Questions on power tools and bits?

[purpleroad]

Want to get a planer, is it worth getting a battery powered one or corded? I have other Dewalt stuff so could switch the battery. If you ever work on site I suppose the advantage of battery powered is you don't have to go for 110V or 240V.

Also, anyone recommend some jigsaw blades?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Cordless is very handy for site work where you may need to be mobile, but the battery power is inevitably a bit limiting unless you have a couple of 18 volt 5Ah batteries to chuck at it. Going for 110 volt isn't really such a chore - if you need to do lots of heavy planing then a bettery tool just doesn't hack it IMHO

Jigsaw blades? Generally use Bosch, Festool, Starrett or Lenox brands (and there's equally nothing wrong with Metabo, deWalt or Wilpu either, just that nobody I know sells them) and avoid cheap Chinese carp. Which blade type you need requires a lot more information than you've given. For example, if you want a jigsaw blade for scribing joints in skirting you can't do better than a Bosch T244D (no orbit), for fine cuts in veneered plywood then a Bosch T101BIF would possibly be my go to choice although a Starrett Dual Cut BU2DCS-2 might be a better choice if double-sided clean cuts are the order of the day, for fast cuts in softwood (rough) a Bosch T144D or T144DP would be good, deep joint cutting might require something like a Bosch T744D or even a T1044D blade, whilst intricate scrolling work would mitigate the use of a Bosch T101AOF blade in some materials. The choice is very, very wide

 

[purpleroad]

Cordless is very handy for site work where you may need to be mobile, but the battery power is inevitably a bit limiting unless you have a couple of 18 volt 5Ah batteries to chuck at it. Going for 110 volt isn't really such a chore - if you need to do lots of heavy planing then a bettery tool just doesn't hack it IMHO

Jigsaw blades? Generally use Bosch, Festool, Starrett or Lenox brands (and there's equally nothing wrong with Metabo, deWalt or Wilpu either, just that nobody I know sells them) and avoid cheap Chinese carp. Which blade type you need requires a lot more information than you've given. For example, if you want a jigsaw blade for scribing joints in skirting you can't do better than a Bosch T244D (no orbit), for fine cuts in veneered plywood then a Bosch T101BIF would possibly be my go to choice although a Starrett Dual Cut BU2DCS-2 might be a better choice if double-sided clean cuts are the order of the day, for fast cuts in softwood (rough) a Bosch T144D or T144DP would be good, deep joint cutting might require something like a Bosch T744D or even a T1044D blade, whilst intricate scrolling work would mitigate the use of a Bosch T101AOF blade in some materials. The choice is very, very wide

Ok so get a 5 amp battery for a cordless dewalt jigsaw and planer and I should be fine? U think 4 amp- which I have with for my drill and circular saw isn't enough for a planer.

I was told that if they're 18 V it doesn't matter on the ampage as ampage just determines how long it lasts. So 4 amp should be fine. I guess 18V can't match 240V

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Ok so get a 5 amp battery for a cordless dewalt jigsaw and planer and I should be fine? U think 4 amp- which I have with for my drill and circular saw isn't enough for a planer.

I don't really think that is true - 3Ah and upwards is enough, it's just that with lower amperage you'll get shorter run times. For a tradesman this can often be significamnt, but it's a lot less important if you are DIYing. I've switched over to using 5Ah this year because 6Ah were too expensive (on a £ per Ah basis) and for most tasks I can get a day's work done using just 2 or 3 no 5Ah batteries. Not having to traipse back to the charging station mid-session help me keep the productivity up - but that's hardly a DIY concern

I guess 18V can't match 240V

Not really, no. Most cordless tools would be rated at 350 to 600 watts in equivalent power terms to corded tools (the 600 watt stuff is really the high end brushless kit only). In comparison with a corded circular saw at 600 to 1200 watts or a corded planer at 750 to 1000 watts it becomes obvious that in corded tools you get a lot more raw power. Then there's the speed at which cordless tools spin - generally they cannot run anywhere near as fast as their corded equivalants. So in many ways cordless tools are inferior, BUT, they allow a freedom from cords and cables which can be essential for efficient working in a professional tradesman's environment. Again I don't see as many advantages for the DIYER, other than possibly having a cordless combi drill or impact driver.

 

[purpleroad]

I don't have the advantage of having power in my shed and sometimes I help a friend on his jobs so maybe get battery powered.

Is it worth getting a cheap chop saw like this one-

http://www.tooled-up.com/product/sk...ding-mitre-saw-215mm-blade-1500w-240v/201282/

This will be to practice on and use for jobs here and there.

And are these a good selection of jigsaw blades-

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-jig...tracking url&gclid=CIX-xO6q8tACFUNmGwodqkIA1Q

Will they fit any jigsaw?