Corded vs Cordless

>>1107145
it really depends on how much you are using them.
With that being said, I would get them all corded. I own all of those tools and they are all corded.
I own a cordless angle grinder and have used sawzall before and they are both garbage.

I use cordless for tools that I use constantly, like a drill, driver, leaf blower (literally the most used powertool I own and good for everything from cleaning the shop to starting bbq fires).

Corded for tools that I don't use that often, like skilsaw, jigsaw, sanders, etc, because they should last me for decades.

>>1107145
i would def get a corded grinder

>>1107145
If you're a tradie then I suppose its absolutely no question you should buy cordless tools, there is nothing worse than fannying about running extension leads everywhere making a mess especially if say your a plumber pulling up boards and there's a spark in fiddling with the electric then what? Your fucked that's what. A pair of really decent batteries will cost you absolutely no argument but the tools usually you can buy without batteries so once you have one cordless tool you have already paid out what your going to pay out.
I owned a few cordless drills about a decade ago and they were all gutless shite,I avoided all cordless told since then. A few years ago I bought a cordless drill on offer and its fucking brilliant. If I was going to buy all new tools I might consider going cordless even in a shop rather than on a site it's just so easy not fucking around with cords.
The only thing I would say would be a rotary hammer i can't imagine would be easy on batteries. If you are going cordless on that your already in with both feet. If you mean just a screwdriver then that's a different story.

>>1107160

The reason I started thinking about this and made this decision was because I had one of the most major pain in the ass jobs yesterday.

I already have older power tools, and most of them have worked beautifully for the past ~10 years, but I had to run about five different 50ft and 100ft extension cords for three different tools and then going into a low crawlspace with them and having my drop cord come unplugged for my sawzall and having to crawl all the way back out again.

I also had a job where I couldn't get into the home and had to run an extension cord around the entire house, which was on a steep hill, just to drill two holes to fasten a sillcock. That job would literally have only taken two minutes with a cordless drill.

I can't really see the use of a cordless jigsaw and the only thing I ever use an angle grinder for is smoothing out cast iron pipe after it cracks when I cut it. The only time I ever use my circular saw is to cut 2x4 for mounting shower valves, so not really much of a point going cordless on that.

These are really insignificant problems, but having cordless stuff would have just made the little things on the job flow better.

>>1107145
Definetly get a cordless sawzall, the convenience is just so great and they can last a while on a charge.

Jigsaw and circular saw can go either way, If you just set up in one area and cut everything there then corded will be best but if you are going place to place cutting shit then cordless might be best.

Angle grinders just eat batteries and are rather shit cordless

>>1107145
buy both corded and cordless they all have different uses

>>1107164
Thing is once you get one cordless tool with batteries to run it, getting more cordless tools that run on those batteries is just so convenient and actually isnt any more expensive than getting corded tools
Example will be the milwaukee sawzall in both battery and corded versions are the same price

>>1107145
The overriding consideration is how you typically use the tools. If you regularly move it around for brief tasks, cordless is definitely the way to go. If you can do something in one spot for a while, corded has advantages. For how I would expect things to go, knowing little of your specific situation:

>jigsaw
Cordless. I'm assuming it's mostly for cutting small holes to run stuff through.

>Skilsaw
Corded. This is best used on sawhorses or a work table in an established work area, and the power needed makes corded a lot cheaper than cordless. But a (corded) miter saw may be better for that, depending on exactly what you do.

>Sawzall
Cordless.

>Angle grinder
Corded. Similar to Skilsaw. With the exception of having to make a bunch of small cuts in awkward places.

>>1107164
Tbh I forgot the list about 5 seconds after I started the reply. Cordless grinder is probably retarded. As for jigsaw I used to run out of cord regularly and it was a real pain in the cunt, then I put some sockets on the roof and now I can cut practically anywhere so i wouldn't need a battery for a jigsaw now but out might be handy not to be tied down by a cord if your doing some intricate work

>>1107145
Personally, I'd go cordless on the Sawzall and corded on the rest. I have a 20 volt dewalt Sawzall and it's beaslty. The rest are just going to eat batteries so quickly that running cords will probably be faster.

