Cordless Tools

[Mobasser]

Most pro carpenters here in Missouri have always used a Skill wom drive saw. Mine is around 25 yrs old and still working well.                                           Since I help another retired carpenter two days per week with a small home repair business, we've been operating with his cordless tools.                         His are made by Milwaukee, and seem to be durable good quality tools. His set includes a circular saw, sawzall, hammer drill/drill, and impact driver. We've used them for all sorts of jobs.                               I've owned a pair of Makita impact drivers for three years now, and, have had great results with these.                                             Batteries on all the cordless tools have improved over the years. Longer run time, quicker charge, and lighter weight.                      I have noticed his cordless circular saw will bog down when we've ripped 2x10s or 2x12s. Here, the old worm gear saw easily outperforms the cordless saw.                                        Since I'm old and tired now, I've thought about buying a set of cordless tools. I'm partial to Makita because of the good luck I've had with they're impact guns.                                                         For those that have used cordless tools, is there a brand you like the best? Which ones have you had the best luck with?

[Jigfishn10]

I've been happy with the Milwaukee drill/driver. sawzall and circular saw for the small projects I do. If I'm doing a larger project, which are few and far between these days, I'll pull oy the Skill worm drive. Like you I've had it for decades.

 

Not gonna lie tho, I avoid most projects that require anything greater than a 2x6 these days. Just lost my interest in doing them I guess...?

[Bird]

My brother whose had his own construction business for over 30 years swears by Milwaukee. 

I've had good luck with Cobalt but certainly don't see the use his cordless tools do.

[MN Fisher]

You'll get my Ryobi tools over my cold, dead body

 

My drill is going on 15 years now and yes...even that old one can use the newer lithium batteries...they designed the batteries to be backward compatible to the older tools

[Hammer 4]

I had a Skill saw made in 1956, was all metal and would out cut any new Skill saw I had. Seems these days corded tools are a thing of the past according to a couple of guys I've talked to. 

[padlin]

Milwaukee makes an M18 7 1/4" worm drive saw. 

 

[Scott F]

Whatever cordless tool you get, because batteries are not interchangeable between brands, that’s the brand you almost have to stay with so you can use the same batteries and charger for all your tools. I don’t use my tools for work, but I’ve been using DeWalt cordless tools. They are available almost everywhere, prices are reasonable and they just work.

[Tennessee Boy]

Ryobi for me.  I don’t think they’re professional quality but I’m happy.  They have a great selection of tools that share the same batteries.

[jbsoonerfan]

These days, they will all be great. Like mentioned above, whatever you buy first should be what you stick with. My first couple tools were DeWalt 20V. So therefore everything I own is DeWalt. I have been super happy with mine. I basically did a full remodel with all DeWalt 20V tools. I have the circular saw, drill, impact, reciprocating saw, hammer drill, jigsaw, cutout tool, vacuum, radio, flash light, blower, weed eater, chain saw, pole saw, framing nailer, finish nailer, and grinder(I think that's all). I also bought some 60V batteries that make the tools run longer.

[volzfan59]

I have several Ryobi cordless tools and like them a lot. Like @Tennessee Boy, I'm no professional but I do a bunch of stuff around the house and at my kids house. I've been looking at the Hart line of cordless power tools at Walmart. I did some research on them. They're made by the same parent company as Milwaukee and Ryobi. Some of the parts are even interchangeable. I might purchase a couple and see how it goes.

[slonezp]

Everyday use, Milwaukee

[Jig Man]

I wore my Makitas out and have replaced them with Porter.

[Log Catcher]

The only cordless tools I have owned are drills. I had Makitas for a long time then the batteries went bad. These were the old style battery that is hard to find now. I recently bought a Dewalt drill and impact driver combo. Haven't used them much yet but so far I like them.

 

I'm not going to buy too many cordless tools since the batteries are so expensive for them when you have to replace them.

[slonezp]

1 hour ago, Jig Man said:

I wore my Makitas out and have replaced them with Porter.

