New Products

After winning the International Pick-up Award 2016 the Nissan Navara pickup range has now switched to a more advanced and eco-friendly Euro 6 engine. The upgrade covers both the 190PS twin-turbo and 160PS single turbo versions of the Navara’s 2.3-litre dCi diesel engine and is said to make a significant difference to the pick-up’s environmental performance. CO2 emissions now start …

Travis Perkins, the UK distributor of building materials to the trade, construction and home improvement markets, and British Military Fitness (BMF), the provider of outdoor fitness classes, are celebrating a year-long partnership. The partnership, which forms part of Travis Perkins’s commitment to employees’ health and wellbeing, has run 120 dedicated BMF lunchtime sessions with Travis Perkins and plc brand Wickes …

Bosch has launched a range of compact orbital sanders which includes what is said to be the world’s first cordless 18 V orbital sander. Intended for small preparatory sanding work, the range comprises the GSS 18 V-10 Professional and three corded tools: The GSS 140-1 A Professional, the GSS 160-1 A Professional and the GSS 160 Multi Professional. These orbital …

Roger Bisby tries out the new Starlock range. It is fairly unusual to see rival power-tool companies collaborating in research and development but Bosch and Fein linked up to develop the Starlock system for their oscillating tools. It is an attempt to do what the SDS drill bit did for hammer drills, in other words a simple click lock system …

Nilfisk has launched a range of mid-range hot water pressure washers which feature a four wheel design which makes them easier to pull or push on uneven surfaces such as construction sites. The low centre of gravity of the MH 3M & MH 4M models is enabled by the internal distribution of components making the manoevrable units easy to tip …

ForgeFix, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of fixings, fasteners and associated products, has developed a new range of screws which the company says has exceptional performance characteristics. The best screws on the market? In independent tests, the new screws outperformed most other premium screws on the market in areas such as drive-speed, cam-out reduction, corrosion resistance, shear prevention and …

Roger Bisby takes a look at the Wale Tale (sic), a device designed to minimise the spread of dust when mixing construction powders. Dust and the related health issues are a ticking time bomb in the building industry. Everyone knows about asbestos and most intelligent people do everything they can to avoid exposure to it but dust doesn’t begin and …

Nearly fifty thousand Brookhurst hand-made plain clay roofing tiles have been installed on a stylish Scandia-Hus residence in West Sussex. Brookhurst tiles are made from the highest quality clay material using traditional hand moulding and coal firing techniques. The Sussex residence is located on a former orchard site acquired with a small cottage which was demolished.  Planners approved the elegant …

Timber Conservation windows and doors by Mumford & Wood have been specified by a building developer for his own residential property in Poole, Dorset.  This large coastal town, once a maritime trade hub, has attracted tourists and visitors to its beaches and landscapes for many decades and is an established area of beauty. The 1950s cottage-style property was purchased by …

From the 25th July the all-new Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 will be available to order in the UK. The pick-up truck which is based on the D-Max model, is the result of close technical collaboration between Isuzu and Arctic Trucks, a company with a 25 year history in Iceland and Scandinavia as a developer of 4×4 vehicles. Isuzu describes …

To make it easier for builders to design and construct complex HVAC systems, Paroc has developed PAROC Hvac Bend AluCoat T – high-quality, factory produced bends for efficient and fast insulation. PAROC Hvac Bend AluCoat T is a non-combustible stone wool pipe section bend for thermal and condensation insulation of pipework in buildings and ships. Coming with a prefabricated layer of …

Roger Bisby takes a closer look at the Next Generation Trousers from Snickers. When you look at the huge range of styles and sizes that Snickers currently offers you might reasonably ask why they need to produce a whole new Next Generation Trouser range. Fashion undoubtedly plays a part, even for a builder who declares himself to be totally uninterested …

Everyone in the building industry knows that fixing things to plasterboard can be a bit hit and miss. If the plasterboard is on a stud wall you might strike lucky. Or you may not. Sometimes you may be able to position the item, i.e. kitchen wall cupboard to fix across two studs but nothing is guaranteed. There is of course …

Shortlisted for the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) Awards 2016, The Harley Scientific Fibrecheck 6 (HS-FC6) from SMH Products provides a real-time warning for tradespeople and others at risk of inadvertent exposure to airborne particulate. Fibrous particles, such as asbestos, produce distinctive scatter patterns when they break a beam of light. The HS-FC6 works by drawing a constant air sample …

Hultafors Tools has extended its range of Knives specifically for craftspeople. With a selection of Heavy Duty Knives, Safety Knives, Chisel Knives and Utility Knives already available from Hultafors in the UK, there’s also specially designed and developed products for Electricians, Plumbers and Painters. The new Knives include those for general-purpose outdoor use as well as ones for precision tasks. …

The first sketches of the new Volkswagen Crafter from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles which is due to be launched this autumn, have been revealed today. Conceived as the ‘big brother’ of the T-series, Volkswagen says the new Crafter promises innovation alongside a high level of functionality and quality. Experts at Volkswagen Commercial vehicles say they have worked closely with current customers, frequently …

Roger Bisby sets out on a quest to find a better level and discovers a few things he didn’t know about spirit levels. Earlier this year I had a run of spirit level trouble which cost me half a day putting right a structure. I always check my level by turning it through 180 degs. but I didn’t check both …

Bosch has launched a new generation of 18 V cordless screwdrivers; the new ‘dynamicseries’ and a ‘robustseries’ which are now available from specialist retailers from £236 to £405. All four models have new functions which Bosch says offer a higher level of comfort for professionals such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers and heating installers. The compact ‘dynamicseries’ range of tools combines …