Today marks the start of a brand new lineup of “smart tools”. They are the first 4 new “ToolSmart” products from General Tools.
These connect to your phone or tablet via bluetooth & wifi, and coupled with the app — will allow you to record measurements and use that info in real-time. Made for the DIYer, Homeowner, & Professional — these will calculate things such as :
- “How much paint do I need for this room?”
- “What angle should I cut on this baseboard?”
- “What voltage is in this wall outlet?”
Each of the tools will connect wirelessly to your device, and once you open the app — making those calculations is as simple as filling in the blanks. For quick measurements and testing, no external device is needed — just use your ToolSmart tool as you would a normal one, these will work with & without your phone or tablet!
The initial release includes :
Laser Distance Measurer
- Model # TS01
- 100′ Range
- +/- 1/16″ Accuracy
- Dual Mode (Fractional & Metric)
- Maximum 2 Second Response Time
- IP54 Rated
- Powered with 2 AAA Batteries
- Battery Life = 3,000 Measurements
- Weight 4.2 oz
- Bluetooth Connectivity
Digital Angle Finder
- Model # TS02
- 0° – 225° Range
- +/- 0.3° Accuracy
- 5 Minute Auto-Off
- Powered with CR2032 Battery (Button Cell)
- Bluetooth Connectivity
Video Inspection Camera
- Model # TS03
- 3.3 Ft / 1 Meter Probe
- IP67 Rated (Probe)
- 54° Field of View
- Dimmable LED
- 960 x 240 Resolution (Color)
- 60′ Max WIFI Range
- Powered with 4 AA Batteries
- Weight 12 oz
- WIFI Connectivity
Digital Multimeter
- Model # TS04
- AC Voltage Range : 0 to 4V/40V/400V/600V
- DC Voltage Range : 0 to 400mV/4V/40V/400V/600V
- Temperature Measurement Range : -4º to 1832ºF (-20º to 1000ºC)
- CAT III 600V Safety Rating
- 33′ Max Bluetooth Range
- Sampling Time = 3Xs/seconds
- Powered by one 9V Battery
- Weight 8.2 oz
- Bluetooth Connectivity
Right out of the box, these are all set up and ready to go. The batteries (included) are already installed — once you remove them from the packaging, you can get to work immediately. No fooling around with buying batteries after the fact, or having to take the time to figure out how to install them (like most tools).
Each tool that we have been testing have surprisingly been working out very well. As soon as you turn them on, they function just like any typical (non-“smart tool”) — saving a lot of time with quick uses & not having to always pull up an app for them to work.
The laser distance measurer gives extremely fast readings and with the laser aiming directly at your end-point, you know exactly where you are measuring to. For what we were laying out (plans for an addition), this was somewhat difficult due to many obstructions in the way (shelving, atvs, wood, etc). The laser dot lit up on the side of the wall & we knew the reading was accurate.
The multi-meter was able to verify the battery & charging system on a vehicle was working properly (connected to the battery under the hood, and streaming the data via Bluetooth to our phone). Since we could watch the live voltage as the car was running — from the drivers seat — this made performing an alternator test extremely simple. It turned out to be corrosion on the ends of the battery cables under the insulation that was causing our issues, not the alternator.
Verifying angles with the Digital Angle Finder is working out great! First verifying the accuracy with known angles (squares, miter saws, etc) it was dead on right out of the box.
In fact, on an older miter saw that was in a friend’s shop — a quick check with this found out that the fence was knocked out-of-square and the cuts were off. We loosened up a couple bolts, set the fence, and re-tightened everything — now it is cutting straight and true.
The camera is probably the most impressive, since the screen resolution on it is excellent (for this price range). The LEDs work great at lighting up dark/inaccessible areas — such as under cabinets/appliances & inside walls. So far the only thing we have to be conscience of is the orientation of the lens, since you cannot rotate it electronically (you must physically rotate the probe). Once we got that cleared up, we could see everything without tilting the screen.
These 4 tools are all going through a wide range of testing, and so far we have been impressed. Stay tuned for full reviews coming soon — and click here to check out the whole lineup of ToolSmart tools!