I haven't been this impressed with a product since I got my hands on the 3/4" squirrel steps. Mark at Treehopper was generous enough to send me a new product that he's been working on: the "mini."
The mini is 3/4 of an inch shorter than the standard treehopper, sacrificing a little extra leverage for compactness. It also is made specifically to accept the EZ-Kut bits. So if you're like me and have several of them lying around but want the rock-solid, machined aluminum housing of the Treehopper, well...now you can have it! No more rattling!
The model Mark sent me came with a folding handle. It's a simple but extremely awesome little upgrade that just begs to be played with, kinda like a well made pocket knife. Folding handles will also be an option on the full-size drills going forward.
Another slick change is the new, textured bit sleeve. It is fatter than the original and knurled, which gives you a much better purchase on the sleeve.
The spring was also changed. It is now stiffer, which results in a nicer "lock up," and the ends are flat ground, which makes for a silky smooth drilling experience.
Mark also addressed a small problem that I pointed out to him: the prior version of the standard treehopper could get chips jammed between the bit and collar occasionally, since the bit did not have the welded bit stop to set depth. It used the collar instead. Now both models will come with the newly designed sleeve and feature a "chip breaker" bit stop.
Mark also mentioned that he was looking into alternate colors, including camoflage.
The mini housing also uses an Allen screw to retain the drill bit, as opposed to a pin. This makes it much simpler to replace the bit in the event of it wearing out or breaking the tip.
All in all, lots of awesome upgrades if you're still using the old EZ-Kut housing. The mini with folding handle weighs 8oz, and carries in my front pants pocket like a pocket knife.
It's slicker than goose droppings on an icy sidewalk.
The mini is 3/4 of an inch shorter than the standard treehopper, sacrificing a little extra leverage for compactness. It also is made specifically to accept the EZ-Kut bits. So if you're like me and have several of them lying around but want the rock-solid, machined aluminum housing of the Treehopper, well...now you can have it! No more rattling!
The model Mark sent me came with a folding handle. It's a simple but extremely awesome little upgrade that just begs to be played with, kinda like a well made pocket knife. Folding handles will also be an option on the full-size drills going forward.
Another slick change is the new, textured bit sleeve. It is fatter than the original and knurled, which gives you a much better purchase on the sleeve.
The spring was also changed. It is now stiffer, which results in a nicer "lock up," and the ends are flat ground, which makes for a silky smooth drilling experience.
Mark also addressed a small problem that I pointed out to him: the prior version of the standard treehopper could get chips jammed between the bit and collar occasionally, since the bit did not have the welded bit stop to set depth. It used the collar instead. Now both models will come with the newly designed sleeve and feature a "chip breaker" bit stop.
Mark also mentioned that he was looking into alternate colors, including camoflage.
The mini housing also uses an Allen screw to retain the drill bit, as opposed to a pin. This makes it much simpler to replace the bit in the event of it wearing out or breaking the tip.
All in all, lots of awesome upgrades if you're still using the old EZ-Kut housing. The mini with folding handle weighs 8oz, and carries in my front pants pocket like a pocket knife.
It's slicker than goose droppings on an icy sidewalk.
