A reader recently commented about iterative updates to cordless power tools, and I have been trying to articulate my opinion on the matter.
He wrote:
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But at this point, the perceptible differences between what comes out, and what we have, will be extremely minor in all the best ways.
There are different reasons a pro cordless power tool brand, such as Dewalt or Milwaukee, might launch a new tool. Sometimes there are new capabilities and functions that they previously couldn’t or didn’t offer, such as a cordless drywall mud mixer, or a cordless ratchet aimed at automotive users.
Other times, popular tools are updated or upgraded.
To start about how I feel about incremental cordless power tool updates, let’s start at the beginning.
I always wanted to be an engineer, although it took me until adulthood to best understand what such a career could or would have involved.
Back when I started college, I applied to the state university’s liberal arts school, not their engineering department. I did get an offer for a different school’s engineering program, but private university fees would have been considerably (astronomically) higher, even with a merit scholarship offer.
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My first semester at the state college, I signed up for calculus I, physics I, economics (micro?), and history of the future. Yes, “History of the Future” – what an awesome course that was.
When I looked into the mechanical engineering program, I saw that it was extremely structured and that starting even a semester late would ensure 5 years of schooling rather than 4.
I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do engineering at that point. Maybe a path into finance would be more lucrative? I figured that physics vs. economics would help me determine my interests.
At some point I told myself that physics would be a better major to pursue. Plus, if I did want to go into engineering, a background in physics could serve as the backbone for an engineering graduate school program.
I very thoroughly enjoyed physics and officially declared it as my major.
There a whole lot more to say about my schooling choices, but there’s the important part:
I convinced myself that engineering was not quite right for me. Why? Why choose physics instead? First, I told myself that if I couldn’t reasonably pursue a career in aerospace engineering (I had always dreamed of working with rockets and other space-faring systems), understanding the physical word would be the next best thing.
For the argument against engineering, I couldn’t see myself in a career where I would be tasked with “building a better toaster.”
This is what I convinced myself of – that a path in engineering would lead me to a job where I’d be tasked with “building better toasters,” where a path in physics might open more doors.
I was so wrong, and I appreciate the irony now.
I have zero regrets about my educational choices. Well, I do wish I did things differently, but my choices made me who I am today, and forged the way I think and how I approach things. Still, I definitely see engineering and product development differently now compared to when I was 18.
To be clear, my stance about not wanting to fall into a career where I would be tasked with “building a better toaster” was a narrow view, but it served its purpose of reassuring myself I was on the path I needed to be on. Or rather, I realized my dream careers were largely unobtainable, and so I came up with this idea to avoid feeling regretful about it.
Let’s say a top pro cordless power tool brand comes out with a new cordless drill that features maybe 10% more torque, a 15% shorter length, and a slightly different look.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s just another update, not a big deal. Right? But, the context and impact of every new tool IS a big deal.
Why didn’t they come out with a tool like this two years ago? What challenges were overcome to get here? What does the competitive landscape look like now? Does the new model utilize any new technology?
I’d like to focus these considerations on professional cordless power tool brands. Consumer brands don’t push the envelope at as quick a pace, and there are a greater number of tools that are driven by marketing decisions rather than improvements.
With pro cordless power tools, each generational iteration might seem small, but improvements stack up over time.
A higher-powered 7-1/4″ cordless circular saw? A small change to a 4-1/2″ grinder? It was only a couple of years ago when pro brands could only offer 6-1/2″ saws due to power limitations and there were “cordless cut-off tools” instead of “cordless angle grinders” for the same reason.
A few years ago, we had brushed motor 6-1/2″ circular saws. Now, we have cordless brushless-motor 12″ miter saws and even cordless table saws.
It’s not about “building a better toaster just to sell more when what we have is good enough.” Maybe this can’t be completely ignored, as brands do want their tools to sell and some iterations might be marketing-driven.
But when looking at the big picture, every release is important.
If you’re looking to a buy a new tool, does it matter that there are smaller changes between the last and current generations? Probably not if the updates are minor.
Consider computer processors. Is it a big deal that the newest CPUs might only be 10% faster and 5% less power-consuming than the previous generation? If you bought or built a new PC the previous year, you probably won’t upgrade. But what if you’re replacing a system that’s a couple of years old? You’re going to want that newest generation of products.
Is it worth the upgrade if a new model shaves application speeds from 4 seconds to 3.8 seconds? Not usually. But what if a task that took 4 seconds to complete now takes 2 seconds? That’s a bigger difference. Jumps like that aren’t easy to accomplish in an iterative update and usually requires major technological evolutions.
Iterative updates are the way things go across many industries. Look at smartphones. Some years there are big innovations, and in other years there are smaller updates or improvements.
This is how the free market works.
Brand A introduces a product that offers new or innovative features and capabilities. Brand B one-ups brand A with a competitive option. Brand A counters the competition with an iterative update.
As things progress, the changes made between generations will plateau unless or until impactful technological developments allow for greater enhancements and upgrades.
When reading over a press release or sell sheet for a new tool being considered for a post, I try to think about the big picture. WHY is this new tool important? What about it is important for readers? What might readers care about?
In yesterday’s post, Ben V talked about the new Dewalt 20V Max cordless trimmers. The new string trimmer has a potentially impactful new feature – a hinged shaft that’s meant to be collapsed for storage. The pole-mounted hedge trimmer looks similar to the pole chain saw Dewalt introduced in 2019. While its development might have involved fewer technological hurdles than the hinged-shaft string trimmer, the pole hedge trimmer does bring new functions and capabilities to Dewalt’s 20V Max cordless power tool system. They’re both important tool introductions.
With a tool like the pole hedge trimmer, my assumption is that there were more marketing challenges than technological ones, although it’s impossible to know. Why is such a tool being introduced now, rather than a year or two ago?
And by marketing challenges, I imagine that there are lots of tools on any pro cordless power tool brand’s roadmap, but each brand can only work on so many tools at any given time. It would make sense for higher-demand tools to be released sooner, barring any technological or manufacturing hurdles.
Yes, incrementally-updated cordless power tools might seem simple and mundane. It actually took me a couple of years of analysis and attempts at insight-gathering to change my perspective.
I don’t expect everyone to be excited about every new tool, nor will every new release “further the big picture” in an impactful way. But that’s also the fun behind our posts and your comments and discussions.
