Corded vs Cordless

['52Chevy]

I did a search and didn't really find anything. And this is really a 2 part discussion as you'll see below.

I am going to be needing some new tools in the near future. I'm looking at miter saw, circular saw, and possibly a small table saw, and router.

I already have Milwaukee M18 tools(drill, impact driver, hackzall and 6-1/4" circ saw). So I would be looking to expand my M18 lineup if I went the cordless route. What are you experiences with these saws as cordless. It will be for DIY projects, building a shed, building a couple bed frames. In general the shed will be the largest project.

Another cordless item I am looking at is a Ryobi 40V lawn mower. If I go this route I will get Ryobi string trimmer, edger, and blower to go along with it. If I don't get the Ryobi mower all of those other tools with be Milwaukee as well.

Any input on battery powered lawn mowers? Small yard about 1/4 acre lot level ground, nice grass. From other searches on other forums they are highly praised.

Thanks

 

[anavrinIV]

For tools that don't really move I like corded - miter saw, table saw from your list. The rest I prefer cordless just to not have to drag an extension cord around. I have a corded circular saw that is fantastic but pulling a 50ft cord around after it gets to be tiresome quickly. The miter saw will sit in one place basically so the cord isn't an issue. I'm in the process of building a deck now and wish I had gone cordless on the circular saw although they tend to drain batteries pretty quick and the 36V version is HEAVY even tool-only so maybe I won't regret it much. FYI I'm using Makita tools not Milwaukee but my experience is the two are similar

I do have a 36V cordless trimmer that is nothing short of fantastic, also on 1/4 acre. I do not have a cordless mower though

 

['52Chevy]

For tools that don't really move I like corded - miter saw, table saw from your list. The rest I prefer cordless just to not have to drag an extension cord around. I have a corded circular saw that is fantastic but pulling a 50ft cord around after it gets to be tiresome quickly. The miter saw will sit in one place basically so the cord isn't an issue. I'm in the process of building a deck now and wish I had gone cordless on the circular saw although they tend to drain batteries pretty quick and the 36V version is HEAVY even tool-only so maybe I won't regret it much. FYI I'm using Makita tools not Milwaukee but my experience is the two are similar

I do have a 36V cordless trimmer that is nothing short of fantastic, also on 1/4 acre. I do not have a cordless mower though

Thanks for the input! My thoughts on the miter and table saws are that they will be stored(more than likely) in the shed, so they will not have permanent homes. So while they won't move while in use, it would be nice to grab them, put them in position and start on the project without worrying about where to plug them in. Definitely something to consider though.

Thank you for the trimmer input as well. I figured they would be a pretty solid option.

 

[u2slow]

I am going to be needing some new tools in the near future. I'm looking at miter saw, circular saw, and possibly a small table saw, and router.

IMHO, these are best found corded - either used garage sale items, or new on sale.

 

[DFB]

When it comes to cordless options for big things like miter and table saws unless you really need them for on the job convenience or maybe you just have deep pockets even for me as much as i like them I stick with other options.

On the other hand a cordless circular to me is my go to, and wouldn't be without one for any of my jobs. As for a router well not having a cord can be seriously handy for certain work. There a quite a few cordless options I prefer over corded in my line of work.

I haven't done any OPE yet but I'm starting to lean hard that way and if and when I replace trimmers and chainsaw for my current needs think I will going cordless. I also think mowers for certain limited use will become more popular as time goes on and batteries keep improving

 

[M635_Guy]

Circ and router are compelling with batteries - the cords get in the way.

If I saw a great deal I might consider a battery mitre saw, but that seems like an inefficient use of batteries unless you're using it mobile. Ditto for the table saw - I'd rather have a nicer/more capable plug-in table saw than a more portable one (strike that for professional/mobile use). The table saw probably pays the biggest penalty going cordless.

 

[crewchief888]

for anything more than a few quick cuts or holes that need to be drilled,
i'll take a corded tool.

miter saw, table saw, (hammer) drill, grinders are all corded.

drills, impact wrenches and angle grinder in cordless for work use, impact drivers for home use.

 

[Ralf11]

I like cordless since I don't have to run an extension cord 100 ft. down the hill my house is on.

OTOH... yesterday, i got to trudge up and back down with a newly recharged battery just to fix some fence panels...

