My mom taught me never to brag, but there’s no denying I have a great job. In addition to helping the best craftspeople in the country tell their stories, I get to do some other really cool stuff. Yesterday, for example, as part of my time in Orlando covering the International Builders’ Show, I got to attend DeWalt’s brushless-motor product launch. The new motor is going first in a 20v cordless impact driver. DeWalt claims that this tool has a 51% longer run time than its driver with a conventional brushed motor. The company also claims that the new driver will outrun the competition by an even greater margin.
DeWalt also showed off what is perhaps the biggest deal in corded recip saws in a long time: a new saw with an angled motor that gives the tool better balance. It seems especially useful for one-handed cuts, like when you’re cutting plastic pipe, threaded rod, conduit, or Unistrut while holding the material with the other hand.
Of course, no press event would be complete without some entertainment, so DeWalt took us to the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunts show, where we saw how Hollywood-style car and motorcycle chases are filmed. I had low expectations for what looked to be an especially cheesy show, but it was really fun to watch professional drivers tear around in tiny souped-up cars. I said above that I have a great job, but the guys who get to burn the tires off of somebody else’s cars look like they’re having even more fun than me. Is that possible?
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DeWalt's new brushless-motor impact driver has three speeds, so you're less likely to strip fasteners. It also sports a battery-fuel gauge. DeWalt claims that it has a 51% longer run time than the brushed-motor version introduced last year.
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Here is This Old House magazine's Sal Vaglica trying out DeWalt's new corded recip saw. The 10-amp motor is nearly vertical, making the tool shorter and giving it better balance for one-handed cuts.
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This is Michael Springer trying out DeWalt's new sidewinder, which should be available by the fall. It has a 57-degree bevel, a good guard, and an excellent line of sight. Michael, who recently tested sidewinders for FHB, seemed impressed.
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That little Opel flying through the air has a high-performance 1.3-liter motorcycle engine just behind the driver. DeWalt treated me and about 20 other media types to the show as part of a product launch. It was really fun to watch professional stunt drivers tear around in the zippy little cars.
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Yes, that man is on fire. Photos of him donning five protective layers were shown on the giant TV screen that's part of the set. Hundreds of tires were on site. They must go through a lot of them, as they're smoking from wheelspin during most of the show.
