Longevity of battery powered tools?

[Buickspec6231]

Do people really feel that the battery powered tool industry is going to replace the air powered and/or corded power tools?

I have a selection of all three types of tools and I do feel they all have their places. The battery powered tools are great when I am not near any electricity or air supply, but if I do have either of those handy I reach for an air powered or corded tool 100% of the time. I have had bad luck with batteries not surviving long enough to make the cost of the tool worth it (to me). I should add, that some of the battery powered tools go long periods of time without use, which surely doesn't help the battery life dilemma.

Am I alone on this or do others feel that battery powered tools are overrated?

 

[AA/FC]

Do people really feel that the battery powered tool industry is going to replace the air powered and/or corded power tools?

I have a selection of all three types of tools and I do feel they all have their places. The battery powered tools are great when I am not near any electricity or air supply, but if I do have either of those handy I reach for an air powered or corded tool 100% of the time. I have had bad luck with batteries not surviving long enough to make the cost of the tool worth it (to me). I should add, that some of the battery powered tools go long periods of time without use, which surely doesn't help the battery life dilemma.

Am I alone on this or do others feel that battery powered tools are overrated?

As far as I'm concerned, cordless tools have already replaced MOST corded or air tools. I go out of my way to NOT reach for them...

 

[L.Cheapo]

As a DIY'r, I don't work against the clock; the only battery powered tools I have are Dewalt drills. Both 18v, one nearly 20 years old, the other about 7. I've replaced batteries once in that time.

Show me a great battery powered air hammer type tool. Or a way to blow debris away like you would with a blow gun.

I get not wanting to drag a dirty air hose into customers' cars. I also get batteries being dead or weak every time you want to use a tool.

I think they can both exist in harmony for most. I won't give up my 1/2" air impact or air hammer or blow guns. Ever.

 

[Shiftless]

My first set of cordless tools (2011) was Craftsman C3. After a few years of occasional use, the NiCd batteries would not hold a charge very long at all. I had to charge them right before any planned use. That’s VERY unhandy. Replacement batteries behaved the same way after a couple of years.
I expect much better performance from the set of M12 Fuel tools (lithium batteries) I got from Santa last Christmas.

I still use corded tools a lot. Also an air powered 18 ga. Brad nailer and of course a blow gun.

 

[ItsNemo]

Have all three, usually use cordless first, air second, corded last...my 18v Dewalt stuff from nearly a decade ago is still usable although the batteries don't last nearly as long. I've moved on to the 20v Dewalt tools and use them most often, having replaced most of my 18v tools with the 20v versions. I figure the 20v line will last me another decade or so.

Air stuff, sometimes just need the extra power or size or form factor or run time or air only tool or similar...I have replaced using my blowgun with the Dewalt 20v brushless leaf blower, does what I need for blowing out dust and such...only stepping up to the air blow gun if I need a concentrated stronger air stream.

Corded, only usually use circular saws, sanders, routers and other long runtime/high power tools along with stationary tools (mitre saw, table saw, etc). I haven't used my corded drill in years, same with sawzall, jigsaw, etc.

 

[Mr_B]

I use air tools every day, quite simply could not work without them .
If you efficient you shouldn't be dragging dirty air hoses about as you have clean one ;-)
compact size of air tools to power means they still king in the shop and until you get a battery air hammer, smoke machine, leak down tester and blow nozzle I going have airline in my bay .
Take a look at a facom ns1600f and kuani KI2323 and then look at milwaukee battery tools and see what you want squeeze around tight working areas all day long !
In a shop battery tools are totally overrated to point of being a fashion craze .
are they useful- yes, are they best thing going- no ...

 

[Professional Tool User]

The main limitation with cordless tools is the battery. Batteries are expensive and they all eventually deteriorate. If you are working a job where a decent compressor and air system is already provided, all you have to do is buy decent quality air tools and keep them oiled. And even for a DIYer, a Harbor Freight 21 gal gallon compressor will be sufficient for everything except painting and die grinding. By the time your air tool needs to be rebuilt, there's probably something better available on the market. With cordless, the amount of time it takes something to go obsolete seems to be a lot faster and you may have to worry about batteries not being reverse compatible. Air tool fittings are standardized. And then there's the dimensions of the tool. The bulge created by a 18V battery really gets in the way and high powered cordless models seem to be pretty large in size. Even those low power models seem to be less powerful and slightly more bulky. Both have their place. I've got a cordless drill and impact driver. And if I can justify the cost, I might even get myself a Milwaukee fuel cordless ratchet for low torque work.