 

[iamrfixit]

I bought the 12" Dewalt 60v cordless slider last year. I was not planning to go cordless but already have a bunch of 60v batteries, and I got a killer price on the saw.

I really love the thing. It can run with a cord or on two flexvolt batteries. It's unbelievable how long a charge lasts, easily 5+ hours using it often, or you can switch to the cord adapter and plug into power when that is available. Lots of power, can't tell any difference between on the cord or on the batteries.

I didn't know I needed cordless but it is very handy.

 

[danski0224]

The cordless 10" Milwaukee sliding compound miter saw is nearly a corded equivalent.

Dust collection is not so great, especially compared to Festool. Also prefer that slide arrangement, but isn't too common on other corded slide saws.

The cordless circular saws are supposed to be very good too.

I'd have to try out the cordless table saw, not sure on that one.

 

[Voi]

I'm looking at miter saw, circular saw, and possibly a small table saw, and router.

I already have Milwaukee M18 tools(drill, impact driver, hackzall and 6-1/4" circ saw).

I'm a bit confused. You have a Milwaukee 6.5" circular saw and are considering another cordless circular saw?

Are you thinking a second circular saw with a blade-right orientation?

I don't have a cordless router but if I get another one I think I'll go cordless. However, I already have a corded router plus access to a shaper at a friend's shop so I wouldn't be relying on it as my only router.

My thoughts on the miter and table saws are that they will be stored(more than likely) in the shed, so they will not have permanent homes.

My gut reaction about table and miter saws is to have them corded but you mention leaving them in a shed and I would see having cordless being an advantage when you want to run out and make a quick cut.

I have a second drill press that is currently stored in a large closet. Not ideal but I have power so I do sometimes just open the door and use it when I need it and am not working on a big enough project to bother with pulling it out into my shop.

So assuming no power to your shed, cordless might be a viable option for table and miter saws.

Another cordless item I am looking at is a Ryobi 40V lawn mower. If I go this route I will get Ryobi string trimmer, edger, and blower to go along with it. If I don't get the Ryobi mower all of those other tools with be Milwaukee as well.

Any input on battery powered lawn mowers? Small yard about 1/4 acre lot level ground, nice grass. From other searches on other forums they are highly praised.

All of my yard equipment is now cordless, assuming I can't get my 15 year old gas mower running. I have Makita 36 volt chainsaw and blower and now have the first generation of their X2 mower. I also have two of their 18V string trimmers and their 18V brushless reciprocating saw which is basically a yard tool much of the time for us.

The lawn mower is probably my least favorite of the yard tools but I'm starting to like it more and more now that I have to use it as our only mower.

I have an acre and a half but only cut a small portion of it. Unfortunately that portion is very spread out and goes up a steep slope so the light weight of the electric mower is very welcome.

I find that I have to feed it slower than my gas mower so it becomes a slower process overall. With the cut parts of my lawn being spread out it's not always convenient when and where I need to stop for fresh batteries and run the old ones to the charger. With gas it was easy to leave a can of fuel in an intermediate location. Probably not an issue for the typical 1/4 acre lot, however.

To me the convenience of cordless yard equipment has been most noticeable when replacing the two stroke string trimmer and chainsaw. Not fighting with carbs and starting them has been great.

I've never had the same trouble with my gas mowers so the convenience of electric hasn't been as obvious for us.

Ideally we'd still have two mowers so my boys and I can get the whole job done quicker but I'm impressed enough with this little Makita that I think I'll get through this season and maybe look into a second cordless electric mower for next season. Maybe something a bit heavier and more powerful for the flatter sections of our yard and keep the light Makita for the steep part of our back and side yard.

 

[Den69rs96]

I would go with corded for the table saw, router, miter, and possibly the circ saw. My router is 2.5hp and can when it’s mounted in my router table replacing batteries often would annoy me. Once your table saw and miter are set up, you don’t have to worry about batteries running out during your projects. If you only use you circular saw once in a while, you could go cordless.

I could see replacing my jig saw and reciprocating saw with cordless eventually, but I like the constant power for the bigger tools like the miter, table saw, and router.

 

[MileHighRover]

OP, you should really look hard at the Toro cordless lineup. I got the Toro Personal Pace 6ah mower this year and absolutely love it. That's the self propelled version. It's literally their Recycler gas mower with an electric motor. I have their string trimmer too. I just need to get the blower now.

