Cordless drills suck...

[Muse]

Never bought refurb batteries. My Dewalt 9v drills' batteries are all NiCd I believe, I loved the first Dewalt 9v drill I got and bought a 2nd. That turned out to be relatively crap shitty, didn't have the quality feel, was obviously cheaper. Maybe it was a knockoff, don't know for sure. I still have those two drills and the 4 batteries but seems like every time I reach for them they're just about or actually worthless until I charge the batteries. Same with my Black and Decker Versapak tools. The tools are fine except that the batteries almost always need a charge by the time I need the tool. My Porter Cable cordless drill and driver (bought refurb off Ebay) have never failed me. The charge is just there! I bought them maybe 5 years ago and I don't think I've recharged either of the batteries more than once or twice.

I used to distrust Li-ion tools but not now. I'm sticking with them, no more Ni-Cad or NiMH for me except for Eneloops. I love my AA and AAA Eneloops, have an army of them.

 

[Fir]

With lithium ion, cordless stuff has come a long way. Even stuff that is traditionally gas powered. I even have a battery chainsaw now. I don't use a chainsaw often enough to justify a gas one and messing with mixing gas/oil etc only to have it sit most of the time.

I cut down this tree with it.



Well almost, this is where I finished:



The bar was not big enough for the trunk and that one major branch I decided to leave for an arborist, it was more sketchy to do than it looks in the pic. In theory though the rest of the tree could have been done with a slightly bigger chainsaw for trunk and a bit more risk taking for that branch. I was using a Ryobi 18v which is on the lower end of the spectrum. I also did not realize how tough that wood was until I started to cut birch with the same chainsaw and it was going through like butter.

We are starting to see more yard tools in general switch to electric which is cool. They even have electric snowblowers now, they are not as good as the gas ones yet but mostly because they use lot of plastic components.

Please tell me you were NOT using a chainsaw on a ladder!

The electrics are nice for high tree work, pruning and occasional firewood bucking.
Still no substitute for a 661 or 395XP!

 

[lxskllr]

Still no substitute for a 661 or 395XP!

Don't look at the dutchman! :^P

 

[Red Squirrel]

Please tell me you were NOT using a chainsaw on a ladder!

The electrics are nice for high tree work, pruning and occasional firewood bucking.
Still no substitute for a 661 or 395XP!

That, I was. Made a video, mostly time lapse though.

It's what made that last branch kinda sketchy, I had no safe way to place the ladder, and have the branch fall safely. I had a birch tree that had to be cut too but needed a bit more of a professional touch because of where it was, so ended up hiring an arborist who finished off this tree too. I think if it was not a bazillion degrees this summer I would have taken the time to do proper rigging etc and figure out a safe way to do it completely, but near the end I just wanted to have someone else do it.

And yeah the electric chainsaws don't quite beat a gas one any time soon, the main advantage of electric I'd say is lightness, no gas/oil to mess with, cleaner (nothing stopping you from using it indoors! ) and it's technically free to run if you charge off solar. Great for the camp.

 

[BoomerD]

I've had good service from all my Porter Cable tools so far, a set of Drill and Driver cordless, a corded belt sander and corded Saw Boss 6" circle saw. No issues at all.

I see Craftsman falls under the Stanley/B&D umbrella. I've always seen high regard for Craftsman, virtually always.

Craftsman hand tools used to be pretty damned good...for the price...nowadays, they're just Stanley tools.

With lithium ion, cordless stuff has come a long way. Even stuff that is traditionally gas powered. I even have a battery chainsaw now. I don't use a chainsaw often enough to justify a gas one and messing with mixing gas/oil etc only to have it sit most of the time.

I cut down this tree with it.



Well almost, this is where I finished:



The bar was not big enough for the trunk and that one major branch I decided to leave for an arborist, it was more sketchy to do than it looks in the pic. In theory though the rest of the tree could have been done with a slightly bigger chainsaw for trunk and a bit more risk taking for that branch. I was using a Ryobi 18v which is on the lower end of the spectrum. I also did not realize how tough that wood was until I started to cut birch with the same chainsaw and it was going through like butter.

