Can this two-wire lead be used as an extension?

[SUNRAY]

But, they go on, and on, and on

And they cost a fortune to keep replacing the batteries

Oh and let's not forget having to ask the neighbour to borrow theirs when your final battery dies and you need to keep the missus happy

 

[JohnW2]

But, they go on, and on, and on

Exactly. As we've recently been discussing in other threads, unless one pays an awful lot for a cordless tool one has to accept that a year or three down the road one will probably be left with an otherwise perfectly usable tool which one can't use because its dead batter cannot be (sensibly or at all) replaced.

The convenience of cordless garden tools can't be denied (I, for one, have chopped through their leads more than twice ) , but ..... !!

Kind Regards, John

 

[robinbanks]

And they cost a fortune to keep replacing the batteries

Oh and let's not forget having to ask the neighbour to borrow theirs when your final battery dies and you need to keep the missus happy

Don't think I've replaced a battery yet on any of my cordless gear. What nasty brands are you buying!?

Quite sure the battery dying shouldn't be a surprise; even if you don't have a clue how long it lasts there is normally a gauge..

 

[JohnW2]

Don't think I've replaced a battery yet on any of my cordless gear. What nasty brands are you buying!?

How long are you batteries lasting?

I have a good few corded power tools that I bought between 30 and 50 years ago (including some 'nasty brands') which are still working fine,

In contrast, since I haven't got around to disposing of them, I have a very large box full of cordless tools bought over the past ~30 years that are probably, in themselves, still fine, but had to be abandoned when their batteries died and replacement was either impossible or not cost-effective. I don't think any of the batteries lasted more than 5 years, many not more than 2-3 years. Most of the early ones are 'reputable brands', but I eventually realised that the battery life issue made it more sensible to buy 'the cheapest I could find'!

Kind Regards, John

 

[robinbanks]

My Bosch tools are coming up on 11 years old now..

 

[JohnW2]

My Bosch tools are coming up on 11 years old now..

I've got at least a couple of Bosch cordless drills in 'my box'. Admittedly, replacement batteries are still available (and I have one still in service with a replacement battery), but generally at a price greater than that for which I could buy some new drill+battery.

However, more to the point, none of my Bosch batteries have lasted for anything remotely like 11 years - as I said, almost always appreciably less than half of that, so itr seems that you must have been 'lucky'!

Kind regards, John

 

[SUNRAY]

How long are you batteries lasting?

I have a good few corded power tools that I bought between 30 and 50 years ago (including some 'nasty brands') which are still working fine,

In contrast, since I haven't got around to disposing of them, I have a very large box full of cordless tools bought over the past ~30 years that are probably, in themselves, still fine, but had to be abandoned when their batteries died and replacement was either impossible or not cost-effective. I don't think any of the batteries lasted more than 5 years, many not more than 2-3 years. Most of the early ones are 'reputable brands', but I eventually realised that the battery life issue made it more sensible to buy 'the cheapest I could find'!

Kind Regards, John

I started buying cordless tools in 80's, in the early days it was really only B&D (£69) for domestic market as the others were very expensive. In 90's purchased Makita (as it was the only drill to have) and Bosch

but I eventually realised that the battery life issue made it more sensible to buy 'the cheapest I could find'!

and started buying Homebase own then a couple of B&D (that pair lasted the longest of any, probably 4-5 years) then given a discount ticket for DeWalt and got a 2pack of 12V - first 2 batteries and one charger replaced under warranty due to short life then one of those replacements also replaced. when I had to start paying the stupid DeWalt battery prices I gave up.

However I still have some Homebase drills (>25 years old) which I've soldered flex to and use them with a 7 or 12AH gel battery. Being honest here it is possible I have all apart from the Makita which in my opinion was the worst drill of the whole bunch (crap springs to mind) and I traded in for something, too far back to remember what. I did the flex soldered to the empty battery pack on that too and also did it for others.

 

[SUNRAY]

My Bosch tools are coming up on 11 years old now..

Only ever owned one Bosch cordless which I was able to recell twice but it was a little 7.2V unit,
I've always loved their corded tools, currently have 3 drills.

Now there's incentive, one of these:

The later version had torque settings and was terrible.

 

[robinbanks]

I was overjoyed to find that my ex partner left behind a Bosch SDS drill box..