 

[Ign]

I'm the exact opposite- in the shop I try to never reach for corded or hosed tools if I have a cordless substitute.

People who think batteries no longer last are living in a time of ni-cad or buying really cheap li-ion. It's like thinking your vehicle will falter at high altitudes or on angles: welcome to the world of EFI. Pre-Li-Ion was carburetion.

That said when I have any substantial grinding to do I have no choice but to use my corded grinders. Every few days I have to untangle the *********** of cords for grinding, rubber backer, ScotchBrite backer and cup wire wheel

 

[AA/FC]

I don't worry about the newer lithium batteries. Yes, I know they will eventually die completely but the convenience they offer over their lifetime is absolutely worth it to me. I bought one of the very first Milwaukee 18 volt FUEL brush-less drills. This must have been 2012, or early 2013..... the drill kit came with two M18 Lithium battery packs and a charger. Since then I have bought the Sawzall and two 1/2" impact guns. ALL the battery packs I have still work like the day they were new. I have yet to have one single problem with the Milwaukee lithium batteries. Yes, that day is coming but those original drill batteries are 5 or 6 years old now and if they **** the bed tomorrow, I would not be one bit upset. Those batteries earned their keep LONG ago. They owe me nothing....

 

[joedodge]

I don’t find them overrated at all. I’m a heavy diesel tech I work in and out of the shop on top of trucks in the body’s of trucks. Air just is not always available or convienent. The electric motors and battery technology has come so far. It’s here to stay. And is amazing

 

[Alexander]

I'm in IGN's world. I choose battery as the main option, air as second, and corded third.

I'm in the scenery construction industry (metal/wood/plastics/other) rather than automotive or other common GJ users so your needs may differ.

My batteries are 8+ years old, and I only recently started adding more/retiring old ones as new generations and capacities become available (and I add more tools!).

My battery tools generally perform as well as their corded brethren, although there are always exceptions. If I need air (blowgun especially), it's still available, but I'll pick the battery version first, if available.

If I need a regular woodworking tool - circ saw, jigsaw, sawzall - I pick up the cordless version first, as it's usually way more convenient, especially because even for a big job I have plenty of spare batteries sitting around in my other tools. The batteries do tend to last pretty long, though.

On my list to buy cordless next are trim router and random orbital sander to add to the collection of 30+ battery tools.

As I said before, I'm not suggesting you can go without an air compressor, but I tend to choose battery first, when it's an option.

As for corded electric, it's also still something I own, but I try less and less to need it, and find myself less and less wanting to pull it out. The more you play with cordless tools, the more hassle you find it to be when you have to drag a cord around, or even find ones long enough to get to your workstation.

So to answer your question: No, I don't feel cordless will REPLACE corded or pneumatic tools. Did corded or pneumatic replace hand tools? The answer is obviously a resounding NO. Each will always have their place. I do, however, find myself using battery options more than the others, by far.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Two or three years go I would have been in the die hard air tool group, but when I went to Milwaukee my whole power tool world changed. Those who think most cordless cannot compete with most air tools are probably running old cordless or junk cordless.

 

[Ign]

Yep, who wouldn't love this ********??

 

[Buickspec6231]

My first cordless tool was a Milwaukee cordless drill (Circa 2009?) with Li-Ion batteries. They did not survive a single winter in the unheated shed in Central NY. I originally bought it for when I worked at a Freightliner dealership so that I had a drill without an air hose running in to the cab of a brand new truck. The (I believe) 18V drill didn't have the power I needed to run the larger hole saws required for routing the hydraulic hoses out. I still had to go back to the air drill anyway and brought the Milwaukee drill home to die. And as others have said, the IR air drill I used is 1/3 the size of the cordless drill. I did use a little Snap-on bit driver all the time when taking dashboards apart. That cordless tool is awesome. I guess as others are pointing out it depends on the type of work and frequency of use for the cordless tools to payoff. I'm just not ready to adopt them as the next best thing. I'm just a hobbyist.

