Southwire 7164SW-7165SW LED String Light

As a remolding contractor I’ve use incandescent string lights to illuminate the job site for as long as I can remember.

Recently while attending a trade show I saw the Southwire LED String Light and was impressed with the quality of light output.

LED lights run cooler than incandescent bulbs and are safer, and WAY more durable.

The string lights are bright yellow for safety and feature LEDs on the top and bottom provide up light and downlight coverage. You might ask why this is needed? I know I did. We found that when strung up in the jobsite the up lighting helps complete the lighting coverage. We also noticed that you get some up light bounce back from finished ceilings, as well as a 360 lighting effect – nice touch!

The light modules put out 7.8 watts each. The downlight is 700 lumens and the up light features puts off 100 lumens. These string light LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours.

The string lights emit a color temperature of 5000K. Research has shown that cooler color temperatures (3500-5000K+) work well in environments where you want to promote alertness and calm.

The Southwire string lights are IP65 and outdoor rated to protect against the ingress of water and dust. Also The Southwire LEDs come in 50ft and 100ft lengths, and feature LEDs on the top and bottom of the light fixture.

One nice feature with these string lights is that you can daisy chain up to 1000 feet. That’s 10 strings of the 100’ model and 20 strings of the model 50’ for longer lengths. Or a combination of both!

The only thig I would change on these string lights is the hanger slot. Currently the lights have a slot facing the direction of the cord. For flexibility in hanging I’d like to see a hanger in the other direction as well.

Overall we found these string lights easy to use, well-constructed, rugged and bright. Plus, there is no need to change bulbs, a common frustration of my older incandescent string lights.

Southwire LED String Light Features

• • Delivers Total 8000 Lumens with 100′ String & 4000 Lumens with 50′ String
  • Daisy Chain 10 Strings for 100′ & 20 Strings for 50′ Version
  • No bulbs/lamps to replace
  • UL 1088
  • FCC/ICES Certified
  • ROHS
  • IP65 Rated
  • Wattage: 78W
  • CCT: 5000K ± 10+
  • CRI: >75
  • Cord Type: 14/3 SJTW
  • Certifications: CSA, FCC/ICES
  • Average Bulb Life L70: 50,000 Hours

Overall Impression

We were so impressed with the Southwire LED string lights that we will be replacing ALL of our string lights with them. Their more durable, safer and brighter!

I’ll never use incandescent string lights again.

Southwire String Light Video Review

Southwire LED String Lights is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Southwire 48006SW Cord Reel Power Station Review

In many cases, power cords are one of the least desired tools a contractor or DIY’er owns. They are not a “sexy” tool and don’t perform a function that makes a project look better. However, they can be one of the most frustrating and possibly dangerous aspects of a project. The Southwire 48006SW Cord Reel Power Station aims to solve several of these problems, particularly in the shop.

The deficiencies in most power cords can be seen with the extremely rapid development in cordless (battery-powered) tools in the workplace. Cordless tools, however, cannot entirely replace electric-powered tools (at least not yet). While using electric tools on a job still remains a necessity, power cords become tangled and caught on seemingly everything creating a dangerous and frustrating job site.

Features of the Southwire Cord Reel Power Station

The Southwire cord reel station retracts and extends to declutter your workspace. The power block provides ample outlets for your tools.

The power cord is constructed with 14/3 grounded wire and comes equipped with a 3 outlet power block and is 30’ in length. An adjustable stop is also included to change the amount of cord that is retracted.

The bright, red hub is constructed of a heavy-duty steel which will help with the abuse on a job site or tool trailer.

Mounting

Also included is mounting hardware to attach the hub to your ceiling, wall or some other structure in your shop, tool trailer or any other place you would like easy, decluttered access to power.

One of the only issues I had with this product was the way the mounting hardware attached. When attaching to a ceiling, the hub can not fully swing out of the way making it difficult to attach. While it is possible to disconnect the mounting bracket, it looked harder than just working with it attached. I would like to see an easier way to disconnect the bracket from the hub making it easier to mount.