..but that later turned to significant disappointment to find it contained a burnt-out Wickes normal hammer drill

 

[JohnW2]

I started buying cordless tools in 80's, in the early days it was really only B&D (£69) for domestic market as the others were very expensive. In 90's purchased Makita (as it was the only drill to have) and Bosch

My earliest cordless ones were also (pretty expensive) B&D, as were the majority of my early corded ones (including ones still going fine after ~50 years!)

[ having just had a quick look, the earliest one I can find which bears a 'date of manufacture' says 1980. However, I'm pretty sure that one or two of my 'still working fine' B&D ones are my 'originals', which would have been bought in the late 60s or early 70s - but they don't seem to bear any dates ]

and started buying Homebase own then a couple of B&D (that pair lasted the longest of any, probably 4-5 years)

That'ssimilar to my experience, for all brands. I've had a few Homebase and Wickes ones, and their batteries haven't, in general lasted any less long than the B&D or Bosch ones. I'm pretty sure that I've never had a battery remain 'sensibly usable' for more than about 5 years, at the very most, and I would guess that the 'average' is usually 2-3 years.

Kind Regards, John

 

[SUNRAY]

My earliest cordless ones were also (pretty expensive) B&D, as were the majority of my early corded ones (including ones still going fine after ~50 years!)

[ having just had a quick look, the earliest one I can find which bears a 'date of manufacture' says 1980. However, I'm pretty sure that one or two of my 'still working fine' B&D ones are my 'originals', which would have been bought in the late 60s or early 70s - but they don't seem to bear any dates ]


That'ssimilar to my experience, for all brands. I've had a few Homebase and Wickes ones, and their batteries haven't, in general lasted any less long than the B&D or Bosch ones. I'm pretty sure that I've never had a battery remain 'sensibly usable' for more than about 5 years, at the very most, and I would guess that the 'average' is usually 2-3 years.

Kind Regards, John

Bearing in mind I have been using them for work since early 90's I don't expect them to last as long as joe public's. the DeWalts were far and away the worst, 3 out of 2 failing within the first year, the best have definitely been the latest B&D which Ironically I purchased in Homebase for £10 each in a clearance offer about 2002ish when the new (and very horrible) range went on sale followed by the first in 80's but the rest have generally done a year properly and eked out to another year as a backup.

I really must sort the dregs out and dispose, I bet they account for several cubic feet of wasted space

 

[JohnW2]

Bearing in mind I have been using them for work since early 90's I don't expect them to last as long as joe public's.

I'm not sure it necessarily works like that, particularly with NiMH (and NiCad) batteries,since they don'y do well with long periods of non-use (ans may often be the case for Joe Public). Lithium ones are far better in that respect.

the DeWalts were far and away the worst, 3 out of 2 failing within the first year,

..and, I would guess, by far and away the most expensive?

I really must sort the dregs out and dispose, I bet they account for several cubic feet of wasted space

As I implied, the same is very much true of me (and my wife!!)!

In fact, there are now usually just two of us living in a house big enough for at least 10, but one of the major impediments to any thoughts of 'downsizing' (with probably a dramatic reduction in 'running costs' - I might even be able to actually 'retire' ) is the incredible amount of 'stuff' we have accumulated, which is currently filling this massive house 'to the brim' (and it's all 'acquired during our occupancy', since we moved here 36 years ago from a small 2½ bed semi

Kind Regards, John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Being honest here it is possible I have all apart from the Makita which in my opinion was the worst drill of the whole bunch (crap springs to mind) and I traded in for something, too far back to remember what. I did the flex soldered to the empty battery pack on that too and also did it for others.

Makita has also been my worst experience of batteries quickly failing, plus very heavy too. My Lidl 20v range has been much better, plus much lighter.

 

[JohnW2]

Makita has also been my worst experience of batteries quickly failing, plus very heavy too. My Lidl 20v range has been much better, plus much lighter.

I've never 'kept records' (maybe I should have done), so it all depends to some extent on memory but I recall that there was a point in the past when I managed to convince myself that, of all the brands of batteries I'd experienced (mainly B&D, Bosch, Homebase and Wickes), the Homebase ones had been the 'best' (in terms of longevity) - as well as quite possibly being the cheapest.

Kind Regards, John

 

[robinbanks]

3 out of 2 failing within the first year

That's a very high failure ratio indeed!