 

[jd_1138]

I've never had a battery failure on a cordless tool. Granted I'm just a DIY'er who fixes my own stuff and occasionally stuff for 2 or 3 others. So my batteries aren't charged that often (is that good or bad?)

I have Makita and Ryobi. Used to have DeWalt stuff. I also have corded power tools (reciprocating and circular Makita), but cordless is just so convenient.

 

[sweet victory]

For most tools, I love my Milwaukee stuff. There are certain niches that they have not entered yet, so I can't say it will replace them entirely.

When it comes to a 90 degree die grinder, I'll take pneumatic.

When it comes to a single stage paint correction, I'll take corded.

 

[77thor]

I've also never had a battery failure on my 20V DeWalt cordless tools... and I use them a lot, working for Habitat for Humanity doing deconstruction (salvage) work.
So, I don't believe that they're "overrated".
I never use any of my old corded tools any more.

And I doubt if I'll ever buy corded again.
(I never had any air tools.)

 

[GrantCee]

I’m a DIYer who does all his own mechanical work (car, truck, tractor, farm equipment) as well as home improvement (framing to finish carpentry, plumbing to roofing.)

Over the last few years, as the quality of cordless tools has gotten better (I have all 18v Makita tools) I’ve found myself simply not using the corded equivalents. For me, the tipping point was the introduction of Makita’s 36v (18vX2) 7-1/4” circular saw. It’s the first cordless saw I’ve used that was able to replace my worm drive Skilsaw. Overall, I’ve found that quality battery powered tools will easily hold their own against corded in the work I do.

As a result I’ve given away all of my corded tools and (except for the table and miter saws) replaced them with cordless. I don’t want to go back to dealing with cords.

I use those tools consistently a couple of times a week, so I really don’t face the prospect of dead batteries. I’m always exercising them and rarely have a situation where I’m out of power. (Even if I run out, I can have a charged battery in 30 minutes. I have 3 batteries, and if I had another one or two I’d never run out of power.)

As to air tools, the only thing I use air for is to drive nailers. My 1/2” impact wrench is cordless and does everything I need. If I were a working mechanic I’d no doubt use air impacts, as they’re a lot smaller and lighter — but even there the newest cordless impacts are getting pretty compact and pretty powerful.

I think corded tools have their place, but that place isn’t in my shop. I don't foresee myself ever buying another corded tool.

 

[Lisamelting]

I'm in industrial maintenance so don't usually have the space constraints that come with the auto world. As recently as 5 years ago air tools we're king. Now it's cordless first, air second followed by corded tools.

The biggest exception would be ratchets. Everyone uses air.

 

[Voi]

I have replaced corded, air and gas tools with cordless. I did so when we purchased a second property with not so accessible temporary electric and certainly no place to store tools much less gas for four stroke and two stroke yard equipment or house a large compressor.

I had previously not been impressed with earlier versions of cordless angle grinders, circular saws and reciprocating saws so I did this reluctantly.

I have been impressed. I always reach for my brushless angle grinder, circular & reciprocating saws first. My brushless Makita chainsaw is so handy I already winterized the Stihl two-stroke chainsaw in my shop. I sold my Stihl two-stroke string trimmer and one other gas chainsaw at a rummage sale and was glad to see them go. I still have a cheap gas mower that gives me no trouble.

The only time I have used a corded tool since my purchases was when I needed to cross cut 1.75" maple butcher block. I got two rips and one crosscut done with my 6.5" brushless/cordless Makita circular saw but the last crosscut needed my 7.25" corded saw.

I draw the line at miter saws and table saws. I'm not a contractor but am a recovering wood worker and I just don't see the convenience of all of my other cordless tools transferring over to those. I guess I just don't need cordless versions of tools where I bring the material to the tool versus bringing the tool to the material. The guy who framed in my cabin at the above mentioned second property disagrees. He can't wait to get cordless miter and table saws.

