Picking the 3 Stars at DeWalt’s ‘Tough in the South’ extravaganza

Hang around the product demonstrations and hands-on workshops at DeWalt’s ‘Tough in the South’ event in Nashville, TN long enough, and one learns a lot about the company’s product design and durability for the professional. And depending on the company you keep, the hands-on demonstrations can get carried away at times! It puts DeWalt’s ‘Guaranteed Tough’ promise to the test! Hard as it was to pick just three items to highlight, as you can see from these videos, it was both fun and informative.

At last! The framing saw that builders have been waiting for! (see VIDEO below)
The much-anticipated left-blade, rear handle framing saw is now the must-have product for the professional builder. Joe Canning, popular on-line tool reviewer (@canadiancarpenter) has been looking forward to this new 7-1/4” saw for some time. For Joe, it was the star of the event. Although the ambient noise in the video (there were product demo’s running all over the hall), what Joe is highlighting in this accompanying video include key features like an electronic break, high-grade magnesium show, easy adjustment for bevel cuts to 53 degrees and 90 degree cuts to 2-7/16” and the joist hanger bracket for safety and convenience.. Note in the video how the rear handle and left blade allows both excellent line-of-sight and the ability to reach across a full four feet of material. And of course, it’s cordless, powered by DeWalt’s 60v Max battery. The DCS577 DeWalt framing saw will be available this fall.

Getting a little crazy with Paul Lawrence (see VIDEO below)

DeWalt’s LED area light came on the market officially late last fall, and has been lighting the way to safer work sites ever since. Operating as a cordless device with a 20v Max DeWalt battery (it can also be corded of desired), the DCL070 eliminates long extension cords leading to dark places, delivering up to 7000 lumens (adjustable down to 500 lumens). With its Bluetooth connectivity, you can even control the light from a mobile device. It’s even stackable for easy storage. But what it gets knocked over, or worse gets kicked down a flight of stairs? Paul Lafrance, that eclectic ‘Decked Out’ designer you’ve seen on TV, takes up the challenge to put the light to the test in this video. Watch out everybody!

Anger management with Kate Campbell (see VIDEO below)
Being last at the dessert table at lunch didn’t go over well with Kate, so she decided to take out her frustrations on a DeWalt ToughBox storage chest. (Truth be told, she’s never frustrated!), The powder-coated, 18 gauge steel box ready and willing to take all that Kate Campbell could give. Obviously this box would be an asset on any job site where secure storage of valuable tools is important. Full-length, staked and welded piano hinge and a 3-point locking mechanism help prevent break-ins, features found on the  smaller models of the ToughBox too.  In the end, everyone came out ahead here: Kate vented her anger, and the box proved its resilience.

If you’d like to see some videos of selected cordless tools from DeWalt as seen in Nashville earlier this month, please visit me on Instagram and review some recent uploads.

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