Our staff’s top tools of 2019

So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over, and you need a new nail gun. Thankfully it’s the time for giving, so why not ask Santa for a shiny new power tool?

Considering he runs his own toy-making workshop (staffed by elves on zero-hour contracts), the big man definitely knows his tools, but if you need to give him some suggestions, we’ve asked the staff at our Redhill store to list some of their favourites from the past twelve months.

Our favourite tools of 2019

Nick: “I vote for the Festool SYSLITE DUO-Plus, as it’s so powerful (8000 Lumen!!) it actually hurt my eyes taking this photo.”

Don’t worry, Nick’s vision has returned to normal now, but he’s still blinded by his admiration for this powerful and highly portable work light.

Using an array of LEDs, it emits light at a temperature of 5000 K, which replicates daylight, meaning you could use it for painting in the dark if you like. What’s more, the LEDs are guaranteed for 10,000 hours, which should be long enough for even the slowest of workers!

With a sturdy and durable casing, it’s tough enough to withstand the rigours of the worksite, and comes with a 4.8-metre-long cable to give you plenty of reach. Purchase the tripod accessory and you’ll also have the ability to easily control the height of your light source, or just use the hook to hang it from a wall if you prefer.

Now you can see why it’s the light of Nick’s life.

Tim: “My choice is the Stihl HLA56. New out this year, it finally brings a cordless long-reach hedge trimmer at a price point for domestic users. And even better it’s part of our two battery deal!”

At a total length of 210mm, this cordless hedge trimmer from Stihl is long enough cut high hedges without the need for a step ladder. Weighing less than 4kg, it’s easy to carry and manoeuvre, and comes with a detachable shaft for convenient transport.

It sports a double-sided set of blades that move at a stroke rate of 2,800rpm, and has an adjustable head that can be easily rotated through -45° to 90° to give you the ability to trim at a wide range of angles.

And as Tim mentioned, it’s currently part of our battery promotion, meaning you get a second battery half price when you buy the promotional Stihl cordless tool set. The price paid will include the second battery at half price.

Buy this tool and it really will be Christmas with all the trimmings.

Dean: “My top tool of 2019 is Milwaukee’s M18ONEFHIWF1-802X 1" Impact Wrench, with tons of torque and enough power to rotate a planet.”

Dean’s not kidding either; have you noticed Saturn is facing the wrong way?

This cordless power tool delivers up to 2,400 Nm of unfastening power, and 2,033 Nm of fastening torque, giving you the ability to tighten or untighten bolts up to M42 size.

At 28cm long and under 5kg, it’s compact and lightweight, and it runs off a battery, eliminating the need for compressors or generators.

What’s more, it comes with a 4-mode drive control to give the user four different speed and torque settings depending on the amount of grunt needed for the job.

All in all, this one’s a real head-turner.

Dan: “My top tool of 2019 has to be the DeWalt DCS575T2 Circular Saw. It’s been a game changer for DeWalt fans and has proved to be one of the most sought after saws this year. Due to the impressive battery technology that DeWalt has developed, it’s a cordless machine with the power of a mains machine!”

Using a high torque motor powered by an 18/54V XR FLEXVOLT battery, this cordless, heavy duty construction saw gives you the power, accuracy, and running time of a corded machine along with the freedom and convenience of a cordless.

With a no-load speed of 5,800rpm, it has the guts for a host of construction cutting jobs including ripping, cross-cutting and bevelling and can slice through wood and other joinery materials like a hot knife through brandy butter.

Safety-wise, it features a rip fence, additional handle, and a dust extraction spout. It also runs quietly and at only 3.4kg won’t wear you out.

Get one of these for a present and you’ll be absolutely buzzing.

And finally we have a recommendation from an anonymous source who left a note on our front desk while no-one was watching. Given its expert opinion and the stealthy way it was delivered, the team believes it can only have been written by Santa himself.

The note reads: “Metabo SXE450 Turbo Tec sander. The original 150mm dual action sander relatively unchanged in over 10 years. A reliable workhorse and best value for money too.”

With a variable speed range of 4,200-11,000rpm and a TurboBoost switch that allows extra power to be recruited for really tough patches, you can easily imagine Santa buying one of these for his elves to use when the sleigh needs a new paint job.

That brings us to the end of the list, and hopefully now you have some great ideas for Christmas presents or things to spend your universal vouchers on in the new year.

We always stock the latest power tools at our store, and 2020 promises to bring us another bumper load of top line machines for us to get to grips with. Keep an eye out for reviews and offers in the new year, and remember you’re always welcome to pay us a visit or drop us a line for advice on the best tools for whatever job you’re working on.

In the meantime, we wish all of our customers and suppliers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and we look forward to seeing everyone in 2020!