Cordless is overrated. It's marketed in such a way that ppl think they need EVERY FUCKING TOOL to be cordless, but it just ain't so. Some things do very well with cordless. Some things are passable. Some things are shite.

Always Good cordless:
Drill / Driver
Sawzall (if you do demo)

YMMV Cordless:
Circular saw
Sawzall (if you don't do demo)
Saws not otherwise mentioned (quick, occasional cuts ok; projects and serious work not ok)

Never Ever Cordless Because Fuck You Can't Be Serious:
Angle Grinder
Sander
Rotary Hammers
Masonry tools
Machining tools

Besides cutting into profits. Why don't these tool manufacturers combine battery and corded designs into one tool?

Seems too simple a solution to a common dilemma.

>>1107794
Cutting into profits is literally the only reason.
Everyone sells corded tools, and everyone loves to have people by the balls forcing them to pay a large amount of money for 6$ worth of chinese lithium cells in a plastic case

cordless grinders are very nice to have but they will eat batteries. my dewalt 20v can blow through a 5ah battery in 5 min with a cut off disc. lasts much longer with light grinding or using a flap disc but really i only have it for small jobs and will use a corded when i can. i hear the new 60v system lasts quite a bit longer tho

>>1107797
>>1107794
Well, it's not the only reason. AC is generally 120 volts or 220 volts, depending on your country. Most cordless power tools top out at 24 volts. Many are much lower than that. I've seen some as 'weak' as 6 volts. 12-18 volts seems to be the standard these days. Even if you use a universal motor you would still need to step down the voltage quite a lot to power a standard cordless tool. While it has been done it can be problematic. Especially since it's very easy for a battery to produce a metric fuckton of amps but much less easy for a step-down converter to handle the task. Used be surprised to see the amp demands of a little cordless tool motor. It's no joke.

Here if you are using corded power tools on any commercial jobsite, they have to be safety inspected (Test and Tag) before they are even allowed on site. This costs about $10 per tool, and some sites require retests monthly - which means that cordless has become very popular.
I'd say the indisputably useful cordless tools are a drill/driver and an impact driver.
After that, it depends on what sort of things you do and how much time each activity costs you if you are not already set up to do it. Essentially, if it is an activity that takes you less than a few minutes to perform, then cordless may be the better option if the alternative is spending 10 minutes finding a power point, uncoiling your extension lead(s) and coiling them back up at the end of the job. Need to cut one or two bolts off? Cordless angle grinder. Shoot a dozen brads into trim? Cordless nail gun. Drill a half dozen holes into brick or concrete? Cordless SDS rotary hammer.

Don't get too hung up on marketing wank such as brands. Those 20 volt drills? Marking wank, they are down to 18 volts just like everyone else as soon as you draw current. Better batteries? Most of the brand names use either Samsung or Panasonic cells; look at what you are paying for the batteries and ask yourself "Is an extra $50 worth it to buy a battery claiming 20% extra run time, or do I buy the brand with cheaper batteries because I can more easily afford to buy two batteries, giving me 100% extra run time."

As for which brand, thats mostly a religious choice. Find a brand that has the 'must have' tools you need and don't worry too much if it's blue or yellow or red or orange or green or whatever.

>>1107784
>Never Ever Cordless Because Fuck You Can't Be Serious:

so you're saying a cordless lathe is a bad idea?

Do all cordless tools bleed the battery when not being used but the battery plugged into the tool? I only need diy house tier amount of work to be done about every couple weeks so my drill and other cordless tools sit in the case but even after a couple days a full battery will ha e died by the time I pick it up to use it, are these batteries old or the cordless tool old versions?

>>1107910
a 5 mah battery is going to last longer then a 2 mah battery and will also cost more

>>1107145

I'll say this about corded tools: they are much much more likely to be in good shape when bought used.

