Ever since the ancient Egyptians began using a manual lathe centuries ago, man has endeavored to make arduous construction and assembly tasks easier, faster, and more efficient through power tools. We’ve come a long way from those sand-covered spinning machines, but the end goal is no different than our desert-dwelling ancestors. Today, almost every household in all industrialized country houses and uses power tools.
Although the concept of a power tool has been around for a long time, it wasn’t until the late 19th century that the first power tools of the modern era became possible. The advent of electric motors made high-efficiency portable and stationary power tool technology a reality, and high-speed assembly lines made power tools affordable and cost-effective.
The Bosch company was at the forefront of power tool technology in those early years. Founded in 1886 in Germany by Robert Bosch, the company initially focused on automotive components with integrated electrical parts and was responsible for developments such as the first low-voltage magneto ignition. Before long, companies in other industrialized nations began developing the first power tools, and Bosch introduced its first power drill in 1932. Today, Bosch still designs and manufactures auto parts, and its power tools division has grown to include almost all homes and assemblies. tool on the market, including power drills, belt sanders, circular saws, and more. As part of the company’s growth, it has acquired other successful power tool manufacturers that began during the same era in the early 1900s.
In 1923, American inventor Raymond DeWalt introduced the world’s first radial arm saw, a sliding circular saw that could make long cuts with precision. A year later, he founded the DeWalt power tool company in Baltimore, Maryland; another company that has grown substantially in the last 85 years. At the forefront of portable power tool technology, DeWalt power tools are revered by carpenters and homeowners alike for their long-lasting and durable cordless power drill, circular saws and other power tools; And the company currently manufactures more than 200 kinds of power tools around the world.
Founded in 1915 in Japan, Makita Corporation has also built its reputation on battery-operated cordless power tools, in particular the hand drill, which Makita introduced in 1978. Nine years later, the company had a full arsenal of cordless tools. , professional-grade power tools for contractors. Today, Makita makes more than 350 different power tools, both portable and stationary, and the pronounced teal color stamped on all of its tools is often imitated by others trying to cash in on the trusted Makita name.
The beginning of the 20th century turned out to be a hotbed of power tool advancements, and many companies worked hard to develop profitable innovations that moved their products from store shelves to people’s homes. While the term power tool traditionally conjures up thoughts of power drills and sanders, machines like the pipe threader and service pump are also considered power tools. This is the area the Ridgid company focused on when it was founded in Elyria, Ohio, in 1923. Still a leader in the plumbing tool industry, Ridgid now has a power tools division that focuses exclusively on contemporary power tools and has launched its own saws. , drills and even pneumatic tools.
AF Siebert founded the Milwaukee Electric Tool Company a year later in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee, known for making heavy duty power tools, is best known for the ‘Sawzall’, one of the most widely used reciprocating saws in the world. Like its power tool manufacturing competition, Milwaukee currently produces portable and stationary power tools such as circular saws, drills, band saws, grinders and sanders – more than 500 different models in total. Unlike its competition, many of Milwaukee’s power tools are released in 120 and 230 volt models, which draws the line between domestic and commercial / industrial power.
Best known for the Skilsaw which they invented in 1924, the Skil power tool company evolved from the Michel Electric Handsaw Company when they entered the power tool market. Driven by the ingenious invention of the circular saw, the company rose to the top echelon of the small power tool industry with jigsaws, grinders, sanders, and a host of cordless and hand-held power tools. In 1996, the Bosch company bought Skil, but it still keeps its power tools on shelves around the world as one of the most popular power tool lines in the world.
The Delta company has changed hands several times since Herbert Tautz founded it in 1919 in his Milwaukee, Wisconsin garage. Tautz focused on small tools, but when Rockwell bought Delta in 1945, the company made a profitable switch to the stationary tools, such as planers and bench sanders, for which it is famous today. However, Delta is not the only name that has carried this line; Rockwell involved the company in the acquisition before selling it to Pentair, which reintroduced the Delta name before being sold to Black & Decker in 2004.
A true power tool machine house, the Craftsman brand was coined by the Sears company in 1927. In the beginning, the company primarily made common hand tools such as hammers and screwdrivers; But it soon jumped on the power tool bandwagon and is now one of the best-selling producers of all power tools, both stationary and portable.
S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker founded the small Black & Decker machine shop in 1910 in Baltimore, Maryland; and the duo found their niche in the power tool industry by inventing the power drill seven years later. The pistol grip and trigger drill became popular and is now a staple on construction sites and in homes alike. Realizing the profit potential of power tools, Black & Decker has grown and acquired several other popular power tool brands, including DeWalt, Porter Cable, Delta, and Kwikset.
As industrialized nations become increasingly technology-driven, power tool production will increase as lightweight, powerful, and longer-lasting batteries try to match the power and reliability of corded power. Versatile contemporary models and thousands of accessories continue to make everything from woodworking to metal machining easier, more efficient, and more profitable for fabricators, contractors, and homeowners alike. As power tools have become affordable for almost everyone, only the hammer has resisted an electrical redesign meant to change the way we work forever.
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