Cordless power tools

[Lynx_Arc]

I have been using my B & D 20V hedge trimmer for several years now and I bet the dewalt design is based off the B & D model I'm using. It is surprising how long it runs off a battery I think unless you have heavy trimming you can probably get more runtime than running the weedeater. I didn't get a shield for my hedge trimmer either but it did come lubed well enough. I strongly recommend a 20V hedge trimmer instead of the gas or corded one unless you have a huge amount of hedge work you will find you get the job done quicker and are less tired from either dragging a cord around or lifting a heavier gas motor and being a lot lighter you can get at places that would not be possible with cords or heavier loads. I gave away my corded hedge trimmer to a neighbor whose wore out as I have not used it or my corded weedeater since I got the 20V models.

[ven]

Nice bush CG nice job there.

Shame no guard, even cheap brands throw a 10 cent one in! So you used 1 or 2 batteries? I would hazard a guess around 30mins solid use from a 5a battery? So possibly an hour of trimming with stops n starts?. When mine packs in, I will probably add the dewalt to the stable, after all at this stage it would be rude not to.
I don’t think there is a perfect fuel out there, but battery does have more advantages than disadvantages.....for my use at least anyway. If it was a business, I would either use 60v tools or 4 stroke.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

I finally had an opportunity to put the DeWALT hedge trimmer to work.



The hedge wasn't too overgrown. It just needed a little off the top and sides. I can now recommend this trimmer without reservation. It's light, very quiet compared to two stroke tools and, of course, no gas and oil exhaust to breath. Be advised, if you have a big job you'll need more than two batteries on hand. It requires a lot of energy to power the twin blades, both of which move.



After pruning all the hedge visible in the second picture, the blades started making an alarming metal against metal scraping sound. I finished the job with a gas tool. Upon returning home I decided reading the owners manual was in order. There was nothing stating the blades needed to be lubricated before its first use. I applied some chain & cable lube and the noise disappeared. I assumed the factory lube would have lasted much longer than this job took. I was wrong. Also, the bean counters at DeDALT decided a blade cover would not be included. Sub par move as far as I'm concerned.

I have been using my B & D 20V hedge trimmer for several years now and I bet the dewalt design is based off the B & D model I'm using. It is surprising how long it runs off a battery I think unless you have heavy trimming you can probably get more runtime than running the weedeater. I didn't get a shield for my hedge trimmer either but it did come lubed well enough. I strongly recommend a 20V hedge trimmer instead of the gas or corded one unless you have a huge amount of hedge work you will find you get the job done quicker and are less tired from either dragging a cord around or lifting a heavier gas motor and being a lot lighter you can get at places that would not be possible with cords or heavier loads. I gave away my corded hedge trimmer to a neighbor whose wore out as I have not used it or my corded weedeater since I got the 20V models.

True that, Lynx Arc, Sometimes ya just gotta bring out the big, gas, gun.





Yesterday I had a go at our neighbor's side of the hedge.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Nice bush CG nice job there.

Shame no guard, even cheap brands throw a 10 cent one in! So you used 1 or 2 batteries? I would hazard a guess around 30mins solid use from a 5a battery? So possibly an hour of trimming with stops n starts?. When mine packs in, I will probably add the dewalt to the stable, after all at this stage it would be rude not to.
I don’t think there is a perfect fuel out there, but battery does have more advantages than disadvantages.....for my use at least anyway. If it was a business, I would either use 60v tools or 4 stroke.

Thanks, ven. I take pride in my manscaping. I didn't keep track of the runtime .... can't even make a guess. I'm luvin the battery powered yard tools. My only regret is I didn't start purchasing them sooner.

[Lynx_Arc]

Thanks, ven. I take pride in my manscaping. I didn't keep track of the runtime .... can't even make a guess. I'm luvin the battery powered yard tools. My only regret is I didn't start purchasing them sooner.

