# Tools you still won't go cordless on



## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

IMO cordless is great for tools you use a lot, even seldom used tools IF they use the same battery. Generally corded tools are less expensive [especially when replacing batteries] and often have more power although cordless has come along ways in the last 20 yrs. I didn't realize they has cordless routers.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Hand tools are fine. You get into the miter saw, or heavier circular saw frame, the batteries are just not compatible to full line voltage tools. Batteries add weight....considerable weight, so consider that as well. One boo boo Dewalt made at the onset of the cordless tool push was to incorporate their XRP batteries, which weighed a ton when compared to today's 20 volt platform.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

For hand tools there isn't anything I don't prefer cordless anymore. And you really need to include gasoline powered stuff as "corded" in a sense. For instance I have gone battery powered cordless for my snow blower, leaf blower, chain saw and string trimmer, on the EGO platform. OK, if I had a bigger area to snow plow I'd stay with gas, but the battery powered one is plenty capable.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

I use my Dewalt random orbital sander a lot. Although the battery powered version has surprising power, it’s still not as powerful or effective as the corded version.


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## gthomas785 (Mar 22, 2021)

I use corded tools mostly except for an impact driver and drill. I guess I don't get the fuss about plugging stuff in and why cordless is so much better. Extra cost, weight, having to charge batteries, etc.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Tripping over power cords... running extension cords.... cords pulling out of the wall, cords knocking stuff off a workbench or table, sawing into a power cord (don't ask!), needing a generator in the field.. Etc, etc.

"I use corded tools mostly except for an impact driver and drill. I guess I don't get the fuss about plugging stuff in and why cordless is so much better. Extra cost, weight, having to charge batteries, etc. "


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## Half-fast eddie (Sep 19, 2020)

Belt sander. 
Low speed 1/2” drill for mixing grout. 
Bosch bulldog type hammer drill.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

How and how much you use a given tool impacts the equation; contractors and DIYers will view it differently. I have a cordless circular saw that can be handy for a job out in the yard but I wouldn't want to build a deck with it.

A neighbour recently had their roof re-done and the contractor used gas-powered nailers. He figured not fighting with hoses was worth it. We recently had a tree removed and the crew used both an electric and gas chain saw. Each had their benefits and limitations. For the amount I use it now, it's not worth it to switch to cordless chain saw, just 'cuz.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Drill press and bandsaw.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Yup.



Half-fast eddie said:


> Belt sander.


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## quatsch (Feb 4, 2021)

The OEMs are deciding how much battery weight & runtime vs. cost 
the end user will put up with.

With corded tools the batt. weight is zero & the runtime is infinite & the cost is minimal.


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

I am pretty old school and use a cordless drill and impact driver (and flashlight). All else is corded.


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## miamicuse (Nov 13, 2011)

I don't look at it the same way. To me it's price/weight/performance/convenient.

I have gone cordless on drills and impact drivers and they last a long time even with low ah batteries.

If you work in dark places like attics and crawlspaces the 12v or 18v worklights are a no brainer. I hate head lamps and flashlights that takes away one hand.

I have a cordless Milwaukee blower but I still pick up my gas blower most of the time because the 6ah battery will last only about 5 minutes. It takes 15 minutes of blowing to clear my yards so I will need two fully charged 6ah standing by. Yes I know I can go 8ah, 12ah...or dual pack 36Vs but then once I do that the extra weight of these are becoming significant offsetting the convenience and noise free convenience of battery (vs gas).

I have a 4.5" cordless angle grinder. Bosch advertised "all day grinding". But sorry with a fully charged 6.3 CORE battery it can grind about 2.5 minutes before the juice runs out. Sure was nice to be out by the dock cutting rebars without dragging 50 feet of cord but again, I was able to make six cuts through 1/2" rebars before it ran out of juice, and I wasn't even making full cuts, I only cut about 70% then snap it in two. So to me grinders are not ready for cordless yet.

I have gone cordless on reciprocating saw, that works.

I didn't think rotary hammers would be ready but I was surprised. I was able to drill 100+ holes through solid concrete, using 2-1/4" deep 1/4" Tapcons to secure hurricane shutter tracks. I was using a Bosch bulldog extreme SDS plus hammer with 6.3ah CORE battery. My corded version of the same was less powerful in comparison.

My other consideration in going cordless, is low headroom attic and crawl spaces. If I need to go up or down, and if it means having to drag an additional extension cord with me (tied to my ankle) as I crawl, then whatever tools I will need in there will be given first consideration in going cordless. I am thinking about a ProPEX.

Table saws and miter saws I don't see the point unless you are going off grid but then I will have a generator.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I only have a few cordless tools - maybe because I'm old/retired. My youngest son has quite a few battery tools including a weedeater and chainsaw - both of which he really likes. He's talked about getting a battery mower for the areas his zero turn can't get.

