Milwaukee Sawzalls - corded vs battery

[Ultradog MN]

Hahahha. Google didn't recently get ahold of your phone. Your phone was born google. Android=Google.

Yes.
If google gets any more invasive I may juat bite the bullet and go to an I Phone

 

[joeysmith]

Im still actively in the home building trade
The only corded tools on most job sites now are battery chargers
Lol

Even the framers are mostly cordless at this point.

Roofers still use air i guess

 

[Watthour]

Im still actively in the home building trade
The only corded tools on most job sites now are battery chargers
Lol

Even the framers are mostly cordless at this point.

Roofers still use air i guess

Going up and down to swap batteries and CO2 canisters is not profitable.

 

[joeysmith]

Going up and down to swap batteries and CO2 canisters is not profitable.

Normally the ground guy tosses em up when they need them framing

 

[Sprint 6]

I love my battery impacts, ratchets, and drills in the mechanic trade. Air tools lasted longer, but were noisy, the hose was always in the way, and were far less powerful than modern battery tools. Modern vehicles have far higher torque specs on most everything, so removal torque is a big deal now.

 

[Ultradog MN]

Current project:
New aluminum soffit and fascia on the garage at one of my rentals. I have 3 sides done.
On the last side the red squirrels chewed their way through the old wood and caused water damage and rot.
I have to splice a few rafter tails and replace some look-outs to carry the new sub fascia.
Power tools required:
Table saw, miter saw, sawzall and portable air compressor for 3 nail guns.
Do they make all those tools battery powered?
Would be a Lot of batteries if they did.
Guess I'll stick to what I know works and pull a cord.

 

[DanielW]

I love my battery impacts, ratchets, and drills in the mechanic trade. Air tools lasted longer, but were noisy, the hose was always in the way, and were far less powerful than modern battery tools. Modern vehicles have far higher torque specs on most everything, so removal torque is a big deal now.

When I worked at a machine shop about 12 years ago our main source of work was repairing equipment from news and film crews - a lot of large steel fasteners in aluminum housings and large, old equipment that was used in salty and wet conditions (especially from the weather crews). So we dealt with a boat-load of seized fasteners with lots galvanic corrosion and stainless galling. I bought the highest torque 1/2" pneumatic impact that Ingersoll-Rand offered - it cost quite a pretty-penny.

Last year my brother bought a Dewalt cordless impact gun, and it puts my pneumatic one to shame. That Dewalt will effortlessly spin out stuff that the pneumatic one won't touch. He bought a cordless ratchet around the same time. I thought a cordless ratchet was a bit of a gimmick and my air ratchet was better. But after using it for a couple hours I immediately ordered a Milwaukee one for myself. Might be the most useful tool I've bought: It'll turn what would previously have been a 2-day engine swap (for me) into a 6 hour job, and I find it much more convenient with more torque than my pneumatic ratchets.

I'm not saying that cordless is the way to go for everyone. But I think a lot of the folks who poo-poo cordless haven't realized how different cordless tools are today than they were 10 years ago. Night and day difference on both power and charge life from what they used to be - especially compared to the Ni-Cad garbage. As far as the time lost going up and down ladders to change batteries: I don't see that as a concern. As an example: My brother and I put the strapping on the roof of a 70' barn a couple years ago using a pair of cordless framing nailers. I don't think either of us had to swap batteries more than once during the whole day. Maybe twice at most. Back in the day using pneumatic nailers, we would have spent way, way more time keeping hoses untangled and from catching on board/truss-ends.

As I mentioned before: For me (though I realize not for everyone), that video shows why I prefer cordless tools. A 30 second difference cutting 4" x 12" Doug-fir. I can't picture any scenario where it would take less than 30 seconds for me to run a cord - unless I happened to be working right at the house or shop. And most applications for using a sawzall aren't cutting 12" of 4" thick Doug-Fir. For most cuts anyone's doing with a sawzall, it's probably a 5-10 second difference (at most) on total time to make the cut.

 

[Sprint 6]

We cut up tires for cheaper disposal at my shop. We use an M18 Sawzall for this task, takes seconds per tire using a Milwaukee AX blade for nail embedded wood. The same blade in a corded Sawzall takes minutes per tire due to the lower blade speed of the corded saw, allowing the rubber time to deflect instead of cut.

 

[MeanGene1]

I have a whole fleet of the 20V MAX DeWalt stuff, started with a brushless 3/8 drill that came with a charger and 2 2AH batteries that still work after about 10 yrs. 6-1/2" circular saw that is excellent when you're up in the rafters of just light work, cutting up old pallets etc. The star is the "big" 1/2" impact that, as was said, is so much stronger than my Ingersol air gun. I have a tool bag with that impact, impact sockets, a couple batteries and a DeWalt work light that goes with me whenever I venture out with a trailer. The sawzall is excellent, I discovered the "pruning" blades, which are extremely sharp. I have a Genie lift, and I'll take that saw with 3 batteries in the basket and have cut limbs up to 8" with it. By the time I use up 3 batteries I'm ready for a break. About a year ago I got both the weed whacker and blower, they both work well, are very light and QUIET, and both came with a charger and 5AH battery. Have not had a battery fail yet

 

[moresmoke]

I have quite a few corded tools over 50 years old that still run well, how many replacement batteries would you have to buy in 50 years? I have a couple of cordless drills, the drills are over 20 years old, but the batteries have been replaced many times. the originals maybe last 7-10 years, but the replacements only 5, but I don't buy oem.

I started with M18 about 15 years ago, I think I have had 3 batteries fail, 2 under warranty. I have bought more batteries since then, but mostly because the tool collection has grown.

Oh, I still don’t have a cordless sawzall because the corded one still works just fine.

 

[SkipperII]

I have both. Most sawz all jobs I have are quick, usually outside, and grabbbing the cordless is perfect. Occasionally, I'm in the garage, and my corded one is nearby, as well as near an outlet. Each has it's advantages, not worth argueing over. Acutally, most metal cutting, up to 4". I usually grab my portaband.