Lineman tools: The latest and greatest

By Kevin Juhasz
For Huskie Tools

Linework is nothing unless the workers have a set of lineman tools that they can count on to help them perform the critical tasks in front of them.

The latest line of power lineman tools from Huskie – the Series 7 Pro-Line Tools – have the same quality and reliability that Huskie has been providing for more than four decades with added features to help lineworkers on the job.

“The latest tools we have are solid, stainless-steel tools calibrated, all the quality, good molding, ergonomically designed, lightweight, durable, good for 50,000 cycles,” said Larry Kotars, Executive VP of Sales at Huskie Tools.

The Series 7 line features a wide variety of compression, cutting and other tools that features the company’s S7 Technology. This gives users access to a range of tool information that includes tool performance and audio/visual completed cycle verification, as well as tracking of cycle counts, pressure output and more. The tools also feature Bluetooth connectivity to download data for records. 

Compression Tools

Series 7 features a line of 19 professional-grade compression tools with a crimp force that ranges from 6 to 15 tons. Some of the tools, such as the 6 Ton Compression, 6.2 Ton Dieless Compression, and 12 Ton Compression tools, have been built with hydraulics offering the tools 20 percent faster advance and 30 percent faster retraction than previous generations.

In addition to the faster hydraulics, the tools come with a bevy of other features designed to make jobs easier and safer for lineworkers. Some of these features, which may vary by tool, include built-in LED work light, heads that rotate 180 degrees for use in tighter workspaces; protections that help reduce risk of contact with energized circuits; and an Auto-Retract with an On/Off switch that can be selected by the user. The Auto-Retract feature allows the user to disable and re-enable the automatic cycle retraction. It can also offer faster repeat operations by allowing users to stop Auto-Retract mid-cycle.

Cutting Tools

The new series has 14 models in the area of cutting tools – 12 tools that feature a cutting force of 6 to 9 tons and two models of gear-driven cable cutters. Most of this line of tools features the upgraded hydraulics with faster advance and retraction the same as the compression tools. The cutting tools also have a variety of features that vary depending on which one you purchase. These features include the Auto-Retract feature, 180-degree rotating heads, and latched cutting head for tougher materials or open scissor blades for easier insertion of cables, as well as overload circuit protection on the gear-driven models.

“They’re dependable, durable, they don’t need to be recalibrated, their self-sufficient,” Kotars said about Huskie’s lines of crimping and cutting tools. “They last 5-10 years. Hardly ever break.”

Power Tools and Batteries

The Series 7 doesn’t stop with just improved cutting and compression tools. The line also features a rotary hammer, hammer drill driver, impact wrench, impact driver, angle grinder, band saw, blower and LED floodlight. The series also has single or dual charging stations for its 18v/5.0Ah battery that can be used for any of the tools in the Series 7 line. The batteries feature sensors to prevent over-discharge and overheating of the battery and the charging stations can charge the batteries in 80-90 minutes.

Many of Huskie Tools Series 7  tools come with a five-year warranty. Kotars also pointed to the care that Huskie takes to help a lineworker’s tool last. He explained that Huskie doesn’t just repair tools, they refurbish them. While other companies may only repair those things listed on a work order, Huskie will go the extra mile, repairing all the things wrong with the tool and performing basic tests and maintenance on the tool.

“You might pay a few more dollars on the front end,” he added, “but we guarantee a year on the service. Anything goes wrong, we’ll fix it.”

The Future

Huskie Tools has been building tools for power linemen since 1976 with a focus on reliability and sturdiness that has helped make it one of the leaders in the industry. They continue with that focus as they go beyond their seventh generation of tools.

“The next one out there would be a totally rubberized tool where you drop it, it’s good on energized lines, it just won’t break,” Kotars predicted. 

He added that Huskie is focused on their customer’s needs – tools that get the job done – not on over-engineering and adding bells and whistles that aren’t helpful to the user.