**Content sponsored by DEWALT
With demand for concrete foundation work slowing after a wild three years, contractors are feeling the pressure to lower prices – and cut into their own margins – to remain competitive. However, A.J. Smith, the president of Jamison Construction, found an unexpected source of productivity to keep profits growing: Electrification.
One fateful day last year, Smith just happened to run into a DEWALT product manager at a store who introduced him to the new DEWALT POWERSHIFT™ lineup of six concrete power tools that are compatible with the new groundbreaking 554Wh DEWALT POWERSHIFT™ battery, which is equivalent to a 6.5 horsepower engine and is designed to withstand harsh jobsite conditions.
Smith walked away with a whole new suite of heavy-duty tools from DEWALT, tools that he never imagined could go electric and still get the job done. The lineup was so new that only a few contractors in the country were testing it – and Smith got to be one of them. This year, that lineup becomes available nationwide.
This is a unique approach. DEWALT is electrifying the full concrete workflow to provide construction pros with a total solution using one battery. This way, concrete professionals can seamlessly move from phase to phase of their job. The DEWALT POWERSHIFT™ concrete tools include a core drill, backpack vibrator, powerpack vibrator, screed, rammer and plate compactor. All can use a single battery with the same charger. The new DEWALT POWERSHIFT™ system can also be powered by DEWALT FLEXVOLT batteries with the use of an adapter providing additional runtime.
Jamison Construction’s crew tested the tools out and said they’re “going to be a game changer.” They especially liked the backpack vibrator and screed. But it wasn’t love at first sight.
“The screed, my guys didn't want to use in the beginning. After the first time they used it, they're like, ‘We need to get some more batteries for this thing, because we want to use it all the time!’” Smith recalls. “Some people are so skeptical of a battery platform, then they get to using it. Our gas stuff, when it's 30 degrees outside and it's so cold and nothing wants to crank, you can pull the trigger (on battery-powered tools) and there's no warm-up time needed. It just goes. That's what really sells the product.”
“The peak of electrification is conversion from gas products that are used in heavy-duty, extremely demanding applications,” said Richard Cacchiotti, Product Director, DEWALT. “We set out to give concrete craftworkers the power and runtime to complete the application, as well as ergonomics to keep the user comfortable and in control. We’re confident we’ve accomplished this with our DEWALT POWERSHIFT™ equipment.”
A crew lugging heavy tools up to the top of a multi-story building for a long day on the job wants assurances those tools are going to work—and work well. It’s not just older workers who feel that way. Jamison’s team of 100 includes construction pros of all ages and they won’t take any tool out they don’t trust to be “old faithful,” Smith says. With DEWALT POWERSHIFT™ equipment, “the ease of use has impressed the guys.”
They just place the batteries on their solar-powered tool trailers, and when they get to the jobsite, they’re ready to go — “and the (battery life) is incredible.”
Smith says he “always loved DEWALT” since starting as a construction superintendent a decade ago. As loyal users of DEWALT FLEXVOLT 20V/60V MAX* batteries, he was thrilled to see them continuing to innovate their battery-powered tools. In addition to scoring the new concrete tools, Smith learned from his run-in that DEWALT is committed to offering comprehensive support to customers like him.
“I just call the guy and he swaps out the battery next day,” he says of his relationship with the DEWALT team now. “That service goes a lot further than anything else does in our industry. That relationship, it means just as much as the tool does.”
Screed
“It's nice to have this level of customization to a screed. An operator can make it their own.” The DEWALT POWERSHIFT™ screed puts the user first, with fully adjustable handles, controls that can be left- or right-mounted and onboard tool storage to keep everything at your fingertips.
Backpack Vibrator
“Try it out and don't worry if it gets dropped or scratched. It's going to work, even when it’s covered in concrete.” Despite being surrounded by a durable roll cage, the DEWALT POWERSHIFT™ vibrator is the lightest backpack vibrator in the industry and packed with features for user comfort.
*- Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 and 60 volts. Nominal voltage is 18 and 54 volts.
