Shopsmith Forums

Many many years ago I purchased a 12V Milwaukee drill/driver. I came to love it and when the first pair of batteries died I had no problem spending the (I think??) $65 each to replace them. I seem to recall that the next replacement was in the $55 range.

During that time I purchased a few more battery tools and at the time they were all NiCd but the voltage had gone up to 18V. A few replacement batteries later the new tools were now getting cheaper and the batteries were li ion so rather then replace batteries I started replacing tools.

Well all except my favorite little 12V drill which still had one battery working. Since then that battery gave up so the drill and charger has been setting in a box for a couple of years. While looking for something else I came across it and well I actually thought about parting with it. Milwaukee has long ago stopped making that style of battery and I never pickup the adapter they once sold.....

Low and behold there are now after market batteries for only $24. I've since ordered one and it seems to work fine but of course who knows the life expectancy. If like the others I get a couple years out of it then I'm happy.

If you still have some of the old NiCd tools laying around that you just can't seem to give up on then check out the market of replacement batteries and see if you can find one that fits both the tool and your budget.

Ed

That is what I did with Makita outfit, however on the last battery order the batteries would not charge In my charger. I thought the batteries were bad so I sent them back. However it seems like the charger is shot. Not sure so I have a full set on Metal Nickel Hyradate 14.4 tools. Hammer drill, circular saw, reciprocating saw, blower/vac.

Charger is no longer manufactured but they do make an adapter that will allow the newer charger to charge the batteries.

So I am now faced with a decision. Buy a charger, adapter, batteries or just replace the tools. I miss the hammer drill and reciprocating saw the most.

Also to add to the mix I do not want to go to 18-24 volt tools since they are so heavy. That leaves me in the 12 volt line but questioning if I should try the new sub compact 18 volt tools.

You should open up the charger and check for a fuse. I had that happen and low and behold a fuse, which I then replaced and it has worked ever since. It was soldered in but hey a couple of minutes to check it out and some careful work and you might be back up and working.

NiCd battery packs are heavy and bulky when compared to the Lithium ones, another thing that I didn't like about the 18V Ni-Ca system I had.

I was working on a project yesterday where a nail gun would be a great asset and now that I have battery versions it is so simple to slap a battery on and away you go. I still have that air system but it doesn't get used much any more. I mean who wants to pull out the hoses and all when you don't have to.

Like wise I still have corded tools for drills and most of the other common tools but when I have both it is most often the battery one that gets used.

Ed

Ed in Tampa wrote:That is what I did with Makita outfit, however on the last battery order the batteries would not charge In my charger. I thought the batteries were bad so I sent them back. However it seems like the charger is shot. Not sure so I have a full set on Metal Nickel Hyradate 14.4 tools. Hammer drill, circular saw, reciprocating saw, blower/vac.

Charger is no longer manufactured but they do make an adapter that will allow the newer charger to charge the batteries.

So I am now faced with a decision. Buy a charger, adapter, batteries or just replace the tools. I miss the hammer drill and reciprocating saw the most.

Also to add to the mix I do not want to go to 18-24 volt tools since they are so heavy. That leaves me in the 12 volt line but questioning if I should try the new sub compact 18 volt tools.

Not trying to talk you into buying new tools, but for weight it should be doable to get new cordless tools that are lighter for you and have more performance if you want them. However it does take some shopping around to find what you want. Probably my 2nd or 3rd cordless drill that I bought years ago was a DeWalt (Ni-Cad I think). It worked okay, but not as good as the Panasonic one that I had in the lab at work back then. Eventually, I decided to splurge and get a new Milwaukee drill at home, which was their "V18" line of Li-Ion. I love that drill and still use it on occasion, but the batteries don't hold a charge and self-discharge so they have to be kept on the charger to be ready for use. Also it is HEAVY. When I started upgrading to the new "M18" and "M12" lines of Li-Ion tools from Milwaukee I was shocked how much lighter the new drill was. I purposely keep a smaller capacity (2.0A-h) battery in my new drill to save on weight and keep the size down. My old V18 drill weighs around 6lbs and my new drill weighs just over 4lbs. It is 1/3 less which is noticeable, especially when up on a ladder. It is also smaller and more compact, but more powerful. New one has better balance than the old one, too. Also, I recently needed an oscillating multi-tool and picked up the Milwaukee M18 version, but right after I did they released an M12 version that is smaller, lighter and also more powerful than the one I just bought. I really like how Milwaukee has multiple battery capacities available in the same tool generation so you can decide if you need/want more capacity for a tool, or if like me you want a lighter tool and can re-charge more often. I love the current generation Milwaukee tools that I own, but I am sure other cordless tool brands have some options that are similar. Just look for brushless motor designs and find the right size battery for your particular needs. There does seem to be a conscious effort by Milwaukee to continue to design/build new and more powerful tools in their 12V Li-Ion line, so it hasn't been forgotten as they move up to higher voltage and higher current capacity batteries...don't know how many other tool vendors are still focusing on lighter, more powerful 12V tools?

For anyone interested, the Home Depot sales flyer for Black Friday 2020 has been released. Quite a few cordless power tools on sale in it:

https://blackfriday.com/ads/black-friday/home-depot

I'm starting to see battery powered miter saws and such. How do these compare in power to an AC corded unit?

b

bainin wrote:I'm starting to see battery powered miter saws and such. How do these compare in power to an AC corded unit?

b

Since I need to replace my cordless tools I have been keeping up with reviews and such. If you believe the reviewers they give most of these tools high marks. In fact some YouTube producers that are also builders have switched completely to cordless miter and table saws. Claiming that by doing so they have eliminated the need with job power taps and generators.

Also some of these machines offer both corded and cordless operation. I think high use machines like roof nail guns and framing nail guns are still mostly connected to air. But finish carpenters are switching to cordless guns because they reduce the risk trip hazards and damage caused by air hoses.

I agree with Ed, look at both reviews and claims from reputable manufacturers. I'm very satisfied with current generation cordless tools providing power comparable to corded, and have a few in this category. I live on a few acres so that cordless portability is a big factor to me as long as the tool performs. But a miter saw is not a tool where, for me, portability is a significant consideration so I have not really looked. Based on experience with smaller tools, I'd expect the higher end tools to provide equivalent power to their corded cousins at a higher price.

- David

My problem with battery powered tools is one of my own creation. Ryobi, Ridgid, Dewalt, and Festool 18v tools have all found their way into my tool collection. Each has a different battery style and charger. Between 6 tools, there are four different battery styles and associated chargers. Unless you stick with a single brand and lock yourself in, you'll end up with this same problem, and even then the new Dewalt tools are now 20v so yet another battery and charger style. I'm just going to stay away and stick with corded where I can.

That said, from a performance standpoint they all work as intended. The oldest are the Ridgid hammer drill and regular drill and are nearly 15 years old and big heavy beasts. The hammer drill weighs in at 8.1 pounds. The lifetime service agreement Ridgid offers means that in both cases where the batteries have had issues, I've had them replaced for free with nothing more than a phone call.

The only battery tool I don't like is the Dewalt Drywall cutout tool. The battery is at the end and the poor balance makes it much harder to control and get accurate cuts. My corded rotozip was far superior in balance and ease of use even if the cord got in the way from time to time. When it died, I bought the bare Dewalt cutout tool since I had compatible batteries from my impact driver. This is a case where the vendor lock in came back to bite me.