I've seen the advertisements for the battery powered cup guns [spray] and can't wrap my mind around how a battery powered spray gun can give a consistent finish - at least not for long.


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## oggy bleacher (May 3, 2011)

gthomson said:


> realize this gets into a fuzzy area - a cordless pressure washer


 i just used the dewalt 20v cordless pressure washer to clean 9 trash and recycling bins at the park that were infested with roaches. The pressure was ok, i used a bucket of hot water and simple green as water source...but the volume was not sufficient to flush lots of debris. Our trucks have electric water pumps attached to a 100 gallon tank for the vault toilets. Our gas powered washer is only slightly better. The hose is kind of an obstacle no matter what.

I really prefer corded tools because they keep changing battery voltage and make the old one obsolete. I dont like that at all.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

Im about to go cordless on a Dewalt Drywall screw gun. Have a corded version forever but they have a great deal on the cordless 20volt and something you use above your head when attaching ceiling drywall weight means a lot. Since i already have the drill , driver and oscillating tool i have the batteries.


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

I bought a Dewalt 12" cordless sliding miter saw. Runs on two 60v batteries but also has a cord adapter to use 120v power. You can't tell any difference whether running corded or cordless, it cuts exactly the same. Never thought I needed a cordless miter but got it for a price I couldn't pass up. The cordless feature has come in handy a couple times now. The battery life is amazing, easily gets through a work day on a pair of batteries. I can work til lunch, then put the batteries on the charger. That's just using the saw as I normally would throughout a project, not standing there and cutting a stack of lumber. I have a dozen or so flexvolt batteries and twice that many 20v packs, along with plenty of tools that use them.

The drywall screw gun works great, with no cord to tangle up. Got the auto feeder attachment on mine and it will drive screws super fast. Cordless drywall cutout tool works well too, no cord to catch and mess up the cut. The 60v cordless framing saw is incredible, it may actually out cut my worm drive Skil. The regular 60v circular saw is another of my favorites, I haven't really used corded circular saws since I got it. The 60v string trimmer amazes me, I never even considered a cordless trimmer until I saw one in action. Can't imagine I'll ever buy another gas powered trimmer. Easily trims both my properties with battery to spare.

Cordless routers work fine, but they're not really a "switch to" kind of tool. These are compact trim routers, made for small profiles, like a light ogee or beaded edge, rounding over sharp edges, mortising in hinges, trimming laminate and such. You're not going to hog off a heavy cut profile with it or mount it in a table. You still need corded routers for those things. Continuous high speed operation is not a great application for any battery powered tools, but they can do some things within reason.


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## gthomson (Nov 13, 2016)

I'm seeing some good patterns on the comments that are making a lot of sense on where to think with it all.
I just got into doing some welding, so was trying to figure out if I should go corded, or cordless, on an angle grinder.
I've got the batteries and charger needed for the cordless.

But a couple mentioned random orbit sanders and a belt sander. I used those for maybe 1/2 dozen years doing some Corian work.
I see the reason to go corded on those - lots of friction fighting against the power there.
Same thing with routers other than for light work - laminate trimming, etc...
And same thing for hammer drills - the reason they're needed/used is because they are a more powerful option when needed.
When you really need/want that extra ooomph and run time - go corded.

So the choice for me now is pretty clear - angle grinder - go corded. If I'm using it on soft material, cordless might be okay.
But angle grinding steel welds - I think corded makes a lot more sense.

Love to be able to just pull out the cordless, and go wherever needed with it.
But when the extra power, and/or longer run time, is needed - corded still goes the extra mile to do that better. Assuming you're not having to find a mile long extension cord to do it


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

I have a 60v brushless grinder, 20v brushless grinder and the 20v brushed version. The cordless is extremely handy at times, but for serious, heavy duty work in the shop you probably want corded. I still use cordless grinders in the shop all the time. They're just so convenient without the cord and I have enough batteries that it's not really a problem. If I'm going to be using the cut off wheel and do a bunch of cutting, then the corded tools come out.

For work in the field, where you need to clean up or use a cut-off wheel on something that is well out of the reach of power, the cordless can save the day. I often find myself doing these kind of jobs, where I'll need to clean some threads, or brush off rust, clean gasket faces, or cut off a couple pieces where there's no power anywhere close.

