You’ve probably heard it thousands of times before, but we’ll say it again: time is money. When you save time on the job, it not only makes your clients happy, but also puts money back into your pocket. This allows you to move onto your next job faster.
Time management may be one of the key ingredients in speeding completion time and cutting labor costs, but it’s not all you’ll need. As it turns out, having the right tools — smart tools — can make all the difference. Here are three labor-saving contractor’s tools that will not only help speed you through jobs but will also save you money, because all of them are both timesaving and useful, which makes them pay for themselves.
IDEAL® ZOOM™ STAINLESS STEEL FISH TAPE
Aside from differences in material (stainless steel or fiberglass) and tape width, fish tapes are fish tapes, right? Not so fast, there. While fish tape is the universal tool for pulling wires and cables, it’s also the go-to item for measuring conduit runs. And measuring conduit runs can be a long and frustrating process. Just look at how the task normally unfolds:
- • Step 1: Thread fish tape into conduit until you reach the end.
- • Step 2: Pull the fish tape out of the conduit, without letting it wind back up into its reel.
- • Step 3: Retrieve your tape measure, then enjoy the challenge of juggling two types of retractable tape, while using one to measure the other.
At this point, you’re probably thinking “Why hasn’t anyone ever thought to combine fish tape and measuring tape into one product?” But as a matter of fact, someone has. Because IDEAL® knows the long-term impact that little bits of time saved can have on the overall success of a job, they developed Zoom™ Stainless Steel Fish Tape, which mixes the strength and flexibility of steel fish tape, with the incremental length markings of measuring tape. It is laser-etched every 12 inches for easy conduit measurement. This seemingly simple fusion of features has rocked the cable installation world, by cutting the completion time for conduit measurement to just a fraction of what it used to be. Check out the new procedure for measuring conduit:
- • Step 1: Feed fish tape into conduit
- • Step 2: Glance down at the depth marking laser-etched into your fish tape, to see how long the conduit run is.
BLACK BOX® TECHNICIAN'S TOOL KIT
This compact Black Box® Technician’s Tool Kit features 25 tools needed to make basic repairs, plus comes with a tube that can hold spare parts. What makes this toolkit a time and money saver is it offers both standard and specialty tools to accomplish a myriad of jobs. All these items are included in one zippered vinyl case to easily transport the tools from job to job. The kit includes: reversible Torx® tool, parts gripper/picker, adjustable 6” wrench, two nut drivers, the spare parts storage tube, 3 Phillips screwdrivers, 3 standard-blade screwdrivers, a chip inserter and extractor, a spring-loaded soldering clamp, compress and expand tweezers, needle-nose pliers with insulated handles, spring-loaded vacuum desoldering pump, six soldering tools, 4-in-1 wire stripper/cutter/crimper/sizer tool, and soldering iron.
TECHFLEX® BENCH MOUNT HOT KNIFE – 110V
Cutting rope can be a chore in various fields, whether one works within marine industries, commercial fishing, tree cutting, construction, stage productions, as a rescue worker, and in many other careers. Techflex® simplifies this process with its bench mount hot knife. This 110-volt product heats up to 1,112°F (600°C) in 30 seconds, making it capable of cutting through a 2-inch nylon line quickly, while sealing the rope simultaneously to prevent fraying. This multitasking product is a timesaver, which again, cutting time saves you money.
