I'm a handyman & the only non corded tools I use is my drills. My reciprocating saw, may skill saw, sander, rotary hammer, mixing drills, table saw, miter saw, air compressor, and multi tool, and tile saw are all corded. The reason for that has to do with three reasons. (1) corded tools are cheaper and therefore I can afford to buy the best brands. (2) corded tools tend to last longer. They can last ten years while battery tends to not last as long. Plus they are constantly upgrading so there is a good chance they might change the bsttery style. (3) corded tools have good torque and are much more reliable when doing a big job. For example, if I am mixing a lot of mud the mixing drill will run cooler and longer because it has better torque.
im looking for tool set that are corded looks like they dont offer corded tools anymore now a days if i found one that sells corded tool set i want it to be brushless
I love the convenience of cordless, but I’m old school every time I look at them my first thought is “how long before it dies” followed with “how many charges before the batt. Is junk”. Don’t remember a corded tool ever giving me that concern.
Grip Side Yesss. Purchasing cordless tools batteries( many apologies to tradesmen and manufacturing) is like paying taxes, never ends til you’re gone. Batteries always dies until they invent ones the never..., and gives tools a very limited life. But hey if you can run a cord, them corded tools will last forever and always ready to tackle the next job.
As a young man I bought a cordless drill. 2 years later the battery had worn out and wouldn't hold a charge. The manufacturer didn't make that style of battery anymore so I had to toss the entire drill and purchase a new one. That new one I bought had a cord. 22 years later and that corded drill is still going strong. Even though it cost 25 bucks from harbor freight. Corded for life!
Thanks Red! I've been binging your videos the last few days. This video helped bring me back down to earth a bit. I was thinking about all the cordless tools I need, but really, I only need like 4 of them to be cordless: drill, driver, recip saw, and maybe a multi tool.
Hey Bear.. corded tools I use often are soldering iron and hot glue gun. I also still use a corded sawzall, a tool I don't use often enough to justify going cordless. Good post thanks.
I am a carpenter and have a powerfull heavy duty battery circular saw ,the convenience is great ie when you are working somewhere isolated ,it will crosscut all day on one battery but when you do rips the battery drains real quick ,I love my corded Makita and Hitachi saws for heavy work .Corded tools are a lot lighter also.
I'm glad you brought this up. I think the best choice ALOT of the time is a good quality CORDED tool. Every house needs a cordless drill, and if your really into "DIY" and building things maybe a cordless impact driver as well. But other than those 2 "fundamental" tools, you'll probably end up with a better tool if you opted for the corded option.
Exactly right. Only if you work as a contractor you should go cordless when theres no power at building job sites. When you work around your home(DIY) with outlets everywhere go corded everything besides your drills...
@@miketrotti4381 Heck, even if you are a contractor working in an area with no power you can set up a generator and plug corded tools in to it or you can get a gas powered air compressor and use air tools. That's how contractors did it before cordless tools became as good as they are now and it still works. you just need plenty of extension cords/air hoses. If you are a contractor you are probably already driving a truck to haul all the tools around, you can haul a generator as well.
NOW a comment on THIS video!! My only "pet peeve" is that the batteries cost as much as the tool to replace them at times!! I needed a battery for my DeWalt 12v Screw Gun and it was almost $80 and I paid only $96 for my screw gun on sale at Sears years ago!! And a few years ago the price of the batteries DID finally drop to where I can now buy them for about $50 a pair. But sadly the quality of the batteries is junk to now!! In fact I have NOW three different screw guns one is my early 1990s 12v DeWalt, the other is a mid 1990s Black And Decker 14.4v Firestorm, and lastly is the Ryobi 1/2 (which read below I have a question about 1/2" corded drills in case you miss it) which is a 18 volt, and it is a real pain having three totally different chargers for them!!! But I don't know how many times I was using my 12v Dewalt, to have it run day quickly then had to switch to the 14 volt to have the die sooner than I hoped only to finish the job off with the 18 volt, because those are the only batteries that are charged at times! And I have charged batteries up the "night before" only to find it is dead by later in the afternoon just sitting in my tool bag never having been used!! Like I said replacement batteries seem to have very poor quality to them!!!
The HF Bauer deep cut variable speed Band saw (134.00 version) with the optional foot pedal. I use mine with the bolt on platform and position it (clamped to a vise) vertically and now its a stationary Band saw.
Disagree on the impact driver. I drive bolts all day, keep 3 batteries in my bag and I'm good for the day, charge them when I get home. Wayyyyyy more convenient than breaking out the generator every time we stop the truck to plug in power tools.
