German tools and German beer- a great combination.

I have just returned from the eisenwarenmesse , (if your German is like mine and is limited to ordering a beer, not to worry) its the Main Hardware and Tool show held in the German city of Koln (or Cologne).  Here all the main players in the market strutt their new products.  You also get to sample the various beers Koln is so well known for.  They are all on tap, and taste like nothing we have here.  I got stuck in this Brewery

I had been to the Koln Hardware show many years ago and immediately noticed the effect of the global economy with this visit.  There were a lot less exhibitors and visitors to the show. I thought it was because of them charging me the equivalent of R80 for a sandwich and tiny bottle of water, but alas I think the European crisis is having a bigger impact.

I managed to see most of the stalls and view their products, there is a lot of the same products being sold by different suppliers.  My focus has always been on alligning ourselves with quality conscious suppliers.  Price is one thing, but the real cost of poor quality is another. I think I have identified a few new products that would complement our range.  I will tell you more once they have been finalised. Just a teaser is ....

Rescue Tape Gets You Out of Nearly Any Bind (Without a Sticky Mess) -Duct tape is good for a great many things, but if you're sick of the sticky, messy hassle, Rescue Tape is a pretty great alternative. It sticks only to itself, and can patch holes, act as shrink-wrapping, or even mend wounds. Rescue Tape is kind of like a Fruit Roll Up, in the sense that it's stretchy, sticks only to itself, and can withstand a ton of heat, electricity, and pressure. You can use (Rescue tape not the fruit roll) it for just about anything, big or small—fixing pipe leaks, protecting boards while you're soldering, or even just as an impromptu bandage.  You can even seal things underwater or while a pipe is leaking. Best of all, it doesn't leave behind the awful residue that other tape does, despite its strength. The video  is pretty cheesy, but actually does a good job of explaining the hard-to-put-into-words product. (this product is a new product and we are still finalising our agreements, so no stock is available just yet)

Rescue Tape Suggested Uses • Emergency Radiator Hose Repair • Water Hose & Pipe repair • Boat Rigging • Coating ends of Rope • Home & Garden • Corrosion Protection • Electrical Insulation • Weatherproofing Electrical Connections • Wiring Harnesses • Wire Bundles • Sealing Electrical Connections • Plumbing Repair • Emergency O-Rings & Seals • Sport & Tool Handles • And much, much more!

We have just launched our version 1 (V.1) of our Apple app (Christensen Mobile App), it is available free to download from the App Store (Android and Blackberry to hopefully follow shortly)

The app is something that will evolve, and we will be adding new content.  One feature we quite like is the "send a photo"- If you are in a situation where you need a tool for a particular job but can't identify it, snap a picture and send it to us with the useful "send photo tool" on the App.  We also added a handy torch (lets hope there is no loadshedding).

There are some nice "How to Videos" in THIS section.

We have a new range of Padlocks designed to keep your stuff safe and locked up- there is an amazingly death defying video to go along with it!

The  Fluke 2012 catalouge is Now Available.

Found a remarkable video where an Eagle owl is filmed at 1000 frames per second- truly beautiful.

Best regards , 

John Christensen

Apple app

We have great news!  Our first Apple app is ready for you to download.

Have a look and tell us what you think.

How to choose an electric drill

How to choose an electric drill

16 Feb 2012

An electric drill is an essential part of any toolbox. However, today there is such a wide variety to choose from, that it is often difficult to decide which one is most suitable for your needs.

The drill must be safe and feel comfortable to use. It must be adaptable and capable of drilling through most materials around the home, including wood, masonry and mild steel.

When choosing and buying a drill, there are a number of important points to bear in mind. The drill must be safe and feel comfortable to use. It must be adaptable and capable of drilling through most materials around the home, including wood, masonry and mild steel.
If it is to be used to its fullest potential, it should also be capable of being fitted with a range of basic attachments, so that it can tackle a variety of jobs.
How an electric drill works
Cordless drills are powered by batteries, which can be a very convenient feature, as you can take and use the drill virtually anywhere. If you opt for a cordless, battery-powered drill, however, be sure to find out how long the battery lasts for, how powerful the drill is as they are often not as powerful as electrical drills, and also be aware that the drill itself will be substantially heavier to handle due to you having the carry around the power supply.
The majority of drills, however, are worked from the mains supply, giving them greater adaptability and range of speed.
The workings of a drill are pretty simple – at its centre, is a high-speed electric motor that drives a spindle through a set of gears designed to increase or reduce the speed at which the spindle turns. Screwed to the front end of the spindle is a chuck with a number of fingers that can be tightened to hold drill bits and other attachments.
The motor and gearbox are housed in a gun-shaped casing, normally made of high-impact plastic, which has a fat handle grip under or behind it. Mounted halfway down the handle, is a trigger that switches the motor on and off, and controls the speed at which the drill turns.
Power and efficiency

The power of any drill is all-important and should be one of the first things you check. This determines whether the drill can be expected to tackle tough materials and also how efficiently and quickly it can do the job.