Using the Southwire Cord Reel Power Station

I mounted the Southwire Cord Reel Power Station on the ceiling next to an overhead door. Using the adjustable stop, I got the desired length of cord so I could comfortably reach the cord but high enough that it did not interfere with my work.

The hub is heavy-duty and feels much more substantial than most reels I have used in the past. The cord is flexible yet tough and the power block end is well attached. The cord feels very durable and is in-line with most heavy-duty cords. The hub extends and retracts smoothly and the adjustable stop functions as it should.

While this tool does not offer many frills, it works as it should and feels very durable. For those looking to clean up their workspace for increased safety and productivity, the Southwire 48006 Power Cord Reel Station should be at the top of your want-list.

Southwire 30’ Cord Reel Power Station is a post from Tool Box Buzz

2016 Holiday Gift Guide

2016 has been without a doubt a kickass year for new and innovative tools. Here at TBB we have tried to review them all and ensure you were armed with the right information before you pull the trigger!

This year we want to share some of the best tools we think your special someone would really like. From stocking stuffers to new platforms, these gifts will undoubtedly make that special person feel all warm and fuzzy! Here are our  2016 Holiday Gift Guide (in no particular order) for your loved ones!

Milwaukee FASTBACK II Flip Utility Knife

While this knife has a lot of great features the two that we love most are it’s ability to open very quickly and how it fits in the hand.

The Milwaukee FASTBACK Flip is sold about $16.00 here: Milwaukee FASTBACK II Flip Utility Knife

Ryobi LED Flashlight RFL905

We have been waiting for Ryobi to make another kick ass flashlight since their TEK4. Recently they designed the Ryobi LED Flashlight RFL905 and once again, caught my attention.

The Ryobi RFL905 is the perfect light for shop, garage, home or every day use and carry.  Packed with all the features needed, this well-designed light is compact and covered with rubber over-mold making it easy to grip.

The RYOBI RFL905 LED Flashlight is sold for $10.00 here: RYOBI RFL905 LED Flashlight

Dewalt FlexVolt Cordless Table Saw

A solid, safe table saw is the cornerstone to any efficient job-site or worksite. Dewalt wants to close the gap on a cordless jobsite by introducing several cordless tools including a brand new table saw. We tested the Dewalt Cordless 8-1/4” table saw on our job site and in our shop and were impressed with its portability, versatility, performance and power.

The DEWALT FLEXVOLT Cordless Table Saw is sold for $499.00 here:DEWALT FLEXVOL 60V Max Cordless Table Saw

Milwaukee M18 FUEL Brushless 10-Inch Miter Saw

Until now miter saws have been an AC (corded) dominant power tool and for good reason. Trying to get corded performance out of a battery powered miter saw is not easy. And let’s be real, if you can’t work most, if not all day on a cordless power tool then it’s not really a professional grade power tool. We took this saw to several job sites over a few weeks to test and get a good feel for it.

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel Cordless Miter Saw is sold for $749.00 here:Milwaukee M18 18v Fuel Brushless Miter Saw

2016 Holiday Gift Guide is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Southwire M300P Pro VDV Cable Mapper

A few months ago we’ve moved into a new home. Well, a new to us home. It is a house built in 2010 with all the modern amenities that come with it. AFCI breakers, PEX for all the waters, spray foam insulation. It also came with CAT5 and Coax home runs from all the rooms down to a structured wiring panel. Every bedroom and the other large rooms (living, kitchen, family, and garage) were wired up. This sounds like a good thing, and for the most part it is, but the panel was a veritable rats nest of wires.

The installer that showed up for Charter Cable had all the tools to make sense of the set up and to add a little organization, unfortunately he left us with the picture you see to the right. Basically, he traced the wires he needed to do the install, added the splitters, and left everything hanging in space. It was a cold and snowy Saturday morning, I wouldn’t want to be working either.

Southwire has the solution

Installers aside, wires get pulled at different times as needs change and when a home changes ownership, all that prior knowledge is lost. The previous owner of my home probably had a good idea of what wires went where but when we took possession, it was anyone’s guess.

