GoKawiilContractor converts Milwaukee Hackzall into portable Cat6 wire-untwisting tool
Facing a job needing 50,000 custom Cat6 cables and 100,000 terminations, a contractor known as Analytical Horsepower built a portable cable-untwisting tool from a Milwaukee Hackzall reciprocating saw. He had initially modified a $500 Alibaba wire-straightening machine with a DeWalt battery and bike pump for field use, but found it too bulky for tight spaces, so he redesigned the mechanism around the handheld Hackzall, cutting untwisting time to under two seconds per cable.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The project shows how tradespeople sometimes build custom tools when no commercial product fits a specialized, large-scale job, potentially saving significant labor time across tens of thousands of cable terminations. It also suggests a possible gap in the market that Milwaukee or other toolmakers could address, though there is no indication the company plans to produce such a device.
- A contractor needed 50,000 custom Cat6 cables requiring 100,000 terminations.
- An initial $500 industrial wire-straightening machine was modified for portability but proved too bulky for tight spaces.
- A Milwaukee Hackzall was repurposed into a compact tool that untwists cable pairs in under two seconds.
Milwaukee Hackzall M12 Reciprocating Saw — This is the very tool the contractor hacked into a portable Cat6 wire-untwisting machine, prized for its compact size and cordless power. It's a genuinely useful one-handed reciprocating saw for electricians and cable installers on its own, and a great base for DIY tool mods like this one.
See Milwaukee Hackzall M12 Reciprocating Saw on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: tomshardware.com — Jowi Morales, 2026-11-14
Published there as: “Contractor turns a Milwaukee Hackzall into a portable Ethernet untwister after facing job requiring 50,000 custom Cat6 cables”
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