This past week was the Pumper Show down in Louisville, KY and was very curious about the show so we took a drive down early on Saturday. Set up like other trade shows but there was an emphasis on end user selling for many of the vendors we talked to with show special pricing and some products even stacked up in booths. As far as the pumper products went we really had no interest although have to say I was really impressed with the Blacktie setup, classiest port-a-johns ever possibly.

Ridgid had a good sized booth and lots of interactive displays and challengers for using some of their machines. The big emphasis from Ridgid was on “going digital” with their new RidgidConnect service. It is very clear in this could be a great business tool for many plumbers, inspectors, etc. The best new product from the show was the final piece of this digital puzzle. The SeeSnake to Laptop connection system and software introduced as part of the SeeSnake LT1000. This platform sites on top of the SeeSnake Reels (fits mini & full size) and connects directly to a laptop or microExplorer ($690, Ohio Power Tool). The Ridgid LT1000 also has a full waterproof touch pad to control recording and keep your gloved hands off the laptop keyboard. Software is included for full viewing of most laptops, exact specs for laptop requirements coming soon. The LT1000 will run off battery or AC power and even includes new reel feet stabilizers to keep the reel in place.

The Ridgid LT1000 will be available in a few months; more information and pre-sale will be available on OhioPowerTool.com in the Ridgid SeeSnake section as we get closer to the launch date. The LT1000 should cost around $2000 and will include a 60 free trial to Ridgid Connect which with a wireless internet card would mean inspection could go from reel to office to customer in a matter of minutes. Checkout the YouTube video below for more info:

Posted by Jay A. at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At the World of Concrete this year Bosch had several impressive displays inside, outside and even sponsored the tools competition. It was also a great opportunity to get a sneak peak at many of the new tools which will be coming out in the next few months. Some new things in cordless, lasers, detectors, new Power Boxes, innovative accessories and much more. Here are just a few of the highlights; as we get more info and get closer to the launch dates we will circle back and do full posts on each of these.

Litheon 18V Cordless – SDS & Grinder

There were 2 very interesting products I had the opportunity to try out for the Bosch 18v Litheon line. First was the cordless grinder which was set up along with the Makita, DeWalt & Milwaukee cordless grinders. All had cutting wheels and we were cutting a standard size metal pipe. The Bosch held up amazingly well compared to some of the competition, the Bosch was clearly more powerful and with their battery protection system I was assured would far outlast in heavy use. Bosch also had a SDS-Plus 18v cordless drill on hand to demo. I’m not sure how the power/battery compares to 36v 11536-2 ($522, Ohio Power Tool) but it felt very solid and would be ideal for setting tap cons or more heavy duty applications.

Continue reading "Bosch Power Box & Other New Products for 2010" »

Posted by Jay A. at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This was the first year anyone from coptool.com has had the opportunity to attend the World of Concrete. As a first timer I have to say it was a very impressive sign to see. Perhaps, down from last year but still just an amazing show with all the indoor and outdoor exhibits, vehicles, competitions and hands on demos. There is a true art to a trade show of this proportion, what kind of freebies you got, how you run the hands-on and demos, floor placement, how pretty the girls are if you have any and its probably important that you’ve got good tools as well. Just the shear effort alone that went into the setup and the volume of concrete poured just to destroy everyday… Checkout this time laps video of the effort it took to set up just one of the hundreds of outdoor exhibits.  

Competitions

All week long there were several competitions which were really interesting to watch and/or take part in. The Bricklayer 500 would have to be the main event where teams build brick walls in 60 minutes and get judged on speed as well as accuracy and precision. There was also a Bosch Tools skills challenge open to anyone and several truck & large equipment contests for anyone with a license. The artistry in Decorative Concrete was surely the most skillful competition. Some real head scratchers as to how they did some of this amazing work. (See some pictures here)

Exhibitors

Everyone in the concrete product business was here it felt like. Some personal highlights in tools; seeing Concrete Cutting Saws & Wall Saws in action from Diamond Products, Bosch had nice hands on demos for breakers, hammer drills as well as a few new products (post coming very shortly), Makita had some attractive girls I wasted some time talking with and alright Hilti’s booth was kinda impressive (which is saying a lot because Hilti is my mortal enemy). For the bigger equipment like the Ride on Trowels and smaller compaction, Wacker had a huge area (see video below) as well as Multiquip and a slew of others. Two days of 9 to 5 walking and I still didn't see close to all the booths.

All in all it was a great show and really could not even begin to do it justice in just one post. There are new videos popping up every minute on YouTube and www.ForConstructionPros.com. Also checkout all my photos in this facebook album.   

Posted by Jay A. at 04:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The days of waiting any amount of time to see what is new and hot from a trade show appear to be over. Today is the last day of the 2010 IBS show and already there are plenty of YouTube videos, twitter feeds (#ibs2010) and blog posts from the show. Of course there will be plenty more to come but this is a good start. We were going to attend but had to choose between this show and World of Concrete Feb. 2-5, which we will be attending in 12 days, stay tuned.