I've had my B & D yard tools for a few years now and with the exception of fall leaves I have not had to resort to non battery use yet.
They didn't have Dewalt yard tools when I got my weedeater and hedge trimmer those started showing up over a year and a half later with the blower tool first so you couldn't have got them too much earlier than you have them now maybe a year or two earlier perhaps.
One reason I didn't consider Dewalt several years ago is using yard tools, there was none in any other tool line at all and a few years later all of the tool lines are getting in to the mix and now it seems B & D are being pushed out of their "first to the race" spot in stores replaced by everyone else who was late starters. What size string does the Dewalt weedeater use? My B & D uses 0.65 I had to buy a package of it as I only had 0.80 string when I got it, I put it in my corded Worx trimmer I got for $15 which is gathering dust now.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

I've had my B & D yard tools for a few years now and with the exception of fall leaves I have not had to resort to non battery use yet.
They didn't have Dewalt yard tools when I got my weedeater and hedge trimmer those started showing up over a year and a half later with the blower tool first so you couldn't have got them too much earlier than you have them now maybe a year or two earlier perhaps.
One reason I didn't consider Dewalt several years ago is using yard tools, there was none in any other tool line at all and a few years later all of the tool lines are getting in to the mix and now it seems B & D are being pushed out of their "first to the race" spot in stores replaced by everyone else who was late starters. What size string does the Dewalt weedeater use? My B & D uses 0.65 I had to buy a package of it as I only had 0.80 string when I got it, I put it in my corded Worx trimmer I got for $15 which is gathering dust now.

I've considered how nice it would be to add a battery powered blower to the tool chest. For times when you only need is to clean a small area, a lighter, instant starting battery blower would be just the ticket. However, when the power of a backpack blower is needed ... accept no substitutions.

[ven]

I am sure its 2.5mm Lynx, but there are 2mm lines(0.08")

[ven]

Thats 1 dude right there! CG is da man, no question.

Glad no regrets CG, i do think dewalt are pretty decent value all things considered. Even with UK prices........well lets exclude the 54v flexvolt out of that comment for now.

I was using my works 18v impact(3sp) again today, such a useful tool. I can recommend that CG , all you need is the body only. So useful on setting 1, you probably will never touch a screwdriver again..........or at least hardly ever . Good set of bits and your good for many applications in or out of the house. I even used my impact to fit the shield on the strimmer.

Great pics, and will have to say again, your garden is beyond amazing.

[kaichu dento]

After a lot of searching I finally found a DeWalt 40v string trimmer, which coupled with the 7.5ah battery that showed up last week, should easily last for as long as I need it to. Not to mention finally getting the mower through every job without having to stop and recharge the 4ah battery that came with it. Considering ordering the hedge trimmer too, but I'll wait and see how well I like the string trimmer when it gets here.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Thanks, ven. Right back at cha!

Three more power tools recently added to the tool chest.



Poor Man's lawn sprinkler system.



I love the ability to adjust the degree of the spread pattern and the sound they make.

[Lynx_Arc]

I've considered how nice it would be to add a battery powered blower to the tool chest. For times when you only need is to clean a small area, a lighter, instant starting battery blower would be just the ticket. However, when the power of a backpack blower is needed ... accept no substitutions.

IT depends on how much air you need to move even my underpowered blower is good for dust and some dry leaves and grass but to blow leaves in the fall in the midst of grass you just about need a gas powered blower. I've blown out rooms and the garage with my blower and cleaned up around the lawn but it takes about twice as long due to you having to focus the blower more exactly as it has a lot tighter stream of air.

[Lynx_Arc]

Thats 1 dude right there! CG is da man, no question.

Glad no regrets CG, i do think dewalt are pretty decent value all things considered. Even with UK prices........well lets exclude the 54v flexvolt out of that comment for now.

I was using my works 18v impact(3sp) again today, such a useful tool. I can recommend that CG , all you need is the body only. So useful on setting 1, you probably will never touch a screwdriver again..........or at least hardly ever . Good set of bits and your good for many applications in or out of the house. I even used my impact to fit the shield on the strimmer.

Great pics, and will have to say again, your garden is beyond amazing.

I agree... even a cheap impact is wonderful but you do need a drill on some occasions at least I do as I take apart electronics and also drill holes and use wire and grinding wheels on a drill. Until I used my first impact on a wood screw attaching 2x4s to revamp a set of steps I didn't know what I was missing.... My drills would almost twist my wrist off to get that last 1/4 inch tightened down and sometimes stall out leaving 1/16 inch of the head sticking out.. The impact cranked it down without any trauma to my wrist and imbedded it 1/16 of an inch. The only thing you have to watch out for is snapping heads off screws when they get too stuck.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

The DeWALT pole saw is a winner. It's also a must have tool when your pruning jobs are above 15 feet. I don't mind ladders, but there's no arguing they're inherently dangerous. I would've needed an extension ladder to reach the dead limbs and that was an option I just wasn't comfortable with. The ladder is a ten footer.

The limbs have beed dead for a couple of years and so were very tough. The saw cut through them with ease.

I was far enough from the cutting area that I didn't need hearing protection or to use the face shield. If you click on the video you'll be able to hear the saw.

