Best New Products from World of Concrete 2024

Every year the World of Concrete show produces some awesome tool releases. Big companies have the opportunity to showcase what’s new in the coming months of 2024! Now that the dust has settled and the crew has collected our thoughts, we have put together what we feel were some of the best newly released tools shown at World of Concrete.

Of course, there were hundreds of new and innovative tools that we checked out, but these are the ones we think make a huge impact on the industry. We are going to try and get our hands on these and many more for independent reviews or in our Head-To-Head Testing.

Bosch 12v Inspection Camera

Bosch has upped their game with the release of the new 12V Max Connected 5 Ft. Handheld Inspection Camera (GIC4-23C). The GIC4-23C Inspection Camera has a high-resolution, easy-to-see 4 in. LCD that takes color images and can store up to 30 videos and photos. The buttons and menu are simple, properly marked, and user-friendly.

The inspection camera has a rubber housing combined with an IP67 (camera cable) and IP54 (tool) rating, offering the user enhanced protection on the job site. Pictured here is TBB crew Rob using the inspection scope inside a makeshift wall a the Bosch booth. The LED screen is 1280×720 pixels.

This inspection scope is one of two that Bosch will sell in a kit. Bosch will also offer an 11′ camera cord option. This will be model GIC5-27C. Both kits include a camera, batteries, charger, and a Bosch L Box with molded insert.

Diablo Amped Rebar Demon Masonry Drill Bit

A few years ago, Diablo introduced the Rebar Demon masonry drill bit solution for SDS Plus and SDS Max with a full carbide cutting head. The Rebar Demon combined Diablo’s great concrete drilling solution with the ability to cut through rebar. While those bits were definitely a game changer, they didn’t address the need for a better dust control solution. Dust control is an extremely important issue when it comes to worker health, jobsite cleanliness, and proper hole preparation for adhesive fasteners.

The Diablo Amped Rebar Demon addresses the dust control features that were missing in the original Rebar Demon. The Amped Rebar Demon has a new design that includes an exceptionally high-quality full carbide head and a stainless-steel sleeve for dust control. The innovative shaft design allows for the seamless suction of dust through a hose adaptor, resulting in a clean and efficient operation.

Diablo anticipates these Amped Rebar Demon bits to retail between $50 and $60 each and is set to be released mid to end of Quarter 2 2024.

Milwaukee Dual M18 Battery 9 Gallon Dust Extractor

The new M18 FUEL PACKOUT Dual Battery 9 Gallon Dust Extractor runs on two M18 battery packs and features twin automatic filter cleaning to maximize suction performance. The M18 FUEL Dual Battery 9 Gallon Dust Extractor combines cordless convenience with corded performance.

For more productivity on the job site, users can activate the M18 FUEL Dual Battery 9 Gallon Dust Extractor from a remote or tool thanks to VACLINK, an incorporated wireless dust control feature. In order to ensure optimal performance and maintenance of airflow levels, the M18 FUEL Dual Battery 9 Gallon Dust Extractor has an incorporated low-flow alarm that notifies the user when the airflow reaches a point where dust extraction is no longer effective.

The crew likes the PACKOUT compatibility on the top of the vacuum. This allows us to “stack and go” with the vacuum accessories or tools we need for that specific application.

The M18 FUEL PACKOUT Dual Battery 9 Gallon Dust Extractor is set to be available in quarter 3 of 2024.

DEWALT POWERSHIFT Battery Platform

DEWALT unveiled their new POWERSHIFT Battery Platform and associated power tools that use the new batteries. Here is a brief breakdown of the DEWALT POWERSHIFT batteries and power tool options coming soon.

POWERSHIFT Battery & Charger

The new DEWALT POWERSHIFT offers a high-power battery with 554 WH of capacity. This battery has pouch cell technology which allows for a more compact, lightweight design, and weighs 11.5 lbs.  DEWALT’s POWERSHIFT standard high-rate chargers can charge these large batteries in less than one hour.