Wood Worker’s  Journal (YouTube) – One of our favorite woodworking personalities Chris Marshall, is currently on hand at the 2010 show and already has a dozen plus videos up on YouTube. Get more info and read recent blog posts from Chris Marshall.   

 Bob Villa, On The Level (Blog) – I’m sure Mr. Villa himself is held up in a Las Vegas hotel room tweeting and trying to knock these blog posts out each night after the show before making his way onto the strip for a little R&R… Ok maybe not but “On The Level” still offers a nice look at some of the new innovative consumer products from the show.

IBS2010 Video Booth (YouTube) – On the IBS2010 home page they have a link to YouTube (bottom of every page), apparently at the show they set up an almost live Video Booth where you can go in and talk about the show and be almost famous.

Sears Blue Crew (YouTube) – If you are interested in some of the new craftsman products these guys have several videos up already from the “Garage of Innovations” set up just outside the convention center. They also stopped by the Bosch Booth, Rockwell and a few others for a quick update on new products.  

These are just a few of the different online media sources for info from the 2010 International Builders Show and many more will be popping up over the next few days.  

Posted by Jay A. at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

January & February means prime time for industry trade shows, up north things are a little colder, slower and people perhaps have a couple of days to see what’s new in their industry. Here is a quick list of just a few of the shows happening in the next two months.

International Builders Show – January 19-22, 2010

The largest building industry tradeshow in the country! More than 175 education sessions and great keynote speaker! All the top vendors will be there for building supplies, tools, etc with interactive booths and displays. Plus its Las Vegas.

AHR Expo – January 25-27, 2010

This is the world’s largest HVAC&R industry trade show. In Orlando, Fl for 2010 this show is not only a great place to see new products, attend education sessions, network but also has great deals on some of those expensive products from many vendors. This trade show is designed specific for those in the Heating, Cooling and Refrigeration industries. We mentioned the show earlier as the place where Ridgid is planning their 2010 World Premier Product Launch.      

World of Concrete – February 2-5, 2010

The industry's ONLY annual international event dedicated to the commercial concrete and masonry construction industries. Featuring indoor and outdoor exhibits with the industry's leading suppliers showcasing innovative products and technologies, exciting demonstrations and competitions, a world-class education program, and the information you need to help sustain and grow your business. This show is also another great Las Vegas show, maybe the only place big enough for the indoor/outdoor requirements in February.

The Rental Show – February 7-10, 2010

This show features a wide range of products from heavy construction, light construction/general tool and party/special event products together on one floor, in one continuous hall. The show is also in Orlando,Fl for 2010 and I am just curious who provides all the rental party/special event products for the show.

Pumper & Cleaner Show – February 24-27,2010

In Louisville, Ky for 2010 this show is specific for professionals in septic system installation & service contractors, drain and sewer cleaning & repair contractors, portable restroom operators, industrial maintenance & cleaning contractors, municipal water & sewer system maintenance managers and other related professional.

Obviously there are many more shows throughout the year worth attending however these are just a few in the next 2 months. If you can’t make it but are interested in a particular show I would encourage you to check out the websites. Many have interactive floor plans and a lot of details. Also specific trade publications will attend and do a good job covering the shows with articles and videos (see http://www.forconstructionpros.com/video/).  

Posted by Jay A. at 01:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We had a few more videos ready from the recent STAFDA show we thought that were pretty interesting.

The Bernzomatic Quickfire is a brand new compact soldering hand torch. It features 30% faster soldering time, on/off trigger, lockable, easy to change fuel tank and is perfect for getting into those hard to reach places.

Bosch NailKiller Ship/Spur Auger is another revolutionary development from the Bosch Accessories team. These guys love to take standard accessories we have all been using for years and find new innovative ways to improve performance and tool life.

Posted by Jay A. at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The STAFDA trade show is traditionally where manufacturers come together and solicit current distributors to carry their products thus increasing their overall reach. This show does not have as many product launches as the larger and more end user focused show like the www.BuildersShow.com or www.WorldofConcrete.com but there were some cool new products that were launched or at least that were available to touch and feel for the first time. Many of the larger vendors also had private meetings to unveil future plans and products however those products weren’t ready to launch.

Some of the highlights (more to come):

The Senco Fusion was one of the bigger product launches of the show. They didn’t have any marketing material ready and currently nothing on their website but they did have several working models of the 15 gauge and 18 gauge finishing nailers which I got to try out. These should be available sometime in the first quarter 2010 with other finishers on the way shortly afterwards. The framing nailer they said was in the works but we would not see it anytime soon.        

The Milwaukee 2790-20 JobSite Radio for M12, M18, V18, V28 & NiCds was also at the show along with all the new Milwaukee Test & Measure tools. I have probably already had too many posts on these items already but it was nice to get chance to see them in action and answer a few questions like how can the radio take every kind of battery? Answer 3 different battery slots so probably not going to see any other universal tools coming.

Posted by Jay A. at 04:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)