Subject: [Shop-talk] Battery-operated tools

From: Bob Spidell <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2016 09:02:46 -0700

Folks,

I realize this is like bringing up 'best oil' or 'best tires' on a car 
list, but I'm in the market for a battery drill/driver/sander/etc. combo 
to replace my ancient--but still working--Makita 9V driver-drill.  I 
want something with all the 'goodies;' I'll need the usual driver/drill, 
but also need a portable sander (belt and/or disc), and at least the 
option for more attachments.

I know I probably can't lose with DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita or even 
Craftsman--hell, they might all come out of the same factory in China 
for all I know--but would like to see if there's a consensus on best 
overall.  Is more voltage always better, or is 14.4V better for some 
reason than 19.2V, etc.?    My main issue, and the reason I haven't 
retired the old Makita yet, is that the batteries always seem to lose 
capacity over time.  The 9V Makita is nickel-metal-hydride, and both the 
OEM--which are too expensive IMO--and cheap, off-brand aftermarket ones 
all lose charge when not used, and lose capacity after repeated 
charging.  I know Li-Ion is better, but a battery is a battery, and they 
all will lose some capacity over time.

Any and all opinions, rants, etc. welcome.

Bob
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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2016 14:51:53 -0400 04/09/2016 14:51:57, Serialize complete at 04/09/2016 14:51:57

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Bob, 

Dewalt has released a REAL game changer in my opinion.  I love my Dewalt 
18v tools.  I have tons of them.  But the Li-ion stuff is the new way to 
go.  So, Dewalt, after about 1 year of teasing, has released this adaptor 
(under the B&D name*).

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCA1820-Dewalt-Battery-Adapter/dp/B016K1UD0E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460229262&sr=8-1&keywords=dewalt+18+to+20+volt+adapter

It allows you to use any dewalt cordless 18v or 20v tool with new Li-ion 
batteries!  For $65, it's cheaper than a replacement battery.

SO, here is the real benefit...

1- You can buy new tools (new Li-ion) for the tools you use the most.
2-You can keep the other tools that are lesser used (I have just about 
every dewalt cordless tool in the NiCd format.  Many of these I don't use 
enough to need to replace them.)
3-I'm sure you can find closeouts and sales of NiCd tool combos, but still 
use the new batteries.

FWIW, I bought my Li-Ion set about 8 months ago and I had to charge one of 
the batteries once so far.  These things REALLY last.

Note, there are a few of the old tools that you can't use this adaptor on, 
but it is just because of interference fit for the batteries (like the 
radio and wet/dry hand held vac.)

*=while the adaptor is branded "Dewalt", the paperwork I got with it 
referred to B&D.

Sent from my Commodore 64 on a 2400 Baud Modem.
Eric P
"Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational 
being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph 
Waldo Emerson 
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Bob, </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Dewalt has released a REAL game changer
in my opinion. &nbsp;I love my Dewalt 18v tools. &nbsp;I have tons of them.
&nbsp;But the Li-ion stuff is the new way to go. &nbsp;So, Dewalt, after
about 1 year of teasing, has released this adaptor (under the B&amp;D name*).</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCA1820-Dewalt-Battery-Adapter/dp/B016K1UD0E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1460229262&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=dewalt+18+to+20+volt+adapter</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">It allows you to use any dewalt cordless
18v or 20v tool with new Li-ion batteries! &nbsp;For $65, it's cheaper
than a replacement battery.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">SO, here is the real benefit...</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">1- You can buy new tools (new Li-ion)
for the tools you use the most.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">2-You can keep the other tools that
are lesser used (I have just about every dewalt cordless tool in the NiCd
format. &nbsp;Many of these I don't use enough to need to replace them.)</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">3-I'm sure you can find closeouts and
sales of NiCd tool combos, but still use the new batteries.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">FWIW, I bought my Li-Ion set about 8
months ago and I had to charge one of the batteries once so far. &nbsp;These
things REALLY last.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Note, there are a few of the old tools
that you can't use this adaptor on, but it is just because of interference
fit for the batteries (like the radio and wet/dry hand held vac.)</font>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">*=while the adaptor is branded &quot;Dewalt&quot;,
the paperwork I got with it referred to B&amp;D.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><br>
Sent from my Commodore 64 on a 2400 Baud Modem.<br>
Eric P<br>
&quot;Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational
being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory.&quot; Ralph
Waldo Emerson </font>
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From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2016 12:50:58 -0700

> How many dead batteries and useless chargers have we all 
> accumulated in 
> our shops, anyway??

And how many flashlight batteries have I thrown away?  Same concept; batteries are consumables even when they are rechargeable.

I have a full set of corded tools; when I need to do some serious hole creation I dig out the old Milwaukee "Hole Shooter" and
however much cord is needed.  But 99% of the time, I still grab the cordless drill.  Kind of lost track, the pair of batteries I
just got might be my 4th set in 20+ years (and yes, I save the old ones for no apparent reason); but the convenience is worth the
price IMO.  And at under $10/year (two no-name batteries were under $50), the cost seems reasonable.

Come to think of it, I've got more dead cell phones than dead battery packs <G>

Randall

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From: John Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2016 17:36:10 -0700

> I have a full set of corded tools; when I need to do some serious 
hole creation I dig out the old Milwaukee "Hole Shooter" and
> however much cord is needed.

The disposable stuff is still better corded; the Harbor Freight 'Chicago
Electric' angle grinder is still one of mankind's greater bargains, I've
bought close to a dozen over the past decade and a half, one or two have
died for various reasons, I've killed one or two accidentally or
intentionally, I've got about six in the drawer right now.

For $20 or so you can, when necessary (as I've done) sacrifice one to
some higher purpose (go to drawer and select one of your ten-year-old HF
grinders, wrench on tile blade, don thick rubber gloves, turn on hose,
instant hand-held wet-saw to cut vent hole in brickwork around barbecue.
  It finished the job before expiring. I made the sign of the cross
before committing the red-dust-encrusted hulk to the garbage can, it had
lived an honorable life and deserved a decent burial.)

And I wouldn't trust at this point any battery-fueled Cheap Chinese
brands without a five-year track record of battery life.  My expectation
of a Harbor Freight cordless - or even low-end store-brands, in which
alas I have to include Craftsman these days - would be a year or two.

John.

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