cordless drills

Battery Power Tools-Battery Power Tools Review

Battery Power Tools-Battery Size

With Battery Power Tools or cordless tools, power is determined by battery voltage: the higher the voltage, the more power and torque the tool has available. While more power and torque may seem like something you want, there are trade-offs to be made. With high voltage cordless tools, along with the additional power, comes additional cost and additional tool weight.

Here is a typical comparison to illustrate the point.


A typical 9.6 Volt cordless drill will typically weigh in the neighborhood of 3-1/2 pounds and cost anywhere from $35 – $150. As a comparison, a 19.2 Volt cordless drill can weigh up to 10 pounds and cost in the range of $125 – $300. If the increased torque and power of a 19.2 Volt cordless drill is really needed, the added cost may be worth it. But if you are using your cordless drill to occasionally drive screws in your home, a 19.2 Volt cordless drill is probably not worth it since it is harder to use (since it is heavy) and money not well spent. If you really do not need the additional power, a cheaper, light-weight cordless drill will probably suit your needs much better.
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Battery Power Tools-Number of Batteries


Another point to consider when buying  new battery power tools is the number of batteries that come included with the tool. If you plan on using your tool for extended periods of time or often, you will want to only consider tools that come with two batteries. It is very frustrating when your batteries dies in the middle of something and you have to wait a couple of hours for the battery to charge before you can get back to what you were doing. When you are purchasing a tool, make sure it comes with two batteries. If it does not, look up the cost of an additional battery and include that when you are comparing costs between tools.

Battery Power Tools-Battery Type


Two types of batteries are for sale for cordless tools: Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) and Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH). Do yourself a favor, do not purchase a cordless tool that uses NiMH batteries. Yes, it may be cheaper, but it is cheap for a very good reason. NiMH batteries have issues with memory problems (they need to be completely discharged before they are recharged or they lose charge capacity), they do not last for as many charge cycles (the batteries die quicker), and they are lower power than equivalent voltage Li-Ion batteries.

Battery Power Tools- Tool Storage


Even when Battery Power Tools are turned off, they will draw a small amount of energy from the battery. While the amount of energy being drawn is slight, it can add up to a significant amount over the course of days, or weeks. So when you put away your cordless tools, be sure to remove the battery; this will help ensure that the battery is charged when you need it. Do not keep your battery in the charger for extended periods of time. While there are some chargers that claim to be “smart” about this, but as a rule storing your cordless tool batteries in the charger will lead to them dying sooner than if you do not. When storing your batteries avoid storing them in heat and cold. Cold weather will not harm your battery long-term, but it will decrease the amount of available power when the tool is being used. High heat can permanently ruin the batteries of your cordless tools. Avoid high heat, and do not charge your batteries in an area that is overly hot, this can permanently damage the battery.

Battery Power Tools-Charging Your Batteries


Many higher-end cordless tools now come with advanced chargers that allow the battery to be charged in a very short period of time; often in about 15 minutes. For comparison, a standard charger can take up to 3 hours to charge the battery. If you need a quick-charging battery for your tool, look into the charging options that are available prior to getting a cordless tool.

Battery Power Tools-Pick a Brand

An easy way to avoid problems with battery availability is to decide on a battery size and brand and stay with it. If you consistently purchase the same brand of tool with the same battery size when buying drills, trim saws, reciprocating saws, screwdrivers, etc, you will be able to share batteries and chargers between all of your tools. This will increase the number of available batteries and it ensures that you will never run out of charged batteries for your Battery Power Tools.

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Battery Power Tools- Going Cordless



Battery Power Tools have there place. Sometimes a corded tool is the best choice. This is why a homeowner or serious woodworker needs to diversify and have both options in their arsenal of  Tools.

The current trend is toward subcompact lithium-ion (Li-ion) drill/drivers for most homeowner tasks, since heavier drills are overkill. It’s not that they are overkill, but that technology is starting to catch up to all of us.

The most important factor is how it feels in your hand, and of course cost of the tool. Is it to heavy? Do you like the look of the tool? How much do extra batteries cost and so on. Never shy away from Reconditioned Tools. I have owned so many new and reconditioned tools. At times the new tools disappointed me quicker. The reason is that a repair technician might find a manufacturers problem before it becomes your problem. New is not always better.

The compact, lightweight and portable design of cordless home improvement tools allows you to tackle jobs in difficult places with cordless convenience. While not as powerful as corded tools, they are able to handle a wide variety of jobs from light-duty remodelling to commercial projects.

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There are different types of saws suited to various kinds of cutting. Cordless reciprocating saws are used for demolition style work and cordless circular saws are used for cutting straight lines with a spinning blade. For the much finer work of cutting curves and patterns in materials, a cordless jigsaw is best. A cordless nailer is also a great buy if you’ll be hammering in hundreds of nails.

The best batteries to use with cordless tools are Lithium Ion batteries. They are more expensive but recyclable, have a long shelf-life, are extremely lightweight and perform well in cold temperatures. Manufacturers often sell combination packages with several cordless tools that use the same battery pack.  Some manufacturers have made the transition from NiCad to Lithium easy on the consumer by making it possible for us to just buy the batteries.
Makita LXT702 18V Cordless LXT Lithium-Ion 7-Piece Combo Kit

Since manufacturers started coming out with lithium-ion battery powered drills in recent years, the cordless drill is a better choice than ever.  Ideally you will want to go with a model that uses a lighter 18-volt battery instead of those that use a 28 or 36-volt battery.  Those models can be a bit unwieldy to use.  Overall weight is a big consideration with cordless drills.

Ryobi ZRP844 Factory-Reconditioned One+ 18V Cordless Lithium-Ion 4-Piece Combo Kit

Your voltage options on cordless reciprocating saws are typically 18V or 24V.  Just like with drills, the overall weight of the saw is a big consideration.  Your maneuverability and ability to use the saw for lengths of time is greatly increased with a lighter weight model.  Consider models that offer adjustable or rotating blades/handles. These features help you to work in tighter quarters or if you need to saw around something.  Some offer anti-vibration features to also cut down on fatigue during use.  Another important feature when considering a cordless reciprocating saw is VSC which stands for Variable Speed Control.

Cordless screwdrivers are a must for anyone serious about woodworking or any other type of contract work.  The torque they provide is far beyond what most people could generate by themselves with a manual screwdriver.  All but the cheapest cordless screwdrivers offer interchangeable bits to allow you to manage most any job.

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