Battery powered tools

[Cudzoziemiec]

Not battery powered, but the drill I bought a year or two ago came from Argos, specifically because it was the cheapest drill I could find. £15 IIRC. It probably hasn't even had 5 minutes total use so far – certainly less than 10 – and likely won't get used for another couple of years, so there really wasn't any point getting anything better.

That said, I disagree with Gatto's tool philosophy, which seems to be "buy cheap, buy often." For my use, the Argos drill is a lifetime purchase!

It is not buy cheap, as there are many cheaper brands.  It is buy the guarantee that it will last three years for occasional use. Anything longer than that is a bonus. Are there any current battery types (connectors) that were are popular from 3 years ago?Corded stuff I have 110v and 240v stuff that is over 40 years old, wolf brand, and still going today.

Okay, it's good to have a guarantee – and I've no idea what sort of guarantee you get with something more expensive like Makita, which seems to be the forum favourite – but why not keep it as long as you're using it? Expiry of the guarantee doesn't mean it can't be used.

[Polar Bear]

I don't know about you guys but I exist in a bubble of trustworthy friends with whom we effectively pool tools.  Just now one has called to ask if he can borrow the impact driver (Makita TD0101F) as his own battery powered jobbie just isn't up to the job.

Another reason why I like mains powered tools is that generally you get more power delivered to your elbow. 

My cheap power tool bargain is an SDS drill from Lidl.  Less than fourty notes but it is certainly an effective beast.   Mains powered of course.

[quixoticgeek]

I don't know about you guys but I exist in a bubble of trustworthy friends with whom we effectively pool tools.  Just now one has called to ask if he can borrow the impact driver (Makita TD0101F) as his own battery powered jobbie just isn't up to the job.

Another reason why I like mains powered tools is that generally you get more power delivered to your elbow. 

My cheap power tool bargain is an SDS drill from Lidl.  Less than fourty notes but it is certainly an effective beast.   Mains powered of course.

Not really, as most of my friends live in rented places, meaning that their DIY needs are minimal. It's only a few of us like me who make stuff as a hobby, that have tools. Also woodworking etc... is not taught to everyone in all schools in this country, there's very much a if you're educated in this school, you should be earning enough to pay someone to do this for you, mentality.

I have a gay friend where we have a good arrangement, i go round and do the DIY stuff, and they give me fashion advice. It works well, even if it is something of a cliche...

Why?  Are you a professional using the tool everyday to earn a living?

Nope. But there are a few reasons why I feel you should buy quality tools.

- Sam Vimes is right ( http://bit.ly/1gCbnWv )
- Quality tools are a joy to use, if you enjoy using the tool, you will use it more, treat it with more respect, and enjoy the process a lot more.
- Tools from well known trusted named brands tend to have a supported life considerably longer than their warranty life. My makita drill is 4 years old now, i can still buy batteries for it, as well as some spares.
- Range. Sure you can go to lidl and get a drill, and then you go back and get a jigsaw, but the battery might not be interchangeable, and so now you've got 4 chargers for 4 tools, and 4 different batteries and that's a faff. With an ecosystem like Makita, you can have a wide selection of different tools, and a small pool of batteries and charging infrastructure. This helps lower the cost a bit. I can put my batteries in anything from a screwdriver to a chainsaw to even an electric bike.

Life is too short to buy shit tools.

J

[Jurek]

Life is too short to buy shit tools.

This.

[grams]

- Range. Sure you can go to lidl and get a drill, and then you go back and get a jigsaw

You go back and discover they've only got rice makers and toilet seats in this week.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Life is too short to buy shit tools.

This.

I think we'd all agree on this.

That's not going to stop us spending the next five pages arguing about the definition of "shit tools". 

[Kim]

You are all wrong.

Aldi/lidl/clas ohlsen tools are the best.  After the 3/5 year guarantee is over throw in to recycling and start again.

Buy Aldi and when it dies, you were obviously using it, so replace it with Makita.

(When I did this with my oscillating tool, I discovered that you get what you pay for in terms of neurological damage.  Hands are precious.)

[Mrs Pingu]

Shame that the deals you get for kit & batteries mostly appear to be of the '2 drills/impact driver plus batteries' variety. I don't really need a drill...

[quixoticgeek]

Shame that the deals you get for kit & batteries mostly appear to be of the '2 drills/impact driver plus batteries' variety. I don't really need a drill...

My drill is also a screw driver. I use it more as a screw driver than I do a drill...

It's a Makita DHP 453.

I don't own an impact driver...

