Battery life has made great strides in the past few years, with cordless saws becoming a viable option for heavy duty work. Cordless models have emerged for miter and circular saws, with battery lifetimes increasing every year. Where battery life was once a hugely limiting factor, especially for heavy usage and high power motors, the newer battery technology has made these tools competitive with corded models
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When you are shopping for cordless tools, consider carefully the brand of the tool that you choose. Battery technology often differs from brand to brand, so any tools you buy of different brands will not be interchangeable. Buying cordless tools of the same brand will allow you to swap batteries and recharge them conveniently. Also keep in mind that while the tool itself will usually last for a decade or longer, the batteries themselves will not last nearly as long. A typical battery will wear out in just a few years, requiring replacement. Batteries are an expensive fact of life when it comes to cordless tools.
A cordless saw will also cost you more upfront than its regular counterpart. The higher end cordless saws can match the power of their 120V cousins, but these saws tend to be very expensive. Before you go shopping, ask yourself what you will be using the saw for. If you won’t be using the saw too frequently, and work in an area that makes being plugged in inconvenient, then a cordless saw may be perfect for the job. If, however, you will be using this saw all day, you may want to think twice before going cordless. Long term heavy usage will drain batteries quickly. In this case, you will end up trading batteries in and out frequently, or worse, be unable to continue working.
If you are going to be doing heavy contracting work all day long, the cordless technology may not be quite up to the challenge. For less intensive home or other projects, cordless tools may be a convenient solution. DeWalt offers one of the most popular cordless circular saws on the market, the 6.5″ 28V DC310K for $429.99. The Makita 2.6 Amp 3 3/8in. model #5093DWD is another popular choice of cordless saw, running at $199.99. Remember to keep the price of batteries in mind, which can add significant cost later on to the purchase of a cordless saw.