I grew up in Florida and have cut a **** ton of grass over my years and I've never enjoyed mowing more than I do now. I did a lot of research and am very happy with my decision to go Toro. Toro has been around for over 100 years.

 

[Blstr88]

If I had the pockets I'd go cordless for everything and just have a pile of batteries, smaller/lighter ones for most tools, and some big monster batteries for things like tablesaw and miter saw.

But for the average person, Id agree with most - corded tablesaw and miter saw, cordless for everything else.

Theres some tools I think I might actually use more often if they were cordless vs corded - for example my framing nail gun...a lot of times I grab a handful of 3" deck screws and my M12 impact driver because I dont want to deal with the hassle of dragging my air compressor and an extension cord out...as well as have a hose hooked to my nail gun. I actually just pre-ordered the M18 framing nailer....I think that might end up being the handiest tool ever for me.

If you've got the dough go with cordless, just make sure you got a stack of batteries and you cant go wrong.

 

[vette-kid]

I went with the kobalt 80v for lawn tools, including the mower. I'm very pleased with them. There really isn't much downside to battery mowers for the average lawn. I have .5 acres and I can use the 2.0 batteries and do one swap or I have a 6.0 that will do the whole thing easily. They charge so fast that even if you only have two and a bigger lawn, one is charged before the other runs out.

I also use their chainsaw, string trimmer and blower. All work great

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

[jkesselr]

I agree with the general consensus. Just thinking about an average building project where you might have a miter saw, table saw, circ saw, an impact, and a drill all going, what are you going to do for batteries? That is a lot of batteries and, more importantly, a lot of charging that needs to get done. Most multiple battery chargers charge batteries consecutively, rather than concurrently. As such, I can imagine a time when you might be waiting on a charger. Cordless tech has come a long way, but I don’t know if it makes sense in your situation. The other piece is if you’re a “buy once, cry once” kind of guy, you might consider what you are going to do down the road. M18 is fantastic, but will eventually be phased out. A couple hundred bucks for a drill/driver set with each generation of tool is one thing, but do you want to rebuy all of these big ticket tools when Milwaukee decides to move on to the next battery platform? Sure adapters will be available or aftermarket batteries, but that seems like a lot of dicking around. I think 110v is likely to stick around awhile...

 

['52Chevy]

I'm a bit confused. You have a Milwaukee 6.5" circular saw and are considering another cordless circular saw?

Are you thinking a second circular saw with a blade-right orientation?


My gut reaction about table and miter saws is to have them corded but you mention leaving them in a shed and I would see having cordless being an advantage when you want to run out and make a quick cut.

So assuming no power to your shed, cordless might be a viable option for table and miter saws.

All of my yard equipment is now cordless, assuming I can't get my 15 year old gas mower running. I have Makita 36 volt chainsaw and blower and now have the first generation of their X2 mower. I also have two of their 18V string trimmers and their 18V brushless reciprocating saw which is basically a yard tool much of the time for us.

The lawn mower is probably my least favorite of the yard tools but I'm starting to like it more and more now that I have to use it as our only mower.


To me the convenience of cordless yard equipment has been most noticeable when replacing the two stroke string trimmer and chainsaw. Not fighting with carbs and starting them has been great.

I've never had the same trouble with my gas mowers so the convenience of electric hasn't been as obvious for us.

The circ saw I have is not the FUEL(brushless) and it's been handy but I haven't been overly impressed. I would also like a 7 1/4" saw instead of the 6-1/2"

I will be building the shed, and haven't decided on running power yet or not.

As for OPE I don't have any right now. I have been renting, the landloard left a mower(been running fine for 5 years, hasn't had a blade sharpened or oil changed). But I will be moving(buying) and will need my own tools. I figured for the size of the yard a 6ah battery or 2 would be plenty of juice to mow 1/4 acre lot. Glad you like the rest of your tools though. I remember when living with my parents the pain every spring to get all the tools up and running.

OP, you should really look hard at the Toro cordless lineup. I got the Toro Personal Pace 6ah mower this year and absolutely love it. That's the self propelled version. It's literally their Recycler gas mower with an electric motor. I have their string trimmer too. I just need to get the blower now.

I grew up in Florida and have cut a **** ton of grass over my years and I've never enjoyed mowing more than I do now. I did a lot of research and am very happy with my decision to go Toro. Toro has been around for over 100 years.

Thank you, I will definitely look up the Toro. If I was going gas I was going to get a Toro. Didn't realize they had an electric version.