The 60v grinder is a beast, very powerful and the battery will last about 10-15 minutes of continuous use. The 20v brushless is smaller but also powerful and fast, it sees a lot of use. The brushed grinder I only use for light work. It feels slower and less powerful. Cutting/grinding with the 20v grinders can consume a battery in probably 5-10 minutes if you really push it. Always depends on the batteries though, compact batteries don't have enough oomph for these kind of tools. I have mostly 5ah batteries but a few 4ah and 6ah as well. Bigger battery is always better for these tools.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Yup, cordless grinders are great tools. I have a Makita 18V 4 1/2" grinder, the older brushed version, and that tool is a life saver. Not quite as powerful as corded or the 60v stuff but will still cut just about anything. It is always coming in handy to cut stuff off, like last fall I used it in my bridge rebuilding project. I had to cut about 20 1/2" and 3/8" rusted carriage bolts off to remove the old rotted planks in a location with no AC power. Made short work of it.



iamrfixit said:


> I have a 60v brushless grinder, 20v brushless grinder and the 20v brushed version. The cordless is extremely handy at times, but for serious, heavy duty work in the shop you probably want corded. I still use cordless grinders in the shop all the time. They're just so convenient without the cord and I have enough batteries that it's not really a problem. If I'm going to be using the cut off wheel and do a bunch of cutting, then the corded tools come out.


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## Randy Bush (Dec 9, 2020)

I have the Milwaukee cordless table saw. uses one 18volt 12ah battery. Have to say I am really inpressed with it. ripping 1xs for jambs and such plenty of power. shorter length of 2x works great too. Not much on a job site would not use corless for.


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## BFox71 (Oct 7, 2021)

chandler48 said:


> Hand tools are fine. You get into the miter saw, or heavier circular saw frame, the batteries are just not compatible to full line voltage tools. Batteries add weight....considerable weight, so consider that as well. One boo boo Dewalt made at the onset of the cordless tool push was to incorporate their XRP batteries, which weighed a ton when compared to today's 20 volt platform.


I'm on Dewalt's 20v/60v Flexvolt system. My 60v 7-1/4" circular and 12" miter saws using 9ah batteries are as powerful as any corded saws I've used personally, and people won't be able to tell a difference between using two 9ah batteries on my miter saw versus plugging it in. Batteries do add weight to tools, but if someone is replacing a corded saw that still works, for example, they can still use it if they get tired. So far I haven't had the desire to reach for mine, but everyone's needs are different. Luckily I went cordless over the last year or so, so all my tools are on the 20v and 60v platform. All the 20v tools can use the later's batteries (so they're backward compatible). That was smart of Dewalt, and they probably learned the hard way from what you pointed out. Even angle grinders (which eat up batteries) are good to go cordless in my opinion (at least for DIYers). For me it's more about price. I have a perfectly good Sawzall, for example, that I don't plan on replacing with Dewalt's cordless reciprocating saw any time soon. I feel the same way about my pneumatic nailers. But as far as power is concerned, the state-of-the-art cordless offerings are powerful enough in most cases, again, especially for DIYers. That really is no longer the issue. Even chainsaws have pretty much caught up (see this review: 



). It's both the added expense (e.g. especially when you consider replacing batteries down the road) and the weight considerations you brought up that people have to decide about for themselves. But even then, some people have had good luck with using the much less expensive aftermarket batteries for the Dewalt and other platforms. Here's a review about that:


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## HenryMac (Sep 12, 2018)

raylo32 said:


> Tripping over power cords... running extension cords.... cords pulling out of the wall, cords knocking stuff off a workbench or table, sawing into a power cord (don't ask!), needing a generator in the field.. Etc, etc.


Ohhh Nooo.... I leanred years ago from Mr. Bill that a bit of organizing and planning ahead of time goes a long way. A shop that has a lot of power outlets eliminates all of your points.


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## 01-7700 (Oct 31, 2021)

i love my screwdriver but everything else still needs an outlet


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## gthomson (Nov 13, 2016)

HenryMac said:


> A bit of organizing and planning ahead of time goes a long way. A shop that has a lot of power outlets eliminates all of your points.


That's probably an important aspect in it - in a workshop, corded can make more sense. Once the tools have to go outside that space, cordless can start to make more sense.


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## gthomson (Nov 13, 2016)

01-7700 said:


> i love my screwdriver but everything else still needs an outlet


LOL - the ultimate cordless tool set - a screwdriver, hammer, pliers, set of wrenches, and hand saw - no energy/power/batteries needed except what comes from you.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

While I own several I've always detested using a handsaw! My grandfather, born in 1878 never owned any power tools. He had an assortment of handsaws [I was only allowed to use one] and hand planes. He was a great carpenter but I couldn't imagine not using power tools.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Oh, take me back to the days...When I was young, dad used his Tree Brand hand saw (which I still have), and manually hammered each nail. No screws. No nail gun. My job was to sit down at a flat rock and straighten out nails they had pulled so they could be reused.


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## gthomas785 (Mar 22, 2021)

mark sr said:


> While I own several I've always detested using a handsaw! My grandfather, born in 1878 never owned any power tools. He had an assortment of handsaws [I was only allowed to use one] and hand planes. He was a great carpenter but I couldn't imagine not using power tools.


