I love cordless drills; they get me into tight spots without extension cords, but they can get heavy when you have to use it for hours going back and forth between batteries.
Keep the battery, but take it off the tool. Keep it where lots of tools already are, in the toolbelt. It is closer to your center of equilibrium, and will save your arm from unnecessary fatigue.
Only a short cord is needed to attach the tool to the battery pack on you utility belt. Makes sense for workers constantly using a cordless tool, by taking away strain from their arm, distributing it to their waist.-- twitch, Nov 12 2006 PAG belt http://www.amazon.c...ssory/dp/B000FLK9BO [angel, Nov 12 2006] similar Cordless-Tool_20Cord [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 12 2006] But now you can no longer easily set the tool down and move away from it.
I find that very little of my time spent with cordless tools is in repetitive production line activities. It is more like: use the cordless reciprocating saw to open a hole in the ceiling; use the cordless circular saw to make a pair of 16" 2x4 braces; carry them up the ladder to the ceiling; use a cordless drill to attach the braces to the existing joists; go get the electrical junction box and attach it to the ceiling joists or braces with the cordless drill; pull some wire into the box and make all the initial connections; trial fit the previously cut piece of drywall board in the cavity; make a new hole in the patch to accomodate the position of the new junction box with the 4" hole saw bit; replace the phillips head bit and now use the cordless drill to affix the drywall patch to the newly installed braces.
During that process I've probably been up and down the ladder ten times for bits and bobs and wire, and I've used my cordless reciprocating saw, my cordless circular saw, my cordless drill, and maybe even a cordless lamp. Please don't make me holster all this equipment on my belt.-- jurist, Nov 12 2006 jurist, you seem to be more of a general constructionist-er. The activities you are describing do not sound like "production line activities". With use of many different cordless tools, this wouldn't be for you, first.
it would be for those, like i said, who are constantly using a cordless tool. like someone on a crew with a dedicated job, like a dedicated drywaller. Calculating it, giving a worker more energy and time saves you money.-- twitch, Nov 12 2006 If I was a "dedicated drywaller" I'd want the dedicated power and minimal heft of a corded screwgun.-- jurist, Nov 12 2006 it's a corded, cordless tool. you get the portablility without the added weight.-- twitch, Nov 12 2006 it's a good idea +-- xenzag, Nov 12 2006 Maybe its just me but I seem to be able to handle the immense weight of a drill battery....Perhaps I have super human strength?-- Mind_Boggle, Nov 12 2006 Try using one raised above your head all day long for ceiling work and you will soon buckle.-- xenzag, Nov 12 2006 Totally baked for video camera lighting gear (linky).-- angel, Nov 12 2006 The second link cited is for an idea that puts the cord back into the tool, taking away the portability provided by my proposed idea. The PAG belt is similar I admit.
I'm at least happy that someone else knows the feeling of holding a cordless drill above your head for hours.-- twitch, Nov 13 2006 Seriously, is it that heavy? I spent the whole day today cutting over my head with a cordless sawzall. I never felt like I wanted it to be attached to my belt. I do however think it would be a good option other than you would have to carry around 2 or 3 batteries, and the time it would take to plug and unplug each as they were needed.-- Chefboyrbored, Nov 14 2006 If you had the batteries on the belt, you could use a heavier battery. Suggest a SLA, sealed lead acid battery, like a battery from a motorcycle (still fairly large) or the smaller SLA's used in uninterruptible power supplies for computers. So you'll have to use 12V tools, or 24V tools.-- wittyhoosier, Dec 24 2006 random, halfbakery