Choosing cordless tools tools
The list above is what exists. This is how to decide which of it you actually need, what separates a tool worth keeping from one that ends up at the back of a drawer.
You are buying a battery, not a tool
Batteries are not interchangeable between brands. Buy a drill from one and a circular saw from another and you own two chargers, four batteries and a permanent annoyance. The tool is replaceable in five years; the platform decision follows you.
So choose on the range available rather than the item in front of you. A brand with fifty tools on one battery lets you add whatever the next job needs. A cheap kit on a battery nothing else uses is a dead end that looked like a bargain.
- Batteries lock you in
- One brand's pack fits only its own tools. The first purchase decides the next ten.
- Judge the range
- How many tools run on that battery. That is what you are actually buying.
- Bare tools are cheap
- Once you own batteries, adding a tool without one costs a fraction of a kit.
- Check it is current
- A discontinued platform means no replacement batteries in three years.
Volts and amp hours are different claims
Voltage is roughly how hard the tool can push: 12V for driving screws and light drilling, 18V for almost everything, higher for circular saws and grinders working continuously. Amp hours is how long it runs, which is capacity and nothing else.
A 5.0Ah pack on the same 18V tool does not make it more powerful in any useful sense; it makes it last two and a half times as long as a 2.0Ah, weigh more, and sustain high current better under a heavy cut. Marketing conflates the two constantly.
- Volts is force
- 12V for screwdriving, 18V for general work, more for sustained heavy cutting.
- Amp hours is runtime
- A 5.0Ah lasts two and a half times a 2.0Ah on the same tool. Not more powerful.
- Weight follows capacity
- A big pack on a small drill makes it tiring overhead. Two small packs beat one large.
- Ignore peak voltage
- A pack sold as 20V max is the same 18V nominal as everyone else's.
Brushless, and what it actually gives you
A brushless motor has no carbon brushes rubbing, so less energy becomes heat and more becomes work. In practice it means noticeably longer runtime per charge, more power from the same battery, and no brushes to wear out.
It matters most on tools that work hard for long periods: saws, grinders, impact drivers. On an occasional use drill the difference is real and small, and a brushed drill at half the price is not a mistake.
- Longer runtime
- Less energy wasted as heat, so the same battery lasts appreciably longer.
- Matters most under load
- Saws and grinders benefit most. On an occasional drill the gain is modest.
- Nothing to wear out
- No brushes to replace, and the motor is sealed against dust.
- Not a reason alone
- A brushed tool from a good platform beats a brushless one on a dead battery range.
Making batteries last
Lithium packs degrade with heat and with sitting at full or empty charge. So the habits are: let a pack cool before charging it, do not leave it on the charger for weeks, and store anything unused at around half charge rather than full.
Cold matters too. Below freezing a pack delivers much less and charging a frozen pack damages it, which is why most chargers refuse until it warms. Bringing packs in from the van overnight is the whole fix.
- Heat is the enemy
- Let a hot pack cool before charging. Charging warm is what shortens its life.
- Store at half charge
- Full or empty for months both degrade it. Half is where it sits happiest.
- Do not run flat repeatedly
- The protection circuit cuts out to save the cells. Take that as the signal it is.
- Warm before charging
- A frozen pack should not be charged. Most chargers refuse, and not all do.
Where corded still wins
Anything that runs continuously for long periods and draws hard: a table saw, a big SDS breaker, a bench grinder, a dust extractor. Cordless versions exist and they exchange batteries as fast as you can charge them.
The other case is anything you use rarely. A corded tool sitting in a cupboard for two years works instantly. A cordless one sitting there for two years has a pack that has quietly lost much of its capacity.
- Continuous heavy work
- Table saws, breakers, extractors. Cordless eats batteries faster than a charger fills them.
- Rarely used tools
- A corded tool works after two years in a cupboard. A neglected battery does not.
- Fixed workshop machines
- Nothing about them needs to move, so nothing about them needs a battery.
- Mains where mains exists
- For a whole day in one spot, a cable is not the inconvenience it is made out to be.
Frequently asked questions
- What cordless tools should I buy first?
- A combi drill and an impact driver, ideally as a twin kit with two batteries and a charger. That pair covers drilling and driving, which is most jobs. Add a circular saw or reciprocating saw next, then a grinder or multi tool as work demands.
- Is 18V better than 12V for cordless tools?
- For general work, yes: 18V has the range of tools and enough power for drilling into masonry and cutting timber. A 12V platform is lighter, smaller and genuinely nicer for screwdriving, cabinet fitting and anything overhead or in a confined space.
- What does amp hours mean on a battery?
- Capacity, which is runtime. A 5.0Ah pack runs about two and a half times as long as a 2.0Ah on the same tool. It does not make the tool more powerful in any useful sense, and it does make it heavier, which matters when working above your head.
- Are brushless cordless tools worth it?
- On tools that work hard for long stretches, yes: saws, grinders and impact drivers gain noticeably more runtime and power from the same battery, with no brushes to wear out. On an occasional use drill the difference is real but small, and a brushed one is not a mistake.
- Can I use one brand's batteries in another brand's tools?
- No. Every manufacturer uses its own physical fitting and communication protocol. Third party adaptors exist and they bypass the pack's protection and temperature reporting, which is how packs get damaged and occasionally worse. Choosing one platform is the real decision.
- How do I make cordless batteries last longer?
- Keep them cool, let a hot pack cool before charging, and do not leave packs on the charger for weeks. Store anything unused at around half charge rather than full. Bring them indoors in winter, since charging a frozen pack damages the cells.
- How many batteries do I need?
- Two as a minimum, so one charges while one works. Two mid sized packs beat one large one, because they weigh less on the tool and you are never waiting. A third only pays for itself if you regularly run a saw or grinder for a whole day.
- Should I buy a big cordless tool kit or individual tools?
- A twin kit of drill and impact driver is good value because you need the batteries and charger anyway. Beyond that, large kits usually include tools you will never fit, and once you own batteries a bare tool costs a fraction of the kit price.