If you want to have alternative corded tools available when a high-power application is needed, I suggest scoping craigslist every couple days until you get all you want for under $50 a piece (I got under $25 on all mine).

>>1107910

About the brands you are primarily right up until a point.

I have 6 Ryobi tools and the only thing that runs true is the power saw.

I have had many corded tools over the years and it is worse than cheap chinese, literally China only, brands.

If I were to buy some more tools I would definitely go with something else.

>>1107784
>Masonry tools
Fuck you my cordless chisel is kick ass.

>>1107940
Are they nicads or nimh batteries? That's pretty standard especially if a few years old. Just leave em on the charger if it bothers you

A lot of the DIY guys and part-timers on here will tell you corseted and cordless both have their uses but I can tell you first hand that's no longer the case.

There's no reason at all to not have an entirely cordless line up at your disposal providing you don't just buy the cheapest shit you find.

I mean spend a lot of money on high capacity lithium batteries and brushless motor tools and you will have no issue.

Working in a HVAC trade myself my recommendation brand wise would be makita or Milwaukee but honestly it doesnt really matter any more.

Also a lot of people will suggest you use corseted angle grinders. Disregard. It's not 2007 any more.

>>1108046
*Corded even. Fucking auto correct bullshit.

>>1108046
>Also a lot of people will suggest you use corseted angle grinders. Disregard. It's not 2007 any more.

Cordless are cute for short bursts of light work like HVAC. Many people are likely to do heavier cutting so corded first is best UNLESS you have to craw far away from where you can plug in.

I have both and would love to have a corded 6" grinder that can keep up with my corded Metabo under load but none exist. I've cut off truck axles and cleanly cut ~12" sections of 3/8" steel plate with the Metabo.

Cordless is nice for light work, blade sharpening with a flap disc, etc.

>>1108046
>Also a lot of people will suggest you use corseted angle grinders. Disregard. It's not 2007 any more.

right and make sure you have about $2000 worth of batteries to go with that grinder. unless you want to spend 5 min grinding and 30 min waiting for the battery to recharge

cordless grinders are great and have their place but they simply don't last long enough. better to have both cordless and corded

>>1108076
You're opinion is out dated by about 5-7 years. This was true mid late 2000s when nicd batteries were still primarily used and lithium batteries were too expensive to reinvest into a new platform and not developed enough to be reliable.

>>1108079
Absolutely false. Read above. Most brushless lithium power tools will run for hours uninterrupted, grinders too.

That said I don't particularly use angle grinders any more even if I do have battery powered grinders as metal cutting circular saws are far more practical and can run for days on a single battery and the blades outlast abrasives.

I'll repeat for OPs benefit, these are the people I'm talking about. They don't have have the experience with modern battery powered tools to revert to the corded is better rhetoric.

Dewalt and bosch sell battery powered 110v and 240v inverters so you can power your corded tools from a lithium battery. This by default goes against the grain of what these two are saying.

>>1108106
Also I'm tired of writing this out on a cellphone and making constantly spelling errors now.

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>>1107921
Just say no.

>>1108106

A random corded grinder draws 700W. It will run for about a minute per 18650 in the pack, and only if there's proper 18650s in there.

>>1107145
All cordless. Cordless everything.

>>1108171

Whatever man, go and try a real good quality cordless grinder. Newer dewalt batteries don't use 18650s. Metabo has produced a 9" angle grinder capable of making multiple cuts through RSJs and Stihl have produced a battery replacement for their petrol models.

I suppose what I'm getting at is I'm not really bothered. I know what real world experience I have is more than enough for me to form an opinion I'm comfortable sharing with a stranger on the internet suggesting how they spend their money. If you don't agree that's fine.

If OP is considering using these tools as part of his trade or job I'd advise he does his own research beyond 4chan DIY board - ironically the same place obsessed with imitation crab meat and burying shipping containers.

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>>1108178
>Newer dewalt batteries don't use 18650s

>>1108179
The newer flexvolt batteries which are specifically intended for higher draw tools (such as an angle grinder) will use 20700 cells. Not 18650.

Depends.

