The great PF cordless tool debate

[AKDoug]

Homie shoots 750 pins in a row into white oak with 6 left slightly proud. Using a 1.5ah battery!

Can’t wait to get one.

I can believe it. The framing nailer is the shit.

[Hemiram]

A couple of friends of mine are contractors and I've tried a lot of their tools out and all in all, I would pick Milwaukee most of the time, but not always.

A couple of years ago, I bought a refurb Bosch impact driver, and I really liked it. It's small size and good power made it very handy. There was a local store going out of business and they had all kinds of batteries and chargers, both new and used, cheap, so I grabbed another drop in charger and three larger batteries. Not long after that, last year just before Christmas, the newer brushless motored version of the impact driver was on sale super cheap and I grabbed one of those. So now I have two tools, 3 drop in chargers, 8 batteries, and a couple of those Bosch toolboxes, which I bought used on ebay for a super cheap price. I have two sets of them now, each duplicates of the other, loaded with bits and sockets, etc. The older one still looks new, the only thing that's changed on it is it always made some odd sounds to it, like electronic beeps, but they are louder now. The new one has about 2X the torque of the old one, enough to startle you if you aren't ready and it jams or stalls. Compared to the old drill I used to have, with a 2 speed gearbox in it, it's a weakling, but for everything I've used it on, the brushless one does a great job;

https://www.boschtools.com/us/en/bos...2-02-119904-p/

[LittleLebowski]

This worked and I am weak.

[rob_s]

I bought an M18 Fuel reconditioned chainsaw to try out eventually, whenever I get around to having some daylight non-working hours again. I want to see if it'll allow me to sell an MS192 that I've had sitting around for awhile new in the box for just in case.

To the comment earlier by @AKDoug , I'd agree with most of those choices with the exception of the 4.5" M18 grinder. Even with a 12.0Ah battery, it doesn't hold up to prolonged grinding and I can go through the 12.0 and the several 9.0's I have before one of them is Rapid-Charged up enough to keep the chain going. Howsoever, I most definitely use a cordless 4.5" whenever I can. I usually provide my own power on a site, so if I can keep from starting my welder just to run power tools, it's a real win on my bottom line.

One other issue with the Milwaukee M18 Fuel line is that their cordless grinders operate at a lower RPM than corresponding 4.5" corded grinders. As a matter of fact, my 4.5" cordless grinders turn slow enough that I can theoretically put a 6" disc on them and still be below it's max RPM. This RPM loss means lower productivity per unit of time compared to a corded grinder. For a hobbyist, who cares, but for a professional, it enters into the equation whose answer determines when it's time to get out an extension cord and start the welder.

I've been using cordless grease guns since the old Lincoln 12V one that you could get back in 2003. They're a lifesaver and were the first cordless tools I invested in, since I had to grease an Eagle 1200 rock crusher, a Cat 980G loader, a Case 1845C skid loader, and multiple associated conveyors at the end of every working day. Used mine enough that I got good at replacing the planetary gearsets in them. The old Lincolns were good guns if you had a couple of extra batteries to get you through the job.

To the various comments on battery sizing, I don't find anything under the 5.0Ah range to be useful enough to spend money on unless it's the battery's physical size that's the problem. The 5.0's aren't heavy and provide prolonged power for most uses. Whenever my last XC and 4.0 batteries die, I'll be replacing with 5.0 and 9.0's with the occasional 12.0 thrown in.

I've probably mentioned this before, but while the Milwaukee tool line has provided my cordless tools of choice for nearly a decade now, if you're looking for the very best, consider Metabo. They're the penultimate in my view. Most of my Metabos are corded because I use them for my heaviest work (9" and 4.5" grinders, conventional and flathead), but I do also have a 4.5" grinder and two 1/4" die grinders that are cordless. They're smoother and better-constructed than their Milwaukee counterparts, and unlike the Milwaukees, I haven't burnt any of them up. The *only* Metabo tool of any type I've burnt up was a 6" grinder whose thermal overload didn't work when it needed to. The others keep chugging along, and I'll replace that 6" with the heaviest 6" model that Metabo makes and try it again. Be forewarned though, that Metabo is a name that you pay for.

Looks like Makita has a new 40v/80v system that could address the power/live issues you've seen in the Milwaukee M18 series.
https://www.makitatools.com/products/xgt

Possible problem I see is that the M18 is 8500 RPM and ~6lbs and the new Makita is 8500 RPM and ~8lbs

[LittleLebowski]

This worked and I am weak.

I'm really enjoying my M12 stuff so far.

[rob_s]

I'm really enjoying my M12 stuff so far.

you should pick up the M12 tire inflator if you haven't already. That little bitch managed to inflate a fullsize truck tire from rim-on-ground to fully inflated.

it was even down to $59 the other day (which is probably why they don't have any)
https://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools...mpact-inflator

[LittleLebowski]

you should pick up the M12 tire inflator if you haven't already. That little bitch managed to inflate a fullsize truck tire from rim-on-ground to fully inflated.

it was even down to $59 the other day (which is probably why they don't have any)
https://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools...mpact-inflator

I've got my eye on the rotary tool next because needs.

[rob_s]

I've got my eye on the rotary tool next because needs.

Love mine. Probably my most often, but shortest, used tool. Grab it, make a cut, put it back. In the corded days, dig out the Dremel, untangle cord, look for a place to plug it in... meh.

[Welder]

I've got the M12 inflator. I use it fairly regularly. Give it enough time and it'll air up the tractor trailer-size tires (11R22.5) on my forklift, one of which goes dead flat if I let it sit long enough. Gets pretty hot doing that in the summer, but so far it's still going (I've had it for a year).

I like it enough that I think I'm going to buy another one or two so I can keep one in each truck and maybe one in the shop. One of my customers is a metal shredding yard and you can imagine what sorts of things I find in my tires. I'm pretty good with a plug kit.

I would actually prefer that Milwaukee would make an M18 inflator. The only M12 thing I have is the inflator. Oh and a heavy-duty looking M12 Fuel 1/2" drive ratchet whose performance is totally underwhelming....200 ft-lbs give me a break LOL. So underwhelming that I don't even see it listed in their catalog anymore, and the one I bought was listed as rebuilt. So yeah, give me an M18 inflator so I can sell this M12 to somebody who has a use for the M12 system.

The Makita grinder linked to is probably nice, but while I hear decent things about Makita, my investment is in Milwaukee and (to a lesser extent), Metabo. Not really interested in adding in a third battery type. Also, as you pointed out, it's heavy (people don't even like carrying 8 lb rifles when slung; who wants to actually use an 8 lb cordless grinder especially overhead?) and very low RPM for a 5" grinder.

When it comes to cordless tools, it's all about portability. Light weight and performance. Cost is a tertiary consideration to me. If I want low cost, I'll buy corded. Or if I want heavy and bulletproof, I'll buy corded. Otherwise, efficiency above all else.

The jobsite I'm on now is gonna be hot this summer, and I'll be spending a lot of time in the air, whether on a manlift or in a harness. I just spent about $700 to knock 20 lbs off the weight I have to lug around, and bought a purpose-built small 110V/220V stick welder with a shoulder strap and short leads. It's replacing a slightly heavier Miller multiprocess machine that I've got over $2k in and have gutted the MIG portion of already in an effort to save weight.

Cordless tools are a lot like that in my mind. If I'm close to receptacles, I really don't mind extension cords. But as soon as I leave the ground or am further than 25' from the nearest power source, I prefer to shed lbs and go cord-free.

[whomever]

a purpose-built small 110V/220V stick welder with a shoulder strap and short leads.

Oooohhh. can you share the details?