Hand held core drilling at its most versatile

—Sponsored article by FEIN

Metal fabricators often find themselves in less-than-ideal locations when working—tight spaces, up ladders, towers and other places where holes might be needed in work pieces.

For these applications in particular, portability is key, along with the ability to take one tool along for the job. Safety has to be top of mind as well, given the added threat of heights or confined spaces.

FEIN’s new KBH 25-2 U satisfies all those requirements and more—offering a 4-in-1 lightweight and portable tool for all hole applications including core drilling, hole sawing in sheet metal, twist drilling, tapping and counter-sinking.

“With this tool you can drill any material,” says Randy McDonald, national product manager with FEIN in Mississauga, Ont. “It’s one system for all your hole drilling applications.”

With the first KBH core driller, FEIN ushered in a new era of portable, hand-held power tools for metal holes. Since the first model, the company has been continuously innovating that technology to make its tools lighter and more versatile while at the same time, boosting power.

“We’ve increased the speed up to 1600 RPM and this has really enhanced the efficiency and drilling speed of the tool,” McDonald says. “For example, with our titanium coated cutters, it drills a hole in 25 seconds. With the carbide tip cutter it’s 32 seconds. By contrast, comparable twist drills take 160 seconds.”

Safer operation

Aside from the increased power and efficiency for faster and more accurate hole drilling, McDonald says the KBH 25-2 U is popular for another important reason—safety.

The tool has a safety slip clutch to reduce the risk of operator injury. Tools without a safety slip clutch may jam abruptly, leading to broken wrists and in some cases, workers being thrown off balance.

In a similar vein, ergonomics are also improved with the new technology. Operators no longer have to tote multiple tools into their work area, because the KBH 25 2 U—which has a low weight—does it all. The tool has a manually-switched second gear, providing unique versatility.

“Included in the kit is a 3-jaw chuck, allowing operators to use twist drills. They can also use hole saws and a lot of other drilling accessories, including tapping. The tool has reverse, so it’s very effective for tapping applications as well.”

Granted, applications requiring intensive or repeated tapping are best tackled with a dedicated tapper tool, which FEIN also provides. But for occasional or light tapping—interspersed with core drilling, twist drilling and sawing—the one-tool system is significantly more cost and time efficient.

“It’s designed to be a complete metal drilling system,” McDonald concludes, adding applications can be completed six times faster compared to twist drills. The hand-guided flexible tool is also easy-to-use and maintains optimal RPM under load, extending the life of bits and cutters for cost savings.

Its profile allows drilling of holes flush to the surface of materials, and it can be used on multiple material types where conventional core drills won’t work. Materials include magnetic, non-magnetic, thin metals, rough surfaced materials and round (pipe) materials.

Manufacturers using the KBH 25-2 U usually purchase the tool for its safer operation for employees, along with proven benefits around time and cost savings, quality control and productivity.

FEIN has been a world-leading power tool manufacturer for 150 years. FEIN Canadian Power Tool Company, located in Mississauga, Ont., provides a range of high-quality power tools and accessories. Visit www.fein.ca for more information. To view other articles on industrial power tool selection, safety and care, see the Technology Showcase.