I have a WORX GT battery trimmer. That's my only cordless tool so far. Been using that thing for 5 years. Reliable as hell. I also have a corded WORX Turbine 600 leaf blower. I am freaking in love with that thing. More power than any battery blower. It has the performance of a mid-level gas blower. 110mph 600cfm. It's a beast and does an awesome job! Sounds like a vacuum sweeper, blows like a gail. Second best lawn tool I own, second only to Kathryn, my Honda HRX217HZA mower.
I have cordless drills, but those old corded drills that others throw away can come in handy. 1/4” drills of the past (before variable speed) ran fast, but that’s just what you want to run a flap wheel while cleaning some rusty metal. My corded Sawzall beats my cordless. I do have those power snips on my list, since my air snips died.
Most of the power tools I own get used less than four times a year with many used a good deal less than that, if they were cordless the batteries would fail from age between uses. The only way around this would be to stick to a particular brand/voltage/series that uses the same batteries as the two or three tools that I use frequently. Another consideration is weight, corded tools tend to weigh less and have more power. I helped a friend build a very large deck recently; we pilot drilled hundreds of holes, my sixty-year-old Black and Decker Hole Shooter weighs less and drills faster than a cordless drill so less fatigue and less time.
well the thing about the more power. the batteries for the cordless tools are rated for 20 amps supposedly compared to the usual 15 amps that you are probably getting at home. this should mean that there is potential for greater power in the cordless platform but i dont think its used all that often, especially when you arent buying the most expensive/beefiest tool the brand has to offer.
I know this might not be a completely sanctioned use here, but if you're looking for a cordless/portable rotary tool (Dremel) that won't disappoint, what I use is these two items together: A makita cordless brushless trim router, and a 1/4 inch flexible shaft to match the router's collet (I think the one I have was $10 by Hilda and works well)... With a 4ah battery I get at least about 30 minutes of use before I need to change. For the space of a flex shaft I can always keep a small rotary tool with me. We go out to a cabin in Lincoln MT every year, so I try to bring every tool I might need with me, but without using up too much space in the minivan.
I have a few cordless - drills - the rest are corded and i work out of a shop and not on a construction site so for me I go corded all the way for everything - more power and performance (thnk of a router) - no expensive batteries that will wear down quicker etc......
I generally stay in my shop all day at this point and my rule of thumb is if I'm going to be hooked up to my dust collector or ct 48 dust extractor I'm using corded tools.
Excellent list: I am cheap, hopefully a first time home owner soon, and I saw my father create amazing things with corded tools. I am proud to say that I already have about 60% of what you listed (Harbor Freight brands of course). -Avid Follower
I got the Milwaukee circular saw, sawzal and angle grinder and I'm happy with the power, i use the grinder and sawzal at work all day (just make sure you get the Milwaukee fuel)
Great video Mr. Bear. I primarily use corded tools for my metal working/welding. I love cordless tools and at one time Hobart made a cordless or hybrid mig welder called the Trec 160. Now as far as drills are concerned I use a cordless. Or if it's a small construction project I use cordless but the standard issue of 2 batteries isn't going to cut it.
...as a weekend warrior & not an everyday professional tradesman or mechanic, but as someone who messes around with vintage cars on the weekend, how many times have i been frustrated by grabbing up a cordless tool only to find its battery dies with the second pull of the trigger... now if only "Oster" would go into buisness with milwaukee or dewalt & develop a cordles hair clipper worthy of running strong all day long in my barber shop (haha) ...& god bless u to bro!
I agree Bear. I only have a few cordless tools mostly drill drivers, impact drivers, a circ saw, jig saw and a couple lights and that's it. All my other power tools are corded or pneumatic. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
Before 20 volt lithium systems became affordable, I couldn't stand cordless tools, even well marketed brands. Then I dove in on HFT's Bauer lineup and it's rare I grab a corded tool anymore.
I don't own it but I kinda want, the Power 8 system. They are battery tools with an adapter to use them corded. It also has a container that doubles as a work station. The drill becomes a drill press, circ saw to a small table saw, and the jig saw to a scroll saw. I'd rather see it come with at least an option for a router instead of the cheap light it comes with. A mount to turn the circ to a chop saw would be cool as well. I can't see it used as a jobsite tool as they advertise but it's ideal for crafters. Also I think every brand of battery tool should have a corded adapter that plugs into the battery mount.