I like to think that the sum of my experiences here at ToolGuyd leads me to be more open-minded, but I didn’t change my mind all on my own.
Dewalt came out with their first 20V Max cordless power tools back in 2011. At that time, ToolGuyd was still a young spare-time and for-fun venture while I was still working towards my research doctorate. I clearly remember the excitement of the product manager as we talked about the length of the new impact driver.
Compared to their 18V impact driver, Dewalt’s 20V Max Li-ion impact driver was a whopping *drum roll* 1/4″ shorter in length! That’s nothing when you consider how much more compact brushless impact drivers have become these days. But back then, every millimeter shaved off the length of an impact driver was a proud engineering achievement.
I believe it was then that my perspective started to pivot. Sure, at the surface, pro cordless power tool brands seem to be making small iterations, but there’s a what, how, why behind every change that is made. We are often presented with the what, but for some products there are obstacles hurdled or lessons learned that have broader impact on what’s to come.
Some new tools could and should be taken at face value. Others might have greater importance that consumers might never learn about.
I am often excited about new tool releases, but it’s not my responsibility or intent to extend that same excitement to you. My task, at least as I see it, is to help inform you, providing you with the information and insights you need to better determine what the new tools mean for you.
Sometimes a new tool is just a new tool.
I find new tools to be interesting and even exciting. Some of the time at least, I enjoy thinking about and exploring ways that each new tool, even iterative ones, might change the shape of the industry.
All of today’s new cordless power tools, most notably the brushless tools that were unfathomable a couple of years ago, were made possible thanks to years of constant development and progress.
Needless to say, I see product engineering very differently than I used to, even if we’re just talking about seemingly minor updates to cordless power tools or tech.
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Michael F
As a Software Developer, we now mostly use agile engineering practices to shorten what are called “feedback loops” – the time between when an engineer makes a chance and gets feedback from the customer on whether that change created value. Short feedback loops require iterative and incremental changes. This is easy to do in Software because there are no assembly lines, we can rip out an entire part of the product without requiring factory re-tooling. However, Toyota actually pioneered this methodology before Software caught on with Kanban and the Theory of Constraints. I’m glad to see tool companies taking this approach with iterative releases. The end result will be better tools to market faster than we otherwise would have them. It only appears like not much is changing, in reality if you look at 2 year slices tools are advancing incredibly rapidly!
Scott Frazier
What is amazing to me is that if you think of something, engineers can make it. Even items just conceived in Science Fiction novels can become real within a few decades sometimes less. The engineer that developed the first working cellphone in 1973 was inspired by Captain Kirk’s communicator in StarTrek. Many things in the Back to the Future movies have also become real. I work with engineers in the course of my job-and they are sometimes frustrating dealing with how they have things working on paper vs. how they work in the real world. That said- I have come to realize that they just think differently than me and once that I can convey the problem they make adjustments and make it work. Its just sometimes they can be inflexible-but they are very intelligent and I do respect them. Think about the vision of Elon Musk and all the top engineers that he has and continues to employ that made the Tesla vehicles, Space X, The Excavation Company etc. All the innovations and vision would be impossible without the engineers. His rivals have purchased and reversed engineered his vehicles and they are more than impressed. I have pretty much the entire line of the Dewalt 18 volt tools and I can assure you that the 20 volt lineup is much lighter and has far superior batteries. I keep the 18 volt tools because they work fine but continue to add the 20 volt tools to my collection and I pick them up first every time. My brushless impact gun is amazing. I also have a lot of theDewalt 12 volt max tools and they are great to use in tight spots because they are smaller. I also like my Milwaukee cordless ratchets in 1/4” and 3/8”-very handy to have. I tend to watch an item for awhile and when I see it on a good sale then I purchase it.
FixItChuck
As a full time mechanical engineer at a fortune 100 company (limited part time handy man), I agree with you. After ~15 yrs, I (and most of my peers) still aspire to help develop cool or interesting products that push the boundary of what was done before. Then reality hits and comes in and tells us that doing things this way or that would either be too difficult to make (expensive or too many mfg steps or etc), break in all the wrong places, or doesn’t work as intended, and we mush all our brains together in those meetings everybody loves, and iterate the design again. Then management comes in and tells us to make it cheaper, faster, or lighter (or the equivalent). So we scrap most of the design and iterate again. Then something else asinine comes and we iterate again. In all this hopefully we finally come up with a working design that we push out as a gen1 product! If it sells enough, management might be more willing to try the more expensive and challenging things (read: better design) stuff that was scrapped in the gen1 design, or slap in some upgraded critical component because that was around during the gen1 design phase or so.
All in all, I still really enjoy the problem solving aspect of engineering. Actually that’s more or less what engineering’s all about. And writing patents or papers showing off how we solved one problem or another in some special way.
928er
I am trained as an attorney, but one of my younger brothers went the trade school route and became a prototype machinist.
He has worked on many different projects for many different companies. Including making some of the parts for the Hubble Space Telescope (not the mirrors, fortunately).
When he was living with me in S.F., he was working for a company called Chiron. One of the projects he was assigned was to build a relatively simple instrument panel. As the project was spec’d, however, it required welding sheet aluminum to sheet steel. As he related this to me, he just rolled his eyes and just said “engineers…”
FixItChuck
Yeah, Junior engineer… Really require a lot of oversight xD (to green)
Ian
But thats how new production methods get developed.. Im sure at some point somebody somewhere will figure out a way to weld the two , if they havent already.
karl
Sometimes new and brushless isn’t necessarily better. I’d like to see 100 daily impact driver users have an unmarked 885 impàct driver and an 887 and do 500 screws with each. I’m bettin the old 885 would wìn hands down. Does for me.
Jonah Frazier
Dad?
Tomonthebeach
These usually very minor modifications beg the question as to why were they not designed in the first place. But the answer is almost always a marketing strategy – not a technological breakthrough. Upgrades, new versions, or new models encourage early replacements. Just ask Bill Gates. When he bought Convergent Technologies, he dribbled out their word-processing improvements as new versions for several years – each with a price upgrade too. Minor design enhancements also provide a way to get bonus advertising when professional reviewers describe the changes.