The only common air tool I have in cordless is a compact 1/2" impact wrench I got to take on four wheeling rides. I'm very impressed with how compact and powerful it is. However, I know there are air equivalents that are much more powerful and even more compact. I suspect I'll end up with a cordless ratchet and probably not buy another large compressor so I can do that type of work at both home and at the cabin.

 

[epmills]

I use air for just about everything big, lug bolts, cross member bolts, bell housing bolts, ect. 1/4 inch cordless for things like belly pan bolts, ignition coils, valve cover bolts, interior screws. I find no need for cordless in anything else. The impacts are huge and bulky, an air hose is no big deal.

 

[plinker]

For me (and most people I know) cordless isnt going to replace everything by far. Most air tools run longer and are more compact the the equivalent battery tool. With air you dont really have to worry about overheating or changing batteries regularly. I have run grinders long enough at times where they have iced up on me.

It is more restrictive with air tools given the need for a compressor, but either tool type is a trade off. It just depends on what you require them to do.

The battery tools I use at work regularly are the M12 3/8 ratchet, 3/8 impact, 1/4 impact, grease gun and drill. Everything else is air powered.

The boss has a new Milwaukee m18 impact and while it's nice not draging a hose the weight of the thing is considerably more then my Matco impact, and the Milwaukee is considerably bulkier.

 

[WWheeler]

I waited until the past couple years to start the changeover to Dewalt 20V Li-ion but I still have 18V NiCad Firestorm and Dewalt tools from the 1990s with batteries that are more than 10yrs old all still going strong.

With NiCads it was important to fully charge a battery and then run it almost completely dead before recharging fully to get the most out of them, but with today's Li-Ion batteries that's actually not so good for them. Partial charges and recharging half full Li-Ions will extend their life longer than full charges and running them out.

Rather than reinvent the wheel here's a post of mine from a similar thread a few months back ...

I was all DeWalt for years. I started soon after the 18v XRP battery systems came out. When they came out with the 20v lithium - which was kind of a turnoff for me because they are really 18v like the rest of them - they promised a converter to allow us long time users to buy the new batteries and use them in our old devices. After two years of waiting, I gave all my DeWalt stuff to my nephew and replaced it all with Milwaukee. I don't ever plan on buying another yellow tool again.

Guess you just couldn't wait for it because Dewalt definitely did come out with that 20V batt to 18V tool adapter. It works great (so do the ~$18 knock-offs) but I still have several +10yr old 18V Ni-cad batteries still going strong also.

I got started with Dewalt cordless in a roundabout way in the early-mid 90s. I already had several corded Dewalt tools, 3/8 and 1/2 drills and a reciprocating saw, all of which I still have and have been bulletproof for me, when I picked up an 18V Firestorm drill. A friend/coworker that was with me at the time gifted me a Dewalt 18V charger and a battery to use with it. Stanley Black and Decker owns Dewalt and it was pretty common knowledge at the time that the Dewalt battery was interchangeable with the Firestorm, both worked with the drill, and the Dewalt charger was miles and miles better than the Firestorm trickle charger which didn't let you know when a battery was charged or not and just kept trying to charge it - seemed it was designed to kill off those Firestorm batteries in no time. As it is that drill is still alive and kicking to this day.

Then not long after I bought a 5-tool 18V Firestorm kit for under $100 (also came with a nice studfinder/laser level), assuming I also could also use the Dewalt charger and batteries. Turns out they changed to a sliding battery design so the Dewalt batteries would no longer work in the Firestorm tools, but after a bit of head-scratching I was able to still use the Dewalt charger after making an adapter by modifying a cheap 2-prong extension cord. The firestorm tools weren't great, but I sure did put that drill to work, and the light too, and all of them still do work. I've no doubt all of them would long have went in the trash bin if it hadn't been for figuring out how to use that Dewalt charger.

Sometime a few years later, late 90s, I ran across a deal on a Dewalt 18V drill and recip-saw combo that I couldn't pass up. These have been workhorses for 20 years now.

And from there well, the 20V platform arrived and they just keep making better and better tools. Save for the M12 ratchet I'm pretty solidly on cordless team yellow.