I prefer corded tools 100%. After having some bad experiences with earlier cordless tools and crappy batteries, I just haven't wanted to sink the money into giving it another go. That said, there are some really fun tools from brands that I enjoy that I know I'm missing out on.
My biggie is a corded electric drill for heavy-duty tasks. I've got two cordless electric drills, both Milwaukee, and they work great for drilling. on the other hand, if I'm using a flap disc, or a bulb auger, or mixing mortar, I have an old school low RPM Milwaukee drill (but not a Hole Hawg), that puts out enough torque to pick up a bear and spin him around. Angle grinders, sanders, Sawzall, circular saws, and jig saws: those are also all corded. Of those, only the Sawzall have I occasionally wanted a cordless version of. If I worked on job sites, that might be different, but I don't, so eh. Besides, the useful life span of a good quality corded tool is 50+ years. I've gotten probably 20 years out of my old German-made 14.4V NiCd Milwaukee drill, but that's because I get the battery packs rebuilt at Interstate Battery and replaced the worthless keyless chuck with an old US-made Jacobs chuck. also, I disagree that DeWalt is recognized as making the best grinder out there. I would say that Metabo is #1 and Makita is right behind. Who the heck makes a cordless router? That's almost as insane as a cordless compressor. Routers are what? 1 or 2 (real, not marketing wank) horsepower. I mean we're talking here a machine that's essentially a wood disintegrator. Hammer drills, eh. I've yet to see an application for a hammer drill where a rotary hammer won't outperform it by orders of magnitude. LED lights really use tiny amounts of power. A 100W LED produces more lumens than you can possibly deal with. A 10W LED on a itty-bitty 12V 2AH battery (86 kJ) will run about 2-2.5 hours. 18V and 6AH (389kJ) is going to run a full shift. As far as compressors go, charging a 10 gallon tank to 100 PSI is going to take just over 50kJ, and taking it to 150 PSI is going to run 93kJ. throw in any sort of reasonable efficiency factor, and you can see that it just isn't going to happen.
@@tardo5362 Don't know about you, but my picnic basket usually contains sandwiches, potato salad, and maybe a bottle of wine. Power hammer whatevers are not on the menu.
All my tools are cordless but I had to go old school and buy that Bosch 1250 DEVS sander and man does it destroy my Dewalt XR 5inch. In this case for heavy-duty stripping corded takes the gold.
I am a home handyman and i have corded tools but also cordless ones I use generally Skil and Bosh tools and it usually depends on the price are situations where I find tools on batteries cheaper than those on cable, a good example would be I wanted to buy a circular hand saw from Skill and the corded one was 25$ more expensive than the cordless one. On batteries, I have some drill drivers a circular saw, some reciprocating saws, electric screwdrivers, and a rotary hammer and corded tools I have a Jigsaw, a rotary hammer, a hammer drill, an angle grinder, a multi rotary tool, electric stapler gun, a hot air gun, a hot glue gun, a soldering gun.
I'm a woodworker and home handyman. My work shop is full of power tools, all corded except a Black and Decker cordless screw driver. My wife bought me a Craftsman cordless trim saw, It had a very short battery life . I donated it to Goodwill.
You are absolutely right about wanting a corded grinder. I got a cordless Ryobi grinder a few months ago and has been my biggest tool dissapointment in many years. I love Ryobi but the cordless grinder was a waste of money. It does not last very long on a charge.
My list of tools that should be corded is as follows: -sander -grinder -rotary hammer -electric planer -router These tools have something in common, you are going to use them for a long time and they demand a lot of energy so it is better not to stay without battery.
I agree on that lets see my 1/2" impact guns have far more power then any cordless one and I used both and some will laugh but I keep a cordless 1/2" impact in my truck along with a 2 ton jack and only found it really useful was on the side of the road with a flat tire. I do have a cordless and air powered 1/2 impact guns and getting the vehicles tire changed to a spare was far faster with the cordless impact gun on the side of the road. The rest of the time in my shop air powered all the way.
Number 1 is a blow gun. That’s the only air tool that cordless tools won’t take over! Number 2 is a die grinder. Either straight or angled, take your pick. Just make sure it’s got good insulation so you don’t freeze your hands off. I think for the most part I’d rather have the cordless tool just so I don’t have to deal with a compressor.
