UNSPSC 20122844: Power tongs

A mechanically powered wrench used to make up or break out a drill rod,casing, or pipe string

UNSPSC 20122844 Power tongs is a Commodity code that state and local governments buy primarily as specialized equipment for gas extraction and refrigerant recovery work, not as standalone hand tools. The recent solicitation activity under this code reflects municipal procurement for environmental compliance services rather than traditional mechanical tools. State and local issuing bodies soliciting under this code include city environmental and general services divisions pursuing EPA-certified refrigerant reclamation services, as well as cooperative purchasing vehicles like Sourcewell establishing broad-based contracting solutions for law enforcement and equipment procurement across multiple jurisdictions and entity types. The scope of work centers on extracting and reclaiming refrigerant gases from appliances and equipment at prescribed intervals, with full documentation of gas destruction or recycling, compliance with EPA regulations, and certification requirements for technicians performing the work.

The City of Tucson Environmental and General Services Division issued RFP No. 240011 in September 2026 seeking EPA-certified refrigerant reclaimers to extract gases from approximately 50 units per week at the Los Reales Sustainability Campus, with a one-year initial term and up to four one-year renewals; the RFP included a pre-submittal conference scheduled for March 2024 and a final proposal due date of September 19, 2024. Sourcewell, a Minnesota cooperative purchasing vehicle, issued RFP #061626 in May 2026 for law enforcement equipment on behalf of multiple Washington counties and thousands of participating governmental entities nationwide, with responses due June 16, 2026, though this latter opportunity represents a mismatch with the power-tongs code's nominal scope. Recent activity under this code is limited, with only one directly relevant municipal environmental services procurement visible in the opportunities block.