The power of any drill is all-important and should be one of the first things you check. This determines whether the drill can be expected to tackle tough materials and also how efficiently and quickly it can do the job.
Most manufacturers give the electrical input that the drill should be able to take without overheating – but often fail to quote its output. Try to find this out before making a purchase and if possible, try the drill out on a piece of tough masonry or brickwork.
Run the motor at a variety of speeds and if it shows signs of overheating or it stalls, especially at low speeds, take this as a sign that the drill output is too low for general domestic use.
Speed control
The speed of a basic electric drill is controlled by the amount of pressure on the trigger mechanism. It is up to you to adjust the speed of the motor by increasing or lessening your hold on the trigger according to the type of material being drilled.
It is often difficult to do this accurately by “feel” and you may wish to buy a two-speed or variable power drill. These allow you to select one of a number of pre-set speeds suited to the material you are drilling.
Two-speed drill: Many drills are fitted with a lever or knob that allows you to pre-select a high or low speed setting; some heavy-duty models have as many as four separate settings. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions if you are in any doubt about which speed to select for a given material or task. When choosing a two-speed drill, check first that the speed changes are achieved by adjusting the gearing rather than by some electronic means. If not, the motor is simply speeded up or slowed down without the necessary changes in turning force, or torque, and this is unsatisfactory.
Variable speed drill: This incorporates a mechanism, within the body of the drill or connected to the power line feeding it, which allows the drill speed to be adjusted rather like a dimmer switch in a lighting circuit. Although this device does not change the gearing ratio in any way, to give greater torque, it is very useful in situations where you need to adjust the speed of the drill frequently. For instance, you may need to select a very low speed when you are starting to drill very brittle or slippery surfaces. Some drills also have a reverse facility, which can be very useful for removing screws or extracting the drill bit from hard materials, such as masonry and sheet metal for example.
Hammer drills: Most basic electric drills can cope with tough plaster or brickwork when fitted with a suitable masonry bit. But harder materials, such as concrete or stone for example, need a special hammer drill. As well as having a purely rotary action, these deliver rapid blows to the chuck and bit. This greatly speeds up the drilling process when used in conjunction with special hammer bits. If you need to drill hard materials regularly, it is well worth buying a hammer drill of your own. But for occasional use, it is better to hire one, preferably the heavy-duty industrial variety, which can cope with a far greater range of materials than almost any of the basic drills on the market. As an alternative, some drill manufacturers include a hammer attachment in their range of basic drill accessories and this may be another point you need to consider.
Chuck size
An important item to check when buying any drill is its chuck size. This gives a rough guide to the largest hole that can be made.
Most electric drills are fitted with either a 10mm or 13mm chuck. Tightened fully, this will hold a 1,5mm bit allowing you to cope with very fine work. The largest bit you can use varies according to the type of material you are drilling – in mild steel roughly the same size as the chuck; in hard masonry around one and a half times its size; and in soft materials about twice the chuck size.
All electric drills have a key that is used to adjust the chuck. This has a serrated end, which meshes with the teeth on the chuck, allowing it to be opened and closed. When deciding which drill to buy, check that the key engages smoothly with the teeth on the chuck and that it is comfortable to hold and use. This prevents long-term damage to the chuck, which is expensive to replace. Special rubber straps are available to hold the key on the drill lead and prevent it being lost. – Antonella Desi

The start of 2012

2012 has started with a bang.

Welcome back, the December break is now a distant memory and your office desk, chair & Laptop have become your new best friend! We seemed to have survived the Sun Burst, with it being 2012 we all seem a tad weary, did those Mayan's know something?

We have been getting great traffic on our website with lots of you visiting everyday!  Thanks, we hope you are finding the products you are looking for. If there is something you are needing and can't find, or just want some help please feel free to contact us easily HERE

Our supplier Cooper Tools (the manufacturer of Weller Soldering products) have a new catalogue available.  This is a 340 page full colour catalogue is brilliant and has their whole range of products, get your copy HERE

Soldering is a process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal (solder) into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the workpiece. Soldering differs from welding in that soldering does not involve melting the work pieces.

I found a really informative "How To" guide on soldering, really covering all the basics with great illustrations and videos. It's great if you are starting out in soldering, or just wanting to brush up your knowledge and technique.  If you have technicians in your office, they might find it quite interesting.