@@s2meister I know. I see that. I was joking because you made it sound like you were saying the particular pneumatic tool itself is better with a compressor than without a compressor, which describes literally every pneumatic tool because they don't work without a compressor. But yes, i understand you meant to refer to tools that you should choose pneumatic if you happen to already have a compressor
I'm so glad I found your RU-vid page! You're really good at this and know your tools. I've seen a few of your videos without the bear and you talk about your big paws and wow you are a big man with some big hands! LOL Didn't i see you playing football on Sundays before? HA Thanks for your hard work you put into these videos for us. Most don't really know what all goes into making these video but I do so again I say thank you sir.
I don't use power tools very often and don't go far afield with them. A cheap, powerful corded tool that's always ready and will last me for life is the way to go. If they made them in gas 2-stroke, I'd get that. Last night, I was using my corded drill on some 1/8" steel, and really feeling glad that I had unlimited power under the trigger.
Bear, where can I buy one of those hanging dremel tools like what you show at 6:10? I've never seen one before, and It'd be great for a lot of what I need a dremel tool for.
I've never understood the concept of a cordless sander, or anything that is typically used for long runs. Yeah, you can invest in extra batteries, but you are sacrificing cost for run time. And when you use the tool for a living, cost cuts into profits. It really does depend on who and how a tool is going to be used. If you refinish decks for a living, you're likely not going to put all your money into cordless sanders. If you're a DIY'er, short burst usage from a drill or circ saw can be made so much more convenient with a cordless tool.
What is the difference between these two drills? BAUER 7.5 Amp 1/2 in. Variable-Speed Hammer Drill vs BAUER 6.3 Amp, 1/2 in. Variable-Speed Drill? Same price, but the 7.5 amp hammer rill is the same price as the 6.3 amp regular drill. I don't get it. Any help? Thanks!
I prefer a rotary hammer vs a hammer drill - I just don't get the same results. As for the Dremel-like tool, HF has a pneumatic version that's even smaller than a Dremel tool, has more power, and and NEVER GETS HOT. I bought it because I was making my Dremel tool so hot (I was cutting the heads off nails through some fifty-year-old redwood siding that was so brittle I cracked a board the first time I tried to pull one of the nails) I was afraid it was going to catch on fire. So I went to HF - and for the first and list time bought 1 thing - and came home and completed the job without having to stop except for water and bathroom breaks.
The big advantage of corded over cordless is quality corded tools may last your whole life and possibly that of your kids. I don't know how many battery tools I have trashed because the batteries were no longer being made or were too expensive to replace. I work in my garage a lot. Cords are not a problem. BTW. We had a 200 foot fence installed. The installer used a generator and a corded DeWalt impact driver to drive the long screws.
Gotta have a corded rotary hammer as well. I can live with a cordless hammer drill for small stuff, but drilling anything bigger than 1/4" with cordless hammer drill is not worth it.
I feel like you need to state the context/situation/environment/demands of each user. Many of the tools you listed have a very viable cordless option. In many instances having the freedom to use some of these on a ladder or not having to drag a cord around a clients cluttered house/work site heavily outweighs the advantage of a cord.
Red any suggestions on where I can get a replacement 1/2" Drill like the Craftsman drill I have?? Please read before you answer THIS question (anybody)!! See a few years ago I bought a corded 1/2" hand drill from Sears, BECAUSE of its features!! And now I am sure you are asking yourself "GREG What is damn special about your drill that you can't find a cordless one like it?" And my answer to that is "Well to start with I bought it to hone cylinder blocks out with!!"!!! You see like Red says in this video corded tools are just better if you need to run it for a LONG TIME. And honing 8 cylinders out will eat up a battery pretty quick!! BESIDES my 1/2" drill is reversible, which I know isn't a huge deal in today's world because A LOT of cordless drills are in fact reversible....but mine can do two things the new cordless drills can't, and that is FIRST it has a knob on the trigger that you can adjust the speed with!! Now if you ever honed an engine block you need to go "slow and steady to a "certain RPM" and then let the tool run at that speed constantly and consistently as you work the hone in an out of the cylinder over and over and over again!!! The SECOND feature it has is a trigger lock, so you can twist the knob on the trigger to your desired speed and forget it, THEN lock the trigger into place while you are using it, so you do not stress your finger holding the trigger while you are working on each cylinder!! I have honed a lot of cylinder blocks with my old Drill I bought in the 1980s over the years, and I think the bearings have finally had enough as it squeals every time you start it and stop it...so it is just a matter of time before the thing stops working!! But it seems like nobody makes another drill with these two features anymore and I haven't seen one in 35 years like my drill at all!!! So if anybody has an answer this this please feel free to comment here or if you are not too busy send me a quick email at PistonRev@yahoo.com please!! Thanks in advance!!
