My neighbor in Phoenix argued that cordless tools are just a fad for pros

We were talking over the fence yesterday and he said his 20-year-old corded circular saw will outlast any battery one. He pointed at my new cordless drill and called it a 'glorified toy' that will be junk in five years. That hit different because I just spent over $800 switching my main kit to all battery power. Made me wonder if I'm betting on the wrong gear for long jobs. Are cordless tools really built to last for a full career?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_sage13d ago

Man, that reminds me of this time I helped my dad redo his bathroom like six years ago. We had this ancient corded jigsaw from the 80s that he swore by, and ten minutes into cutting the backsplash it just died mid cut. Smoke everywhere. Meanwhile my cousin showed up with a cordless one he got for cheap and finished everything in like an hour. My dad still tells people that jigsaw woulda worked if the "new stuff" didnt interfere with the electricity or something. Point is, old timers get attached to what they know. Your cordless kit is fine, battery tech is stupid good now. That Phoenix neighbor probably also thinks smartphones are a fad because his flip phone still works.

keith_owens31mo ago

Glorified toy" is a bold take from a guy whose saw probably predates the internet. My cordless stuff has survived three house projects, his opinion hasn't survived this conversation.

kim_davis1mo ago

Read an article where a contractor said cordless tools are fine for most jobs now. The battery life and power have gotten way better in the last few years. Keith's probably just mad his cord keeps getting tangled.

caseywalker1mo ago

Seriously, @kim_davis is right. I switched to cordless for my deck build last year and never looked back. No more dragging an extension cord around was a game changer lol.