Years ago, the director was involved with the design & testing of equipment for cave exploration, and many of these products are still available today. Sadly, Dragon Caving Gear & Beast Products are no longer with us, but their legacies remain. The Unlimited Access regulars have a realistic & honest approach to kit reviews: if it's not up to the task then we won't use it. Please bear in mind that these are purely opinions and shouldn't be taken as anything more.
NLG Spacenet. This isn't unique (Aguille have been making something similar for a while) & we'd put off buying one until the last minute as we had it in mind to build our own, but we had a broken glazing panel to deal with so had to get one in urgently. It's lightweight, easy to deploy/pack in mid-air, and the customer was impressed as it looks professional. Worthy of note: there's a zip at one end of the bag to allow for easy disposal of debris; their Impact Zone Mat which velcro's inside is pretty much a requirement; the approved maximum loading is only 20kg (it consists of lightweight aluminium tubing & fixings), so we won't be throwing away the trusty Ton-Bag just yet. Top Tips: make sure you have plenty of repair tape as the fabric will need patching; we found that wrapping paracord or a sling around the middle makes it easier for an abseiler to transport; don't just rely on the adjustable lanyards provided as we found that we sometimes needed to lash it to balconies etc... so make sure you have plenty of cord. Verdict: a well-made, slick piece of equipment but be cautious as this is probably only suitable for debris rather than anything substantial. N.B: we have no affiliation with NLG although they do seem to be a decent bunch! https://neverletgo.com/
Comments from Reuben of NLG:
The first version sold out very quickly. We are now working on V2, which will improve the overall material, structure and come with a simplified bridle/harness. This is all based on customer feedback (and we like to implement it quickly) - so we value your comments.
You may be interested in this 'behind the scenes' view on the load rating... because we are always considering falling objects, we have to allow for dynamic load (rather than static load). During testing, it had to pass 40KG dropped from 2 metres above the Spacenet - which would generate well in excess of 200KG of force... that's why we developed the 'suspension' arms on the ends and included the 'Impact Zone' mat to absorb the energy of the falling object (otherwise it would blow straight through the bottom 💥)! So, with the safety factors built in, it is certified to catch 20KG from the height of the operative above the Spacenet.
Comments from Reuben of NLG:
The first version sold out very quickly. We are now working on V2, which will improve the overall material, structure and come with a simplified bridle/harness. This is all based on customer feedback (and we like to implement it quickly) - so we value your comments.
You may be interested in this 'behind the scenes' view on the load rating... because we are always considering falling objects, we have to allow for dynamic load (rather than static load). During testing, it had to pass 40KG dropped from 2 metres above the Spacenet - which would generate well in excess of 200KG of force... that's why we developed the 'suspension' arms on the ends and included the 'Impact Zone' mat to absorb the energy of the falling object (otherwise it would blow straight through the bottom 💥)! So, with the safety factors built in, it is certified to catch 20KG from the height of the operative above the Spacenet.
Mastic Gun Cartridge Security. New cartridges in mastic guns pose a significant drop hazard until some of the sealant has been used and the plunger rod has penetrated into the body itself. Even then it's not particularly safe, as it only takes the hook on the plunger to get snagged and the cartridge could fall out. Our solution is simple: a length of skinny bungee cord (maybe 2 or 3mm thick) is tied to the frame, and then a permanent look is tied to the other end which then goes around the barrel & the cartridge. Yes, there is still a risk of dropping it during changeovers, but once in use it's a lot safer. We also recommend cutting the tops off new cartridges before getting on the ropes as mid-air on ropes isn't the ideal location to be using blades unless absolutely necessary...
OLFA® Heavy-Duty 18mm Cutter with Extended Blade Channel and Carpet Tuck. This has been our go-to work knife for the last few years, and we realised how good it was during a 6 month mastic replacement job. The "carpet tuck" is ideal for levering out old mastic or opening tins, the snap-off blades mean that you don't have to mess around with swapping all the time, the blade locks with a simple wheel, boxes of blades are cost-effective, the knife itself isn't expensive, there's a lanyard hole which is vital, and the handle is comfortable even after hours of constant use. Great bit of kit. We buy ours from https://olfa.co.uk/product/olfa-extended-length-ratchet-lock-utility-knife-ol/ and we have no relationship with this company whatsoever.