We are starting to see more yard tools in general switch to electric which is cool. They even have electric snowblowers now, they are not as good as the gas ones yet but mostly because they use lot of plastic components.

I bought a Dewalt 20v chainsaw last year for the occasional "beach logging" trip...and for general around the house use. A gas saw would definitely have more power and cut faster, but 2-stroke motors require a bit of care...more than I want, especially for no more often than I'll use the thing.

 

[snoopy7548]

That, I was. Made a video, mostly time lapse though.

It's what made that last branch kinda sketchy, I had no safe way to place the ladder, and have the branch fall safely. I had a birch tree that had to be cut too but needed a bit more of a professional touch because of where it was, so ended up hiring an arborist who finished off this tree too. I think if it was not a bazillion degrees this summer I would have taken the time to do proper rigging etc and figure out a safe way to do it completely, but near the end I just wanted to have someone else do it.

And yeah the electric chainsaws don't quite beat a gas one any time soon, the main advantage of electric I'd say is lightness, no gas/oil to mess with, cleaner (nothing stopping you from using it indoors! ) and it's technically free to run if you charge off solar. Great for the camp.

You have a nice Canadian accent! Can you record a video of yourself saying sorry?

 

[Captante]

I have a cheapo Ryobi cordless drill for light-work which does the job.

I also have an ancient all-metal Craftsman corded drill which belonged to my dad that has enough torque to be used to change a tire and literally can twist itself right out of your hands if it hits something solid while drilling.

Actually minorly sprained my wrist that way once!

 

[Muse]

Craftsman hand tools used to be pretty damned good...for the price...nowadays, they're just Stanley tools.

I bought a Dewalt 20v chainsaw last year for the occasional "beach logging" trip...and for general around the house use. A gas saw would definitely have more power and cut faster, but 2-stroke motors require a bit of care...more than I want, especially for no more often than I'll use the thing.

I've got a McCulloch MS1015P electric pole chain saw I bought at Costco in 2002. Used it quite a bit, am pretty careful to lube the chain, but have never sharpened the chain. I figure I should but don't know how, probably need another file, but maybe I have what I need for that.

I need to work on the neighbor's trees, that overhang my property and at this point actually brush against and to some degree hang over the roof of my 2 story house. I figure can do some damage from ladders, but the main would be standing on the roof. Tricky stuff, to be sure, and a sharp chain is a damn good idea.

 

[Muse]

I have a cheapo Ryobi cordless drill for light-work which does the job.

I also have an ancient all-metal Craftsman corded drill which belonged to my dad that has enough torque to be used to change a tire and literally can twist itself right out of your hands if it hits something solid while drilling.

Actually minorly sprained my wrist that way once!

I bought a Craftsman corded drill back in the 1970's that I still have. I think I changed the chuck once or twice. I pull it out for the tougher stuff. Had a keyed chuck on it, got a keyless on it now IIRC. It's relatively heavy. I've never felt it lacked the power I need.

 

[Fritzo]

Don't look at the dutchman! :^P

View attachment 32612

Careful...someone might "STEAL" that...

Where do you get candy corn that big?

 

[Red Squirrel]

You have a nice Canadian accent! Can you record a video of yourself saying sorry?

I may have to do that. lol.

 

[lxskllr]

Where do you get candy corn that big?

I ordered a 1# bag from amazon, but the description didn't say it was a fuckin' (singular)1# corn :^S

 

[BoomerD]

I may have to do that. lol.

Make sure you include "aboot," maybe something like "Sorry aboot that."

 

[Greenman]

Cordless drills are fine for many tasks, especially when portability and space are an issue. I use them most of the time but I have several corded drills for the tough jobs like drilling concrete or auger bits through a lot of wood.

I think your problem is also DeWalt....which is glorified Black and Decker and although I have some of their tools the only ones worth having have cords. DeWalt cordless tools have a cheap feel to me and their batteries are junk.

