Category Archives: LATEST NEWS ON CORDLESS POWER TOOLS

Latest News about Cordless Power Tools

Selecting Your Next Cordless Drill

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When selecting Your Next Cordless Drill, as suggested by Chuck Cage in his excellent article on how to select a cordles drill, some of the information manufacturers give you about their drills that you may have to consider include:

1.Voltage

Clearly this is one of the manufacturers’ biggest selling points for many cordless drills as it’s usually printed in large letters on the drill and box and it’s almost always the first piece of information provided in the name.

With everything else equal, higher voltage should run the motor faster and provide more torque. Of course, everything else is not equal. The 18v drill you’re looking at likely has a different motor than the 14.4v and 19.2v drills you’re comparing it to, and different battery systems offer different current-draw limitations. So, your mileage may vary.

The most common voltages seen on the market today are the 9.6v, 14.4v, 18v, and 19.2v, though Hitachi now offers 24v tools, Milwaukee offers 28v tools, and DeWalt even offers 36 volt (!) tools. While an 18v or 19.2v drill will potentially offer more speed/torque, it’s possible that a 14.4v drill with a more efficient motor and a more current-friendly battery will outperform it. Luckily, most manufacturers also provide no-load speed and maximum torque specs for their products, so you really don’t have to bet on potential alone.

2.Battery Type

There are three types of rechargeable batteries commonly used in today’s cordless drills: Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), and Lithium Ion (Li-Ion). Each type has its advantages and disadvantages.

NiCd

Nickel Cadmium batteries are the “original” rechargeable, and they’ve been around long enough for pretty much everyone to have run into their disadvantages. Specifically, they provide good current flow on demand and they’re inexpensive. Most NiCds can provide up to 1000 charging cycles in their lifetime, but they’re somewhat sensitive to patterns of use. NiCds should never be completely drained, and they can’t be charged immediately after discharge; they require time to cool first. Short use is also counterindicated.

In a perfect world, NiCds should be drained 70% each time. It’s probably also worth noting that Cadmium is extremely dangerous to the environment.

NiMH

Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are said to be less sensitive to charge/discharge cycle patterns, but the real drive behind the development of NiMH batteries started in Europe where they were mandated to limit release of Cadmium into the environment. You’ll note that the biggest manufacturers of NiMH-powered drills (Hitachi and Makita) depend on Europe for a large portion of their sales. One concern we’ve seen expressed about NiMH batteries is their short life. They’re often good for less than 1000 charges, and based on your cycle habits and use duty, sometimes much fewer.

Li-Ion

While Li-Ion batteries found their way into cell phones and other portable electronics years ago, they are now also becoming the “standard battery of choice” in hand held power tools. Li-Ion batteries offer higher power density as well as less sensitivity to charge cycle patterns and temperature during charging.

3. Battery Systems

Many manufacturers offer a variety of cordless tools that can be powered by the same, interchangable batteries. Why does it matter? If you’re planning on buying other cordless power tools, selecting tools with compatibe batteries can save you money, time, and shelf space. You’ll only need one charger, and sometimes you can even score package deals for hundreds of dollars less than individual purchases.

While some of these battery systems do offer unique features, we feel that the question you should ask — if you’re considering this as a deciding factor anyway — should be, “What other tools do they offer?” Most ”systems” consist of at least a drill, circular saw, reciprocating saw, and shop light, but it’s worth checking.

Additional Features .

There are a few other features you’ll want to consider when selecting your next drill: Variable Speed/Speed Range Settings While you’ll probably pass on drills without variable speed triggers, you’ll notice that many modern drills offer more than one “speed range.” It’s currently common for drills to offer a low-speed range (0-400 RPM or so) for screw driving and a high-speed range (0-1200 RPM or so) for drilling. Some high-end drills offer three speed range settings. Chuck Size and Type 3/8″ drills are best for use around the house while 1/2″ drills serve well in the shop or house.

Clutch Settings

While most cordless drills offer a clutch that allows you to limit the drill’s torque for different applications, some offer more settings than others. If you use your drill in a torque-sensitive environment, this may be a concern.

Spindle Lock

This is a simple feature that allows you to lock the drill’s spindle in place to simplify changing drill bits. This appears to be a feature that’s more used in larger drills, and it’s only offered on a few of our 113 featured drills. Honestly, unless you have a very specific use for a small drill, give the mini-drills a pass. If you do have a use, we recommend seeking one of the new high-end Li-Ion-powered drills as most of the low-end drills we saw lacked critical features such as variable speed.