POWERSHIFT Plate Compactor

The new POWERSHIFT Plate Compactor offers 3,370 ft-lbs. of force. The compactor has a large, 15.7″ plate. The controls are mounted on an ergonomically designed folding handle for increased user control and comfort. The compactor comes with a wheel kit for ease of maneuverability. It also features a water tank which will assist in keeping the dust levels lowered.

POWERSHIFT Rammer

The new POWERSHIFT rammer weighs in at 132lbs. It features 2,660 ft. lbs. of impact force with anti-vibration technology. The rammer has a patent soft start and has mounted controls on the two-position handle for ease of use operation. The Rammer and the Plate Compactor have the same control panel buttons for operator familiarity.

POWERSHIFT Backpack Vibrator

DEWALT’s POWERSHIFT Backpack Vibrator is lightweight, weighing  25 lbs with the DEWALT POWERSHIFT battery installed. This backpack vibrator provides 60 minutes of continuous run-time. The pack itself has a durable roll cage with a fully adjustable high visibility harness for safety.

Vibrating head size options for both the backpack and the power pack are as follows:

• 2-3/8″ vibrating head
• 2″  vibrating head
• 1-3/4″ vibrating head
• 1-1/2″ vibrating head

POWERSHIFT Powerpack Vibrator

The POWERSHIFT Powerpack Vibrator has a manual switch but also can be activated remotely through DEWALT Wireless Tool Control.  The pack is carried with an over-body harness with the same high visibility material as the backpack vibrator. The pack has the same style of roll cage as well for protection.

Shaft length options for both the backpack and the power pack are as follows:

• 7′ shaft
• 10′ shaft
• 16′ shaft
• 21′ shaft

POWERSHIFT Power Screed

DEWALT’s POWERSHIFT Power Screed features fully adjustable handles for customizable height and width for user comfort. In addition, ambidextrous controls can be mounted on either handle for user preference. This power screed will run up to 90 minutes on continuous full throttle on a single battery. The screed has the power to pull a 16′ bar.

POWERSHIFT Core Drill and Stand

DEWALT’s POWERSHIFT core drill can be removed from the stand and used with a 60v FLEXVOLT battery independently. The core drill can wireless connect to the water tank with a water flow dial on the handle of the core drill so the user does not have to take their hand off the handle, allowing for a safer operation. The core drill has anti-rotational technology to prevent over-rotation in bind-up situations.

The DEWALT Core Drill will be available in September 2024. DEWALT’s new line of core drill bits will launch sometime between February and March. Additionally, the connectable water tank will reach stores this March.

POWERSHIFT Adapter

DEWALT continues to focus on backward tool battery compatibility. The DEWALT POWERSHIFT adapter allows for a FLEXVOLT battery to be inserted for additional run-time on all POWERSHIFT equipment. All DEWALT FLEXVOLT batteries will work in the adapter. DEWALT recommends larger packs such as 15Ah or 9Ah for longer additional run time.

Milwaukee MX FUEL ROCKET Dual Power Compact Tower Light

Milwaukee’s latest offering in equipment lights is the new MX FUEL ROCKET Dual Power Compact Tower Light. This light provides faster set-up and maximum portability. This compact tower light is PACKOUT compatible. According to Milwaukee, this light tower gives off  five times more usable light than the Milwaukee 2131-20 M18 Rocket Dual Power Tower Light.

Features

• 15,000 Lumens
• 49.5 lbs with battery
• 2,300 SQ FT Coverage

MX Rocket Dual Power Tower Light Run-time

The MX Rocket Dual Power Compact Tower light has an AC power option if power is available on-site for unlimited run-time. Here are the projected run-times according to Milwaukee on an XC406 (XC6.0), FORGE XC8.0, and FORGE HD12.0

Setting Lumens

With the kitted XC406 (XC6.0) battery here are the lumens per setting.

• Low – 5,000 lumens
• Medium – 8,500 lumens
• High – 15,000 lumens

The tower light is IP56-rated for water and dust. The light also features Milwaukee’s One Key technology for tool crib management, lockout, or theft. The MX FUEL ROCKET Dual Power Compact Tower Light is set to be available in quarter 3 of 2024.