Houses don't go cordless for a reason.

There aren't solar powered drills.

>>1108186
Primarily because they don't move.

>>1108184
Thats only in the 9amp packs, the rest of them are just 18650s

just buy both

also invest in a small gas powered generator

they both have uses

cordless drills are good but they wont stand up to large drill bits and hole saws
just buy used corded tools and new cordless older corded tools are easy to repair


having a small generator can keep your cord lengths down too

>>1108046
This.

>>1108186
Top strawman, well done

>>1108046
>makita or Milwaukee but honestly it doesnt really matter any more.
Seems like all brands tools are pretty on par with each others but the main difference would be battery prices.
Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt and Ridgid all have double packs for a good price.
Hitachi battery pack prices are fucking outrageous though.

>>1108189

What, the 9amp flexvolt packs that will be used with the new 54v angle grinder? Glad you realised in the end.

>>1108220
A few people suggest the best bang for your buck is with milwaukee batterries but that's providing you can put up with their tools. As I mentioned they probably are one of the better brands suited to HVAC/Metal work but at the same time I don't know if they're strictly brilliant quality. There are often cases of people sending tools back to be repaired but I guess that can be the case with any brand.

I recently purchased some makita 6ah 18v batteries and they do seem quite expensive compared to the 5ah and 4ah but that might come down in price over time.

I have one hitachi tool that I use daily - the CL14DSL so I don't have to buy their batteries but the tool itself cost over £800 new anyway.

>>1108558
the 6amp flexvolt uses 18650s

The only reason I have a cordless grinder in my shop is because it's more suited to fine work with the reduced rpm, well two.. I can't be assed to pull a cord for my corded most the time

>>1108106
Well said...I have the cordless version of all of OPs stuff (and more) in Makita 18v brushless and they are unreal. I have 4x4Ah batteries - 2 stay on the charger and just get rotated through. Ive never had an issue with power or battery life flogging them daily.

I was originally wary, as I had shitty experiences with old NiMH and Nicad shit but lithium kicks ass and I dont have to worry about cords.

>>1108106
Name even 1 cordless grinder that can run hours on a single battery. My 20v dewalt can use a 5ah battery in less then 5 minutes of use

>>1107157
This. Cordless drill, corded everything else.

Unless you wanna fork out a ton of shekels for top tier batteries, the tools you mentioned will drain batteries too fast to compensate for the convenience of not dragging a cord around.

>>1107145
>advocating cordless sawzall

I did a job last summer that involved a fair bit of demo'ing old as balls hardwood. My workmate's cordless sawzall would go through ~3 cuts per battery, it was a fucking joke.

I could see the appeal for yardwork though if you just wanted to prune the odd branch here and there.

>>1109503
Look out for good deals on cordless drills. I buy my batteries like that.
A cordless drill will have two 4 or 5 Ah batteries plus charger and costs over here around 150€ on a good day. Drills I use the most and are obviously the ones that wear out first, so I like to have a spare. And building something with friends? Quite often you well need the drill in two places, not some other tool.

>>1108014
Nicads. I was just hoping newer cordless tools and or batteries have done something about the issue in the past 10 years-since I last bought any tools. Like I said I am just a simple diy home repair homeowner so I don't need them all the time but hate waiting. Yeah I'll just leave them plugged in the charger I guess

>>1109488
>my dewalt

There's your first issue. You're implying because it's dewalt it should be good and reliable. Their 54v grinder is a lot better. As for running for 'hours' the physics simply aren't there, if you're talking about a cordless grinder that you can use reliably and considerably for an hour or during a working day I have no issue with my cordless Bosch GWS or Makita brushless - not like you're suggesting anyway. The new cordless metabo are supposed to be good in terms of longevity also.

>>1109353
It's not producing 6ah when it's running at 54v; but if you're still talking about how a cordless grinder is pretty much useless unless you have $2k worth of batteries, you'd look to buy the larger batteries/cells, wouldn't you, or are you just arguing for arguments sake?