 

[JoeMcGov]

Today's cordless are not your Daddy's cordless. They are rough, tough and reliable.

I am all cordless at home running the DeWalt 20V system which includes theiry insanely great (full size and capable 7 1/4" worm drive circular saw) 60V tools.

In my commercial concrete business we are 90% cordless (Hilti and DeWalt). They have transformed our business. And when you're climbing into the sky you'll take all the help you can get.

 

[willjogervais]

As far as I'm concerned, cordless tools have already replaced MOST corded or air tools. I go out of my way to NOT reach for them...

this^^^^

 

[Mr_B]

^
In construction type work it tool of choice but in auto/mechanical workshop air still a must, anyone not making most of latest high power nano air tools is working slower and harder for more investment cost than the rest.

 

[kctyphoon]

I suspect you have old cordless power tools.

 

[marineman]

I think overall it's pretty even so it just depends what's most readily available at the site you work at. I work in a heavy diesel shop, we have airlines placed so you can get air anywhere in the shop. Electric is harder to come by, those reels only cover about 1/2. I use air for anything on the outside of the truck and battery on the inside because our air lines are dirty.
At home my compressor is too small to keep up with any high demand tools but electric is easy so I use plug in electric tools a lot at home.

Sent from my SM-G930R4 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[jimreed2160]

Corded tools are a real pain for most household projects where workspace is an issue. Throw a compressor in the works and things get really crowded. My last few projects included a Milwaukee rocket light and various cordless tools. Working was a pleasure and I enjoyed saving set up/teardown time. For me, yard work is all cordless and most household work is now cordless. No reason to look back.

 

[kctyphoon]

When i started at this company i work for now ALL their tools being used were corded.. the only cordless floating around were old 18v dewalt Nicad, and thats what their opinions were based off.. i said - you guys have no idea how hard you’re making things on yourself.. even the rotary hammers.. they all doubted me.. i changed everything over to cordless.. i dont even know where the corded stuff is anymore, and nobody asks..

 

[theoldwizard1]

Eric O. of the YouTube South Min Auto Channel has been doing his own "durability" test of the HF 1/2" 20V impact wrench. He uses it daily and it seems to be holding up !

I would imagine that DeWalt and Milwaukee tools are as durable or better !

 

[ChrisLS8]

My first cordless tool was a Milwaukee cordless drill (Circa 2009?) with Li-Ion batteries. They did not survive a single winter in the unheated shed in Central NY. I originally bought it for when I worked at a Freightliner dealership so that I had a drill without an air hose running in to the cab of a brand new truck. The (I believe) 18V drill didn't have the power I needed to run the larger hole saws required for routing the hydraulic hoses out. I still had to go back to the air drill anyway and brought the Milwaukee drill home to die. And as others have said, the IR air drill I used is 1/3 the size of the cordless drill. I did use a little Snap-on bit driver all the time when taking dashboards apart. That cordless tool is awesome. I guess as others are pointing out it depends on the type of work and frequency of use for the cordless tools to payoff. I'm just not ready to adopt them as the next best thing. I'm just a hobbyist.

The new M12 drills have more power and runtime than your old 18v. Seems like you don't want to accept that cordless is making a big dent in the air and cordless world since you keep bringing up basically ancient tool examples

 

[anndel]

I prefer air tools over battery tools because they just feel like they more muscle despite torque ratings on paper. Plus I love the sound of my air impact wrenches over the battery ones. Nonetheless, I have 10 year old Makita 18V LXT tools and just now the batteries are starting to **** out where they can't take a charge or they show error when I stick 'em in the charger.

 

[Mr_B]

I suspect you have old cordless power tools.

I have some new battery tools as like them for mobile and yard work mainly but I also have some of the modern air tools such as facom and kuani and they are true game changers in the shop.
No battery tool comes close for power to size, throttle control and low user fatigue if using them in a 10hr plus day .
So many tools are still air only anyway so no way I be loosing airlines ever .
For construction it different, cordless all the way but in a auto/mechanics shop an airline is no bother for the amazing high power nano tools it can bring you at low cost and high reliability .

