Cordless Power Tools - Escalating Costs

[Mendonsy]

Mendonsy
Thoughts on pole saw ? any input. I have been using Remington 120 volt electric that I have had for many years. It requires Gen set in truck or inverter installed on Kioti. Love to hear your thoughts on Ryobi pole saw. As I get older it seems to get heavier each time I use it.
Thanks
Scott
PS Impact driver does a great job.

Well .....
It works well but it is a bit heavy. I guess that's probably true of all of them. I have trimmed limbs up to about 8 inches with it.
The only complaint I have is that it always seems to be about a foot shorter than I need for the limb I'm trying to reach. I'm thinking about ordering an additional 3 foot pole extension (only about $10) but I suspect it would become a bit awkward to use.
The big advantage is that you don't have to fight with getting a gas engine to start after its been sitting around, just plug in the battery and go!

 

[Haoleguy]

Just popped back to check and see what folks have written. Thanks for all the replies. I'm leaning towards the small generator and corded tools for most jobs on my property and then a light duty cordless drill/screw gun for places I can't lug a generator....like inside house. For that means pretty much going back to the corded route for the most part. I did notice that Honda recently came out with a GFCI generator(EB2000i) that seems like it is built on the same inverter tech they have for most of their small generators. For the those that have small generators for corded tools what do you recommend?.....Thank you, Gary

 

[ace10]

Now I'm totally lost. You are put off by the cost of batteries and cordless tool bodies, but $1000 for an inverter, and *then* buying corded tools and *still* buying cordless tools is an option? :confused2:

If you do shop the small inverter market, look at Yamaha. Same price point as the Hondas, but just a much better product IMO.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've received exceptional service from my Makita and Bosch cordless tools...

The Milwaukee set I bought as a gift for my niece was a disappointment... even sent the battery with a return authorization and Milwaukee determined the battery had been exposed to moisture and denied the claim AND kept the battery I paid the freight to send in...

Last Christmas, sister-in-law called and asked what to buy from my brother... they are remodeling and the old Skill Cordless just wasn't holding a charge from 20+ years ago.

Went with a Makita combo set and 6 months with a lot of use... very pleased.

 

[ultrarunner]

Now I'm totally lost. You are put off by the cost of batteries and cordless tool bodies, but $1000 for an inverter, and *then* buying corded tools and *still* buying cordless tools is an option? :confused2:

If you do shop the small inverter market, look at Yamaha. Same price point as the Hondas, but just a much better product IMO.

I've had an inverter since 1990 on the service truck... does a very good job.

Harbor Freight has a 2000 continuous with 4000 peak one on sale for $129.99

 

[newbury]

I don't buy the Ryobi, Makita etc brand name stuff. It is just too expensive and as you said the batteries cost more than replacing the drill. Even the high dollar batteries go bad after a while and then you are stuck with a 200-300 dollar bag of useless junk the cost as much to replace the batteries as the tool cost. I suppose if I were a professional and used them daily, it would be cost effective. My use is occasional and the batteries don't last any longer with only occasional use as with daily use. <snip>

I found that true of the Ni-Cads but the Lithium, at least Milwaukee's offerings from years ago, seem much better. I bought 4 or 5 of the Milwaukee 2101-21 M4 1/4" Hex Screwdriver Kits w/ 2 batteries about 10 years ago, they were on sale for $20@. Gave all but 1 set as gifts. The sets I kept and one I gave to my son George are still running well and holds a charge well. I bought a Milwaukee 1/2" rechargeable drill about the same time, still ticking along. Now these get the occasional homeowner use pattern, random screwing stuff together, drilling off and on for months then a decent several hour project ever once an a while.

Last year my son talked me into the Dewalt 20Vmax camp. I bought him a bag of tools and I got one drill. They hold a charge for a LONG time between useage and allow quite a lot of work to get done.

Over the last couple of years I've had a lot of contract work done and most of them used Dewalt cordless tools, except the last guy from Lowes used a Ridgid cordless drill.

I've had an inverter since 1990 on the service truck... does a very good job.

Harbor Freight has a 2000 continuous with 4000 peak one on sale for $129.99

I wonder why more people don't run an inverter on their tractors?

 

[ultrarunner]

I think for a long time it was cost... in 1990 I paid around $800 for my made in USA Statpower Inverter.

Cost have fallen a lot... I don't buy much at Harbor Freight... have friends that buy a lot and when they have problems... Harbor makes good.

The inverter gives me power on the go with just the touch of a button...

