“Since Makita introduced and commercialized the cordless market nearly 30 years ago, there has been no single standard for measuring torque in cordless drills, and manufacturers have published figures derived from a range of different testing methodologies,” said Stan Rodrigues, Manager, Regulatory and Compliance Department at Makita. “A single standard with a consistent methodology will produce more accurate measurements for comparison, and is a true win for dealers and end-users of driver-drills.”

Prior to PTI’s new standard, power tool manufacturers conducted their own torque measurement in-house or with third party testing labs. The torque numbers were not useful for comparison since the testing hardware and methodologies were not standard. The PTI membership recognized this and worked together to create a new standard.

“Makita supports the new standard,” said Ken Hefley, Makita Senior Vice President, Marketing. “For tradesmen, torque is an important factor in the performance of a drill and a single standard guideline will produce consistent data so professional users can make informed purchasing decisions.”

“Makita is the first to publish torque numbers based on the new PTI Torque Procedure,” added Brad Wheeler, Senior Product Manager for Cordless Products. “Just as Makita is the innovation leader in the cordless category, we are the first to adopt this important standard.”

To learn more about the new PTI Torque Procedure, including the testing hardware and methodology, go to www.powertoolinstitute.com