Posted June 15, 2011
DeWalt throws down the gauntlet
If there were any lingering questions over the implications of last year's merger of the nation's largest hand tool brand, Stanley, and number one power tool company, DeWalt, the world now has its answer.
At its annual new product launch event for the trade press last week at the rechristened Stanley Black & Decker University in Towson, Md., DeWalt not only unveiled an all-new platform of cordless power tools, it also unleashed a powerful portfolio of more than 130 premium-featured hand tools on the market.
The hand tools are being launched in a phased rollout, with 90 products coming this summer and another 40 later yet this year. They include hammers, pliers, wrenches, tapes, hacksaws, screwdrivers and much more. Not surprisingly, many of the new products carry strong doses of Stanley "DNA," but product managers emphatically stressed that they are not rebadged Stanley issues, as each new hand tool bears features that are distinct from their Stanley cousins. More on these in a moment.
Nearly as surprising as the hand tool launch, and somewhat more controversial among the writers in attendance at the event, was the launch of the all-new 20 Volt MAX lithium-ion line of cordless power tools. Over the past three years, Dewalt leadership said the company doubled the engineering resources and tripled its capital investment in cordless power tool research and development. Last year's introduction of the hugely successful 12 Volt Max line was but the first flowering of this investment. This year brings an all-new 20 Volt Max line to complement the existing 18-volt line.
The 20 Volt MAX line targets heavy-duty users and applications, including remodelers, carpenters, woodworkers, cabinet installers, electricians, mechanical contractors, plumbers and maintenance professionals.
"We are dedicated to continually optimizing our tools so that they meet the needs of professionals in a variety of trades," said Chris Keffer, director of marketing for cordless tools for Dewalt. "As part of our 20 Volt MAX development process, we conducted extensive research and uncovered a need for cordless tools that offer performance in a compact, lightweight profile. We designed the new 20 Volt MAX Lithium Ion line to surpass professionals' expectations and address the need for tools that have the power to withstand rigorous jobsite applications, while also providing comfort and ease of use."
Read more about the tools introduced by Stanley Black & Decker in this article by Tom Hammel, editor of Industrial Supply sister publication Contractor Supply.