A footnote question related to this topic is why are there so many brand names when only a few companies actually make the tools thanks to monopoly building thru buyouts? In fact, many near-identical versions show up at deep discounts released by the same Chinese company that makes the brand name tools. The difference anymore is mostly pricetag and the color of the plastic (Yellow Dewalt, blood-red Milwaukee, blue Kobalt, Gray B&D, baby blue Bosch, orange Worx, and bright-red Craftsman).
Mike (the other one)
Chinese manufacturers do this because China is a communist nation with no concept of intellectual property. Anyone who wants to have products made in China has to allow a Chinese company to make a similar product, often using the same plans.
They don’t do the R & D. They make what are essentially counterfeits, and make them as cheaply as possible, so they can flood the markets with low quality junk. It may look the same, but the Chinese model will use lower grade materials, such as plastics that leach chemicals. There is a reason Harbor Freight smells the way it does.
Flodding the market this way also contributes to the disposable nature of so many items these days, since it’s cheaper to buy a new one than repair the one you have. This leads to more trash and pollution.
Chinese labor laws are another reason they can make things so cheaply. Safety regulations are relaxed, if present at all, and they have no problems using child labor or even slave labor.
This is why I try to buy as much USA made stuff as possible. If not US, then Canada, Germany, etc. USA made items are typically more expensive, but they usually have much better quality, and if there is a problem, they are more willing to provide some kind of support, which you will never get from a Chinese company.
Trippy
What is made in USA? I am not so thrilled with China products myself. Currently I am looking at a Saw Stop table saw. It has USA all over it. However I have found that it is assembled in USA, parts are made in China. In my book that is a China product. If I decide I will spend that much money on a table saw,. will be the one I get. I am looking at it wrong?
Need to compile a list of products and what country they are made in. Back to Saw Stop. What country would you call it manufactured in?
Thanks
Mike (the other one)
That’s been a major irritation for me. Assembled in USA with global materials is not the same thing as something that’s actually made in USA, but I feel like the quality control is better.
Even American cars have Chinese components. It virtually impossible to avoid Chinese products, but we do what we can.
SteveW
Just a few made in the U.S.A. tools that I can think of off the top of my head:
All Channellock pliers are made in PA.
Swanson speed squares.
Occidental Leather tool bags and belts are made in CA.
Most Klein hand tools.
Most Keson tools.
There are more but I can’t think of them right away.
evadman
I had similar thoughts when I went to college Stuart, and feel your pain. I wanted to engineer rockets, spaceplanes, or just anything out of the atmosphere. The engineering class structures I looked at were not what I wanted, so I ended up making my own by taking a triple major of computational physics, mathematics and computer science. I ended up with a bunch of classes that were boring as heck, but was lucky enough to piece together what I wanted. Now, I manage a software engineering and data scientist team for a big retail org. Not where I wanted to be looking back to college, and one of the reasons I do so much outside of work.
I wanted to be standing on 39a, instead of writing python or R on tensorflow to identify fire hydrants and trying to get my engineering fix with building a CBX engine with a 3800 supercharger or other random engineering projects.
John
Money and marketing, not sure much more is needed to say.
MT_Noob
It sounds sort like the differences between “revolutionary” changes and “incremental or evolutionary” changes. Sure the major releases get and deserve a lot of press and buzz. But the slow incremental continued progress over time is equally amazing and fascinating (at least to me).
I’m continually amazed and the power and energy density (if that is the right term) of all sorts of battery powered devices. Both tools and consumer devices like phones and tablets continue to surprise me with what we can fit into those tiny devices and run on batteries for extended periods.
We are pretty lucky to have so many amazing choices and tools at our disposal. All I need to do is find the time to work on all my projects.
Tomonthebeach
Mr. Noob, let us be realistic. There is only so much innovation one can do with a drill. You have an adjustable clutch, perhaps a hammer mode, add an LED to help see the target screw or drill a hole, and punch up the battery life. They all have triggers and handles. Only a few, amusingly, have bit clips. Are brushless motors really a big deal?
So what if manufacturers add a few volts which is a trivial upgrade that might require buying a new charger? I redecked a huge balcony 8 years ago with an 18v Milwaukee – on one charge. Will a 20v matter? Designers could add cameras, GPS, magnets, gun sights, or shrink their size – like cellphones, but you buy it because you need to bore holes and/or drive screws. Making drills smaller usually makes them less-effective drills.
MT_Noob
I don’t disagree Mr. Tomonthebeach,
Regarding “Incremental” – any single individual “incremental” change might not be jaw-dropping in and of itself… a few foot pounds here or there, a few more minutes of run time there. However, over a long stretch it can be impressive. Compare an old 9.6 v drill to a current day 18 volt drill and there are significant improvements that have happened one small step at a time. My first drill was a single speed a/c powered craftsman (which I still have and which is still great) and when I compare that to what I can get in a modern 18v off the shelf consumer tool. I’m impressed at how many holes can be drilled, how much power it has and how long I can go before switching batteries.
Regarding “revolutionary” -some items are significantly different or novel. The one time I recently used my new Bosch Flexi Click it made me regret not getting one sooner. The time and frustration it saved me more than paid for itself in the first or second use. I personally would consider its design revolutionary in a sense.
None of the above changes the fact that, yes indeed, tool manufactures have to market their items and find any possible differentiator that they can call out in their advertising claims in order to try to standout (or reach out in the case of tape measures) from their competition. And in that case, yes I’d agree that most of what marketing teams are claiming as “improvements” are overblown and simply just the game of trying to get one stat or feature of theirs to look better than their competitor.
Tomonthebeach
The major handtool companies are basically owned by two companies; Stankey-B&D and TTi. Those two companies own Stanley, Black & Decker, Porter-Cable, DeWalt, Bostitch, Irwin, Craftsman. Milwaukee, and Ryobi.
The tool companies are competing with themselves! There are at least 80 economic studies showing that innovation depends on competition. When you are competing with yourself, that historically has stifled innovation.
