Electric Utility Operations

Milwaukee LED Bucket Light Wins 2018 Tools of the Trade Competition

Oct. 22, 2018

We started out with 25 products and then narrowed them down to 10 finalists. Here are the first-place through third-place winners.

Amy Fischbach

The votes are in! Thank you to all of our readers who voted in the 2018 T&D World Tools of the Trade competition as well as to the participating companies--Cembre, Speed Systems, Lac-Mac, Milwaukee Tool and Utility Solutions.

We started out with 25 products and then narrowed them down to 10 finalists. Here are the first-place through third-place winners. Look for the "Rodeo Roundup" in the December 2018 Electric Utility Operations section for more information.

Here are our top winners:

FIRST PLACE:
The Milwaukee M18 LED Utility Bucket Light: is designed to attach to utility buckets and features dual-rotating heads that provide 2,500 lumens of TRUEVIEW™ High Definition light. Whether clamped on the side or in the corner, its small footprint allows more room for other tools in the bucket and added maneuverability.

SECOND PLACE:
M18 FORCE LOGIC Underground Cable Cutter by Milwaukee Tool: allows users to cut up to 1500MCM CU 15KV. It pairs with a wireless remote which allows linemen to distance themselves further from the cut, delivering a smarter and safer way to remote cut.

Third Place (three-way tie):

Lac-Mac GORE-TEX PYRAD Outerwear: provides the highest arc safety protection (up to 47 cals/cm2) in the lightest, most breathable, most durable, 100% waterproof and windproof flame retardant garments available today.
Blue Stripe Take-Apart Hot Stick: uses patent-pending interlocking channels that align with Utility Solutions' BLUE STRIPE feature creating strong joints that come apart with a push of a button. The advanced composite construction with epoxy resin and unique non-woven fiberglass creates a smooth, durable surface that resists water absorption.
Jack Jumper Cutout Bypass Tool by Utility Solutions: permits a safe and quick method to bypass an overhead cutout or an underground dip. It connects to a hot stick and is suitable for fuse coordination tasks. This tool saves time and money, eliminates risk of service interruption and prevents accidental cross phasing.

Also, congratulations to Jordan Crail of Owen Electric Cooperative. We randomly selected one winner from our voters to win official Lineman's Rodeo merchandise. Congratulations, Jordan!

About the Author

Amy Fischbach | Amy Fischbach, EUO Contributing Editor

Amy Fischbach is the Field Editor for T&D World magazine and manages the Electric Utility Operations section. She is the host of the Line Life Podcast, which celebrates the grit, courage and inspirational teamwork of the line trade. She also works on the annual Lineworker Supplement and the Vegetation Management Supplement as well as the Lineman Life and Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters. Amy also covers events such as the Trees & Utilities conference and the International Lineman's Rodeo. She is the past president of the ASBPE Educational Foundation and ASBPE and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Kansas State University. She can be reached at [email protected].