If you are working with concrete, either at home or for work, then you are going to have to tie rebar together eventually. There are actually several methods for doing this, you could tie them by hand, or you could use one of the several different kinds of tools out there meant to tie rebar together.
In this article, we are going to be reviewing five of the better rebar tiers on the market. We are also going to walk you through the process of buying a high-quality rebar tier. If you are in a hurry, the best rebar tier is, in our opinion, the DTR180 18V Cordless Brushless Rebar Tying Tool.
A Spotlight On Some of The Best Rebar Tier 2022:
Product Reviews:
Makita DTR180 18V Cordless Brushless Rebar Tying Tool
In the introduction to this article, we told you that the DTR180 Rebar Tying Tool was our pick for the best rebar tier. So, in the interest of explaining why and helping out those who don’t want to read the full article, we are going to start off our product reviews by reviewing our pick and showing you why we rate it so highly. The DTR180 is made by Makita, which, for those who don’t know, is a maker of high-quality tools, including several different rebar tiers. Thus, right off the bat, you know that this is going to be a great product.
There are a lot of positives to mention when it comes to this rebar tier, so it is a bit difficult to know where to start. So, we are going to start by mentioning the great capacity and battery life of the tying tool. In terms of battery life, the DTR180 should give you close to 6,500 ties per charge (assuming that the battery is fully charged of course). Even if the battery life does decline a bit over the course of the tool’s life, you still get roughly over 6,000 uses out of it before needing to charge the tool, which is amazing. More uses mean less downtime and it means that you never have to stop a job because your tying tool has to be charged. The tool is compatible with both 18v and 14.4v batteries.
On the subject of the tool’s wire reel, you can expect to get around 120 ties per wire reel. Changing out the reel when it is empty is very simple as well. So, not only does this tying tool have a great battery life, but it also has a good capacity reel as well. You can probably start to see why we consider the DTR180 to be the best rebar tier.
Another very useful feature of the DTR180 is the included “extreme protection technology.” What this technology does it prevent dust, debris, and water from getting into the internal parts of the tool and causing damage. Because it comes equipped with this extreme protection technology (referred to as XPT for short), you can use the Makita DTR180 in any sort of weather or conditions. Light rain? Not an issue. Lots of dust around? Not an issue.
Finally, we should discuss the power of the tool. The base power of the DTR180 is impressive, but even more impressive is the fact that you get six different options for changing the power output of the tool. This gives it some much-needed versatility. In terms of typing speed, it offers a fairly standard speed of 0.8 seconds per rebar.
- Extreme protection technology makes this a great tool to use in any weather conditions.
- Over 6,000 uses per battery life.
- 120 ties per wire reel.
- Six different power options.
- Compatible with both 18v and 14.4v batteries.
- Easy to replace wire reels.
- Typing speed of 0.8 seconds.
- Nothing worth noting.
Benner Nawman BNT-40 Automatic Rebar Tier
It is a difficult prospect to follow up our choice for the best rebar tier, the Makita DTR180, but the Benner Nawman BNT-40 Automatic Rebar Tier does a good enough job. Although not as good as the Makita in our opinion, this is still an amazingly high-quality rebar tier that belongs in any tool shed.
First off, when it comes to tying speed, the Benner Nawman BNT-40 actually matches the Makita, both are capable of tying a rebar off in 0.8 seconds. So right off the bat, the Benner Nawman checks off one of the most important boxes for a rebar tier, which is a good speed level.
It also checks off another important box, which is versatility when it comes to torque options. The Benner Nawman BNT-40 has five different torque options, ranging from 0 to 5. While some other tying tools will have more, this is still a pretty good number of torque options. Even at the higher options, keeping control of the tool is easy because of the solid, well-designed grip.
The battery quality is pretty decent as well. It comes with a standard 14.4v battery. The charging time is more impressive, as you can have it fully charged within 40-minutes, which is good and leads to minimal downtime. It would be nice if it came with a stronger battery (an 18v one to be more precise), but overall it is still very good as far as tying tools go.
- 0.8 second tying time.
- Quick charging time.
- Five different torque options.
- Well-designed grip.
- Battery could be a bit better.
MAX USA RB398 Rebar Tier
If you want a high-quality rebar tier, that is also very compact and lightweight, then you can’t go wrong with our next entry on the best rebar tier list, the MAX USA RB398 Rebar Tier. Weighing in at around 5.3 lbs., this nifty little rebar tier is very easy to carry around.