M18 is fantastic, but will eventually be phased out. A couple hundred bucks for a drill/driver set with each generation of tool is one thing, but do you want to rebuy all of these big ticket tools when Milwaukee decides to move on to the next battery platform? Sure adapters will be available or aftermarket batteries, but that seems like a lot of dicking around. I think 110v is likely to stick around awhile...

Definitely something I hadn't considered. You are absolutely correct everything cordless changes eventually. Thanks for the input.

 

[ddawg16]

I'm a Ryobi fan....ALL my cordless tools are Ryobi....all use the same 18v battery.
Including my leaf blower, edge trimmer and mower.

For the Miter Slidder....I'd go corded. Typically when you start using it....your doing a bunch of stuff.

Table saw? I used to have a small one....and to be honest, it was a waste of time. Unless you're going to be ripping a lot of wood....a good circular saw to cut plywood would suffice. Use a clamp on guide and it will be straight.

 

[CTyankee]

You can get a Milwaukee 18V fuel 7 1/4" with a 5 amp bat. right now at HD for 250

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...8-5-0-Ah-Battery-2732-20-48-11-1850/312763645

My personal experience working construction is that cordless circular saws are more than capable, even under repetitive cutting when matched against corded saws. The company I worked for(home construction) has changed over to literally all cordless stuff in regards to hand tools. Only tool that seemed lacking in terms of battery drainage was the cordless grinder..and that was only under heavy continuous usage. I can't see the average HO having any issues accomplishing most tasks using decent cordless hand tool. JMO

 

[Mr_B]

Table saw and mitre saw probably best corded as you get way better performing tool at sensible cost and they tend last longer .
It generally no big deal lay out extension lead for a mitre saw and handy have power on the job and battery charger right on the job too .
Only you really know type of use and inconvenience of extension .
A proper good cordless mitre saw is nice but expensive and not very powerful ones are frustrating .
cordless router is handy .

 

[Handyandy23]

I agree with the masses here, go corded on tools that stay stationary, and cordless on ones that need to move. My mitre and table saws are DeWalt corded and when I do a project I just roll them out to where I need them, roll out an extension cord, and plug them in. Since they don't move when you're using them, you never notice they're corded. Only inconvenience is initially rolling out the one cord.

Circular saw is way nicer cordless IMO. Not having to worry about dragging the cord with the tool, getting caught on stuff, etc. It's also a tool you can whip out for a single cut or take to the store to cut down lumber before loading. A mitre saw you're not likely pulling out and setting up for one cut, so the convenience there is less rewarded.

Router I have a big Bosch corded one, but it's something I usually use in a router table, which again is stationary and you move the work piece through it. I'm thinking about getting the little Ryobi 18v trim router as a secondary more convenient tool for small jobs.

OPE I have a Ryobi 18v trimmer and blower and I love how easy it is to pop in a battery and go. Around the same time I had bought a new Husqy gas mower, but I really wish I would have gotten the Ryobi mower instead. Just hard to justify now with a new gas mower with no issues. But doing it over again I'd go electric.

 

['52Chevy]

I really do appreciate all the input, I am still at least 8 months out from buying saws, only a couple months out from buying OPE.

I think I will go with corded Miter and Table saw(table saw won't come for a long time anyway). Router I'm still in the air about, but also won't be getting one for a little while.

Now just have to choose my cordless mower, and associated tools.

 

[Barnabas]

I have lots of M18 tools, but for outdoors I went with Greenworks Tools. I have had many corded electrics and they were OK, but I was blown away by the Greenworks 80v lawnmower.

I also have the 18" chain saw and the string trimmer. All excellent tools. Can't imagine anything better.

These are made be the same company that makes the Kobalt line from Lowes.
Prior to getting the Greenworks, I had the Kobalt 80v string trimmer and chainsaw. I do think the Greenworks versions are a little better. The Kobalt chain saw would not keep the chain tight.

The batteries are designed to not cross between Greenworks and Kobalt, but you can cut a saw kerf in the side of the battery to make it work with both brands. Greenworks makes higher capacity batteries.

The 80v line is similar to the Milwaukee Fuel series in that they have brushless motors, which means they are more energy efficient.

I have two Greenworks 80v lawn mowers. One at the house that is self propelled and one at my shop in another town. The self propel is nice, but I don't use it when mowing the house yard. My wife uses the self propell. She likes it. They are so light weight, I don't really need the self propel.