There are some nice "How to Videos" in THIS section on soldering and various products and their demo's too.

We have a new range of Padlocks designed to keep your stuff safe and locked up- there is an amazingly death defying video to go along with it!

And a few funnies like the irate frog and the ant crusher tablet.

Have a great (what's left of it) January,

Best regards , 

John Christensen 

Smarter by design.

One on the great parts of my job involves spending time at our offices in Durban and Cape Town.  What I can say for certain is that these are way nicer places to be in during the cold dry winters of my home town Jo'burg. Durban was nice and sunny, Cape Town had a bit of rain, but was pleasantly warm!  I think I need to schedule more winter times there, starting again next week!  I really don't enjoy the cold.  While in Cape Town, I had installed a router, but just couldn't get it connecting to the other Pc's.  The long of the short is I had to cut the connectors off the cable and re-crimp the connectors, and voila, it all worked, and I thought pre-made cables were the way to go. 

Our friends at are never satisfied with their product range and we often get updates, the new MAGMA range of toolbags really looks smart, combined with the success of the previous version, we already have these bags flying off the shelves.  It changes the impression of your brand, for yourself or your technician servicing a clients equipment, the client can see you are a professional outfit by the tools and in this case (no pun intended) your toolcase.

They have the ever popular Rucksack in their new range, they also do toolbelts, tool vests & Gel knee pads (still to be released). We are updating their new products fast and furiously on our site, keep an eye out for more from their range.

Another thing I get to do at work is spend time on Youtube (the boss encourages it, ha ha), I have found some really informative videos pertaining to our industry, I have loaded the link on our site, and you just might find something of interest there too.  We have been supplying the Xuron range of precision cutters for some time now, but I'm not sure if you are aware they have a lead retaining clip which stops the component leg or similar from flying across the room and sticking in your colleagues eye, look Here. From the stats on the last email that went out, there was much hilarity on  Harry and Paul 40...45 years (more so than anything else I had to say.) I have found some real pearlers.  If you, like me, are having issues with Apples and Blackberries, you will enjoy this have a chuckle on me.

Our various catalogues are still easily accessible.

Best regards ,

John Christensen 

Eye catching.

We have had quite an action packed couple of weeks, the World cup has almost come full circle, lest we mention SA's most hated ref Bryce Lawrence (what a &*&#*^), The Dalai Lama has been snubbed and now the death of the Apple Icon-  Steve Job's. Incidentlally we have found a great video of a speech he gave in 2005, it's a must watch. It's only had 11 miillion views so far.

We have just redone our BEE rating and we are very happy to announce head office obtained a level 2 contributor status, with all the other offices level 3.  Should you need a copy of the certificate please don't hessitate to go here

With a picture of two blondes below I'm guessing you have stopped reading already..

The hearts of the nation’s technicians were all of a flutter this month, as the C.K Magma Hit Squad made promotional movies and advertising material.  But surprisingly, it wasn’t the gorgeous girls that caught the eyes of tradesmen and merchants – it was the new  C.K Magma range of premium storage and PPE equipment they were promoting.The C.K Magma girls have been promoting the new range of products,

I'm planning an urgent trip to North Whales to meet up with the girls, there are some pressing questions I have about the range of products....JA right.

C.K Magma combines optimal functionality with creative style to deliver a range of eye-catching, premium quality products that are truly smarter by design. Developed in collaboration with an extensive panel of cross trade professionals, C.K Magma products are designed to get the job done in style. With its modern and contemporary look, C.K Magma is the preferred choice of trade professionals who aspire to look good both at work and at leisure. Built to survive the rigours of every day work, C.K Magma products provide all the functionality, comfort and protection trade professionals need.

Our various catalogues are still easily accessible.

Best regards ,

John Christensen 

Tuesday most stressful?

A new report has found that "The most stressful time of the working week is Tuesday ay 10am a study has revealed. "But on Tuesday reality sets in and staff spend the very first part of the day going through emails they ignored on Monday before planning the week ahead."

So I thought I would add one more for you to read, and all the while I thought we suffered from the Monday morning blues!

This year has started off with a bang as we already enter the last week of January 2011! It really seems we are hamsters in a wheel, spinning faster and faster.

We were approached by SouthAfrica magazine, and we got our 5minutes of fame, they have run an editorial on us, which is quite a nice read, read it HERE if you would like to.

Thanks for a great 2010 year, our clients are what keep us doing what we do! So thanks! We are fired up to help you with any of you requests.

Best regards ,

John Christensen

Christensen Tools
Please call us. We do everything in tools.
Choose Christensen Tools for quality.

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