In fact, it even comes with a clip on the side, allowing you to easily clip it onto a tool belt, or onto your pants. You can carry the tying tool around a job site and you probably won’t even notice it.
Plus, because it weighs so little, it is extremely easy to keep control of it and use it accurately. If that wasn’t enough, you also get a very helpful carrying case when you buy the MAX USA RB398 Rebar Tier, which is a very good bonus.
In terms of performance, the small size doesn’t translate to worse performance as you might expect. It has a very standard typing speed, at less than 1-second. It can also be used to tie all different sizes of rebar.
In terms of capacity and battery life, the MAX USA RB398 Rebar Tier is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it gets 120 ties per coil, which is fairly standard (it is the same as the Makita). However, the battery life is a bit disappointing, as you only get around 2,500 uses out of the battery before it dies. Again, to compare that to our choice for the best rebar tier, you get over 6,000 uses with the Makita.
- Compact and lightweight.
- Comes with carrying case.
- 120 ties per coil.
- Under 1-second tying speed.
- No torque options.
- Battery life is a bit short.
PEX GUN Complete Tool Kit PG101
Next up on the best rebar tier list we have the PEX GUN Complete Tool Kit PG101. The main claim to fame for this particular tying tool is that it is the fastest tying tool on the market. While we can’t verify that particular claim, what we can say is that this tying tool is incredibly fast. It is likely the fastest on this entire best rebar tier list. So, if speed is the only thing that you value or at least the primary thing that you value, then you can’t go wrong with the PEX GUN Complete Tool Kit PG101.
Also, you will notice that the product name says “kit.” That is because when you purchase the PG101, you aren’t just getting the tying tool itself, you are also getting a 14.4v battery, 4 wire spools, and a charger. All of this is contained in a very handy carrying case that fits perfectly into a glove compartment.
On the subject of the battery, its about in the middle in terms of performance. The battery is able to give you roughly over 3000 uses. That’s more than some other tying tools but less than others.
- Comes in handy carrying case.
- Decent battery life.
- Extremely fast tying speed.
- The tool itself is compact and easy to handle.
- Previous models came with multiple batteries, but not this one.
MAX RB655 Rebar Tying Tool Kit
For the last rebar tier on this list, we wanted to do something affordable. Let’s face it, most of the options on our best rebar tier list have been fairly pricey (with some being pricier than others). So, we decided to include a budget-friendly option, that still manages to be good enough to compete with some of the other tying tools on this list.
Without a doubt, the first thing that you will notice about the MAX RB655 Rebar Tying Tool Kit is its very reasonable price. While it can’t be considered “cheap” by any means, it definitely impacts your budget a lot less than some of these other rebar tiers.
It also delivers pretty good performance given its price point. For example, it still manages to tie rebar in less than 1-second, which is very good. It also has a very good number of ties per coil, being able to provide upwards of 200 ties before you need to reload.
Where this tying tool suffers is the battery. The battery is only 9.6 volts and it only provides roughly 400 uses before needing to be recharged.
Pros:
Budget friendly.
Over 200 ties before you need to replace the coil.
Under 1-second tying speed.
- Budget friendly.
- Under 1-second tying speed.
- Over 200 ties before you need to replace the coil.
- Bad battery voltage.
- Only 400 uses before it needs to be recharged.
ATO Tools Automatic Rebar Tying Machine
The next product that we want to review on our list is one that isn’t particularly well-known as far these types of tools are concerned but based on the quality of the tool and the sheer number of great features that it has, it probably should be.
The specific tool that we are talking about is the ATO Tools Automatic Rebar Tying Machine. This is a very high-end rebar tying tool that any handyman would be amazed to have in their garage.
First off, let’s start the product review by getting the technical aspects of the tool out of the way. This tool can handle rebars up to 28mm in length and it has a wire tying length of anywhere from 43cm to 58cm.
If these descriptions match what you are looking for in a rebar tying tooler, then we are off to a good start. If you are also looking for a lightweight tool, then this is a good option because it doesn’t weigh as much as you would expect.
Next up, we want to talk about the battery and general power output of this tool. The ATO Tools is equipped with a very high-quality lithium-ion battery that is rated for about 18 volts. Not only does that mean that the tool itself is very powerful, but it also means that you get a ton of usage out of your tool before you need to recharge the battery; you can get roughly 5500 ties at a full charge.
While we very much like this offering from ATO Tools, we do have one minor complaint that we want to talk about, which has to do with the overall feel and handle of the tool.