J

[Polar Bear]

Buy cheap, replace often. 

It's a well proven cliche across the board.

I used to buy big packs of cheap biros when doing legal work as inevitably my pens would walk. 

[Gattopardo]

Spare parts for Brands such as Makita, from experience, and deWalt  as mentioned up thread s
are readily available. I have just replaced a Makita strimmer
Motor plus a pingfuckit that I lost on disassembly for a few tens of ££'s

Not to be rude, but people rarely repair things any more.  But hopefully things are changing...well in the EU anyway.

After the 3/5 year guarantee is over throw in to recycling and start again.

I find this difficult in terms of my not wanting to constantly be adding waste for recyling, not entirely unlike the argument about single-use plastics. Also, there may be a lot of working life left beyond the end of the guarantee.

Sorry I wasn't clear, when the tool breaks after the end of the guarantee period.  What I have found is that the batteries had failed and replacement batteries cost more than replacing the tool.

You are all wrong.

Aldi/lidl/clas ohlsen tools are the best.  After the 3/5 year guarantee is over throw in to recycling and start again.

Buy Aldi and when it dies, you were obviously using it, so replace it with Makita.

(When I did this with my oscillating tool, I discovered that you get what you pay for in terms of neurological damage.  Hands are precious.)

Oh god some cheap tools and older tools too.  Have a lovely panasonic 12v drill that I have wanted to convert to lith battery pack.  Still not and should sell or give away.

Life is too short to buy shit tools.

This.

I think we'd all agree on this.

That's not going to stop us spending the next five pages arguing about the definition of "shit tools". 

5 pages optimistic

[rr]

Aldi and Lidl have each moved to a standard battery system.

[Tim Hall]

[

After the 3/5 year guarantee is over throw in to recycling and start again.

I find this difficult in terms of my not wanting to constantly be adding waste for recyling, not entirely unlike the argument about single-use plastics. Also, there may be a lot of working life left beyond the end of the guarantee.

Sorry I wasn't clear, when the tool breaks after the end of the guarantee period.  What I have found is that the batteries had failed and replacement batteries cost more than replacing the tool.

Razorblade marketing. (The simpler version is Occam's Razorblade marketing. [Rimshot])

[quixoticgeek]

Not to be rude, but people rarely repair things any more.  But hopefully things are changing...well in the EU anyway.

There is a mentality that things are un-repairable, and it's not worth trying, but in reality quite a lot of tools are repairable.

Sorry I wasn't clear, when the tool breaks after the end of the guarantee period.  What I have found is that the batteries had failed and replacement batteries cost more than replacing the tool.

But if all the tools you have use the same batteries, it's easier to justify the €60 on a new battery as it means all your tools still work...

You are all wrong.

Aldi/lidl/clas ohlsen tools are the best.  After the 3/5 year guarantee is over throw in to recycling and start again.

Buy Aldi and when it dies, you were obviously using it, so replace it with Makita.

(When I did this with my oscillating tool, I discovered that you get what you pay for in terms of neurological damage.  Hands are precious.)

Oh god some cheap tools and older tools too.  Have a lovely panasonic 12v drill that I have wanted to convert to lith battery pack.  Still not and should sell or give away.

Life is too short to buy shit tools.

This.

I think we'd all agree on this.

That's not going to stop us spending the next five pages arguing about the definition of "shit tools". 

5 pages optimistic

It's hot, so we're perhaps not as on form as we could be...

Aldi and Lidl have each moved to a standard battery system.

With 3rd party batteries available too?

Do they have the full range of the likes of the blue, yellow, red, or green* tool companies?

Can I get a chain saw and a radio and a vaccum cleaner[2] and a handheld router, and an e-bike, that all use the same battery from lidl and/or Aldi?

J

* Is Makita green or Blue?
[2] The makita vacuum cleaner has been one of my best purchases. I recommend it if you also have other tools from them.

[rr]

Not to be rude, but people rarely repair things any more.  But hopefully things are changing...well in the EU anyway.

There is a mentality that things are un-repairable, and it's not worth trying, but in reality quite a lot of tools are repairable.

Sorry I wasn't clear, when the tool breaks after the end of the guarantee period.  What I have found is that the batteries had failed and replacement batteries cost more than replacing the tool.

You are all wrong.

Aldi/lidl/clas ohlsen tools are the best.  After the 3/5 year guarantee is over throw in to recycling and start again.

Buy Aldi and when it dies, you were obviously using it, so replace it with Makita.

