Cordless Tools
As a general rule, I don't like cordless tools for two reasons: battery life and battery life.
- Batteries often don't last long enough to do a whole day on a project. They tend to die when you need them the most and you'll be forced to take coffee breaks while the battery sits in the charger.
- You can buy the most expensive cordless tool on the market, and you'll still spend a fortune replacing the batteries (to paraphrase Mr. Miyagi: “Expensive. Cheap. No matter.”). Although battery technology has gotten much better than the NiCd batteries of yesteryear, your batteries will lose their ability to hold a charge, regardless of how much you paid for the tool. As they age, they will die even sooner in the middle of a project (see problem #1 above).
For most tools, I opt for a cord. I have plenty of extension cords and even a generator if I need it. I don't like running out of power.
Every Rule Has an Exception
My exception to this rule is a cordless drill (which 90% of the time is chucked with a screwdriver bit). I love having a cordless drill. It's my go-to tool. It's the best invention since air. But it's not for everything; if I need to do a big job, like drilling pilot holes and driving hundreds of screws on a deck, I'll reach for my Milwaukee corded 3/8″ drill and work all day long. But those days are rare. For most household tasks, like assembling a cabinet or hanging blinds, a cordless drill is the ultimate modern convenience.
A cordless drill a must-have in every household. If you don't have one, buy a good one, BUT you don't need the top of the line (the batteries won't last forever anyway). I really recommend getting a kit with a minimum of two batteries so you can always have a fresh one ready to go. Plus you'll get twice as much useful life from your drill.
With each charge cycle, your batteries will give you slightly less run time. It won't be noticeable at first, but suddenly you'll realize that it only lasts 1/4 of the time that it did when it was new.
What to Replace?
When that time eventually comes, it will be a very sad day. You'll have a mechanically useful drill in your hand (that you've loved and nurtured for years… one that has given you so much but asked so little in return…) and useless batteries. What do you do now? Do you buy a new battery or two? Sure, go ahead, price those. Assuming they still make them, it is ridiculously expensive to replace batteries. It's like replacing toner in a laser printer. Over its lifetime, the cost of the consumable part will far exceed the unit itself.
My general rule of thumb is to put a new cordless drill kit on my Wish List. One that has two batteries, light weight, and good reviews.
Happy drilling! Or screwing. Or whatever she's doing in that picture.
