Bkreutz
US Veteran
I'm with you. I'm the type of guy who takes care of tools, so I have a pile of new looking cordless drills (all brands) that don't make economic sense to buy batteries (if they're even available)
Can't even give them away.
Cordless Drills, What a waste!!
- Thread starter Rule3
- Start date
I'm with you. I'm the type of guy who takes care of tools, so I have a pile of new looking cordless drills (all brands) that don't make economic sense to buy batteries (if they're even available)
Can't even give them away.
cmore
Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2006
- Messages
- 19,831
- Reaction score
- 31,759
About 2 years or so ago I sold ALL of my cordless Drills, Saws, etc and replaced the all with good ole' corded tools. 90% of the time when I use a power tool it's in my workshop anyway so there is always an outlet within a few feet. I have many outlets all around the house including the backyard, and garage so running an extension cord is no big deal.
I took my time buying the new tools and I managed to actually find them as new old stock made in USA Milwaukee tools. Some are 4 or 5 years old but all new in original boxes with all paperwork and sealed. The heavy Duty Router and Tiger Saw (Sawzall) I bought are Porter Cable and also made in USA. I did not do this to save money, and actually they cost me more than buying the new imported stuff, but I know what I got was the last of the high quality made in USA stuff. Now all the new stuff is made outside the USA but I do see that DeWalt is now advertising some of their line as "assembled" in USA with foreign parts. Still not 100% American made, but better than before.
Anyway I never see another cordless tool in my future and will always opt for CORDED ones!
I took my time buying the new tools and I managed to actually find them as new old stock made in USA Milwaukee tools. Some are 4 or 5 years old but all new in original boxes with all paperwork and sealed. The heavy Duty Router and Tiger Saw (Sawzall) I bought are Porter Cable and also made in USA. I did not do this to save money, and actually they cost me more than buying the new imported stuff, but I know what I got was the last of the high quality made in USA stuff. Now all the new stuff is made outside the USA but I do see that DeWalt is now advertising some of their line as "assembled" in USA with foreign parts. Still not 100% American made, but better than before.
Anyway I never see another cordless tool in my future and will always opt for CORDED ones!
OP
SOLD!
That will be my next one. Unless they come out with Dilithium Crystal Powered!
nocents
Member
the old ni-cad battery tools cannot compare to lithium-ion technology......all my cordless tools are Milwaukee.....or Rigid
dougb1946
Member
I am thinking a Sainthood is in order for the inventor of the cordless tool.
Mt last employer started using Ryobi. We beat the snot out of them, and they kept on ticking. I have the sawsall, the drill, the little driver and the big impact tools now.My DeWalt 12v cordless is over 20 years now, and the old style batteries seem to need replacing every few years. The new lithium last better. I hate throwing out the deWalt, cause the drill is still perfect.
Mt last employer started using Ryobi. We beat the snot out of them, and they kept on ticking. I have the sawsall, the drill, the little driver and the big impact tools now.My DeWalt 12v cordless is over 20 years now, and the old style batteries seem to need replacing every few years. The new lithium last better. I hate throwing out the deWalt, cause the drill is still perfect.
CCantu357
Member
I recently went through a battery charge failure with a Makita 18v lithium-ion drill-driver. It would have cost as much to buy new batteries as it would have to buy a new tool. Turned out to be even less - I bought a corded Porter Cable impact driver for about 50 bucks. Combined with the old corded Black & Decker and Skil drills my granddads left me, that still work as new, it makes a good combo. While I understand the convince of cordless tools for pros, the extra power and longevity of corded tools make more sense for basic home improvement type tasks. More Power!
Cooter Brown
Member
Places like Batteries Plus--I think they're called Batteries and Bulbs now--can replace the cells in Ni-cad batt packs much cheaper than you can by new one. I've used them with good success.
Ni-cad batteries need to be used/cycled often or they just flat poop out and progressively hold a charge for less and less time. By often I mean at least weekly.
The Li-ion batteries are much more forgiving of sitting around for long periods of time. Those who've sworn off cordless tools should try a good quality Li-ion. There's a huge difference in battery service life even when a tool isn't used daily.
Ni-cad batteries need to be used/cycled often or they just flat poop out and progressively hold a charge for less and less time. By often I mean at least weekly.
The Li-ion batteries are much more forgiving of sitting around for long periods of time. Those who've sworn off cordless tools should try a good quality Li-ion. There's a huge difference in battery service life even when a tool isn't used daily.
What cooter said. I have a couple 18v Bosch. Sit without use in the engine room for months but stay charged, and really work for a long time. Li-ion batteries is what Tesla is all about. Dang.
Last edited:
Batteries can be funny sometimes. Back about 20 years ago my wife bought me a good Dewalt 18 volt 1/2'' dril as a Christmas gift. In that era it came cased with a charger and only one battery. Now granted I never used it at work only for doing home projects, but it does have a lot of miles on it.
I'm still using it todayWITH THE ORIGINAL BATTERY. I bought a Dewalt sawsall kit with 2 batteries about 6 years ago and both those batteries were basically useless with in 14 months. I used them in the drill much more than the saw. I also purchased a couple more batteries down at the big box, they died fast also!