Porter that much better? Makita's were always awfully expensive. Even though they have an excellent rep, they are not much different in quality to Milwaukee. Mind you, I was a tradesman for 15 years and have been out of the field for 10 years so, my newest tools are 10 years old. I'm not up on the new technology. Don't know that I could ever find brushes for my drill or Sawzall ever again.

[newriverfisherman1953]

If I was trying to make a living with them I’d go with Milwaukee. 

[Bassin' Brad]

I've owned Milwaukee and they are solid. 

[J Francho]

Many consumer level brands are made by the same manufacturer in China.  Think Doyo reels.  The batteries are often the same, but have a slightly different locking pattern.  As far as what I have, they are all Dewalt, except for my compressor (Porter Cable) and compound miter (Delta). I think I also have a Bosch corded drill somewhere, but I haven't used it in years.

[Jigfishn10]

20 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

You'll get my Ryobi tools over my cold, dead body

 

My drill is going on 15 years now and yes...even that old one can use the newer lithium batteries...they designed the batteries to be backward compatible to the older tools

I still have my blue generation Ryobi drill and impact and like you have since bought an after market lithium batteries. Nice thing is they fit the green generation tools as well. I have a leaf blower and wire nailer that takes the same batteries.

[MN Fisher]

9 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

I still have my blue generation Ryobi drill and impact and like you have since bought an after market lithium batteries. Nice thing is they fit the green generation tools as well. I have a leaf blower and wire nailer that takes the same batteries.

Ya - Blue generation drill, light, 5-1/2 circular saw - and the new lithium batteries work in all of them...got all three in a package deal back in '07.

[steve-pierce]

On 2/10/2022 at 7:24 PM, jbsoonerfan said:

These days, they will all be great. Like mentioned above, whatever you buy first should be what you stick with. My first couple tools were DeWalt 20V. So therefore everything I own is DeWalt. I have been super happy with mine. I basically did a full remodel with all DeWalt 20V tools. I have the circular saw, drill, impact, reciprocating saw, hammer drill, jigsaw, cutout tool, vacuum, radio, flash light, blower, weed eater, chain saw, pole saw, framing nailer, finish nailer, and grinder(I think that's all). I also bought some 60V batteries that make the tools run longer.

Can you run the 60V batteries in 20V tools or did you mean 6.0AH batteries?  I'm also all in on the Dewalt 20V 

[jbsoonerfan]

1 minute ago, steve-pierce said:

Can you run the 60V batteries in 20V tools or did you mean 6.0AH batteries?  I'm also all in on the Dewalt 20V 

Yes, the 60V batteries will work in a 20V tool. It still only produces 20V (something about the way the prongs are situated) but it will last much longer. I use them in my weed eater and chain saw.

[steve-pierce]

21 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Yes, the 60V batteries will work in a 20V tool. It still only produces 20V (something about the way the prongs are situated) but it will last much longer. I use them in my weed eater and chain saw.

Thanks, just did some research. I hadn't seen the flexvolt batteries before

[jbsoonerfan]

2 minutes ago, steve-pierce said:

Thanks, just did some research. I hadn't seen the flexvolt batteries before

That's what I use.

[RB 77]

In a previous life, when I worked in the trades, the only cordless thing we used were drills, and still had corded as backups. Since most of the tools were corded, we went by what brand built their rep with a certain tool EG: Circular Saw - Skil, Reciprocating Saw - Milwaukee, Router - Porter Cable, Door Planer - Hitachi, Nail Gun - Hilti, etc (and some Mikita and Dewalt or misc mixed in) Now, even with the more powerful batteries, I still don't really see a use to go fully cordless, because if you do, ALL your different tools need to be the same brand and there are some things a battery powered tool will never do as well as a corded (ripping a 10' 2x6 length wise with a worm drive corded circ saw). 

[jbsoonerfan]

6 minutes ago, RB 77 said:

(ripping a 10' 2x6 length wise with a worm drive corded circ saw). 

That's what a table saw is for.