Bottom line: Unless you need the portability of a cordless tool, the corded version is the better option. In this context, 'portability' includes the cord getting in the way, not just conveient access to a power outlet. For example, my lawn is fairly close to a power outlet, but dragging a cord behind an electric mower -- particularly in a yard with several trees -- is no fun. There, a battery-powered lawnmower makes more sense than a corded one. Why are corded tools better than cordless? For any given level of power, corded tools are smaller and lighter. That makes them easier to use. Even if you had an unlimited number of batteries so you never ran out of power, you'd be better off with a corded tool -- unless the cord gets in the way. This is also why air-powered tools are better than electric power tools. With or without a cord, electric power tools are larger and heavier than their pneumatic counterparts. If you have a large enough compressor and the air hose won't get in the way, air tools are the way to go.
Ever try clearing 100 ft of driveway with a corded electric snowblower? I did for about 4 years at my home. PITA because you can only work in 1 direction (moving away from the outlet). Switching to gas got the work done in a bit over half the time, without factoring in reeling up 100' of 12-gauge dropcord when done. BTW it sometimes pays to look a gift-horse in the mouth. LOL
I haven't seen any corded impact wrenches as powerful or compact as modern cordless or pneumatic models. Only thing I don't like about cordless is having to buy batteries when the old ones wear out, at the price of a corded tool sometimes. Frequency of use should be a big factor in your choice.
When I was installing a gazillion tapcons in the CBS walls of my house for hurricane shutter panels the corded hammer drill was the only way to go. A battery tool would NOT have had the long term power to do the job (but as it turns out the POS HD-Rigid didn't either, motor burnt out towards the end of the job and I had to dig out my old ancient B&D which at half the amperage did the job!). In theory, the Dremel moto tool should work fine in a battery version. The motor in these things is a brushed DC motor, which needs a step down rectifier circuit to run off of the AC power. The problem is, putting a big enough battery in a moto-tool would make it too heavy, the AC supply weighs less than the battery! Using the spline drive cable between the work piece and the motor solves that problem, but once you've done that, what's the point of going cordless? Snips for under $20? Not really, even the HF brand is closer to $40.
What is your suggestion for a good flood light (like the one you showed) for a good price? Harbor Freight hasn't quite gotten all in on the LEDs yet. Still halogen.
I picked up a snap-on led work light from Costco a couple years ago during the holidays and I've been pretty happy with it. It's blindingly bright and only cost $30.
I have absolutely no regrets with my cordless Dewalt grinder. Sure I’m not a professional, but I’ve put it through some tough shit and it just goes and goes and goes. And if you have plenty of batteries, who cares. I think cordless tools are really the way to go. Especially if you’re starting your career, might as well invest in a battery platform.
I've been waiting for this one since the Diamond Dan livestream. 🤙🏻 oh and jobsite fans. If I have a choice or ability to use a corded fan. I'm running with that. I understand sometimes the area or new home your building doesn't have electricity. However if I can use an outlet I'm bringing a good old box fan. I've named mine Big Mikey. (After Mike Tyson.)
lithium batteries take years to go flat. And Makita's 18v system is 15 years old. M18 is about 11. Don't buy a shitty no name brand or NICAD batteries and you won't have either problem.
@@tardo5362 Charge it full and let it sit. Li won't last longer than 2 years especially after a hot summer. Even a pro can't keep Li longer than 10 years.
Only cordless saws I use these days are hand saws, because the battery powered ones I can afford are less capable than a hand saw with a little beeswax on the blade. For a quick cut it's not always worth breaking out the corded even when power is available.
Only router I would buy cordless would be a little 1/4" one, theres no way a 1/2" would be able to withstand any real run time with what you would need it for.
I love cordless tools but every cordless tool I own I always have a corded cousin that sits at home in the tool box waiting for it's time to shine while I take the cordless tools to the job site. any type of spinning saw blade tool excluded. I gotta say though, Is there anything worse than running out of battery half way through something and having to climb down off a roof or out of a crawl space or attic to go get a F&$!ing battery. God I hate that
Electric cords and most lawn and garden tools are a terrible combination. On a string trimmer you get slowed down a lot dragging the cord. Same for any but a short run of hedge with a hedge trimmer. Pole trimmers tend to be OK with a power cord since you work in 1 place for a longer time period. I gladly stopped using my plug-in leaf blower after upgrading my lawn mower to one with a bagger option. Now I mow up the autumn leaves in an afternoon instead of spending 2 days blowing them into piles and then converting the blower into a vacuum mulcher to bag them.