Standard Drills

This is where 99% of drill buyers shop. These drills fall into two categories: drills designed for shop use (and home use), and drills designed solely for light-duty home use. 3/8″ chuck drills are best suited for home use only, while 1/2″ drills serve well in either environment.

Expect to receive at least 300 in-lbs. of torque, two speed ranges, and 16-24 clutch settings. One factor to consider is weight. If your drill will spend a significant portion of its time in small hands, or just drilling holes in the drywall, you might consider a lighter, less powerful drill. For shop use, you’ll want one of the 1/2″ chuck units with all the torque you can afford.

The following basic process of considering a cordless drill is recommended:

1. Ask yourself where and how the drill will be used. Will you use it for production work in the shop? On the jobsite? Or just around the house and garage? This will help you narrow the list down by quickly eliminating drills that are way above or way below your needs.

2. Next, ask yourself how much you’re willing to spend. You can eliminate another large set of drills by culling those that are beyond your means.

3. Finally, review the specs to find the best match. You’ll want as much torque as you can find, but be sure to consider weight and battery type.

Her’s a short video from Lowe’s which might help you further in deciding your next cordless drill.

Hope the above has been helpful. Happy drilling

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Safety Considerations When Using a Cordless Drill

Safety Consideration When Using a Cordless Drill

Here are some basic SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING CORDLESS DRILLS :

1. It is important that you DO NOT DRILL  in a wet location, or in a gaseous explosive atmosphere.

2. When using all drills, always try to WEAR SAFETY GLASSES and DO NOT WEAR loose clothing. Loose clothing could get wrapped up in your drill and may cause serious injury.

3. DO NOT CARRY the tool with your finger on the trigger.

4. Where applicable, USE A CLAMP OR VISE to hold your work. It’s safer and will free both hands for operating.

5. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION when drilling into a wall, floor or wherever there could be a “live” electrical wire. Check the surrounding area of the target drill point BEFORE you start to drill into the wall.

6. KEEP VISITORS AND CHILDREN AWAY from the work area.

7. DO NOT TOUCH the bit after drilling. It is hot and can cause sever burns.

8. NEVER charge cordless drills in an environment where the temperature is less than 50 degrees F or more than 130 degrees F.

9. USE ONLY the charging system that came with your drill to recharge the batteries. Using a charger other than the one that came with your system may cause serious damage to the charger or the battery. There are different volt chargers and each charger is designed for the cordless drill it came with.

10. INSPECT the tool and charging system PERIODICALLY for loose or broken components. REPAIR any defects before further use.

Cordless drills are great tools to have in your work shop, and following these rules makes it safe for everyone. These safety rules for cordless drills are designed to keep you out of harms way. Careful planning and safety go hand in hand when you are working on all your projects.

Happy drilling!

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Are there some techniques for using a Cordless Drill to insert screws?

Would like to suggest the following for consideration:

1. Keep the bit inline with the screw’s direction of penetration. Most times newbies struggle with that. If the drill/chuck is cocked in relation to the axis of the screw, it creates all kinds of trouble.

2. Firmly push inward, not letting the bit slip back out of the screwhead.

3. Bits are consumable. They don’t last forever. Are you trying to use a bit that’s too worn? Once a bit has slipped badly even a few times, it’s probably toast.

4. Slower, steady power is your general best bet, the only exception being when you need a BURST of torque, whereby you time your pushing/pressure effort with a burst of speed on the drill. But that’s seldom needed, and you’d still use the low range.

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It might be interesting to note the following too:

Flat-head / slotted screws come in many sizes. Having a correctly-fitting bit helps a lot. Too narrow or too thin and you’ll damage the head. Too wide and you’ll damage the work. Too thick and it won’t fit. Fingernails, coins, and knives are non-optimal. Make sure your bit is properly aligned in the the slot. Keep the drill directly in line with the screw.

Phillip’s head screws are actually designed to “cam out”. That is, when the screw stops turning easily, the bit is pushed up and out of the screw head. This is to prevent you from over-torquing the screw and damaging the work, screw, or bit. Unlike flat-head are discrete, #2 being the most common. Make sure you have a correct size. Keep the drill directly in line with the screw. Pressure on the drill is necessary to keep the bit in place. When the angle makes it difficult to apply pressure, set the clutch low and don’t work too hard. When the clutch slips, turn the clutch up and apply more pressure to finish the work.

Good-quality fasteners are worth it. Cheap screws are more likely to break or round out the head.

If a driver bit slips out and damages the screw head, then you’ll have a harder time finishing the work or removing the damaged screw. More torque means more damage if it slips, so be careful if you turn up the clutch. As soon as a screw is damaged happens, if you pull the screw out before it gets worse and replace it, you’ll be better off than if you keep driving the bad screw.