Availability

The majority of these tools will be available over at ACME TOOLS in the coming months! Check them out here: Acme Tools

Best New Products from World of Concrete 2024 is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Milwaukee Nitrus vs Diablo Amped

Reciprocating Blade Head-To-Head Test

As a remodeling contractor I can tell you my life would be miserable without my reciprocating saw. Reciprocating saws are used at all levels of construction, they are probably seen the most in the remodeling and demolition stages of a project. While the reciprocating saw is just the “vehicle” to the demo, the secret sauce lies in the cutting blade, it’s geometry, tooth design, metallurgy and tooth count.

Milwaukee Torch With Nitrus Carbide For Cast Iron

If you remember back in 2016 Milwaukee started producing the Ax reciprocating blade with Carbide Teeth. This blade proved itself as a beast when tackling nail-embedded wood. In 2018 they came out with a metal cutting blade called The Torch with Carbide Teeth. The Torch reciprocating blades featured an aggressive 7 tpi design with an optimized carbide formula to tackle the toughest metal-cutting applications.

Well now they have a brand NEW Torch blade called the The Torch with Nitrus Carbide for Cast Iron. It’s engineered to cut up to 3x longer than existing standard carbide teeth reciprocating saw blades. The new blades are designed to tackle even the toughest applications on the job like cast iron pipe removal.

Linear Edge Field Testing

Recently , Milwaukee sent us a few early release 9-inch Torch with Nitrus Carbide for Cast Iron blades to try out.  We wanted to test them against a worthy competitor, so we asked Diablo for some blades.  Diablo is at the top of the linear cutting edge food chain. After all, they’re in the blade business, that’s ALL they do!

Like Milwaukee, Diablo’s linear cutting blades are specifically designed for the contractor and remodeler and provide high-quality results every time. We asked Diablo to send their BEST thick metal blade which I had previously used at their 2019 media event. This blade is called The Steel Demon Amped Carbide with Black Ice coating. These blades will be available later this year.

So you’re getting an inside look at two very NEW blades in a Head-to-Head test. No one else, except Tool Box Buzz, has both of these blades.

Where Are These Blades Made?

The Torch Nitrus with carbide teeth saw blade is made in Milwaukee’s Greenwood, Mississippi saw blade plant, and the Steel Demon Amped Carbide saw blade is made in Switzerland.

Milwaukee Torch Nitrus and Diablo Steel Demon – Teeth Per Inch

The number of teeth per inch (TPI), along with gullet size, width and depth of the space between the teeth determines the material the blade can cut. The Nitrus blades have a 7 TPI straight-tooth set design which allows for larger gullets between the teeth. In comparison, the Diablo Steel Demon uses an 8 TPI design.

The larger gullet space on both these blades allow for faster chip removal. Traditional aggressive metal cutting applications, like stainless steel, result in chips tending to gum up the saw blade gullets. In that scenario it is often where we see saw blade teeth tearing off the blades cutting edge. Saw blades with larger gullets like these blades are designed to reduce the tendency to clog or gum up.

Larger blades with a low TPI also deliver faster cuts, the higher the TPI the smother and finer the cut finish will be.

We wanted to be able to show the long-lasting, fast cutting capabilities of this blade. At the same time, we wanted to create a test that would really challenge the blades. On remodeling and demolition projects we often find ourselves cutting all types of metal from pipes, to masonry lintels, threaded rod, EMT, cast-iron water and sewer lines and of course rebar.

Milwaukee Nitrus and Diablo Amped – Cutting Procedure

We set up a corded reciprocating saw with 16.5 pounds of downward weight and timed the cuts. We allowed rocking in the cutting motion, as this is a real life cutting motion. Each cut station used a new Milwaukee Torch Nitrus and Diablo Steel Demon Amped reciprocating blade.

To evaluate for cutting speed and blade life, we chose two very aggressive materials to cut with.

