Are Lithium-Ion Cordless Tools Worth Buying?
Cordless power tools have been on the market for a long time and, of course, use rechargable batteries to provide their power.
When first introduced cordless tools offered some convenience but provided poor performance when compared to corded tools. The limiting factor was the batteries used.
The early cordless tools (mainly drills) were powered by 7.2 volt batteries but in recent years developments in battery technology has enabled the use of much better batteries with voltages up to 36 volts, which provide much greater power. The best of these can be as powerful as corded power tools. However, there has to be a compromise between power and size and tools for normal use generally use batteries between 12 volt and 18 volt. Batteries with a voltage less than this do not have enough power for most uses and these with a higher voltage tend to be too bulky and heavy.
Mainstream cordless tools use nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries, as they offer a good performance at a reasonable price. The best cordless tools, however, now use lithium-Ion batteries. These have a number of advantages including being lighter, charging more quickly, lasting longer and maintaining their charge when not in use. The disadvantage of these batteries is that they cost significantly more than nickel cadmium.
Looking at the cordless tools on the market today I find the Makita 18v LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Tool Series to be very good. This has grown to include 35+ tools of various types all aimed primarily at trade professionals. As the name indicates they are all based on Lithium-Ion batteries to deliver the necessary power in at easily manageable size.
The range includes:
Makita BFS450 18V Cordless Drywall Screwdriver - This weighs just over four pounds and is just over ten inches long. This makes it easy to carry around and use anywhere.
Makita BSS501 Circular Trim Saw - This comes in at just under six pounds and its power is shown by it being able to achieve a two inch depth of cut (at 90 degrees).
Makita BDF452 Driver Drill - This drill is a mere 8 inches in length and only four pounds in weight but its powerful four-pole maximum torque motor manages to produce 450 in.lbs. of torque.
There is no doubting the convenience of a cordless power tools but I must admit that these tools are quite pricey, however, they are excellent quality. Whether they are worth buying depends on how much you will use them but if you are a frequent user then good quality Lithium-ion powered tools will be a good investment.
When first introduced cordless tools offered some convenience but provided poor performance when compared to corded tools. The limiting factor was the batteries used.
The early cordless tools (mainly drills) were powered by 7.2 volt batteries but in recent years developments in battery technology has enabled the use of much better batteries with voltages up to 36 volts, which provide much greater power. The best of these can be as powerful as corded power tools. However, there has to be a compromise between power and size and tools for normal use generally use batteries between 12 volt and 18 volt. Batteries with a voltage less than this do not have enough power for most uses and these with a higher voltage tend to be too bulky and heavy.
Mainstream cordless tools use nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries, as they offer a good performance at a reasonable price. The best cordless tools, however, now use lithium-Ion batteries. These have a number of advantages including being lighter, charging more quickly, lasting longer and maintaining their charge when not in use. The disadvantage of these batteries is that they cost significantly more than nickel cadmium.
Looking at the cordless tools on the market today I find the Makita 18v LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Tool Series to be very good. This has grown to include 35+ tools of various types all aimed primarily at trade professionals. As the name indicates they are all based on Lithium-Ion batteries to deliver the necessary power in at easily manageable size.
The range includes:
Makita BFS450 18V Cordless Drywall Screwdriver - This weighs just over four pounds and is just over ten inches long. This makes it easy to carry around and use anywhere.
Makita BSS501 Circular Trim Saw - This comes in at just under six pounds and its power is shown by it being able to achieve a two inch depth of cut (at 90 degrees).
Makita BDF452 Driver Drill - This drill is a mere 8 inches in length and only four pounds in weight but its powerful four-pole maximum torque motor manages to produce 450 in.lbs. of torque.
There is no doubting the convenience of a cordless power tools but I must admit that these tools are quite pricey, however, they are excellent quality. Whether they are worth buying depends on how much you will use them but if you are a frequent user then good quality Lithium-ion powered tools will be a good investment.
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