On my shop property, I mow a few times a year. Mostly waist high weeds, and the mower goes right through it.

These mowers have an automatic speed control, so they shift to high gear when it detects the need. Also, if you hit a stick, rock, or something that it can't cut through it will stop. On previous electric mowers, situations like this would burn out the electric motor. Thus Greeworks mower can power throug things I used to rent a bush hog to cut. I'm a big Greenworks 80v fan.

For me it's Milwawkee M18 indoors and Greenworks 80v outdoors.

 

[anavrinIV]

Having spent the weekend building my deck I now very much wish my circular saw was cordless. Every time I needed it I had to unplug my compressor and drag the cord around, and on my many vertical cuts I had to keep paying attention to where the cord was. Plus a couple times I hit a snag and popped the breaker meaning a trudge around the house and into the garage to reset it just to finish 6" of a cut. Annoying.

The miter saw did not move from the time I set it up and the cord never bothered me

 

[RKA]

I would break it up into 2 broad decisions. Battery system for OPE and battery system for your power tools (or just go corded).

For OPE, while there are brands that cover the OPE and regular power tools on the same battery system, there are usually holes in the line up if they are 20V or less. For OPE, there are some tools that really benefit from having a minimum of 36V, the mower is one of them. There are other tools like a hedge trimmer that can do fine on 18V, so you can go either way, but you will most likely be better off choosing a brand that goes north of 36V for your OPE.

Cordless, if you're on Milwuakee, stick with that, nothing wrong with it. I do agree with others about sticking with cordless for the miter and table saws. But it depends how far away the shed is from the nearest electrical outlet. From the sounds of it, not far at all. Just string the cord out there. Those corded tools will last you another 20+ years. The cordless versions will only be viable as long as the battery system is viable. Typically, 10 years give or take, then you're replacing it at you move to another battery system.

The router...the cordless ones are intended to be light duty trim routers for small edge profiles, round overs, etc. I would stick with one that offers an option for a plunge base just in case that is needed. Milwaukee is supposed to release one for their's, I think. I would hold out until that becomes reality. Otherwise, Makita and Dewalt both have excellent cordless routers with interchangeability with the corded router bases and accessories. Of course, your needs may be well beyond what cordless was intended to do, in which case, if it's going to be your one and only, stick with a corded 2HP router that has a plunge base and 1/2 collet.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I have a cordless circular saw and i like it for small to medium projects. Building a shed I would probably break out the corded. I will say i use my cordless way more than my corded

 

['52Chevy]

Update. I went corded for table saw and miter saw. Still have my M18 power tools, added a string trimmer for the edger attachment. The string trimmer is paired with a 12Ah battery, which might be a little overkill.

OPE I went with Toro 60v. I have the mower, and the blower. I would have gotten the string trimmer as well, except they don't have an edger attachment.

 

[duneslider]

I have an 18v cordless makita and just picked up a 36v cordless makita and I honestly do not see myself getting the corded mag 77 out often (maybe never again honestly). I was way more impressed with the 36v saw than I expected I would be. I now believe the cordless miter saw and cordless table saw would be sweet if I was still a contractor. Since my miter saw and table saw are just used at my house I don't think going to cordless makes sense there.

I am thinking a cordless trim router and jig saw would be nice to have.

That milwaukee cordless framing nailer is sweet enough to almost make me switch colors though, never thought an airless framing nailer would impress me that much!

 

[anavrinIV]

I have an 18v cordless makita and just picked up a 36v cordless makita and I honestly do not see myself getting the corded mag 77 out often (maybe never again honestly). I was way more impressed with the 36v saw than I expected I would be. I now believe the cordless miter saw and cordless table saw would be sweet if I was still a contractor. Since my miter saw and table saw are just used at my house I don't think going to cordless makes sense there.

I am thinking a cordless trim router and jig saw would be nice to have.

That milwaukee cordless framing nailer is sweet enough to almost make me switch colors though, never thought an airless framing nailer would impress me that much!

I am also in the Makita line and love my cordless jig saw, very easy to maneuver and the slow start lets you line up cuts easier to begin with. I have the makita corded compact router as well (came with the plunge base and edge guide) and would rather have the cordless for as little as I have ended up using it, but when I start using it more I may be glad to have one that doesn't need a recharge