• 4-inch cast iron steel pipe
• 2-inch cast iron rod

4” Cast Iron Pipe Cut Test – Winner Milwaukee

It’s important to note that this is not a durability test, more of a speed test. We decided to stop the cutting at 2 passes due the increased amount of time to make the cut. We want to point out that realistically most contractors would not tolerate a cut longer than 3-4 minutes in a cast pipe. They would change out the blade or look for a different solution.

Milwaukee beat the Diablo blade cutting the 4-inch cast pipe 38-seconds faster averaging 2:31 minutes [2 cuts] with Diablo averaging 3:09 minutes for the two cuts. The photo below shows the two blades after cutting the 4-inch cast pipe.

2” Solid Cast Pipe Cut Test – Winner Diablo

Diablo beat the Milwaukee blade cutting the 2-inch solid cast pipe faster averaging 1:51 minutes [3 cuts] with Milwaukee averaging 1:79 minutes for two cuts.

The important thing to note with the Diablo blade is that it lost very little time between subsequent cuts. [Approximately 3 seconds]

The Milwaukee blade was super fast on the first cut, but lost 30-seconds on its second cut. We called off the test on the third cut, due to the blade not advancing due to some broken carbide teeth.

The photo below shows the two blades after cutting the 4-inch solid cast pipe.

Where Do These Blade Fit In The Construction World?

These reciprocating blades were designed to cut metal faster than regular bi-metal blades in thick metal and cast iron. Designed to cut metal FAST, this blade is not a replacement for a band saw but an additional tool in your arsenal of job site cutting solutions. We look at it as a saw blade for pure demo and tight access cuts. Let’s face it, in remodeling and demolition the pipes are NOT always easily accessed for cutting. It’s in these situations that a reciprocating blade can better access an area better than a band saw or snap cutter.

Milwaukee Nitrus and Diablo Amped – Cost

These blades are pricey but worth it. For seriously difficult cuts both blades will give you a few cuts before becoming laboriously long cutting applications. For smaller less demanding cuts, I’m sure these blades will dominate the job-site!  They can and will solve problems for us on the jobsite.

Milwaukee Torch with Nitrus Carbide Blades

6” 7 TPI The TORCH with Nitrus Carbide for Cast Iron

• $16.97
•  Available March 2020
• 1PKs, 3PKs, 5PKs

9” 7 TPI The TORCH with Nitrus Carbide for Cast Iron

• $21.97
• Available March 2020
• 1PKs, 3PKs, 5PKs

Diablo Steel Demon Amped Blades

6” 8 TPI Diablo Steel Demon Amped Blades for Cast Iron

• $14.97
• Available March 2020
• 1PKs, 3PKs, 5PKs

9” 8 TPI Diablo Steel Demon Amped Blades for Cast Iron

• $ 19.97
  Available March 2020
  1PKs, 3PKs, 5PKs

Are These Blades Worth it?

Yup! I was impressed by the toughness and speed of these two blades. For several years Diablo has stood ahead of the pack with their linear edge technology, and now Milwaukee has joined the party.

If you’re in the trades, I see both of these blades as an additional option to older metal cutting methods. They offer another possible cutting solution for difficult metals, and it will certainly improve your demolition efficiency. You need a few of these blades in your reciprocating saw box.

Milwaukee Nitrus vs Diablo Amped Reciprocating Blades is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Diablo SANDNET Reusable Sanding Discs 

SandNet sanding discs for Orbital and Dual-Action (DA) Sanders. Featuring Advanced Sanding Technology, the free-flow net design of Diablo SandNet sanding discs offers an impressive 10 times longer life versus standard sanding discs; a significant reduction of disc changes on the job for enhanced productivity to save the Pro time and money.

Anti-Clog “NET” Design

Diablo SandNet discs feature a superior clog-reducing net design coated in a premium ceramic blend grit for fast material removal while reducing material build-up.

Unlike other sanding discs, SandNet discs excel in performance when used to sand wood, metal, and plastics. And, because of its net design, the SandNet discs are easy to clean and reuse multiple times by simply shaking, vacuuming or rinsing the disc to remove any build up.

