In the recent years Berkley has released a whole new array of high-tech and high-utility tools for advanced anglers. Previews on the new TEC tools  can be seen on TackleTour’s ICAST 2008 article (http://www.tackletour.com/reviewicast08berkleytools.html). Now that I have had some time using these TEC tools I would like to provide a quick review on them.

Starting with the one I have already wrote a full indepth review on, the TEC Pistol Trigger Grip & Holster, but of a larger size for 2009, the TEC Magnum Pistol Grip. This neat fish lipping tool has a good overall construction, it’s ergonomic, and easy to use. The only downside to the original smaller tool is that it does not have swiveling jaws and no built-in scale. The new Magnum Pistol Grip now has a swiveling jaws but no built-in scale, probably due to it’s design they couldn’t incorporate one into this tool. Retail price $89.95.

Since the review of the TEC Pistol Grip, at the ICAST 2008 Berkley introduced a new fish handling tool and this time it has the features we wanted. The TEC Locking Trigger Grip, though not in pistol design, now comes with a swiveling jaws and a built-in scale that can measure up to 30 pounds. The lipping tool has a length of 13 inches which is perfect for most applications. Again, like the Pistol Grip, the Locking Tripper Grip is well built, easy to use, and the jaws lock right in place after you release the trigger. From that point you wo’nt have to worry about the jaws accidentally opening when you’re weigh the fish using it’s built-in scale. And after using this tool I’ve not yet found anything negative about it except for this model with the swiveling jaws and built-in scale, it costs $119.95.

Up next is the TEC Hotwire Line Cutter. I really like this little high-tech tool. Not only can it cut fishing line, it’s excellent on superlines and braided lines. When it burns through the braided lines it welds the end shut so the braids won’t come apart. The Hotwire uses a single battery and from that it supplies enough juice to produce 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. One fresh battery will last over 500 cycles, depending on how you are using the tool.

The tool is designed with a clever switch where you slide to turn it on but when released it automatically turns off, a great safety feature for a tool that gets extremely hot. Not only that, the tungsten tip moves out of a plastic guard which protects not only your hands from getting burned but the tip and everything else it might come in contact with, and then retracts when you release the switch.

The TEC Hotwire Line Cutter includes a spare Tungsten tip just incase the other one gets lost or damaged, and damage it can. We’ve pressed the tip too hard against some plastics and other things while we were using the Hotwire and have bend the tip into a complete U but as long as the wire still makes a complete loop, it’ll still function. The tool comes with a one year warranty and retails for only $24.95.

The amount of reels we at TackleTour spool and de-spool within a weeks time is insane. I used to use a cordless drill for the job but now Berkely has a new TEC tool to replace my expensive cordless drill. Berkley’s TEC Magnum Xpress Line Stripper is awesome for people who changes line often.  The new TEC Magnum Xpress Line Stripper is FAST! The Magnum Xpress rotates at speeds of 10,000 RPM and will strip 300 yards of line in 40 seconds! Super-fast and easy to use, this tool is definitely great for the serious angler.

The TEC line stripper is great for freshwater and saltwater applications as it can handle lines up to 300 pound test. The body has a heavy-duty construction and like other TEC tools uses the ergonomic SofTorx material for controlled handling. That’s the problem though, the magnum size makes it tougher for us to take with us to trips, and we do many of those where we are needing a fresh spool of line for each day. Berkley does make a smaller version but it’s not nearly as powerful as this model. The TEC Magnum Xpress line stripper uses four D-cell batteries that aren’t included, has a one year limited warranty, and retails for $39.95.