Top 10 Gifts for Your Lineman

Altec partnered with LineJunk on Facebook to ask linemen what the must-have tools are for their gearbag. After more than 300 responses, we compiled the results to give you the Top 10 Linemen Tools! Based on responses from our linemen, these are just a few uses for the top tools.

   

#1 MADI Hammer

  • Used for installing staples to secure a copper ground on a pole
  • Used for installing lag bolts to hang U-Mold on a pole
  • Used to drive bolts into drilled holes of wooden poles

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#2 Skinning Knife-Hook Blade

  • Used for scoring and slitting cable jacket
  • Used for clipping on tail ends of armor rod
  • Long finger guard helps keep fingers away from blade

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#3 Channel Locks

  • Multi range adjustment allows for use on different size bolts and nuts
  • Used for holding the nut on the back side of a bolt or holding a bolt head
  • Used to loosen lock nuts

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#4 Klein’s Pliers

  • Used to twist wires and make small crimp connections
  • Used for trimming ends off aluminum tie wire (#6 or #4 wire)
  • Used for pulling cotter pins out of shackles

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#5 Crescent Wrench

  • Used to tighten pal and lock nuts
  • Used to bolt insulators onto crossarms
  • Used to hand tighten hardware

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#6 Electrical Tape

  • Used for just about anything!
  • Used to maintain coiled wire
  • Used to protect low voltage wires from coming in contact with grounded wires on secondary voltage
   

#7 Fiberglass Folding Ruler

  • Used for measurements to frame poles
  • Used for measurements to terminate wire
  • Constructed of tough nylon, reinforced with glass fibers for added durability

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#8 Lowell Wrench

  • Used for making up two-hole and four-hole spade connectors on padmount transformer secondary bushings
  • Bolt-thru design allows bolts to pass entirely through socket
  • 3-in-1 Tool for Distribution and Transmission to tighten multiple size hardware

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#9 Screwdrivers

  • Used for hanging hand lines on a pole
  • Used for removing an old bolt
  • Used to make up small connections on secondary

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#10 Lowell Wrench

  • Dual ends provide multiple size options
  • Used for hand tightening transformer lugs
  • Used for tightening lightening arrester bracket hardware

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To check out more linemen tools, visit Altec Supply Store to shop our entire Tools and Accessories Catalog. To speak to an Altec representative, call 1-877-GO-ALTEC.

Sustainable Products and Practices: Altec’s Environmental Initiative

Recognizing our responsibility to the environment, Altec, Inc. believes that every effort should be made to conserve energy and natural resources. We also believe that energy efficient operations are in the best interest of Altec, our customers and the environment. Energy management plays a key role in our business as we strive to maximize sustainability, strengthen our competitive position and provide our customers with the highest quality product and services.

Sustainable Products and PracticesAltec has made great strides in the field of energy-efficient products with the introduction and expansion of the Green Fleet product line. Altec JEMS® (Jobsite Energy Management System) is our integrated plug-in system that uses stored electrical energy to power the aerial device, hydraulic tools and exportable power sources. The energy storage system is recharged by plugging into shore power or by the truck’s internal combustion engine. Earlier this year, Altec introduced the JEMS 4 Series, an updated system that provides significant reductions to the carbon footprint, enhances engine life and reduces engine maintenance by automatically eliminating unnecessary idle time. In 2017, Altec will continue its development of new technologies in the field of plug-in electric vehicles and work trucks. We look forward to introducing our latest developments next year.

Beyond environment-friendly equipment, we know sustainable practices are paramount at our offices and manufacturing facilities. Altec’s efforts to reduce energy use and prevent pollution support our commitment to associates, the environment and the communities where we operate. Altec has implemented several programs and policies in our corporate sustainability efforts.

At our service body plant in Burnsville, NC, Altec recycles 99% of the waste generated by the facility. The plant recycles all sheet steel, brass, copper and aluminum in addition to pallets, cardboard, office paper, aluminum cans, plastic bags, PVC pipe, silicone tubes and more. For the remaining 1%, the Burnsville Facility has just one roll-off dumpster on site for non-recyclable materials such as food waste.

The Altec Massachusetts Service Center in Shrewsbury, MA is Altec’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) facility. The Service Center features a state-of-the-art recycle wash bay wherein water is filtered and reused to wash vehicles, instead of discharging wash water into a sewer. The facility’s HVAC is set on occupancy cycles to decrease usage during night-time hours and the Service Center features all motion sensitive, LED lighting. The efforts at Altec’s first LEED facility save costs while having a positive impact on the environment.

We are also operating our first solar energy systems at the St. Joseph, Missouri facility. These systems are helping us evaluate potential usages at other facilities throughout the company. In addition, the majority of our facilities have installed LED lighting to reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint while increasing the light quality for associates’ work environment.

In 2017, Altec will continue our sustainability efforts to include a focus on associate-specific tasks to conserve energy; these will include: powering down computers nightly, optimizing office space with regards to lighting and heating/cooling meeting rooms, utilizing natural light instead of overhead when available, conserving water usage and more.

Sustainability is at the forefront of the way Altec does business. At Altec, we strive to generate environmental stewardship solutions that contribute to sustainable change through our products and work practices. We look forward to sharing more of our sustainability practices in the New Year.

Need Help? Please contact us at 1-877-GO ALTEC, option 1.

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Altec Inc.

210 Inverness Center Drive
Birmingham, AL 35242-4834
Phone (205) 991-7733
Fax (205) 408-8601

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