One of my favorite examples of phony innovation is the ubiquitous “multi-tool.” I bought my Fein Multimaster back in the early 90s for about $200. Back then it was used mainly by hospitals to remove casts without removing the arm or leg inside. Today, every major tool company sells a lower-quality knockoff that uses the same attachment connection for blades, sanding heads, etc. as the one Fein pioneered. They all do exactly the same tasks but cost far less because they have less power, precision, and durability. Is that innovation? Hardly… and we criticize the Chinese?
henry bilski
I do not agree at all. I have a Fein multi tool .Works great but the blades always move around after awhile. So I bought a new multi tool . Tried a Bosch and the new improved Fein. The Bosch is a much better tool with lower blade cost and is very smooth, where as the newer Fein had more vibration then the old one and the Bosch.
Tomonthebeach
RE your bad Fein. Unless defective, if the blades are coming loose it is almost always because you did not tighten the retaining screw enough. I have noticed when removing studs and baseboards (but mostly studs) with a lot of nails, I occasionally have to retighten. A mistake some people make that can cause early loosening is running at too low or high an RPM for the material being cut.
As for blades, I usually buy the cheapest ones. A tip for getting free scraper blades: when a saw blade’s teeth wear down, take it to your grinder then use it as a scraper.
I bought mine to remove hatches and stanchion s on my yacht. Nothing else will cleanly remove that 3M waterproof gunk yards use to bed them without also tearing up the gelcoat.
henry bilski
Fein found the screw system was bad. You had to loosen the screw to help the washer keep its shape. It will go flat after awhile if it is kept tight. Speed has nothing to do with the blade coming loose in my opinion. The newer generation clamping style proves that and the latest even more. However I did find the older Fein I had was very smooth running. The newer model a few years ago not so. The Bosch was and is still very smooth.
Tomonthebeach
Good point about the Fein washer. Forgot I once replaced that. The speed issue likely depends on what you are cutting. I found I had the most problems with footer nails in studs.
No argument that the Germans make the best tools. Bosch is surely the Bentley of tools. Makitas are a close 2nd – my Tracksaw is amazing. Nevertheless, I see more tradesmen using DeWalt than anything else. I tossed my 18V Milwaukee drills when Lowes sent me some craftsmen 20V’s to review. They have better torque and a hammer option. They also cleverly moved the LED to the battery. Guess Milwaukee forgot people often need to use both hands for many tasks which often covers their LED.
Corey Moore
That claim would make even Milwaukee marketers blush haha
Jim Felt
Stuart. What a great thread you’ve created. Lives. Careers. Goals. Results. Or to quote a couple of dead guys (pun intended) “What a long strange trip it’s been”.
JoeM
I am quite positive I’m at fault for the quote that started this, coming from here:
https://toolguyd.com/cordless-power-tool-brands-started-2020/#comment-1272086
And, in my defense, that statement was followed by:
“Tools will get out of the way of us getting the job done, and just be tweaked versions of what was great about the last versions.”
When we’re talking “What do you expect for 2020?” this is an important answer. I expect all the same GOOD things out of our tool brands. Increments matter. You talk about “Building a Better Toaster” but in truth, had no one incrementally improved a Toaster, some of my favourite features OF my current toaster wouldn’t exist. Some basic circuitry to only turn on one side of the toaster, so you can toast Bagels, and warm up delays so you can thaw frozen things before they’re toasted. And then you have to consider the entire branch of “Better Toaster” breeds, the Toaster Oven. My Aunt toasts Almonds and Walnuts without any seasoning in hers, and serves them as snacks at family outings. I can’t do that with my toaster, and my Oven doing small batches would be a waste of energy.
Increments MATTER. Even at the end of the quote you have to acknowledge a nod to this. “But at this point, the perceptable differences between what comes out, and what we have, will be extremely minor IN ALL THE BEST WAYS.”
I expect, year on year, that the companies won’t screw up what they do best. They won’t make a Drill that doesn’t Rotate, or a Saw that doesn’t Cut. In all the best ways, in all the many reasons to read ToolGuyd, 2020 will continue to show us the major, and minor, improvements as they come out. But will a tool company suddenly start selling Teddy Bears, and Feminine Hygeine Products? Not to be offensive in picking those two things, but these are out of left field for a Tool Brand, unless it’s for a Charity. Would I buy a DeWALT 20 Volt Max/XR/FlexVOLT branded Teddy Bear? You Bet Your Ass I Would! Oh, For Charity? Gimme a Dozen! Makita wants to raise awareness for Trans and Women’s Rights, so they’ve parnered with Tampax to give a Drill/Impact driver away to the Man who sends in the funniest picture of them buying Tampons/Pads for the Females in his Life… You KNOW us tool people have a sense of humour for those kinds of challenges… we don’t even need the prize as an excuse, we love to take weird and funny pictures!
In all the BEST ways, I don’t forsee ANYTHING life changing about our favourite Tool Brands. They will release the products we love, as we need them, and they won’t suddenly fail us or go magically out of business on us. If they do something “Left Field” it will be for a good reason, as every left field thing they do seems to come out for a good reason.
Ben V
To add to your point about a better toaster. My toaster has a button called ” a bit more”. It’s absolutely amazing, such a simple idea but it required a completely redesign of the way the toaster works.
To achieve this, they had to engineer it so the toast is mechanically lowered into the machine. This allows them to have two buttons:
– You can press a button to have the toast raised so you can see it, and then it lowers back down to finish the cycle.
– A press of a different button will lower a “finished toast” back into the toaster for a little longer to get the perfect color.
Dave P
I am doing some “winter cleaning” after inheriting some power tools that added to my own collection. I have some Milwaukee corded drills that are 15 and 25 years old, a Porter-Cable circular saw from 25 years ago, and a Craftsman router that is 40 years old among many other tools including some ten-year old NiCad cordless tools. Some of the boxes still have the original receipts. It is amazing to me that we can buy more powerful and lighter power tools that cost about the same as they did many years ago. Adjusting for inflation, power tools have never really been less expensive. How much is this due to manufacturing location (e.g. China) versus the advancement of technology?
I have a BS and MS in engineering, but worked most of my career in information technology. My smartphone has more computing power than many of the central business computers I used early in my career. The same trend seems to be happening with tools.
It is a great time for those that are in the market for new power tools.
Clark
Most testers have been ” improved” for increased profit or lower price. I wish someone would make a better toaster!
Jim Felt
But would a Milwaukee M18 battery operated Toaster actually sell? Maybe HF will try it first?
