By now, those who work in the roofing or HVAC industry know the story of Mark W. Keymer. He started his own tool-making business when he came up with his revolutionary pipe crimper. A few years later, the brand Malco Tools was associated with time-saving tools by contractors and workers from all over the country.
This tool crafting tradition continues after 70 years as Malco regularly introduces new hand and powered tools for our industry.
As metal roof installers, we have a set of favorite Malco tools that we can´t live without and we wanted to go over some of them today.
Our favorite Malco Tools for Metal Roof Installation
Corrugated metal sheets are a favorite for those who appreciate durability and affordability. If you´re installing sheets of corrugated metal, you can´t go out without Malco´s TSCM turboshear. It boasts a universal drill clamp, and its rotating head allows for enough clearance for cutting hard-to-reach edges. It is extremely versatile as it can easily cut through corrugated metal sheets, always leaving a rust-resistant sealed edge. I personally love how it can be used for detail work, like curved or square edges for easy duct and vents installation.
Its sister, the TSHD Turboshear, is better for flat metal panels, especially when you want to create standing seams out of a flat metal panel. It cuts through heavy gauges like butter and offers the same maneuverability as the TSCM.
Our tool belt is never complete unless we carry a sturdy set of hand snips. We usually go with any brand, but we recently gave Malco snips a try and we could feel their strength right away. We are particularly fond of their offset hand snip which allows us to notch tight standing seams, and create foldable grip edge flaps on metal panels with real ease.
Now, when the time comes to fold those flaps, you need to give them a clean and crisp bend. Many like to use hand seamers for the hob, but it takes too long, and uniformity quickly becomes an issue. For this job, we got us the 3-station edge rollers a few months ago and getting straight standing seams has never been easier. It lets you accurately measure the bend´s depth, so you will have a completely uniform bend along the entire length of the panel´s edge. Moreover, you can retract the 2 external stations leaving the middle one free to create curved bends with ease. A total delight.
Those are our three favorite Malco tools for roof installation and repair. They make metalwork a breeze. Of course, there are many more useful tools to carry on your truck, but they are more project-dependent. I recommend you visit stortz.com to check out what they have. Stortz has prided itself on providing high-quality roofing tools for many years. They have been a trusted brand and business for over 100 years now. Visit their site today to get a cutting tool that can make your job a little easier.
