March 2022

Tool trends
TRANSFORMING YOUR TOOLS
Andy Mills, Managing Director of FEIN UK, offers his insights on the latest tool trends for
installers in the coming year and the latest innovations in the home improvement sector
following a turbulent couple of years.
The initial height of the pandemic and first
lockdown completely halted the home
improvement sector.
However, as restrictions were eased and
installers were allowed back into people’s homes
to continue work, consumer spend on home
renovations surged considerably. In fact, data
from Houzz & Home confirmed spend on home
renovations surged by 36% during the last year to
a median of £15,000.
Of those upgrades, windows/skylights and
exterior doors are amongst the top exterior feature
upgrades UK homeowners have been investing in.
But with a huge backlog of jobs still causing
havoc across the industry two years on, combined
with the supply chain crisis, efficient and reliable
tools to ultimately improve productivity will be
essential to successfully navigate an increasingly
demanding market.
As the inventor of the first electric hand held
power tool, our strategy at FEIN has been rooted
in innovation and efficiency for over 150 years.
Our ethos is centred on providing solutions to the
everyday challenges tradespeople face.
The power tools of today have evolved
considerably, encompassing so much more
thanks to innovation in technology accelerating
FEIN’s cordless MultiMaster
“Efficient and reliable tools to ultimately improve
productivity will be essential to successfully
navigate an increasingly demanding market”
considerably in recent years.
As the home improvement sector continues to
recover following the impact of pandemic, what
are the biggest trends currently paving the way in
the tools industry that installers should have on
their radar?
And what innovations are shaping the future of
this ever-evolving space?
Efficient tools to improve productivity
Declining productivity is having a huge impact
on many sectors across the UK, something many
tool manufacturers like FEIN have front of mind
during the initial R&D process.
As such, we’ve seen a real surge in the use
of oscillating multi-tools (OMTs) that enable
installers to complete a vast range of jobs with
just one tool.
FEIN’s cordless MultiMaster, for instance, is
compatible with around 180 accessories from the
Starlock, Starlock Plus and StarlockMax performance
classes. Meaning, it’s quick, easy and convenient to
switch applications without switching tools.
Continued on page 72
70 T I MARCH 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST