BIG SOUND, COMPACT SYSTEM.
The TSTAK Radio + Charger from DeWalt
The DWST 181079 DeWalt Radio has been generally well received by our customers and seems as though it’s a welcome addition to the TSTAK range. We decided to take a more in depth look at one to see for ourselves what all the hype is about.
Here we have the radio sat in our famous workshop. You can see how DeWalt have carefully designed their packaging to show off all the bells and whistles attached to their radio and it really does give it a premium feel when you first see it.
Well, I must say I was expecting a little bit more in the box. It is a heavy duty radio and the cardboard box is very sturdy but a bit of packaging to soften the blows of transport would have been nice.
Aside from that, you can see immediately that this is a heavy duty piece of kit deserving of the DeWalt branding. The solid construction gives it a reassuringly weighty feel and the rubber corner guards feel like they have come straight off an aeroplanes tyre.
I actually had a bit of a job getting it free of the box because everything has been so precisely designed that the fit was a lot more snug than I was expecting.
So its now out of the box and we can see it in its full black and yellow glory. Its quite a bit heavier than I thought it would be, coming in at about 6Kg but its evenly distributed so it sits quite happily on its sides and you can feel it wont be going anywhere in a breeze.
Enough fawning over its looks, lets examine its features.
Here is a closeup of one of the corner guards. The solid rubber is suspended just above the yellow plastic so you get an added layer of protection if your radio takes an unplanned tumble.
I spent a good amount of time wobbling and jiggling whatever looked like a weak point and im pleased to say that there really is no part of this radio that feels cheap or poorly constructed. It seems that DeWalt went all out and spared no expense on this, that does reflect in the price tag a bit but this is an absolutely perfect example of “you get what you pay for”.
We flip open the little cavity at the top and were greeted with a very large storage area for your phone. I put my iPhone 6s Plus in there and it had more than enough room so larger phones will be no problem.
We also have the mains cable tucked in there that allows you to use the radio as a battery charger if you plug it into the mains.
The battery compartment is very spacious and you can see the amount of clearance available when we had a 5Ah plugged in. The bigger FlexVolt batteries will also fit no problem at all.
If Bluetooth isnt your thing then DeWalt have also added the ancient relic that is AUX. You also get a USB port that can charge your phone which is absolutely invaluable on site.
Speaking of on-site conditions, your expensive smart phone will be well protected within the radio as it is rated to IP54 which means “Water splashed against the machine from any direction shall have no harmful effect.” So as long as you don’t drop it straight in the drink you should be alright.
The interface itself is a joy to use, the wheel feels smooth and reactive, the soft touch buttons feel firm, and the almost touchscreen glass buttons work flawlessly when you don’t have gloves on.
You can customise the radio presets, how long it takes to dim the lights, and you can even mess around with the bass and treble which should keep the aspiring DJ apprentice busy for some time.
The volume on this radio is very impressive. I turned it all the way to maximum and the you could almost feel the whole workshop vibrating. We didn’t test it on an active site but its clear to see that your cheesy hits playlist will be more than audible over the construction racket.
DeWalt have also gone and created their own app to use with the radio. You pair via Bluetooth and it gives you full control over the radio and you can even check on how your charging battery is doing.
Summary
DeWalt have made a solid effort with this radio. The build quality shines through from the case itself down to the smallest screw and you can just tell how the designs were poured over from every possible angle.
Even though I have a slight personal Milwaukee bias, I believe the bar for job site radios has been set higher than ever and it would take something truly extraordinary to knock this DeWalt off its pedestal. Top marks!