Some cordless tools are powerful enough to be as useful as their corded counterparts. The more powerful ( and more expensive) cordless tools tend to be 18 volts and higher. So let's limit the discussion to that kind of cordless tool. The impact wrenches, impact drivers and drills are plenty strong enough for carpentry work. (If you need to drive screws, an impact drivers is a truly wonderful thing to have.) I find cordless circular saws weaker than corded circular saws. However I prefer them for cutting things like thin plywood since I feel safer using them because of their weakness. Where a corded saw might catch and kick, the cordless saw jams and stops. If you take a cordless saw with you to the large hardware stores you can cut a board in half in their parking lot instead of waiting 20 minutes for someone to answer "customer needs assistance in the cutting area".
The Riyobi stapler/brad driver drives staples as hard as corded drivers, but it there is a slight time delay while the tool winds itself up for the strike.. The corded staplers go bang! and it's driven. Neither the cordless nor the corded staplers have the power of a pneumatic stapler.
Haven't tried cordless routers, sanders, demolition saws. Can anyone give us a comparison?
The equivalent cordless tool is two or three times more expensive than the corded tool. And you must begin worrying about having a set of batteries and keeping them charged. If you're using the tool intensely in a 8 hr work day, you will have to change the battery several times. This is a fast and convenient operation provided you have the spare battery.
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