 

[Haoleguy]

Now I'm totally lost. You are put off by the cost of batteries and cordless tool bodies, but $1000 for an inverter, and *then* buying corded tools and *still* buying cordless tools is an option? :confused2:

If you do shop the small inverter market, look at Yamaha. Same price point as the Hondas, but just a much better product IMO.

It's never that simple. Going with a choice of generator will support other activities besides an angle drill. I have some significant vineyard tasks and equipment maintenance coming up that would benefit from an onsite generator. Also since I live in path that is seeing more extreme weather I could use a generator to run sump pump and refrigerators from time to time. Over the last 3 years I have lost some very valuable wild game when my freezers thawed out.

 

[CurlyDave]

I have had a Honda eu2000 for several years now.

I bought it primarily for deer and elk camp where it gets about 250 hours per year of use. But since I have it already, it is great for powering corded tools at any work site.

As my hunting friends get older, a few of us need CPAP machines and the Honda can power at least 3 of them with the humidifiers going also. It is quiet enough that with a 100 foot extension cord we can sleep easily, and in the morning, it runs either one coffee pot, a toaster, or a small microwave.

It will power a lot of tools and is quiet, a big bonus. I change the oil every 100 hours and it is still going strong. Expensive, yes, but worth the price.

* * * *

For cordless tools, the most common ones in Southern Oregon are DeWalt. For the most part that is the brand I get, just because every time I hire a guy for a specific job, he always shows up with a dead battery for his DeWalt. If I have a charger and a few charged ones, he can get to work and I do not have to argue with him over pay at the end of the day. They always want to be paid from the second they walk onto the job site, I think that if all they have is a tool with a dead battery they shouldn't earn anything until their battery is charged and they are actually working. If I have the batteries, they can get to work and the crisis is avoided.

 

[mikehaugen]

I'm leaning towards the small generator and corded tools for most jobs on my property and then a light duty cordless drill/screw gun for places I can't lug a generator....like inside house.

Why would you need a generator in the house, don't you have outlets? That is where most people would consider corded tools the LEAST inconvenient.

 

[mikehaugen]

I wonder why more people don't run an inverter on their tractors?

I don't think most tractor electrical systems would handle that very well for too long. Maybe I'm wrong though.

 

[EddieWalker]

Like Dave, I also have a Honda EU2000 generator. It is easy to move around, or just leave in the back of the truck or bucket on my tractor. It's rated for 13 amps, so I had to buy a smaller air compressor because my 15 amp one would trip it. So far I'm liking the small size and weight of the Bostich air compressor that I bought at Lowes. It will power my cement mixer, my corded saws, drills, SDS Max rotary hammer and my big Milwaukee sawzall. It charges the batteries for my Makita cordless tools too. The tank is pretty big on it and will run all day long. It's quiet enough to be able to have normal conversation around it and if I put it 50 feet away with the exhaust pointing away, you hardly notice it.

While it wont power the house, it is very handy when we lose power for a day or two, which usually happens in the winter with an ice storm. I just run an extension cord into the house and plug in a light and the TV or computer and the chargers for our phones. If you live in the country, it's something you will always find a use for and appreciate having.

Honda seems to have a lock on the price. It doesn't matter where you go, it's going to cost a grand. Northern Tool sends me discounts in the mail all the time and I was able to get $50 off on mine. I considered other brands and read enough reviews to realize that they all compare themselves to Honda, and claim to be almost as good for less money, or a total waste of money and they should have bought the Honda. I've wasted enough money on other brands of engines and have learned that if it doesn't have a Honda engine on it, I don't want it.

Eddie

 

[davrow]

Just bought my first cordless tools, Ryobi 18v Li-Ion at Home Depot. Was waiting for sale at Father's day. 1/2 drill, impact driver, 2 bats and charger for $99. As good as I'll get these days, I think.

Very pleased, although only one small job driving screws so far.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Sounds like a deal.

 

[ultrarunner]

My first Makita back in 1982 was also on sale for Father's Day... seems to be a good time to buy power tools!

 

[Gale Hawkins]

My non LED M12 flashlight arrived yesterday. They sell for about half the price ($35) of the LED version but this was labelled as new but open and included the small 2401 Lithium Ion battery ($26) and I got both for $35 and I have the charger that came with the M12 grease gun so I actually have a second battery now but I will have to test if it will drive the grease gun but just for less than 7 tubes of grease.

My first real cordless was a Makita drill in 1989 and the batteries lasted for 6+ years.