill a square hole into the hardest masonry materials in under two minutes – leaving more time to relax and have a brew!

Manufactured in Sheffield by Armeg Ltd, the UK’s leading manufacturer of innovative drilling and tool solutions, the distinctively red coloured Tri-Cut first creates a 78mm diameter flat back hole (the flat back nature of the hole resulting in minimum movement of the back box).  The second stage is then ready for the square cutter to simply hammer out the four corners to leave users with a neat hole for their switch and socket boxes.

The E.B.S Tri-Cut is available as part of a single set starring the Tri-Cut complete with time saving dust collection unit for all single box sinking applications. Alternatively it is available within the Complete Box Sinking and Channelling Set featuring the Double Square Cutter and Channelling Chisel, ideal for cutting double back box holes and channel production.

Contact Armeg for more information and details of local stockists on (0)1246 411081 or visit www.armeg.co.uk.

 

"Chris Nightingale of Matlock, Derbyshire, has been an electrician for 19 years, running his own business for 12. Part P qualified and an ECA member, he provides a useful insight to those in their final year of study...

I first wrote a SPARKS article in 2007, in which I concentrated on what to look for when buying tools and how those decisions will affect your work, particularly your safety. In subsequent issues we looked at other areas including functionality and performance. As most of you won't have seen those articles, this year I would like
to recap the main points. I hope you'll find it useful!

Kitting myself out as a newly qualified sparky I was easily impressed. If a tool was cheap or a bit gimmicky I couldn't help myself. In those early days I genuinely believed I had a good tool kit, but quickly learnt otherwise. Swollen thumbs, electric shocks, cut fingers and long, dragging jobs demonstrated that my purchase criteria weren't the most reliable, and crucially, the most safe.

Since then, price and gimmick-value have become increasingly less important, as a combination of my own experiences and changing legislation has shaped the way
I work and the tools I use.

Did you know tool selection can have a dramatic effect on how fast a job can be completed or how safely it can be carried out, and on how much effort is needed to do so.

After years in the trade I am a convert to trying to use the right tool every time. I got tired of looking at my third broken screwdriver bit in an hour, thinking "Bl**dy hell, not again."

In today's shrinking world we are faced with a massive choice of products from all corners of the globe, from seemingly endless sources. So which do we choose, and where do we buy?

There are many influencing factors in the decision making process - cost when related to product life / usage ('cost per use'), the 'need now' factor, quality, performance and suitability for the job to name a few.

Ease of use is vital, and above all, we must be safe.

When faced with the enormous choice of brands (and non-brands) offering what superficially appear to be similar tools, ask yourself some questions:

• Who manufactures the tools? Are they a trusted, reliable brand?

• Look at the tool closely. Does product quality indicate longevity?

• Are there guarantees regarding quality? Do they display national
or international marks to illustrate their safety?

• How closely do the design features match the needs of the job? Does
the tool suit the way you work?

• Does the tool have outstanding or unique features that will make your job
easier? Not gimmicks, but genuine innovations to help you work faster, easier
and safer.

Safety first - are the insulated tools produced to full VDE specification? Quality manufacturers should be producing 1,000V tools to EN 60900:2004. Conformity to this standard should be shown on both packaging and tools. The 1,000V rating and the "VDE" and "GS" logos should be clearly marked on the tools. This means each one is individually tested to 10,000V in a water bath, and drop-tested at -40°C to ensure the insulation won't crack in extreme conditions.

For unique features and performance, specialist manufacturers usually offer the best solutions, investing heavily in development and quickly introducing new products to match ever-changing industry requirements. Their products are usually found in trade outlets, either in stores or via catalogue or internet mail order. Many independents have a wide selection, and the ability to ship orders next-day if necessary.

A specific example of how specialist tools help us work better is provided by the combination 'PlusMinus' or MCB screwheads increasingly found in consumer units. There are 2 variations - a Pozi and a Slotted head combination, and a Phillips and a slotted head. They were designed to enable use with 2 types of screwdriver to increase the chances that we would have the right one available. However, they don't fit perfectly and the screwheads quickly round out, making it unlikely screws can be tightened sufficiently, or become difficult to unscrew - both with obvious safety implications.

To solve this, some specialist manufacturers now produce screwdrivers with actual PlusMinus tips - which fit perfectly and prevent rounding out. Job done!

Looking at ease of use, it is a personal choice, but a good example that can benefit all of us is screwdrivers with specially designed tips that reduce slips, the best of which feature unique laser-grooved tips that 'bite' into the screwhead. These also considerably reduce the amount of 'push' pressure needed to keep the driver engaged - and less effort is always a bonus!

As you progress you will find your tool kit will grow – ranging from a heavy bag to an entire vehicle for transporting your stash. It's therefore worth looking for cleverly designed kits to assist with mobility. My favourite is the screwdriver kits which feature a blade-holding handle and a set of interchangeable blades in a belt pouch. The real benefit of these kits is that you can carry whole screwdriver kits, with up to 20 blades, in a pouch which you barely know is there. An added bonus is that by removing the need to climb up and down staging to change tools, there's less wasted time and effort.

The market is flooded with cheap imitations, and in an industry such as
ours the risk they pose to safety is unacceptable. Usually if a tool is patented it is an indication that its features provide real benefits and it is from a creditable source, manufactured to a high standard, so look out for brands you know and trust. The best
ones strictly police their patents, and sniff out any fake imitations very quickly - meaning you are unlikely to come across any yourself, and certainly not in reputable retailers.

Professional quality, high performance tools cost more than cheaply made equivalents. Over time you will develop your own preferences, but I can guarantee that by paying just a little more to get the right tools you will be rewarded several times over - by their ease of use, durability and the safety they provide. They actually provide better value, as the cost is spread over a longer period and more usage, and they certainly cost less in terms of time, effort and frustration. It really is worth it."

For more info, check out www-uk.wera.de