When it comes to cordless tool I prefer Bosch, their corded tools are hard to beat to....like my portable table saw. Bosch batteries are great and last a long time. The biggest mistake people make with batteries is storing them in the garage which means during the winter the cold really takes a toll on them. All my battery powered tools are stored in canvas zipper carry bags with all their accessories and in the house in one of my closets.

If you want cordless either get Bosch, Milwaukee, or Makita.

I'm going to disagree with that. I use DeWalt cordless tools every single day. They have been nothing short of excellent. My luck with Bosch has been hit and miss, the portable table saw with the collapsible stand has been outstanding, the top of the line 6" sander has been good, the top of the line jigsaw I gave away.
Milwaukee and Makita are both very solid tools as well, but for cordless, the DeWalt 20/60v tools just can't be beat.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm going to say Ryobi is probably the way to go on cordless drills and impact drivers. You used to be able to get a combo with both tools + a pair of 2ah batteries and a charger for $99. They had that sale 2-3 times a year.
Now, they are running slightly different promos, but you can get a similar deal if you watch the holiday and post-holiday sales coming up.

Ryobi 3 and 4 ah batteries last much longer than the smaller ones. You can get those on sale a few times a year too for $79-99 a pair, just watch the deal sites.

The only Ryobi tool I've had really fail on me was a reciprocating saw (corded). I was using it to cut through a roof with a 6" demolition saw blade the first week I had it. It couldn't handle the abuse, so I took it back to Home Depot. They told me, since it was used, they would have to send it off for warranty repair. I talked the manager into giving me store credit and I upgraded to a Milwaukee saw because I needed it that day (had workers waiting on me to finish the demo) and couldn't wait for the repair.

I've seen similar failures with B&D jigsaws....the reciprocating motion is very hard on gear boxes and low-quality metal/gears can easily be destroyed or overheat if you really push them...so just saying...

For drills and rotary tools, I've had no issues with Ryobi. I've also got the Ryobi Bluetooth radio, small circular saw and a few other tools. The circular saw was about useless with a 2 ah battery because it died pretty quickly...and worse with the NiCad that came with it, but with a 4 ah Li-ion....it's awesome. I've done a lot of quick work with it on projects when I didn't feel like getting out my Dewalt, deal with an extension cord, etc...

 

[Captante]

I'm going to say Ryobi is probably the way to go on cordless drills and impact drivers. You used to be able to get a combo with both tools + a pair of 2ah batteries and a charger for $99. They had that sale 2-3 times a year.
Now, they are running slightly different promos, but you can get a similar deal if you watch the holiday and post-holiday sales coming up.

Ryobi 3 and 4 ah batteries last much longer than the smaller ones. You can get those on sale a few times a year too for $79-99 a pair, just watch the deal sites.

The only Ryobi tool I've had really fail on me was a reciprocating saw (corded). I was using it to cut through a roof with a 6" demolition saw blade the first week I had it. It couldn't handle the abuse, so I took it back to Home Depot. They told me, since it was used, they would have to send it off for warranty repair. I talked the manager into giving me store credit and I upgraded to a Milwaukee saw because I needed it that day (had workers waiting on me to finish the demo) and couldn't wait for the repair.

I've seen similar failures with B&D jigsaws....the reciprocating motion is very hard on gear boxes and low-quality metal/gears can easily be destroyed or overheat if you really push them...so just saying...

For drills and rotary tools, I've had no issues with Ryobi. I've also got the Ryobi Bluetooth radio, small circular saw and a few other tools. The circular saw was about useless with a 2 ah battery because it died pretty quickly...and worse with the NiCad that came with it, but with a 4 ah Li-ion....it's awesome. I've done a lot of quick work with it on projects when I didn't feel like getting out my Dewalt, deal with an extension cord, etc...

I have to agree ... despite myriad bad reviews all over the internet I've had good luck with Ryobi. Best of all its so cheap when on sale that if it dies prematurely you won't be all that upset!