[Lynx_Arc]

The DeWALT pole saw is a winner. It's also a must have tool when your pruning jobs are above 15 feet. I don't mind ladders, but there's no arguing they're inherently dangerous. I would've needed an extension ladder to reach the dead limbs and that was an option I just wasn't comfortable with. The ladder is a ten footer.

The limbs have beed dead for a couple of years and so were very tough. The saw cut through them with ease.

I was far enough from the cutting area that I didn't need hearing protection or to use the face shield. If you click on the video you'll be able to hear the saw.

I had a chance to get the B & D 20v pole saw for under $100 but funds were too tight at that time. I also had a chance to get the 20v chain saw for about $75 but again... was almost broke. I do have a corded pole saw and am not sure which is heavier a corded or cordless pole saw but the cord adds weight when you get up on a ladder any more weigh on a saw can spell major problems when you have a tricky cut to make.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

I had a chance to get the B & D 20v pole saw for under $100 but funds were too tight at that time. I also had a chance to get the 20v chain saw for about $75 but again... was almost broke. I do have a corded pole saw and am not sure which is heavier a corded or cordless pole saw but the cord adds weight when you get up on a ladder any more weigh on a saw can spell major problems when you have a tricky cut to make.

Yep! Been there, done that many times. I haven't purchased a light in four or five months ...... perhaps even longer.

Having the motor placement at the "top" of the pole makes it a handful when cutting with the saw at a horizontal angle. However, it also has its advantages, one of them being no need for moving parts in the pole and more importantly, more power available to the chain.

[Lynx_Arc]

Yep! Been there, done that many times. I haven't purchased a light in four or five months ...... perhaps even longer.

Having the motor placement at the "top" of the pole makes it a handful when cutting with the saw at a horizontal angle. However, it also has its advantages, one of them being no need for moving parts in the pole and more importantly, more power available to the chain.

Also another advantage in that the weight up there presses the blade into the tree more meaning less effort needed at the bottom of the pole end with negative leverage against you to get 10 pounds of pressure could take 50-100 lbs at the bottom end of the pole but with 10 lbs of weight (the motor) it makes it maybe 20-50+ lbs easier.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Yep. Good point.

[Poppy]

How about the old fashioned Rope and Pulley, and an inclined plane?

When the twins were still Cub Scouts, I demonstrated the usefulness/mechanical advantage of a pulley system, and had them pull the van 20 feet in the driveway.
Later, on a Boy Scout camping trip, I set the big kids against the little kids in a tug of war. The big kids won easily, but after giving the little kids a 2 to 1 advantage with a pulley, the little kids won.

I'm not the man I once was. Thirty years ago, I bought two of those Sony 36 inch Trinitron TVs. They weigh 270 pounds. My neighbor and I carried one of them around to the back of the house and into the family room. Today, I might be able to carry my half about 5 feet.

A couple of years ago, I decided to push the one in the living room to the curb, and replace it with a digital LED TV. I was alone, and impatient, and used a pair of 2x4's to slide it down from the TV stand onto a dolly. The darn thing was so heavy, that it snapped one of the 2x4's. I rolled it on the dolly to the front door, and gave it a shove, and watched it roll down the stairs. I was surprised that it didn't break more than it did!

A couple of weeks ago, I was dreading trying to get the other one out of the basement. Ah, a pulley system!
I strapped the TV to an appliance hand truck, and rolled it to the bottom step. I tied a 30 foot line (with a bowline) to the axle, and at the other end of the line, another bowline, to which I hooked a 4 inch pulley. I anchored another line to a fence post, and ran it through the pulley. When the twins pulled on that line, (with a 2-1 mechanical advantage) it worked out really well.

I used the same method to bring my gun safe out of the basement. Man... that thing is heavy!

Wheels... inclined plane... rope and pulley... big grandkids
They all work as cordless power tools!

[ven]

Love the pole saw vid CG, that would be ideal for me. Yet to take a few conifers down(about 10ft off them). Mmmmmmm will see if I can get in with the chain saw first, but it will be a good fall back if needed.

Been using the strimmer plenty, took my flexvolt in work back home, so my 6a and 9a are for home use. No real point in the extra weight in work , I am yet to run out of power on 1 battery . I have 3x5a in work as overkill . In fact in any dewalt battery, only time I have seen 1 or 2 lights is with chain saw or strimmer uses at home.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

I recently pulled the trigger on a four gallon, 18v, backpack sprayer. No more cranking the lever for me.

They've been on backorder for weeks.

I
Hate
Waiting