(When I did this with my oscillating tool, I discovered that you get what you pay for in terms of neurological damage.  Hands are precious.)

Life is too short to buy shit tools.

This.

I think we'd all agree on this.

That's not going to stop us spending the next five pages arguing about the definition of "shit tools". 

5 pages optimistic

Aldi and Lidl have each moved to a standard battery system.

With 3rd party batteries available too?

Do they have the full range of the likes of the blue, yellow, red, or green* tool companies?

Can I get a chain saw and a radio and a vaccum cleaner[2] and a handheld router, and an e-bike, that all use the same battery from lidl and/or Aldi?

J

* Is Makita green or Blue?
[2] The makita vacuum cleaner has been one of my best purchases. I recommend it if you also have other tools from them.
[/quote]Cordless screwdriver up to lawnmower, 20 or 40V, batteries and chargers constantly in stock.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

[rogerzilla]

I once got a Clarke cordless drill for Christmas.  Charged it up, fitted one curtain pole, it never charged again.  And they'd lost the receipt.

[quixoticgeek]

Can I get a chain saw and a radio and a vaccum cleaner[2] and a handheld router, and an e-bike, that all use the same battery from lidl and/or Aldi?

Cordless screwdriver up to lawnmower, 20 or 40V, batteries and chargers constantly in stock.

Including one of these?

https://amzn.to/3fHOJzm

and one of these?

https://amzn.to/2XLeqsB

J

[robgul]

I once got a Clarke cordless drill for Christmas.  Charged it up, fitted one curtain pole, it never charged again.  And they'd lost the receipt.

Don't EVER EVER buy anything Clarke branded - it looks to me like most of it is other Chinese made stuff that's been downgraded in manufacturing to reduce cost to the reseller (predominantly Machine Mart) - but sold at higher prices than the stuff it's knocking off.   

I too have been a victim . . .

Edit : Curiosity got the better of me - guess what, a quick Cos Hse search shows that Clarke and Machine Mart share common directors.  No surprises there then.

[grams]

Aldi and Lidl have each moved to a standard battery system.

In recent years they've put out sets of tools that share batteries, and in some cases those same batteries and tools have recurred year-on-year, but both have several different battery systems on the go, with no cross-compatibility.

There's no guarantee that those same tools or batteries will reappear, or that you'll be able to get a particular battery in a hurry if you suddenly find yours has gone dud, or need an extra tool to go with your batteries.

(except from eBay price gougers)

[Mrs Pingu]

I'm not getting anything from Lidl or Aldi.

[ElyDave]

I'm very pleased with my Stiga lawn mower, replacing my 18 year old petrol mower. The 500 series, wot I bought, share a common battery. They do a whole range of garden tools in the range,runers, strimmer, chainsaw, hedge trimmer etc. 

Not sure about diy type tools though, and suspect the battery would be too big for ergonomics.

I wonder whether  you'd be better off thinking about cordless for some things and corded for others? My experience on cordless diy tools is buy the most expensive you can afford, preferably with a spare battery, and think how you are going to use it. I went from battery to corded for my dremmel knockoff because I wanted power more than portability

[Gattopardo]

Probably not a good time to mention duty cycles.

[quixoticgeek]

I wonder whether  you'd be better off thinking about cordless for some things and corded for others? My experience on cordless diy tools is buy the most expensive you can afford, preferably with a spare battery, and think how you are going to use it. I went from battery to corded for my dremmel knockoff because I wanted power more than portability

These days with the recent improvements in battery and motor technology, the difference between wired and wireless tools is much less than you'd expect. It also solves having to find where the power sockets are, and is there enough capacity on that bit of cabling... etc... Not to mention less faff with extension cables.

J

[ian]

I was hoping this topic would be about something more stimulating (are there mains powered sex toys? why don't I know the answer to this?)

I swear by my battery-powered mower and strimmer. Faffing about with wires was always a nightmare.

I'm not allowed DIY tools so don't have a single one (beyond a toolbox from Ikea, I am trusted with screws). I'm pretty sure our handyman runs around telling all his others clients, in a hushed voice, that [he] doesn't even have a drill.

Ironically, I did once have a drill, and I tried to put a curtain rail, but it hit something metal in the wall and went screeeeeeeee and then made all kinds of interesting holes in places that didn't need any kind of interesting hole. The replastering only cost £120.

My wife disposed of the drill.

[quixoticgeek]

I was hoping this topic would be about something more stimulating (are there mains powered sex toys? why don't I know the answer to this?)

Oh yes, quite a selection. Would you like some links?

J