 

[Fir]

That, I was. Made a video, mostly time lapse though.

Nice video, but wow definitely want to be careful. It sucks when it's hot and humid but pants and chaps are a must. Even though a battery saw seems wimpy it will still open you up like a fish getting gutted in no time. And ladders...

The funny thing with electric saws as I still find myself running the battery down faster than I should due to constant trigger finger teasing which is from years of using gas saws.

But if they can one day have a cordless that can pull a 32" bar with full house chain and aggressively filed rakers and not stall out or overheat in a few minutes and be under 20 pounds including pack I'm game.

Don't look at the dutchman! :^P

View attachment 32612

Yeah I'm more humboldt myself.

Nice Magnum you got there. I like the ripping sound of a Husky but Stihl has the torque when dogging in with big bars.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You have a nice Canadian accent! Can you record a video of yourself saying sorry?

I finally got around to it.

 

[snoopy7548]

I finally got around to it.

@ultimatebob I nominate this post for a Coolcoin!

 

[shortylickens]

OK, so, that was a pointless bump.

Anyway, as I'm sure you all know cordless tools are not truly cordless. You still need to charge batteries and of course that requires a working outlet.
HOWEVER, if any of you have ever done an all day job on a worksite you probably realized its so much easier not having to struggle with a cord while you're working. And modern lithium ion batteries can provide several hours to a full days work without difficulty, depending on the job.

I remember when we had a bunch of tasks at my local archery/gun range. Everyone was using battery powered drills, nail guns, sanders, and other tools. No one wanted to trip and die on a cord. And we completed a long days work on just one charge with each battery.

At the air conditioning factory we use Milwaukee tools and its the same thing. Tripping over a cord is a genuine hazard and there's a lot of work to do on two eight hour shifts. Our only real problem is the morning cock suckers have a nasty habit of not putting batteries back in chargers and ass ramming the night shift into uselessness. We have plenty of batteries. We have tons of chargers. You actually need to USE THE MOTHER FUCKERS and some people just find that too complicated.

Battery powered pop rivet guns are especially useful.

 

[Muse]

I still have several cordless tools with NiCad or NiMH batteries. I should just toss them (recycle the batteries). I HATE them! Most times when I need to use one of those there's no charge on the batteries.

I resisted buy lithium ion battery powered devices for years because I heard that fully charged, the batteries deteriorate faster than when partially charged. Finally, I got the memo. I have a cordless set of Porter Cable 12v drill & impact driver and what a revelation! I can come back to that drill after months and months and it's still completely useful. I rarely have to charge the 2 batteries. I figure to get rid of all my cordless drills, screwdrivers, chargers, etc. (don't get me started on Versapaks... the tools are great but the batteries are criminally horrible). Should replace all that stuff with Liion. I've started. Bought 4 Liion cordless screwdrivers over the summer. Love 'em.

For the really tough drilling jobs I will pull out my 40+ year old Craftsman corded drill. I replaced it's keyed chuck with a keyless a few years ago.

 

[mindless1]

^ Yeah I too have various NiCd tools with troublesome old batteries that I haven't thrown out, thinking someday I may retrofit them with Li-Ion and a BMS board for cell discharge protection.

Primarily I was thinking of retrofitting tools that I'd get acceptable power (for their purpose) out of 4X or fewer 18650 cells, then it wouldn't be much of a problem to put a multi-pin connector on a 4 bay Li-Ion charger to balance charge the pack in addition to its regular charging duties, but there's always some other better use of time as long as my newer Li-Ion tools continue to work.

I am still seriously considering doing that to my old Dewalt 14.4V drill. A few years back I opened and cleaned it out, brushes still good, in good condition overall. 4 x 18650 cells would be perfect for it and I have a snakelight taking same batteries that I modded years ago to be higher output LED, so really I find the light more useful than the drill, but the drill was no slouch either except for the NiCd batteries, and has a beefy case to store the two + charger, was a nice kit at the time except for NiCd batteries.