Enter Southwire. Southwire is a company well known for manufacturing wire of all kinds, high and low voltage. They are relatively new to market with tools though. We had never had any experience with their gear so when this problem with my low voltage panel popped up, I went through their catalog looking for a solution. As far as tools for voice, data, or video, they have a whole  slew of tools to suit your needs from simple cutters all the way up to intelligent tracers and mappers. Knowing my needs for a tool that works on voice, data, and video, I picked up the Southwire M300P. It includes the tool as well as 10 remote tracers, 5 coax and 5 Cat5.

How to fix this

To fix the picture above required starting in the rooms and then identifying, labeling, and organizing them in the structured wiring panel. With the Southwire M300P it was relatively easy and painless. I started with the coax. I put the remote tracers on the first 5 ports and then went back to the panel. I rotated the switch on the Southwire M300P to video and tested the cables one at a time. When I hooked up to one that had a remote tracer on the other end it would tell me 2 things. The first is it would say whether or not the cable was wired properly with a pass or fail. The second thing is that it would show on the screen the number of the remote tracer that was on the other end of the cable. This helped me know what cable ran to which room. Then I would print out a label from the DYMO so that each cable was marked down at the panel.

Picked up tracer 2 (ID 2)

With all the coax figured out, I then moved onto the voice and data lines. Luckily the previous owner pulled Cat5 for the voice lines. Unfortunately they were terminated into a 66B block so the lines were all essentially tied together. I used the Southwire T100PK, a traditional tone and probe kit, to trace and mark those lines. I still need to source a RJ45 patch panel for the Cat5 data wires and then I can test all my punch-downs with the Southwire M300P. Right now the video, voice, and data are all traced and marked but only the video and voice are terminated. As you can see in the photo, it’s a vast improvement. Everything is marked, organized, and will easily fit inside the panel so that the lid can be put back on.

Features and Specifications

• Easy-to-Read LCD display with backlight
• Port covers protect RJ45 and RJ11 ports from dust and debris
• Built in Tone Generator for cable tracing (separate Amplifier Probe required)
• Maps multiple cable runs with included RJ45 & Coax “F” ID remotes (5 of each are included)
• Test patch cables or installed cables
• Remote ID Kits Available Separately:
• — M310 Replacement Kit of ID Remotes (5 RJ45 and 5 Coax “F”, Remote Numbers 1 – 5)
  

  Southwire M300P and a DYMO easily sorted through the mess

• — M310-F Expansion Kit of 11 “F” Coax ID Remotes (Remote Numbers 6 – 16)
• — M310-RJ Expansion Kit of 11 RJ45 ID Remotes (Remote Numbers 6 – 16)
• Operating Temperature – 32°F to 122°F (0°C to 50°C)
• Storage Temperature – -4°F to 140°F (-20°C to 60°C)
• Humidity – 10% to 90%, non-condensing
• Maximum Voltage between any two pins without damage – 60V DC or 55V AC
• Batteries – One 9V Battery
• Cable Types – Shielded or Unshielded: Cat 7, Cat 7a, Cat 6a, Cat 6, Cat 5e, Cat 5, Cat 4, Cat 3, Coax
• Maximum Coax Cable Length – 1000 feet (305m)
• Minimum Cable Length for Split Pair Detection – 1.6 feet (0.5m)
• Maximum Coax Cable Resistance – 100 ohms maximum DC
• Dimensions – 7.13” x 2.86” x 1.61” (18.1cm x 7.3cm x 4.1 cm)
• Weight – 0.78lb (353g)

Video

Where to Buy

Everything traced, labeled, and organized by type

If you’re in a similar situation and have no idea where all your low voltage cables go or even if they are wired correctly, give the Southwire M300P a look. At just under $72, this tool is cheaper than a service call to the cable or phone company and you have the satisfaction of knowing things are done correctly.

Southwire M300P Pro VDV Cable Mapper is a post from Tool Box Buzz