While this isn’t extremely uncomfortable to use, given the overall quality of the tool, we certainly feel like it could afford to be a bit more comfortable and easier to handle. However, don’t get us wrong, this is a minor complaint that really doesn’t do much detract from the overall quality of this tool.
- 18 volt lithium-ion battery.
- Great power and control.
- 5500 ties per battery charge.
- Charges quickly.
- Not as heavy as you would expect a powerful tool to be.
- Tool could afford to fit better in the hand.
Rebar Tier Buying Guide
Now that you have (hopefully) finished reading our reviews of the various rebar tiers and now that you have seen our choice for the overall best rebar tier, we can move onto the second part of this article.
As we said in the introduction, we plan to walk you through the process of buying a rebar tier. We plan on doing this by first explaining why you need a rebar tier, and what features you should prioritize when shopping for a tying tool. The idea is that when you walk into a hardware store and see tons of tying tools on the wall, you can know what features that you need and which you can do without.
Why You Need A Tying Tool
When you work with rebar, you are going to need to tie them off. Now, for most of you, the reason for this is obvious, but for those of you who may not be sure why, the reason is that tying the rebar ensures that it stays in place. You don’t want rebar shifting around when the concrete gets poured on it.
Of course, one could try the rebar by hand, and that may even possible if you are just doing some casual work at home. But, if you are on anything approaching a professional job site, then tying by hand is simply just not possible.
Not only is it slow, but it is also inefficient, and it can actually cause physical damage to your hand. So, this is why having a good tying tool is so important.
What To Look For When Shopping
Speed
When shopping for any sort of power tool, the number one thing that you want to prioritize is performance. Power tools are intended to make certain jobs easier, and there isn’t much point in getting a power tool if the performance isn’t good.
For example, when you get a power drill, you want one with a high RPM. When it comes to rebar tiers, the thing to look for is speed, more specifically, how fast the rebar tier can operate.
All though different tying tools will have different speeds, there is a sort of baseline that you can follow. Most high-end rebar tiers (including most of the ones that we choose to feature on our best rebar tier list) take about 0.8 seconds to tie a piece of rebar (for clarity, the 0.8 seconds refers to the time it takes from when you pull the trigger until you can pull it again).
We wouldn’t recommend getting a tying tool that is slower than that if you value performance (which as we said earlier, you should).
Safety
After performance, safety is another feature that it is very important to prioritize when shopping for any power tool, including rebar tiers.
Because rebar tiers don’t generally have anything sharp like a drill, and because they tend not to be used in particularly dangerous areas, there aren’t a lot of safety features to be on the lookout for. However, you should still make sure that any tier that you buy meets relevant safety standards, so that the tool doesn’t malfunction or anything like that.
Battery Capacity
Handheld rebar tiers are almost always powered by rechargeable batteries (much like pretty much every other handheld power tool). So, when shopping for a rebar tier, you should pay close to attention to what quality battery that the tying tool comes with.
In particular, there are two things that you want to look for when shopping. Firstly, check roughly how many uses you get from a battery before it needs to be recharged. Many rebar tiers will give you a rough estimate of how many times you can use the tool before the battery completely dies. To give you an example from our best rebar tier list, the Makita DTR180 promised upwards of 6,000 uses per charge.
Now, those estimates are rough, especially because batteries decline in functionality over time, but they are still useful for gauging the overall quality of the battery itself. The second thing that you want to look for is the voltage of the battery. Roughly speaking, the voltage of the battery will indicate its quality and how powerful the tool is.
Also, if possible, look for tying tools that come with multiple batteries. Multiple batteries help reduce downtime while working on a job. There is nothing worse than being in the middle of something, getting into a good rhythm, and then having to stop because the battery on your tying tool died. Having multiple batteries allows you to use one while the other charges.
Versatility
Finally, there is the issue of versatility to consider. You want a tying tool that gives you a lot of options. When it comes to rebar tiers, the main thing that you get to control is the strength of the tier. To demonstrate what we mean, let’s go back to our choice for best rebar tier once more.
The Makita DTR180 has six different settings for changing the tying strength of the tool. This is good as it adds versatility to the tool. While you don’t have to find one with as many settings as the Makita, you should prioritize versatility to at least some extent.
Conclusion
Who would have ever thought that one could write so much on the subject of rebar tiers? We hope that everyone who read through our best rebar tier found it to be of at least some use.
If you have any knowledge of rebar tiers that you want to share or if you have any questions, then you should comment and let us know.
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