Makita Heat Gun HG1100 - A closer look

I gave a general overview of some of the nifty things that the Makita HG1100 can be used for back in December, but now that I'm getting ready to use one there are a few nice things that I'm seeing here that I thought could use commented on. There's more engineering to these than just making a heavy duty hair dryer as I've heard referenced at times.

Cyclonic Action
You won't see this listed anywhere in the owners manual, but the air outlet has fins to make the output have a swirling effect. I'm sure it has some use that I don't know about, but I just really wanted to say cyclonic. I could imagine that it creates a much tighter air pattern, directing the heat more where you're pointing it and less to the sides. Maybe I'll have to fire off an email here shortly to find out for sure.

Swiss Made
One of the first things that caught my eye on the product ID tag were the words "SWISS MADE for Makita U.S.A." This one isn't Korean or Japaneese - but I can't say that they're all that way. This one has a 2004 date on the side, so that may have changed since then, but I thought it was interesting that it was built by a country normally associated with precision and accuracy and not the home country (well, either one - Japan or the US) of Makita.

Large Adjustment Dial
Simply saying "Variable temperature control 250 - 1,100 degrees F to get the correct temperature for the job" doesn't relate to you just how huge the dial for the temperature is. Granted, you can't dial up 750 and press go, but there is a lot of room to move the adjustment if you need a little more or a little less heat.

Very Lightweight
Again, their literature just says the basics of the concept. "Compact and lightweight for easy handling" doesn't relate that at 1.3 lbs, the cord weighs almost as much as the tool itself. I wasn't sure if that 1.3 was just the tool or if it was with the cord as well, but a scale confirmed that it was 1-1/4 lbs (that's all the more accurate this particular scale could do) with both the tool and the cord. Not bad at all.

Decent Balance
I won't say it's the best balance I've ever felt. Their LXT line has a much better balance in my opinion. But with the weight being just over a pound and the cord offsetting much of the tool's weight, the balance isn't bad at all. I guess I should also keep in mind that this was designed quite a while back, before ergonomics were as much of a science in the tool industry as they are now.

Eagerly Awaiting Tonight
Yeah... I don't have to wait long to use this. I get to start removing tile from our bathroom wall and the linoleum from the floor tonight. It's well out of my normal evening routine, so it sounds like fun. I guess I'll know tomorrow just how much fun it was. If I quit posting here, someone check the hospital.