Why take one blade on to the building site when you can take two? With this new tool from Ox Construction products you now can.

When I first heard about this OX cutting tool with two blades going in opposite directions the first question I asked is what is it for? The next question was why would anyone want one? There was a further question which always creeps in. How does it work? It appears to be a drive within a drive, and an ambitious bit of engineering, but before I dismantled it I thought I had better test it just in case I couldn’t put it back together.

The TCT blades will cut wood, metal plastic and worktops, in which it produces a fine cut with no breakout. This means you can plunge cut worktops without lifting the laminate and cut metal without tearing it up. It can be used for making traps in floorboards or trimming drywall framing in situ.

The reason you might want one is because it produces no kick back and is therefore easier and safer to use than an angle grinder or circular saw. The two blades cancel each other out with the equal opposing forces, so the tool is accurate to place and control. It is probably ideal for plumbers and electricians on refurbishment work rather than new build where joist notching is almost a thing of the past. If a plumber needs to remove an old tank then this will do it. Window fitters may also find it a useful tool for removing old frames and it can even cut an aperture in glass.

I used it on a variety of surfaces, and although it didn’t struggle as such on worktops, it did cause the built in thermal cut-out to trip. This overload didn’t happen in thinner materials – even steel was easy. The unique part of the Ox is really the gearbox bolted onto an existing angle grinder body. Angle grinders seem to be the most adapted powertool on the market, and this is yet another variation that will find a place in the builders’ tool box.

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