Ian
Jobsite breakfast. Same reasons a makita LX coffeepot or a coffeeboxx sells. Or someone just being a fanboy. But if someone did that, i would want it to be a hybrid power , or even an evercharge.
Dave
Interesting dialogue that is on the mark. The rush to the bottom of quality is driven by least cost formulation. The engineer has a better idea and marketing kills its chance for success . My Bosch brushless impact driver stops working after falling 5 ft and it costs more to fix it than it did to buy it. My 35 year old Skill saw is still trucking but is really heavy for me at 70 years plus. I like many others will buy made in the USA or Canada first and trust that the QC is in place. As for the toaster well mine is 40 years old and still does what it was designed to do, make toast. Enjoyed the run. Dave
Robert Adkins
There will always be high, medium, low, and indescribably low quality, no matter where the products are made. If China can turn out smartphones of impeccable quality and aesthetics, so can they turn out rough and tough items like drills and saws. I would rather buy only USA products, and will if our manufacturing is allowed to come back,
blocky
I bought my first serious cordless drills around 2008 — a pair Milwaukee V18 hammer drills using Milwaukee’s first lithium batteries, built on the old-style slide packs– just as Milwaukee was about to transition to the M18 platform. Those monsters with 3.0 batteries weighed about 5lbs each and built out several NYC lofts, artist and recording spaces, and helped frame out a house. One survived a 12′ drop (not by my hands). I carried them everywhere on my bicycle, smashing against my spine, and used them hard for 8 years before the batteries started to wane.
When I came back to the market for replacement batteries, I found that a 2.0lb 12v drill or impact could do almost everything I needed. That… BLEW MY MIND.
And now, as for incremental change, my Bosch GSR-12v-300 runs pretty damn close to the Makita subcompact for speed and power, and that thing fits in any jacket pocket.
I’m happiest when I’m working, but I’ll read just about any copy on what’s new.
Jessie Villanuevs
Really agreed with the presumption of the enginner who wrote on this article. If an upgrade comes out, it must be better than the old one. Speed, accuracy, reliability, durability and longevity impressses someone but the most important is the weight. Hopely in the future, all tools will be built not only in function but maybe 3 or more.
The What?
Besides brushless motors or lithium ion batteries and 18650 battery cells, there hasn’t been much done to improve the quality of tools. Everything that’s made is based on something that has been done before. There’s nothing new about cordless tools besides the motor and battery and maybe a mode switch. There’s not one cordless tool that’s not based on it’s corded counterparts. Drills saws, nail guns, air compressors, etc. You name it. It was done before. Just because a battery powered motor is put in place of an ac motor doesn’t mean that its a new discovery or some major breakthrough. What gets me is that people are failing to understand that corded tools are the standard in which all cordless tools are trying to to be like. Think about it. If you have a corded tool that can run practically forever without losing its power and strength until you unplug it then what can be done to make a cordless tool achieve that same function? Well, they try to make a motor that might have more strength but it doesn’t have power. Well then they try to make a battery that has more battery cells. The battery dies. Then they try to make a bigger battery that doesn’t die as fast but it still dies. Then they spike the voltage of the tool and battery to increase the power. Then they make another battery that’s bigger. Then it dies. Then they have to make an even bigger battery. The weight has significantly increased and they can’t make another bigger battery for practicality purposes. They have hit the ceiling. They decide to add useless technology like Bluetooth to the battery or tool. It still dies. Several tools are available but they require consumers to keep having to buy batteries so they won’t die. The corded tools are still plugged in and they still work and perform at the same rate as when they started to develop the batteries and tools to do what the tools you have plugged in can do. They’ve yet to be able to to develop a battery or tool that can work like the tools that are plugged in. Yet they keep making miniscule tweaks to the motor to make it spin faster or they tweak the torque just a little bit but they still haven’t made it to where the battery or tool can work like the one plugged into the outlet. Now they need to make it sound like the miniscule tweaks they made are the latest and greatest. They reach out to tool bloggers and others in the media and tell them that they’ll give them some free shit if they make underwhelming tools and batteries seem like they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. But of course! Who in the world is going to turn down free tools in exchange for saying a few nice things about the company that makes them. Just be sure to mention something each and every time something is done to the tools or batteries regardless of it being an improvement or not. The masses fall for it thanks to the advertising done by the media and blogs and now everyone is competing to get their products to be advertised as the latest and greatest. It’s now a trend for companies to develop and promote their products in this fashion. Meanwhile the tools that are plugged into the wall are still running and working better than those cordless tools that they worked so hard to get promoted and advertised despite the fact that they still haven’t improved much of anything. Who cares about the updates and upgrades to cordless tools? Well, I think it depends entirely on who plays a role in what’s involved in how these updates are made known.
Tomonthebeach
I’m not a blogger, – just a DIY guy who, due to frequent military moves, learned how to upgrade my houses in 3 years so as not to take a loss. Most of my post-retirement gigs today involve medical research consulting.
I accepted an invitation from Lowes corporate years ago to be a product evaluator. Because for me sharing experience and knowledge is part of being older and wiser (LOL), if Lowes sends me junk, I do not pull punches in my reviews. Free junk is still junk.
Stuart
7/10/2016, you wrote: “But an even better question is how the companies could even conceive that a cordless miter saw is a good idea”
7/11/2016, you wrote: “I wish these idiots would stop with the battery powered miter, table, band, & recip. saws along with the battery powered lawn equipment.”
6/7/2018, You wrote: “I bought the Dewalt 20v miter saw and it is awesome”
You criticize, complain about, and dismiss as useless nearly every cordless power tool we post about. If you were wrong about cordless miter saws, what other tools might circumstances change your mind about in the future?
“Free tools” can be helpful, but the picture you paint couldn’t be furthest from the truth.
As I have tried to explain to you before:
Here are ToolGuyd we aim for a zero-balance situation where all tool samples are eventually donated or given away, and those that we choose to keep we buy or balance out. There are some exceptions, but I’ve tried to adhere to this policy as best and closely as possible.
This week, we’re shipping off and returning some high-valued equipment. Someone might ask why we didn’t sell the equipment, but that’s a policy violation in my book.
With no-cost test samples, there’s zero monetary value coming in, and zero monetary value as they leave our hands (ignoring occasional shipping fees such as those incurred as part of reader giveaways). I haven’t found a more neutral way of treating no-cost review samples.