Unlike coated sandpaper, Diablo’s SandNet sanding disc’s provide the ability to clean and reuse sanding discs ultimately minimizing disc changes and downtime, all adding up to an increase in productivity and more bang for the buck for the Pro.

7 different sizes

Diablo SandNet sanding discs fit all 5- and 8-hole orbital and DA sanders for fast alignment. They are available in:

• 10 and 40-packs of 60-grit,
• 10 and 40 packs of 80-grit
• 10 and 40-packs of 120-grit
• 10 and 40-packs of 180-grit
• 10 and 40-packs of 220-grit
• 10 and 40-packs of 320-grit
• 10 and 40-packs of 400-grit

Each 10 and 40-pack of SandNet discs includes a free application pad (a $5 value) for easy attachment to the sander.

SandNet, sells each 10 pack fr approximately $14.97: https://www.diablotools.com/products/DND050060H10I

Diablo SANDNET Sanding Discs is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Diablo Carbide Reciprocating Saw Blades

Vertical Integration. What is it and what does it have to do with reciprocating saw blades?

Ver·ti·cal  In·te·gra·tion

ˈvərdəkəl ˌin(t)əˈɡrāSHən/

noun: vertical integration

The combination in one company of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate companies.

Diablo Tools is a vertically integrated company which basically means they own the companies that source and manufacture their products. This is important for several reasons.

Quality

First and foremost, being vertically integrated allows Diablo to control the quality at each step of manufacturing process. Being able to design and monitor the quality processes allows the company to put out the highest quality products possible.

Innovation

This company structure also allows Diablo to drive innovation with new product designs and ultimately get those to market as quickly as possible.

Variety

This is where Diablo’s newest line up of reciprocating saw blades come in. While many other blade manufacturers are introducing more carbide-tipped blades, Diablo has beat them to market while simultaneously offering the most comprehensive variety.

Diablo has made a concerted effort to offer carbide tipped blades for nearly every possible application. And let me tell you, the blades are impressive.

Carbide Reciprocating Saw Blades:

This latest innovation and expansion includes carbide blades for wood featuring pruning and clean wood blades, as well as, blades for nail-embedded wood. All are available in single and 3 packs in the following configurations:

• 6-inch
• 9-inch
• 12-inch

General Purpose Reciprocating Saw Blades:

Diablo’s general purpose reciprocating saw blades are specifically designed to cut both wood and metal from 3/32” – 1/4”. These are available in single and 3 packs in the following configurations:

• 6-inch
• 9-inch
• 12-inch

Metal Cutting Reciprocating Blades:

Diablo’s full-range of metal cutting reciprocating saw blades include thick metal blades for cutting metals from 1/8” – 1/2” thickness and are available in single and 3 packs in the following configurations:

• 4-inch
• 6-inch
• 9-inch
• 12-inch

Medium Metal Reciprocating Saw Blades:

Diablo’s newest offering in the market is the Medium Metal reciprocating saw blades. These cut metals from 1/16” – 1/8” thickness, and are available in single and 3 packsin the following configurations:

• 6-inch
• 9-inch
• 12-inch

Thin Metal Reciprocating Saw Blades:

in metal blades cut metals with a thickness of 3/32” or less, and are available in single and 3 packs in the following configurations:

• 6-inch
• 9-inch
• 12-inch

What this large variety of blades ultimately means to you is a better cut for each application. This leads to better quality in the field and increased productivity. The carbide blades offer up to 50x longer life, and their quality of cut is truly remarkable.

Price Point

One final advantage to being vertically integrated is that Diablo can offer these great blades at a very reasonable price point. Since they own the companies instead of hiring them, product costs are lowered and Diablo can pass those savings to you.

Final Thoughts

Diablo has done a fantastic job of filling in any holes there might have been in their carbide reciprocating saw blade line up and has put out a product that frankly, is hard to beat. Do yourself a favor and pick one of these blades up the next time your project calls for a reciprocating saw.

Diablo Carbide Reciprocating Saw Blades is a post from Tool Box Buzz