Let’s start this comparison post on the right foot: this is NOT a thinly veiled comparison to make the Toolie look superior to any other product.
This post is about highlighting key differences and use cases. That’s it.
Consumers are smart. We know because we buy stuff too. In fact, we use some of the products we compare our hardware against, because they’re different.
Now that we got that out of the way, we’ll start with the biggest difference between the Toolie and any other small Bluetooth enabled tracker – The Toolie is the ONLY device with an internal accelerometer.
How do we know? Because we have the patent for it. And that’s important because the Toolie is the only device that can be used to determine tool and light equipment activity/usage. Not just location. This data lets you get production rates for your field crews, based on the equipment they use to provide a specific service. The Toolie was created specifically for field service businesses that use tools and light equipment in the field.
For example, if you’re a landscaper, Momentum can tell you exactly how long a mower, blower and edger are being used for each job. You can compare the indisputable activity data against your estimated production rates.
[PS > Want to know how this impacts your profitability? Let’s chat!]
Small in size. Big in problem solving. The Momentum Toolie solves some of the biggest and most expensive issues that field service businesses face. Equipment loss and actual production rates. The existing Bluetooth tracking solutions (like the AirTag and Tick) require a smartphone or don’t provide activity sensors needed for utilization analysis.
Forever, field service businesses struggled with ZERO visibility for equipment location and utilization, wasted hours trying to location equipment and tools, underused equipment at job sites, inefficient equipment maintenance and inventory.
All of these problems caused service businesses to waste time and lose money.
Pros of the Toolie:
- Works without a mobile phone
- Shows activity, not just location
- Provide job progress visibility
- Works on any tool or piece of light equipment
- Cost effective
- Easy to install and use
- Lifetime warranty
- Connects to Momentum’s nationwide mesh network
- Guaranteed for life / free replacements
Cons of the Toolie
- Must be within range of an Eagle One GPS tracker (~150 ft)
- Works as part of a “hub and spoke” technologuy
Apple AirTags are great for tracking personal items for a single user. They were not built to track tools or light equipment for a business. It’s worth repeating: AirTags were NOT designed for business/shared use. They were created for personal item tracking.
We have had a number of customers ask us about using Apple AirTags for their business. But since that wasn’t really the reason they were created, we always suggest against it. There’s a few major reasons why.
- 1. AirTags can only be associated with a single Apple ID. In other words, if you want to give someone else access to see the AirTag location, you’d also need to provide them with your AppleID.
2. AirTags are only compatible with Apple devices. So even if you planned to use AirTags for tracking your business’ tools and light equipment, you’d need to have Apple devices for all relevant staff AND you’d need to have a shared AppleID.
3. This is another “biggie” – you can only associate 16 AirTags to any Apple ID. So if your business has more than 16 pieces of equipment that you’re looking to track….well…you’re out of luck. AirTags simply won’t do the job.
But really, these 3 issues should be irrelevant to anyone running or managing a field service business because the AirTags were never intended to serve this purpose. That’s why products like the Toolie and the Tick exist.
Pros of the AirTag:
- Great for personal item tracking
- Easy to use
- Replaceable battery
- Community finding
Cons of the AirTag:
- Only compatible with Apple devices
- Can only be seen from one account / one AppleID
- Only allows 16 AirTags per account
- Must be in range of an Apple device
There are a number of Milwaukee tools that come enabled with their proprietary One-Key system, which tracks tool location through the Milwaukee app. The Tick was created to track any non-Milwaukee brand tool or any Milwaukee tool that doesn’t have the One-Key technology enabled. The main uses cases for the Milwaukee Tick and One-Key system is inventory and tracking. For that purpose, the Tick does a solid job.
The Tick is durable, allows for easy mounting/installation and has a range of ~100 ft. For many business types, the Milwaukee Tick can help.
But, like the Apple AirTag – there are a few major limitations that make the Tick a less-than-ideal option for the vast majority of service businesses.
- 1. Milwaukee Ticks can’t and won’t track tool activity. It’s a location and inventory tracking product, making it more limited than the Momentum Toolie.
2. Data is siloed in Milwaukee’s mobile app. All of the location and inventory data collected by the Tick is in the app…but that’s it. You can’t apply that data to any “bigger picture” improvement potential or analysis. You can simply track your tools up to 100 ft from your mobile device.
3. They expensive. an 8-pack of Ticks retails for $169. Ticks also require frequent battery changes.
But really, these 3 issues should be irrelevant to anyone running or managing a field service business because the AirTags were never intended to serve this purpose. That’s why products like the Toolie and the Tick exist.
Pros of the Tick:
- Easy to use
- Replaceable battery
- Community finding
- Works on any tool
- Durable
Cons of the Tick:
- Requires the use of Milwaukee’s mobile app
- Data is siloed in the proprietary app
- No activity data, only location data
- Slow detection times (some report up to ~4 mins to detect Tick-enabled tools)
- Must be in range of a mobile device with the One-Key app