In 11 years, I can think of just ONE instance where a brand tried to impose conditions on a review sample, specifying how they intended for that particular cordless power tool to be tested. With some back and forth they yielded and agreed to provide it unconditionally. This happened maybe 8 years ago, it wasn’t recent.
Things are definitely different these days, due to the rise of “influencer marketing” but ToolGuyd’s practices haven’t changed.
There is no “free tool” that can convince me to compromise our ideals and the long-standing trust we’ve developed with readers, visitors, and members of the industry.
Although, I can’t be bought. Give me a >$5M equipment grant, prepaid lease on an industrial space, 10-year contract with stipend, and a couple of salary-paid-for techs to work with, and sure I can be convinced to sing a brand’s praise.
Would I sing a brand’s praise for less than that and if I didn’t believe in them? Nope.
“Influencer marketing” these days have blurred the line between “tool reviews” and “tool endorsements,” and so it’s more important than ever to heave clearly defined practices and ideals.
Ask questions and be critical – these are increasingly important consumer practices. But you should also be open-minded.
Your insinuations about tool review samples and brand treatments and what-not are still frustrating, but I don’t take it personally anymore.
A lot of your other statements, about corded vs. cordless, just aren’t true anymore.
I continue to own and use some corded power tools. But for many frequently used tools, especially tools taken to jobsites, cordless is more and more the better way to go.
Tomonthebeach
Stuart, look at the number of posts this generated. Oodles of fun exchanges. Do a happy dance. I thought your initial post was very clever. You asked for comments and you got a truckload 🙂
Robert Adkins
Aha! See? Even Stuart has his price!
Kidding aside, I once said “Cordless circ. saws are useless!”. I bought one of the first, which had a small blade, a weak NiCD battery, and a sole plate made from repurposed soup cans. 15 years later, I couldn’t be happier with my cordless 7-1/4. Who knows what’s next?
DRT
Feel free to start your own R&D company and invent something better than a lithium cell. Then make an improved electric motor better than brushless. Using your new technology, bring a line of power tools to market to market for less money than existing products. When you achieve that, you will have accomplished something. Until then, I just hear whining.
CountyCork
Who’s using corded drills anymore? Mine from 1996 hasn’t been touched in 10 years now. Yes if I plug it in it will work but no way am I dragging cords around to use it when I can grab my handy dandy cordless drill. Of course corded equipment will have it’s place for certain items but it’s hard to beat the convenience of cordless for most equipment when available now. I do hope one day they can make cordless tools that don’t require batteries or batteries that don’t die because maybe that means we could potentially live off grid, and at the cost of my electric bill I’m all for that!
fred
The last of the corded drill that we used were big old spade-handle drills dedicated to mixing mud. In the plumbing business, some big corded right angle hole-hawgs were hanging around to drive big selffeed bits – but I hear that they have all but been replaced with cordless Milwaukee super hole hawgs. Maybe the big corded rotohammers or magnetic drill presses that we had, still get used from time to time – but like the mud mixers, right angle drills and mag-drill-presses – big.batteries and brushless motors seem to have moved in. Not having a extension cords or air hoses to trip over is an advantage – and now that Milwaukee has stepped up their game with the MX line – with Dewalt likely to follow with Flexvolt additions – I think we’ll see even fewer corded tools on the jobsite.
In the shop/factory, pneumatics still seem to have their place for production drilling, grinding and sanding. But I’m hoping that we will see some inroads with better battery-cordless nail guns (things like roofing nailers) being developed for jobsite work.
Jim Felt
And hydraulic tools still have the big advantage that no one can just steal them and ever expect to resell them.
Oh. And they’re typically both the strongest and the quietest of “power” tools as well.
Stanley et al.
fred
Jim
Unfortunately hydraulic “tools” do get stolen. That is if you consider a skid steer a hydraulic tool. I’m told that skid steer theft is quite common.
I do get your point – that a hydraulic chainsaw would be hard to sell without the bucket truck that it came with.
Jim Felt
fred.
My bad. People will literally try to liberate any dang thing at all.
Tomonthebeach
To answer your question, I still use my heavy-duty “corded” Craftsman hammer drill when I have to pop 10-in heavy-duty screws into concrete or create 1″ dia. weep holes in concrete walls.
andy
At a labor cost of $50-$100 per hour and a tool life of 100-1000 hours, it makes sense to gain a few percent in productivity through an incremental update.
Robert Adkins
I welcome cordless tool evolution and increased variety. As long as the companies don’t monkey with the battery platform, That way, I can pick and choose new tools as I please.
Being a free-market guy, the manufacturers should do as they please to improve sales. However, they should either get together and standardize batteries, or the government will eventually do it for them. That seldom ends well, so I hope to see them collaborate to stop the battery madness. There are several nifty cordless tools I would love to buy, but my $1000 collection of batteries and chargers won’t fit.
JoeM
I want more efficiency, and more everything, really… There’s about a hundred tools that have been released in the past year or two where I’ve said “That’s SO close to engineering perfection!” that I look forward to someone realizing the same things I do. There was a Craftsman powered screwdriver that was internal battery only… Now… You can BUY the Lithium cells used in power tools from China using Alibaba, for dirt cheap pricing at that. If they just switched from internal power cell, to ejectable cell, using those immensely prolific Lithium Ion cells that Asia uses already, then that screwdriver would be THE PERFECT version of itself. Unscrew the back, pop the dead/dying one out, pop a new one in, maybe invent a Lithium Charger that clips to your belt, so you can see if a battery is dead, alive, or charging via Tool Battery clipped ELSEWHERE on your belt… THAT would make this the perfect small tool system.
There’s a lot of these tools that should be 4V Max Lithium Ion cell changeable batteries. The Bosch/Dremel Go screwdriver, the Dremel Versa Cleaning Tool, the Craftsman Screwdriver… They’ve got ONE of these rechargeable cells inside… 18650, I think? They’re USB charging this thing at 5 Volts every time… We have Power Tool batteries that can charge that SAME cell in 20 minutes, instead of 3 hours off of USB.