>>1109453
Try the newer 6ah if you want to spend the money. They are crazy good in comparison to the 4ah and even 5ah.


>>1109503
>>1109516
These are the sort of part timers I was talking about. I used to be like this, looking for deals on cordless tools just for batteries. Truth be told if you find deals like that where it's financially justifiable just for the batteries, you're using shit tools.

If you're a professional the cost pays for itself in the freedom to work without corded tools anywhere and everywhere. I found this out by buying shitty tools in the first instance and dragging cordless tools around with me to job sites for years before I decided to spend some decent cash.

>>1109504
I've no idea what tools you're using but they're not lithium, they're not expensive and probably not produced in this last decade

>https://youtu.be/ggrmKyZrUvc
>71 cuts

That's just a rigid recip review I grabbed for the sake of it. I've never used rigid tools. I don't know if they're good or bad, I know they're not the most expensive, but this alone through 3x2 timber dismisses your point.

There are now 36v brushless and 54v brushless alternatives available on the market.

>>1109516

most drill packs, especially DeWalt are discounted and are really there to fuck over newbie buyers. You'll save some bucks getting their shittiest drill/driver and it'll come with 1.3 amp-H batteries, hence people who complain about battery life.
it's the tool's manufacturers' fault thought as they don't typically advertise the battery capacities when they're garbage anywhere other than the fine print. Avoid drill combo deals like the fucking plague!
If you use tools seriously you'll just end up spending like another 150$ right off the bat for 4-5 amp-h batteries. Tool companies have really taken a page from printer ink manufacturers in this regard.

>>1107784
Actually, i have a Milwaukee angle grinder cordless. It runs a long time, cuts anything. It is superior to a corded. Dont know why you would ever need a corded angle grinder unless you use it for hours per day.

>>1110249
I have the same grinder and the battery only last for 1 and half cut off wheels

>>1110249
I have one too (28V) and while its OK for single cuts it's totally unsuited for much more than that. I'm using recent, good batteries.

>>1110440
Same result here. Sufficient for junkyard salvaging or other quick but totally too weak for weld prep or lots of cutoff work. I get much more battery life cutting with a Sawzall (excellent tool), drilling, or using the impact wrench.

Take note: The controllers on those Milwaukess like to fail and the replacements are not cheap, tho if yours dies ereplacementparts sells them.

The cordless Milwaukee is useful, but far from powerful. No surprise because spinning an angle grinder is quite a load.

>>1110446

How common is it for milwaukee cordless tools to fail? I've literally got the HD page open and really tempted to buy their cordless drill set with sawzall, but I can't decide between it and the makita set.

>>1110518
Couple of the guys I work with have milwaukee tools, they are all beat to hell and back and they are still truckin.
I cant say anything about the makita sets because I dont know anyone that uses them.

>>1110440
>>1110446

Milwaukee is the one brand I've not used a grinder from but that sounds terrible.

>>1110518
Not as common as you would think but surprisingly I have read an over proportional amount of complaints online with failed microcontroller or switch gear. Seems it's more commonly electronic failures.

>>1110885
>Milwaukee is the one brand I've not used a grinder from but that sounds terrible.

Their corded grinders do well. Their 5196 die grinder is god tier in professional welding and I wouldn't hesitate to buy used (so I did) because all that seems to wear are collets and brushes. I ran a welding school toolroom including a fleet of these.

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/5196

Cordless angle grinders cannot handle the load corded grinders do, end of story until batteries improve. So what? If you are welding then you have generator or shore power. If on the road you can do what I do and plug an inverter into your truck to charge batteries, but if I needed to grind heavily I'd bring a generator.

I like the rest of my Milwaukees and my 28V kit renovated two houses then survived me doing stuff like cutting cars in half for salvage (still on the original Sawzall brushes tho I wore out one quickchange chuck). M18s work great for my bro who also has a lot of DeWalt stuff.

