Cord vs. Cordless Power Tools

[Lisa]

With the shear abundance of cordless power tools now available, does anyone have recommendations for when it may be better to go with the cord over the cordless?

[cmoorejack]

Hey Lisa,
The cordless tools really started to come out in the 80's and early 90's..it started out as a convenience for home owners and some contractors.[not having to drag that darn cord around and having to plug it somewhere.!]...as the years went by and the technology advanced and the tools became more durable..the contractors realized the benefit of using cordless tools on most jobs..["its just easier man..!" ] However, there are still many use's out there for the corded tools where cordless just can't keep up as well.. Manufacturing, cutting large quantities of product..cement work...any heavy use of any power tool the corded is the way to go..
The down side of cordless is the heavier you use your tool, the sooner the battery drains,the heavier you use the tool the more likely you will have repair issues..most cordless tools are designed around the load that the battery can handle and not what the mechanics of the tool can handle..ugh.. but the technology gets more advanced every year and bigger and better things are just around the corner..
Anyhoo, that's my take on it..
cmoorejack
p.s. Great job on the website..you guys rock..!

[Stephen Tashiro]

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.

[Lisa]

cmoorejack and Stephen,

Thanks for the great input regarding corded and cordless power tools As my own power tool collection has grown from a simple Black and Decker Cordless Drill to a corded DEWALT Miter Saw, I've decided that I love the convenience of my cordless wonders - when I remember to charge the batteries...

P.S. cmoorejack,
Thanks for the web site props! I think it's pretty awesome too!

[Lisa]

Haven't tried cordless routers, sanders, demolition saws. Can anyone give us a comparison?

Hi Stephen,

I have not tried those either - yet. Hopefully we will get some responses from folks that have used them! I'll look into them too

Lisa