Originally Posted by rob_s
To each his own. When I worked in industrial maintenance I loved them. At home I dont have any. Ive done quite a bit of work in this house new windows, doors, upgraded trim, electric. Plumbing and kitchen are next I see no need for them.
I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
The lunatics are running the asylum
That looks like the same one I got from Lowes and use at work to change the soffit fixture bulbs suing the suction cup attachment. It works. FWIW, Lowes is little cheaper.
Bayco 11-ft Steel and Plastic Light Bulb Changer
"You can't win a war with choirboys. " Mad Mike Hoare
Corded/cordless - what works for me:
It depends on how often I use it and where, e.g.:
1)Some oddball tool that I only use once every couple of years - corded, because buying a new $50 or more battery every 5 years means I'm paying $25 in battery cost for every use; for $25 I'll drag out a cord. An example, for me, is a close quarters drill I only use occasionally, a toe-kick saw I have used once and may never use again, or a rotary hammer I use once every couple years.
2)Something that I only use in one location - corded. Examples for me would be routers and angle grinders. I only use those in the garage where I have cords handy, and when I use one I'm usually using it for a couple of hours to all day, so a minute to get out the cord isn't a big deal.
3)Something I use a lot, and all over the place - cordless. Examples for me are a drill and an impact screwdriver. I use them all the time, and frequently somewhere away from the shop, up a ladder, or whatever. Another example is a cordless chainsaw - we don't do enough heavy duty cutting to generally make maintaining a gas one worthwhile, but we frequently use it 400 ft from the house, which is too far for extension cords.
Of course, other people will have different usage patterns, and hence different preferences.
thought of a pretty timely way of looking at the hand/corded/cordless thing for me.
This is what I have, and spent ~2 hours using on my recent deck build. I'll always need to have at least one of these around (and suggest pretty much everyone else should too)
Stanley Bailey 6 in. Low Angle Block Plane $38
Here's what I want, because it matches the rest of my system and doesn't have a cord
Milwaukee M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless 3-1/4 in. Planer (Tool-Only) $229
Here's what's in my cart, because it's cheap and I'll probably only use it one more time
Ryobi 6 Amp Corded 3-1/4 in. Hand Planer $80
If I had taken my own advice and started out on the Ryobi system 5 or 6 years ago, I could buy the cordless version for the same price as the corded and this is absolutely what I'd go with
18-Volt ONE+ Cordless 3-1/4 in. Planer (Tool Only) - $80
(and if you want to know a secret, I'll probably wind up with the Milwaukee anyway... :P )
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I have a set of three Bosch 'mini' tools in 12V - screw driver, drill, impact. They are definitely handy, but not for long duration jobs.
I also have a set of Makita 18V - drill, circular saw (worm gear one - I love it) recip saw, and impact wrench. They are mostly I use around the garage and shop and when operating in areas without electricity.
When it comes to construction stuff, framing nailer and corded drills. You get used to clearing the cord pretty quickly. I try to use a cord cover between drill and extension cord other wise I tie a knot to keep them attached. Works well, I've built several garages, several decks, and a skateboard half pipe that covered most of the backyard, hung a lot of sheetrock, as well as numerous picnic tables and outdoor benches.
If it is going to be a lot of drives, I opt for corded. Most folks don't use them that much, so battery is just fine.
I just had a pole barn built - it was on a commercial lot so the city wouldn't allow me to build it because I wasn't set up as a general contractor with them - the guys that built it used corded drills. On the other hand, the guy that wired it had an inverter set up in his van with a bank of six big yellow (DeWalt) chargers. Pretty cool set up.
Whatever floats your boat.
By the way, in the past I've had good luck with refurbished tool's that I need for occasional use - I bought a refurb B-D 1/2 inch hammer drill years ago for half price, it has put a lot of holes in concrete over the years.
My cordless tools aren’t top of the heap, but they’ve lasted and lasted.
#RESIST
Thats cool man Im glad for you. Ive not had any for home use so I cant comment to that. My experience has been Industrial. Started off with DeWalt which didnt hold up in the long term. Switched to Milwaukee which seemed to last better. However the batteries which were warrantied for two years lasted about two years then showed a fault on the charger. They were expensive to replace so thats why for home use Ive stuck with all electric and pneumatic tools. Ill never have to replace a battery and my stuff wont get outdated with no available power source. Ill be able to pass my tools on once I reach the age Im not doing this stuff anymore which unfortunately will be sooner than later. But Im a cheap bastard and Id rather buy once and be done with it.
To each his own but Im giving my best advice based on my experiences. Others mileage may vary and I fault no one for their choices.
I actually wonder if for home battery use if a battery screwdriver might not be as good a choice for small things as a drill. I used one extensively in industry and they are handy. Panasonic was my preferred brand as at the time they made the screwdrivers for Milwaukee and were less money.
I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
The lunatics are running the asylum
That's where I am. Battery is good for a few things I use all the time, but stuff that will be used only occasionally throughout life, I want to buy quality one time and have it forever. The corded drill I bought when I graduated from high school decades ago is still going strong. There have been generations of batteries and chargers that have come and gone in that time. At one point, my buddies who shared shop space had stacks of old, obsolete cordless drills with batteries that wouldn't take a charge and couldn't be replaced. My mom still has a stack like that in her garage.
The same applies to air tools. Generally lighter and more compact for a given power output. More of them fit in a tool chest drawer.
I don't spend time untangling cords, because I have the tiny bit of discipline it takes to not get them tangled in the first place. Maybe it comes from growing up on boats. For several years, I literally believed "CF" was a specifically nautical term referring to the mess resulting when some jackass couldn't be bothered to keep the various lines on his boat properly squared away.
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I agree 100%. In my shop I might have had ten batteries on chargers and they had to be managed or you would end up using electric tools. When youre 40’ in the air dragging around a long ass extention cord is sub optimal.
But even at home like using a flexible bit to drill holes to pull wire for new circuits most battery drills wont cut it. Youll end up with a bit stuck or a smoking tool. For a lot less I can get a 1/2 inch chuck variable speed hammer drill in electric that will do anything I will ask of it and last multiple lifetimes.
I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
The lunatics are running the asylum
I find it entertaining that "Old man yelling at cloud" and "GET OFF MY LAWN" guy are in full agreement.
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Not another dime.
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