Four Reasons You Should Upgrade to Smart Power Tools

Power tools make work easier and make work more professional. You might think that connecting these power tools to an app on your phone via Bluetooth is an unnecessary upgrade – why on earth would a drill need to be connected to a phone? The truth is that smart power tools with Bluetooth connectivity offer many real benefits, and you should definitely consider upgrading your tools to include them.

More control

The main reason smart power tools are a good investment is the increased control they offer. If you've ever spent time experimenting with torque settings on a drill (and then forgotten those settings the next time you tackle a similar project), you know how often you're working blind and just figuring things out by feel. With a smart drill you will have very good control. For example, M18 Milwaukee Fuel Drill allows you not only to set a certain rotation speed of the drill, but also to set the torque range at which the drill turns off when you hit it. No more broken or stripped screws.

Smart tools like these also allow you to select or create profiles for specific jobs. You can select the material you'll be drilling in, the drill size, and other factors, and the app will select the ideal settings for the job. If you change these settings or come up with your own, you can save them as your own profile so you don't have to do all these experiments every time you do similar work.

Increased security

Anyone who has worked with power tools knows how dangerous they are. I am still haunted by an incident that happened several years ago with a power saw. Very I'm close to being crippled and I consider myself a very safety conscious DIYer.

Smart tools offer a range of enhanced safety features. Smart saws such as Milwaukee Sozall M18 Fuel can monitor vibration, temperature and motor load and shut down the tool if it is about to overload, overheat or go out of control. Not only will this protect your soft bits and vulnerable fingers; it protects the instrument itself. Instead of a burnt out motor or a bent guide, the tool flashes a warning and shuts down so you can safely shut down, take a breath, and start over.

Rich Data

Have you ever dug out an old power tool and wondered if it was in good working order? If the battery still had enough capacity to be useful, if the tool still provided acceptable performance? With a smart power tool, you don't have to guess. Bluetooth-connected power tools typically collect a lot of data about their condition and performance and can tell you whether the battery is good (and how much charge is left), the condition of the motor, and whether it needs servicing. You'll avoid unnecessary replacement of tools that only need calibration or cleaning, but you'll also know that a tool needs to be replaced before it fails at a critical time.

Location tracking

Most smart power tools have a tracking feature that shows you where your tool is located. While this is probably most useful for professionals who have a team deployed over a large area, if you have a habit of borrowing your tools or you're not the only person using them, being able to see who's made off with your drill or saw is a blessing. And if you have a bad habit of leaving your tools where you last used them, this feature can also save you time searching for them.

Smart tools, especially if purchased from the same manufacturer, can also provide inventory tracking, showing you exactly which tools you have or don't have. Haven't you ever had a reciprocating saw? Your inventory screen can tell you, and your tracking feature can show you where it currently is, so you don't mistakenly buy a duplicate of a tool you already have.

Simply put, it's price. These tools tend to be much more expensive than their simpler counterparts. The cost of the M18 drill mentioned above over $100 less for example, if you get a dumb version. But if you use your instruments frequently and need precise control over their settings and a way to monitor their health, the extra expense may be worth it.