The days of the hand powered knock out punch are numbered. Many companies are now coming out with powered knockout units. It is easy for the big brands to do as they already have half of the battle won with the batteries. Battery technology is a huge part of the tool and if you have some cheap no name batteries you will be having issues.
GreenLee went to the proven Makita battery platform to power their latest knockout tool. Makita batteries are everywhere and have a good proven track record of being a solid battery platform. It weighs 4.2 lbs and has a 360 degree rotating head to get into the tightest of spots. The unit can punch up to 6″ holes. The tool is available online for roughly $1300. Check out GreenLee for more.
Cordless knock out tools are the latest rage in power tools for electricians. This is great for the electrician that does a lot of commercial electrical work. I don’t know how much use toy would get in a residential situation. You guys should try and get the new Milwaukee pro press unit you can press black pipe now with the tool. That makes the Milwaukee tool perfect for commercial plumbers. Milwaukee should pony up the money and have you guys do a TIA pro video of the Milwaukee Pro Press in action. The other video I saw wasn’t put together that well.
“The days of the hand powered knock out punch are numbered. ”
Not likely. I own an electrical contracting company, and at the outrageous price companies want for something like this, it is only worth it for a few types of jobs. The average electrician will use a hand powered set of knockout punches forever.
I would love something like this, but I personally use knockout punches around once a week. Not worth the price.
I am very interested in how tools like this come to be. If you are ever hurting for a post, I would love a run down of what manufacturers license battery technology to other companies for use Dewalt to Mac, Makita to greenlee, etc. How does this happen in the ultra competitive tool market?