Tool Lanyards. For many, many years, cave explorers insisted upon using bomb-proof lanyards for our drills, which consisted of a permanently-attached length of thick paracord (or thin rope) with a screw-gate karabiner at the end, and a snap-gate karabiner closer to the drill to allow for quick removal/replacement to the harness . Whilst this was (and still is) ideal for our particular needs, we found that in industry this was a bit of a pain. The reason is that by using this method, a company will end up with miles of cord-lanyards which isn't practical. Instead, we now have a shorter piece of cord tied to the tool, and onto this we can add & remove our actual lanyards as required. We no longer struggle to fit tools into boxes, we always have plenty of lanyards available, and they are easy to inspect. Obviously not all lanyards are created equal, and some that are perfect for lightweight items won't be rated for heavier kit, so you will need to make your own mind up. We tend to buy the Silverline Tool Lanyard from Forest Park & Garden as they're very affordable https://fpandg.com/silverline-tool-lanyard-with-karabiner-435294
Rotabroach Element 40 Perm Magdrill. Installation of a Building Maintenance Unit Rail in the ceiling of a new-build was made more troublesome than usual due to the fact that the I-beams were coated in a very thick layer of intumescent paint, and we weren't allowed to remove this as it would (apparently) void the fire-protection insurance. Took a lot of searching before eventually Rotabroach themselves reached out & offered to lend us a tool that would magnetise through so much paint. We draw attention to this on our "Portfolio" page already (https://www.unlimitedaccess.co.uk/portfolio.html), but worth promoting this bit of kit as it's a game changer in some situations. It has rare-earth magnets which are permanent (once the lever is engaged) & don't rely on the electric supply which means that if & when you lose power the drill won't suddenly drop. This is a huge safety feature for those of us who work at height. We believe that Rotabroach have now added a lanyard attachment so the new versions will be even better suited. Whilst we have no formal relationship with the company & we haven't been paid to review this drill, they are a great bunch of people and bent over backwards to help. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/element-40-permanent-magnet-action-osl-cutting-technologies-limited/ is their own version of our feedback, and https://www.rotabroach.co.uk/products/element-40-permanent-magnet/ is the link to their website.
Wingman Toolbag. We've spent most of the summer working on the tallest building in Wales, and even with substantial barriers & groundsmen the risk of dropped objects from 108m height gave us sleepless nights. To this end, we were constantly trying to come up with ways to improve the odds , and one particular product caught our eye. This is the Wingman Toolbag manufactured by a small company in Australia, and it seems that we're the first crew in the UK to have tried it out. There is a lot of information available on their website, but the gist of it is as follows: oblong PVC semi-rigid bag with a magnetic perimeter strip, and a selection of dividers, pouches, magnetic trays etc... to allow you to modify the layout to suit. We have primarily been using this to hold a Makita impact driver, selection of heads & bits that were magnetised to the side of the bag, small hand tools, rust-penetrant oil etc... and for this it was far, far superior to our entire array of Beal & Petzl bags. In conjunction with the universal seat bracket, the bag slots into place so that it sits on your hip and everything is within easy reach. Our NDT examiner found it to be very convenient so the teams had to take it in turns to use. No sign of wear & tear so far, and once the Aussies find a UK distributor we'll be buying more (Brexit has destroyed the import market & anyone who says otherwise doesn't live in the real world). All in all, the Wingman Toolbag is a breath of fresh air in what has become a fairly stagnant market, and I am confident that over the next few years most sectors of the working-at-height industry will be using these. N.B: we have no affiliation with the company & spent a fortune importing this so our review is unbiased. https://wingmantools.com.au/
Milwaukee Die Grinders. Without a doubt, these have become our go-to tools for pretty much anything in awkward locations. We use cutting disks to take off corroded fixings or open up panels, wire brushes to remove rust, and prepping disks prior to painting. For those really tight spots, we use a flexible hose/shaft which has proved to be invaluable. There are a wide range of accessories available, but if you're new to die grinders it's not obvious where to find these (try https://www.zoro.co.uk/). The Milwaukee Die Grinders themselves have safety collets which means you're unlikely to drop the attachments; the paddle switch takes a bit of getting used to but is far safer for working at height; the tools comes to a halt almost immediately which again makes it safer; the 6AH batteries last a long time. Our main platform is Makita but we're mature enough to recognise a fantastic bit of kit when we see it! https://www.milwaukeetool.com/2485-20
Norbar Torque Wrench. We've used many different torque wrenches over the years, but this one is designed for working at height & after months of constant use we're very happy with it. Features that we particularly like are the dedicated lanyard attachment point, the pin-release on the socket (dropping these is far less likely as a result), and the fact that it's beefy enough to mean that the physical effort required is minimal. The model we use is NorTorque Tethered Model 300, 1/2", Ratchet Adjustable (Dual Scale). Again, we have no association with this company other than admiring their products from afar!
https://www.norbar.com/products/view/product/categoryname/tethered-torque-wrench/rangename/tethered-adjustable-ratchet-dual-scale-/pname/nortorque-tethered-model-300-1-2-ratchet-adjustable-dual-scale-/category_multid/482/range_multid/1649/id/24038
https://www.norbar.com/products/view/product/categoryname/tethered-torque-wrench/rangename/tethered-adjustable-ratchet-dual-scale-/pname/nortorque-tethered-model-300-1-2-ratchet-adjustable-dual-scale-/category_multid/482/range_multid/1649/id/24038