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

you guys have no idea how hard you’re making things on yourself.. even the rotary hammers.. they all doubted me.. i changed everything over to cordless.. i dont even know where the corded stuff is anymore, and nobody asks..

I agree, I am a bricklayer and had bad (frustrating) experiences with older battery tools. Constant battery issues with not enough power and the batteries always dead or waiting for them to charge.

Well I have wanted a small or mini SDS plus rotary hammer for chipping out single bricks and drilling for tapcons and was going to get a corded one because I had the old mentality but I decided that I didn’t want to deal with a cord especially on scaffolding or ladders. Plus it is getting rare to find contractors using corded tools nowadays

I took the plunge and got a dewalt brushless sds plus with 2 lithium 5A/H batteries and will never go back. Completely changed my mind.

Comparing lithium batteries to the nicad tools Is like comparing cars like a newer Honda civic to a 1950s Buick in terms of power, comfort and efficiency.

I just picked up a Dewalt flex volt circular saw that Home Depot had on sale to replace the underpowered 18v one I have been using and I will say that thing has all the power of a corded saw. It is unbelievable how powerful the cordless saw is, it will rip through a wet 2in thick board like nothing




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CR888]

For tradies on the move going from site to site up high & down low the modern cordless tools have been game changers for them. For auto techs in a shop environment not so much, they arent competitive with pneumatics at all. Air tools have been improving as well, have got cheaper, lighter, more compact & of coarse with more power. It depend on what your doing that dictates the best tool for purpose.

 

[Mr_B]

^
spot on .
I'm a mechanic and when recently rebuilding sisters porch roof I wasn't using elec cords or airlines lol
When in the shop it mainly airline as modern air tools kick *** in small packages and price is amazing, 90 to 150 bucks buys you an impressive air tool likely see decades use .
Just no way I could do lot of my work as fast and damage free without air tools .
nano composite impact and air hammer are on the go constantly and save time and energy and make impossible possible and if they don't I reaching for the torch and milwaukee don't do a torch, well not a cutting torch lol .
anyone who struggles with cords and airlines in a shop is simply disorganised, after 30yrs I hardly ever have a tangled mess or find airline a bother .
I do find the bulk of battery impact a bother on suspension, brakes and crank bolts though.
When on sisters roof loved battery saw battery drill and battery bit driver.
Young chap who works for me started with his HF 1/2 battery he know 90% time using Astro nano max 1/2" as don;t need struggle like a *** get socket lined up due to compact size plus don't bust stuff as way better control, cost him less than 100bucks too for pretty amazing impact small as your fist .

 

[kctyphoon]

Remember the first cordless circular saws that came out like 20 years ago? You were lucky if you could cut 2 pieces of paneling before the battery died. Maybe you could cut enough small moulding for one room.. I remember the first one I had, I think it was a Ryobi, and had high expectations... I remember using it the first time and saying why would anyone buy this thing. How far we've come..

Bottom line is people are gonna use what they like, and what's better for them. If you're working in a single bay garage the air hose prob isnt that big a deal, and probably doesn't seem like a big deal if you've been using them for 10 years before cordless got good. However dragging that hose outside 5 times a day probably gets old quick.

Personally if your a guy removing wheels all day long, I cant imagine NOT going cordless. I get aggrivated just dealing with an air hose to put air in my tires occasionally. No matter how much hose you give yourself, it never seems like it's enough.

 

[Mr_B]

^ trouble is cordless impacts are not that good when matched to a modern nano air impact for shop auto work, they way too big and not enough control for large part of auto work .
No idea how people can not organise 1 air hose in a auto shop, impossible run a pro shop without one lol .

 

[kctyphoon]

I agree, but I was really referring to wheel removal alone as an excuse for an air tools guy to abandon the hose . It's at least something where size doesnt matter, and if you're working multiple bays or having to go outside, there's really no denying the convenience in that situation. I mean, I work in a bucket truck and would NEVER willingly go back to a cord. It's just so much easier not having the tool tethered and stepping on a cord in my tiny piece of real estate.

The worst, most aggrivating thing, is being in an akward uncomfortable position - where you have to reach out with a heavy tool - only to have your movement stopped by a cord that's caught on something or 6" too short.