This would be an INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENT. But it would change EVERYTHING we think about for these small tools. Especially with a cell charger that can clip to the belt, OR plug into a wall to charge. “That’s totally useless, and a waste of materials!” one might say. Or “That wouldn’t be something we buy once every year, that would last for decades, and we would only make one round of profit off it… that’s not how the current market works!”… Well, I say it should CHANGE to this. Because, yeah… Buying one charger that can do both is great, maybe one that has a converter instead, clip to belt OR has a permanent place to hang the charger on the wall. It would open up a whole new market that makes things infinitely simpler for tool users, and gets the tools out of the way of getting the job done. Tool users could maximise efficiency, reliably pay for what they need, and still hit that “Now I’m Gonna Buy More!” happy button that tool COMPANIES are trying to get from every purchase.
I did business as well as technology in my schooling. I try to see SOLUTIONS to problems, not just complain about the problems. When I see something can be just that TINY bit more efficient, I want that efficiency. I want that perfection. And when new things are found that are MORE efficient? I want that too.
I don’t have any money to my name, and I wish I could buy in to make it happen… but the fact remains, I still want these incremental changes. I want them going in a direction toward maximum efficiency, and natural use. And frankly, I don’t care WHAT country gets that job done, I want it DONE RIGHT. If the USA and Canada can’t get their politics right enough to do that job, then bring on the overseas innovations. Like it or not, if you’re not going to be part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Here and Now, Tools and Innovations are happening world-wide. Get with that program, or get out of the way of progress. There’s work to be done.
Stuart
18650 cells are an industry standard, but they’re not a consumer standard yet. There are some consumer and enthusiast products that work with such cells, but it’s not quite the same as say AA or CR123-sized batteries and anything in between.
I did buy a product recently that works with 18650 cells, and they’re wrapped in the specialty brand’s logo. Another of their products takes 3rd party-branded cells, but the model I bought requires higher output specs. So, the brand sourced cells and put their name on it so that customers have an easy and reliable source.
Power tool brands are not going to leave it up to users to pick and choose their own 18650 Li-ion batteries. There’s simply too much variability!
Consider AA batteries. A lot of people buy the cheapest batteries possible, regardless of the device. Leave up 18650 sourcing to the user, and they might source an insufficiently spec’ed cell, or have difficulty finding good cells and a charger.
I think that Milwaukee did a great job with their RedLithium USB system. You can charge (most?) of the tools through direct USB ports, or remove the battery and use a dedicated charger.
What you’re asking for simply won’t be practical.
A lot of users, myself included, like for rechargeable tools and equipment to come with a battery so that I don’t have to play the “find a compatible battery” game. For tools that don’t require very frequent battery changes, and those that have lower out of pocket costs, a built-in battery can make things simpler and less expensive.
How many users will buy a device that has a built-in or proprietary battery, vs. those that won’t just because of the power system? Now increase the price and complexity to accommodate a removable battery. How do the projected sales numbers change?
I have specific product preferences, and have grown accustomed to accepting that outlier needs and wants won’t always be accommodated. I hate to say it, but you just have to deal with it, or wait until industry trends evolve.
JoeM
I don’t doubt a single thing you’ve said here.
That said… I can’t help thinking more toward efficiency, and less toward current trend preferences. I do check Alibaba pretty frequently, AliExpress especially. I have seen mobile device chargers that take removable 18650 cells, and chargers that can adapt to anything from a button battery to some monster cell bigger than the 18650, and they just plug into the wall, because simple high-powered cells are more commonplace in Asia than in North America.
And, yes… There are hundreds, if not thousands, of sets of specs for the 18650, as well as nearly every electronic component version of our AA and AAA standard cell batteries. All of them considered Rechargeable, it wouldn’t take much adaptation to move to these cells. They’re abundant, and easily ordered in massive amounts very cheaply.
Now… I didn’t mention it above, but… You did hit on the idea for the first step here… What if Tool Companies self-branded their 18650 cells for their small tools? Sold a charger system that used their larger tool battery to charge cells on the go clipped to their branded belt clip charger. It would NEVER replace anything bigger than a 4V Max tool, because those tool batteries are already perfect the way they are. But, use enough small tools, like the Craftsman Gyro Screwdriver, Dremel Versa cleaning tool, or other 4V Small cale EDC tool that would use an 18650 at the core of the system… What true harm would there be in those same companies simply making a wrap label around the cells they use? Drop in, drop out, these small tools could charge incredibly fast if they weren’t limited by USB’s specs.
But, I say this out of Efficiency. It’s only a TINY increment difference between what we have, and what I’m talking about. Soldered in, versus removable hatch. What I want is ALWAYS going to swing toward the engineering efficiency, and not consumer idiot-proofing (for lack of a better analogy.) and that is for very good reasons. We have the expression “Make it Idiot-Proof, and someone will make a better Idiot.” I believe there’s a post a few above this one that demonstrates this principle outright. One can’t idealize a world that works efficiently, and still worry about the Idiots. Idiots will happen anyways. People buy Dewalt and Milwaukee tools, and write on their Facebook pages that they’re the “Worst Companies EVER! Bought my latest tool, fresh from the store, plugged the battery into the tool, and it was a dead battery! Who sells dead batteries at a store?”… When the exact same tools say that you have to CHARGE the tool battery before first use, because there’s no telling how long that particular tool has sat on the shelf, or how long it took to get from the factory to that store, or even manufacturing date to purchase date. To be safe, they always warn about charging the battery before trying the tool the first time.
Idiots persist on being Idiots. I admit it’s generational, and a very much learned behaviour of Entitlement. My Father and Grandmother were VERY combative with retail stores. It didn’t matter if it was a dollar, or a thousand dollars, if it came home with them, and they had problems, the store was getting an ear full of hate-spew from them. Did they read the instructions? No. Did they bother to listen to anyone who set things up for them? No. They had Consumer Entitlement Syndrome. It made them Idiots. You can’t escape CES sufferers. The more the Industry wastes its time trying to avoid them, the more the axiom saying becomes true… Make it Idiot Proof, and someone will make a better Idiot.
That experience, and being the one who usually set things up for my Father and Grandmother, usually meant I had to be the one who explained the exact details as to why they had crossed over the line between Consumer, and Idiot. I learned NOT to be like them. And I continue that lesson by problem solving in the sense of getting the Perfect PRODUCT out, expecting the Idiots to have a problem either way, because you can’t escape them. It’s idiotic of ANY problem solver to attempt to remove the Idiot factor from any system or solution. Idiocy is the natural state of a First World Entitled Population. Their sense of self-importance overrides their common sense, what little they afford themselves of it.