Do you have one of these?


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

gthomas785 said:


> Do you have one of these?


no, besides where does the battery go lol


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Hammer... and BF hammer.


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## gthomas785 (Mar 22, 2021)

mark sr said:


> no, besides where does the battery go lol


try one before you go dissing hand saws too much


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

gthomas785 said:


> try one before you go dissing hand saws too much


I grew up using handsaws, never used a skill saw until I was old enough to buy one. While there are occasions when a handsaw is needed, it would be rare for me to use a handsaw if there was a power saw available to do the job.


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

What's a hand saw? Is that for cutting off your hand? 

(Actually I really enjoyed cutting moulding on a $10 miter box from the hardware store. I found it easier than a friend's electric miter saw.)


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## HenryMac (Sep 12, 2018)

chandler48 said:


> Oh, take me back to the days...When I was young, dad used his Tree Brand hand saw (which I still have), and manually hammered each nail. No screws. No nail gun. My job was to sit down at a flat rock and straighten out nails they had pulled so they could be reused.


Your post took me back 50 years... in the blink of an eye.


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## gthomson (Nov 13, 2016)

snic said:


> What's a hand saw? Is that for cutting off your hand?


Finding follow up projects to make use of it is even harder than the fist.
I mean first...


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## billt460 (Dec 12, 2020)

For myself, (and I'm like most DIY homeowners), I simply don't use them enough to warrant dealing with keeping the batteries charged on multiple cordless tools. That, and the fact I'll never get all the life out of them, because of a general lack of use. But I can certainly see where contractors, plumbers, etc. would.

They have proven to be powerful enough, and have good quality. But they don't stay charged forever, and it does them no good at all to sit most of the time. Otherwise I would for certain buy more of them.


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

billt460 said:


> For myself, (and I'm like most DIY homeowners), I simply don't use them enough to warrant dealing with keeping the batteries charged on multiple cordless tools. That, and the fact I'll never get all the life out of them, because of a general lack of use. But I can certainly see where contractors, plumbers, etc. would.
> 
> They have proven to be powerful enough, and have good quality. But they don't stay charged forever, and it does them no good at all to sit most of the time. Otherwise I would for certain buy more of them.


That's the beauty of building around a single battery platform, you can have a wide variety of different tools but you only need a few batteries. I have some tools, like a drywall screw gun or cut out tool that don't get used much, but they're nice to have when you're doing that work. Then I have other tools like the cordless drill or impact driver that get used every day or at least a few times per week. They all share the same batteries. You don't have to buy full kits like you did in the past. Tool manufacturers offer their tools in either kit form with batteries and charger, or a more economical bare tool form without batteries and charger. You can build your arsenal of tools however you wish. 

Modern lithium batteries that cordless used today lose their charge very slowly, nothing like old nicad batteries. Nicad batteries could be completely flat in a couple weeks or less just laying on the bench. These batteries can go months without use and still have almost full charge. You only have to ensure they get put away charged up and not left run down. Also they don't suffer "memory effect" like nicad batteries, so they can be recharged any time regardless of their charge level. I have ten year old lithium batteries that still work good as new.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

The problem with the new lithiums is that when they go, they just go. With the NiCads you at least had a little warning where the tool would get a little slower or wheeze a bit—"Hey, I'm gonna need to be charged pretty soon, just letting you know!" With the lithiums, it's just "Sorry, I'm off the clock."


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

iamrfixit said:


> You only have to ensure they get put away charged up and not left run down.


actually, thats not desirable. lith-ion batteries last longer when they are stored with a low charge. just how much longer, who is to say. my info comes from a battery engineer.


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

Fix'n it said:


> actually, thats not desirable. lith-ion batteries last longer when they are stored with a low charge. just how much longer, who is to say. my info comes from a battery engineer.


I've always heard about 75% is optimal. I do know my cordless tools are useless if I can't pick them up and go to work without waiting for the battery to charge.

As I said in the last post, I'm still using the original batteries that came with the very first 20v kit I bought in mid 2011. They're over ten years old now and still work great. I have 20+ batteries and often use four or five batteries at a time. No way I'm going to put away batteries with low charge and risk one being left to fall below the minimum charge. I haven't had a single 20v battery go bad yet.

If I can get 10+ years of good use on these batteries, seems like what I'm doing is working.


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## Deaknh (Mar 24, 2018)

I am a contractor. The only tools that use cords for me are the paint sprayer and pressure washer. Everything else is 100% cordless. I've never had a problem with power or run time, and I've used the miter and table saws for full days many times.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Not sure where you could put batteries.


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## JLawrence08648 (Mar 1, 2019)

Air compressor


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## Deaknh (Mar 24, 2018)

JLawrence08648 said:


> Air compressor


Cordless 23, 18,16 and framer. Couldn't live without them.


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