>>1108106
>Most brushless lithium power tools will run for hours uninterrupted, grinders too.
Let's take that 54V DeWalt grinder mentioned in this thread. With a 9 AH battery (3 AH at 54V), that's 583 kilojoules. My corded DeWalt grinder (which happens to be the one which the new cordless is advertised as being as powerful as) draws 583 kilojoules in just over six minutes at nominal loading. That's extremely impressive for a hand-portable battery and cordless grinder, but it is woefully inadequate for heavy cutting or grinding, as a welder might do. If a single battery on a metal cutting tool lasts you days, you don't do much metal cutting.

>>1112441

I'm bored of you mate. I've said my piece from personal experience. If you're a welder or fabricator you're in a workshop surrounded by 240v/415v power, acetylene torches, band saws and the like. Last thing you'll go for is a cordless grinder.

As I said. I do enough metal cutting to know what works well enough to invest my money in. As I also said grinders are slowly becoming a thing of the past for cutting anything. TCT saws and recip saws are far more useful and cost effective.

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>>1112580
I use cordless brushless tools daily
I mainly use the cordless grinder to cut off bolts and to split off nuts

I use about 1 and a half cut off wheels per battery's
saying that though it is very useful not to have to pull out 300 feet of cord to change 1 bolt
but if you do anything more than light work the batteries go dead quick

>>1112580
>Last thing you'll go for is a cordless grinder.
Because, as I said, they lack the energy storage for extended use. I work with stainless in a mostly-air-powered shop (the cutting grinders range up to 125 CFM). Cold saws are nice for cutting stock, but they're not suited for making curved, precise plunge cuts on large weldments, which I do fairly often. Plasma is generally preferable where usable, of course, and CNC laser is preferable to plasma, but there are a number of tasks where abrasive cutting wheels are the best tool for the job.

>>1112900

Well done. You've finally pointed out the exact difference between yourself and Op and why I'd recommend OP should look at cordless and why I said in a workshop it's the last thing you'd go for.

Go to OPs post, he states what job he's in, automatically you should think he's not going to be in a fabrication workshop where compressed air is in abundance along side space and ease of access. Presumably he's going to be on site, job to job, in tight spaces. Corded tools are not practical and air powered tools aren't even considerable.

If you want to continually base your arguments on incredulity that's fine, but to dismiss the question and point at hand just to suggest one is better than the other in a completely different environment is on a road to nowhere.

If OP wants he can search a particular cordless grinder or anything else for that on YouTube and be met with an abundance of people only too happy to show how many cuts and the run time of that tool, I'm sure it will be easier for OP to decide if it's worth while given the occupation.

>>1112921

Your claim of "go for hours" any normal person would take as being used constantly for hours.

For example I usually use up two batteries a week with my grinder because I don't use it much but will it make sense if I say that a battery lasts me 3.5 days?

>>1112992
>Your claim of "go for hours" any normal person would take as being used constantly for hours.

What I actually said:

>>1109705
>Their 54v grinder is a lot better. As for running for 'hours' the physics simply aren't there, if you're talking about a cordless grinder that you can use reliably and considerably for an hour or during a working day I have no issue with my cordless Bosch GWS or Makita brushless


If I'd have said constantly, I'd have meant constantly. Instead this isn't what I said. Read between the lines, refer to:
>>1112921

Take into consideration what people in a HVAC setting do on site.

However if you have enough batteries and a charger to hand there's no reason you can't use a cordless grinder all day long.

This has now reached the point of circular argument and I've no idea what else you want me to tell you other than a cordless grinder is useful for someone like OP.

>>1107145
The reasons to go corded are generally for torque, endurance, and maybe simple dependability.

>corded
miter box, skillsaw, grinder, zall

>battery
impact driver, maybe jigsaw, finish nail guns if they're good, oscillating tool

>>1112921
>Go to OPs post, he states what job he's in,
My initial post in this line of discussion >>1112441 was not directed at OP, but at >>1108106, specifically this part:
>Most brushless lithium power tools will run for hours uninterrupted, grinders too.
To emphasize:
>grinders too
This should have been clear since I quoted that in my post.

Now then, you might want to see a shipwright about having that chip removed from your shoulder.