Yep I'm still using that old battery. Its the only one I still have It takes a good charge and gives me good mileage till it needs a another recharge at what I call a normal interval. I hardly ever use my corded drills any more unless I'm hammer drilling in concrete. Sometimes it sits few weeks without being used and when picked up works fine in both drill and saw. The saw does pull it down much faster!
When that old battery or drill dies I will fell like I'm loosing a old friend as that outfit has done a LOT of work over the years.
Tradewind36
US Veteran
I have a really cool drill, it has a string like thing attached that plugs into the wall. It's magic, always works and has plenty of power.
Seriously, I tossed out an old B&D cordless because the battery replacement was as much as a new cordless drill. I decided to work with my old electric and have yet to want another cordless.
Seriously, I tossed out an old B&D cordless because the battery replacement was as much as a new cordless drill. I decided to work with my old electric and have yet to want another cordless.
Lithium ion Milwaukee 1/2" drill, I did a home remodel, tore down and rebuilt a deck, and have hung more curtains, did more honey do's and just generally drilled the heck out of stuff. I love Milwaukee Tools even though you pay a premium for them usually.
How many years are you all getting from the li-ion batteries?.When I was still building Ni-cads had a useful life of 2-3 yrs at the most.
venomballistics
Member
about 7 tops.
What beats the ever lovin poo out of any battery is the demand for rapid charging and discharging.
When your pulling 20+ amps out of a battery and shoving a full charge into it in an hour, your asking for reduced service life.
Power is a function of voltage * current.
Therefore, 10A @ 9.6V = 98 watts and 5A @ 19.2V = 98 watts.
use the higher voltage tools where offered.
Charging should be around 10% capacity
2000 mAh should be charged at 200 mA for 10 hours rather than at 4A for 30 minutes.
Though it can be done safely, it still makes some heat which takes the lifespan out of the cell
OP
venomballistics
Member
I will send you my drill pile and you can make me a Drone out of the motors
if the motors have three leads, and you have 4 exactly matching You can pull off a quad pretty easy.
straightshooter1
US Veteran
Well, call me crazy, but... No, wait, don't do that.
What I mean is that since Home Depot is still selling those Ridgid drills for $99 with two ion-lithium (or lithium-ion) batteries and free lifetime replacement for the batteries (as well as parts to fix it if it quits rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring), I went by and bought another one.
There's some method to my madness, especially if a hurricane comes this way. We have heavy lexan or some other clear material (forgot what it is) that covers a whole bunch of windows and sliding doors and are secured by wingnuts.
Bazillions and bazillions of wingnuts. I have a little doodad that fits on a drill that makes it very fast, but two batteries would probably not do all.
Another drill, in the hands of my much more mechanically inclined wife, on the other hand would make the job go faster. And I already had another little wingnut fastening doodad, just waiting for a drill to latch on to.
I also play with tools, and my wife is very craft oriented, so she can have her own drill. Her birthday was just a few days ago, can't wait for her to get home from WORK
so I can show her the "big" present I bought for her. 
She'll be so happy!
Bob
What I mean is that since Home Depot is still selling those Ridgid drills for $99 with two ion-lithium (or lithium-ion) batteries and free lifetime replacement for the batteries (as well as parts to fix it if it quits rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring), I went by and bought another one.
There's some method to my madness, especially if a hurricane comes this way. We have heavy lexan or some other clear material (forgot what it is) that covers a whole bunch of windows and sliding doors and are secured by wingnuts.
Bazillions and bazillions of wingnuts. I have a little doodad that fits on a drill that makes it very fast, but two batteries would probably not do all.
Another drill, in the hands of my much more mechanically inclined wife, on the other hand would make the job go faster. And I already had another little wingnut fastening doodad, just waiting for a drill to latch on to.
I also play with tools, and my wife is very craft oriented, so she can have her own drill. Her birthday was just a few days ago, can't wait for her to get home from WORK
so I can show her the "big" present I bought for her. She'll be so happy!
Bob
Last edited:
Squarebutt
Member
I think the OP is right - it's planned obsolescence. The only cordless tools I still own are a little Ridgid 9V driver-drill and my ancient Makita 9.6V. Interesting that the old nicad "banana" batteries for the Makita still take and hold a charge, but the newer li-ions are dead. Everything else, sawzall, circular saws, drills, drywall gun, miter saw, jig saw, hammer drills, etc., are all corded. Too far from the wall plug? The little Yamaha generator takes care of that. It keeps us going through the bad storms and outages and actually was used to build an entire house for Habitat for Humanity. It cost $500 thirty years ago. Still starts on the second pull.
straightshooter1
US Veteran
I love it when I am right. That's not to imply that my being right is a rare thing at all.
My wife loved the drill. She thought I was purty smart to get another one and to register it in her name.
It's always nice to live in a house where the woman is happy.
Bob
My wife loved the drill. She thought I was purty smart to get another one and to register it in her name.
It's always nice to live in a house where the woman is happy.
Bob
Similar threads
- Locked