But, I still look to the Future of the standardization of these technologies. And we can only get there with these Incremental Improvements you ask about in this particular Article. We need to report and read about them, because some day, some idiot is going to come here and question the need for anything to be invented at all, then you’ll have to go back into their posting history and show them how they contradicted themselves. Not only is this embarassing to have to do, but it’s an inevitable thing that must be done, given the privilege such posters have in today’s world. Hidden behind the anonymity of the Internet, there’s no one sitting next to them, ready to punch the stupid out of them for making such idiotic statements. They’re safe, in a protective bubble, behind a mobile device or computer, and although they can be blocked or hidden from view, we can’t get the wiser, more sensible posters of the site together to literally knock the entitlement and nonsense out of their heads. So we reach an impass. We can neither stay stagnant in the past, nor move forward into the future, without making some sort of increment between one and the other. Fear of failure and of idiots can’t hold us back, or we will TRULY be lost forever in a stalemate between getting a job done, and being told that the job is futile by the idiots.
I say move forward, regardless of the inevitable failure of the masses. As with all things, the greatest inventions to ever change the face of mankind have been ruined by the masses anyways, so you might as well invent them anyways and let the idiots annihilate themselves over their mistakes. The world can, and does, move on without them, even if it is slowed a little bit. Every incremental change is a victory for those who strive to improve, not distroy, the progress we make as a species.
The What?
Believing in cordless tools and having experience using them are completely different from each other. You sure make it seem like you’re an expert about what power tools can do for or someone who has a background in physics which has nothing to do with power tools and has never had hands on experience in a skilled trade or construction type of environment where power tools is a part of the daily regiment used to build or fabricate something. What do you know about corded vs cordless tools considering that the only experience you have is based on review samples testing? Have you ever used a corded power tool or pneumatic tool with an air hose & an air compressor at any capacity whatsoever? I’m dead serious about that question. Cuz you don’t ever post anything about those tools except maybe a miter saw. Have you ever done any kind of trade or skill work using power tools? Have you ever worked with building materials? Have you ever used power tools to build a structure or dwelling? Have you ever been on a residential or commercial construction job site? I’m willing to bet that you’ve never even toted lumber before. So exactly how is it that you are able to make any evaluation or assessment as to whether a cordless tool upgrade was really worthwhile or how it compares to corded tools? Have you ever put a tool under load to push the limitations of the battery or the tool? And exactly how long do you test these review samples for? A day or two? Maybe a week at the most? Have you ever conducted a test to where the battery died? I’ve never seen anything mentioned about the application used to determine your expert opinions or how they compare to other brands or their corded counterparts in the event of using the tools for construction or building purposes. That’s what the majority of the tools you talk about are designed for. But based on the reviews and your expert opinion, I’ve never read anything about them being used in that context.
Stuart
You complain about nearly every tool I post about, and when you don’t, you question and criticize my experience, competence, or integrity. I don’t know why you keep deflecting towards a discussion about “free review samples.”
No, I’m not a tradesman. And when there’s a tool I lack experience in, I say so. I seek to provide information as opposed to endorsements, but when I’m confident in an opinion I share recommendations.
There are specialty tools that I probably won’t ever have experience or intimate familiarity with. For example, large-diameter PEX expansion tools, heavy duty pipe cutters, or heavy equipment such as concrete core drills.
Tools have been at the center of nearly all of my personal projects and hobbies for years before ToolGuyd (and constantly since), and I was eager to share my opinions. I did so on other blogs and forums but started ToolGuyd to have a platform of my own. For a few years prior to starting ToolGuyd my budget had allowed me to grow my capabilities to better suit my needs and wants. There was never a time when I thought “gee, I should be a tool reviewer for all of the free stuff I might get,” or even “hmm, I want to be a tool reviewer.” I sought to address the questions I had to answer for myself regarding tool selection.
Changing needs, reader interests and questions, and timely new tool releases steered my attention to cordless power tools. I started writing about tools right when evolving cordless tool tech led the transition from NiCad to Li-ion.
The needs of a residential electrician will be different from that of a commercial electrician. The same goes for plumbers. Renovation work is going to lead to different opinions than new work. A framer will have different needs and preferences than a carpenter. Then, you’ll have regional and personal differences.
My goal is to understand tools, and in the process I talk to local pros, brand product managers, engineers, and so forth, and there has of course been a wealth of knowledge, insights, preferences, and opinions in the 120K+ reader comments here at ToolGuyd.
Yes, of course I own and have used corded power tools, as well as corded air compressors. It’s because I’m not a pro user that I still use some of my corded tools. If I did more field work, I’d almost certainly trade in my corded sanders and router for cordless models.
I haven’t parted with my corded hammer drill yet, but that’s mostly because its higher RPMs are occasionally still useful with certain accessories. At first I kept it around because my cordless drill didn’t have the power for certain larger-diameter drilling tasks, but that isn’t true anymore.
I haven’t traded in my air nailers for cordless models yet (although I have tested and reviewed some). However, I mainly use my air nailers in a workshop setting. In jobsite settings, cordless nailers offer meaningful benefits.
Like it or not, cordless tools are the way to go these days, with only a few exceptions. It’s what readers are interested in, visitors are looking to learn about, and what retailers are selling far more of. Brands occasionally come out with new corded power tools, but the focus of the industry, retailers, and users is on cordless tools and tech.
Cordless tools are better on ladders, where a lot of movement is involved, when sufficient AC power sourcing is not available (such as at many residential renovation work environments). These days, a lot of cordless tools are smaller, lighter, more powerful, and more featured than corded tools.
Corded tools can sometimes have user advantages, but that’s increasingly the exception. The main benefit is in lower costs and greater longevity for less demanding users since cordless power tool batteries are consumables and also diminish with age.
For most daily users, heavy users, and even regular users, cordless tools already offer so much more than corded, and that trend will only continue. You can argue that corded tools are better for your own needs and wants, but the fact of the matter is that cordless tools have become far more popular. There are still some hold-outs who insist cordless tools are vastly superior in all regards, but more are converting each year.