Using An impact drill/driver may also make driving screws much easier. But they’re sometimes also a bit loud and a bit expensive, and can destroy your work if you’re not careful.

Driving slowly lets you keep control and reduces damage when the bit slips.

Predrilling in metal / pilot holes in wood make it easier on your muscles, reduce screw breakage, reduce wood splitting, and don’t reduce strength. I’ve heard that it may actually increase strength, but I don’t know for sure. I pick a drill the size of the screw shaft.

Soap can help lubricate screws in to wood, making it easier and reducing screw breakage.

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Hope the above short write up will be of help to some of you. Happy drilling!

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Battery Technology: Comparing Lithium Ion and NiCd Battery Benefits

During the last decade, cordless tools have expanded in voltage and applications to become the primary tools on residential and commercial job sites. Recently, lithium ion battery technology has been introduced into power tools. But what is the benefit of lithium ion?

For a given voltage, a lithium ion battery is smaller in size and lighter in weight than a nickel cadmium (NiCd) or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery. In addition, lithium ion has virtually no self-discharge. This allows a lithium ion battery to be stored for months without losing charge. The battery chemistries can be compared as follows:

Lithium Ion Benefits Nickel Cadmium Benefits
  • Smaller size
  • Lighter weight
  • Virtually no self-discharge
  • No memory
  • Proven job site durability
  • Compatibility with current chargers
  • Value
  • No memory

Lithium ion has an ergonomic advantage over the other battery chemistries. But what about performance and durability?

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Rule 1: Lithium Ion Does Not Mean More Power

As power increases, a tool can perform more difficult applications and do the applications faster. Power is determined by the voltage of the battery and the efficient design of the motor, transmission and mechanism. Increasing voltage or efficiency increases power. Note that battery chemistry does not influence power. An 18V lithium ion battery has the same potential to deliver power as an 18V NiCd battery because they are the same voltage.

However, the ergonomic advantage of lithium ion batteries allows manufacturers to make higher voltage tools — and, thus, more power — without increasing weight.

Rule 2: Lithium Ion Does Not Mean More Run Time

The run time (or number of holes drilled on a single battery charge) is determined by three factors:

1. Battery voltage

2. Battery capacity (amp-hour)

3. Efficiency of tool design

Increasing voltage, amp-hour or tool efficiency improves run time. NiCd and NiMH batteries range in capacity from 1.3Ah to 3.0Ah. In comparison, lithium ion batteries range from 1.1Ah to 3.0Ah.

Remember, amp-hour is only one factor in run time, just as the size of the gas tank is only one factor in how far a vehicle can drive on a tank of gas. The best measure of run time is how many holes are drilled or how many boards cut on a single battery charge. Applications per battery charge factor in voltage, capacity and the efficiency of the tool.

Rule 3: Lithium Ion Has Various Formulas

There are hundreds of formulas of lithium ion, each with various features and benefits. Some formulas provide far more positive benefits than others. When purchasing a tool, it is important to understand the performance and durability of the specific product you are considering. For example, consider how many holes you can drill per charge or how many recharges you can get during the battery’s life.

It is also important to note that there currently is no industry standard for measuring the amount of recharges a user can get from the battery. Some manufacturers test battery life using more strenuous tests that simulate job site applications, providing a “real measurement,” while other tool manufacturers test cycle life using applications that are not representative of real-world job site applications. Users should be aware of this issue and be cautious of cycle life claims until a standard is established by the industry.

Rule 4: Higher Voltage Means More Power and Run Time

When selecting a cordless tool system, the best place to start is with voltage as it is the best indicator of overall power and run time. Higher voltage tools deliver more power and longer run time.

If a contractor’s primary application is fastening small screws, a low-voltage system (7.2V to 14.4V) is ideal. For a contractor who needs to fasten screws and drill holes and use circular saws and reciprocating saws, 18V is ideal. Eighteen-volt tends to be manufacturer’s broadest systems with the most tool options. If 18V isn’t enough power and run time, consider a higher voltage (24V-plus) system.

After a voltage is selected, compare the features and benefits of the tool. This includes the type of chuck, speed selections, ergonomics (size, weight and balance), tool-free blade or bit changes, clutches, battery type, hammer mechanisms, etc. Also, consider a combo kit containing multiple cordless tools.

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– Source : Lowe’s Pro Services

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Best site for the Cheapest Cordless Power Tools

Best site CHEAPEST ANYWHERE for Cordless Power Tools – CHECK OUT : www.cheapestanywhere.com/powertools

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