dwain

Sorry didn't see this thread until now. I think you're on the money. a 3/4" inch hole will be too small to take advantage of an SDS Max. Sure it would be easy on the tool, but it would also be slower than the best SDS+ units. Having said that, I'm not sure if MAX would be slower than those two units, which are unlikely to match the 36V/54V units we tested against. EDIT: it appears that Dewalt 20V unit has the same specs as the Flexvolt SDS+, so maybe it will! Let us know how you get on!

Hey guys! I haven't posted here for ages! It's rather quiet ... But thought some of you might like a look at this CRACKING saw.

I'll let you guys handle those minor extras

Yep. As I understand it, heat causes cells to lose efficiency quite markedly. Seems that cold also affects performance - https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/discharging_at_high_and_low_temperatures This is why you will never get half the runtime of a 4ah battery on a grinder using a 2Ah battery. EDIT: hmm perhaps I'm wrong and increased temp only hurts the lifecycle of the cell, not it's immediate performance ... EDIT 2: It seems that batteries can have increase 'performance' (meaning amperes out) in high temp, but it also significantly increases the self-discharge rate.

Hi korno. If it's pure guesswork, I reckon the flexvolt would probably be around 27-30 for power by comparison. No idea on runtime. It may win because the test would be far easier for it and hence not heat up the cells too much....

Thanks friends!

Hey folks! Long time no chat, sorry I've been away a lot. Hope you like it!

Hey tool lovers, do you have this in the US yet? It's a beeeeeast.

I used to think the same about LCD TV's. They did not have as good a picture as plasmas, had poor blacks etc etc. Somehow the manufacturers convinced the masses they were better and they started outselling plasmas. Eventually plasmas stopped being made because there wasn't enough of a market to make them economically. But if my kid hadn't turned it into a paper weight, I'd still be running my late model 64" plasma.

yeah it used to be that brushless tools were often less powerful than their competitors. that is rarely the case anymore, but i suspect that's less to do with the BL motor, and more to do with battery tech. Not sure. No never used the Metabo OMT sorry. We like Metabo gear too. The BL grinder is in our upcoming comparison and seems to be a great unit. Yeah the Makita planer is a great unit. Only the BL Dewalt rivals it. All the other brands were brushed too.

Makita still have the best performing cordless OMT of the big brands as far as I know (though I'm partial to the Bosch starlock).

Yeah the IP56 tools were pricey on release.

ah tricked by ebay. yeah places like Sydney / Total Tools are good ways of checking.

oooohhh, shiny!

The 'new' 7-1/4" M18 unit is just the same 7-1/4" saw with a 12Ah battery yes?

I wouldn't make a general statement about the brands, but those two kits specially, yep go the Rigid. The brushed battery grinders aren't very good anyway (with the exception of Metabo). When you get a chance to pick up the BL Rigid grinder, you won't regret it, it's a nice tool.

I'd have to disagree with you there D W. Hitachi 6Ah batteries have consistently been priced in the AU$130-145 region, whereas the standard across other professional brands is $170. Their super fast charger is expensive, but you'll get it in a kit anyway. In terms of kits, I'd sat their prices are about average ....

sick

I think that's exxageration. It's probably beaten by the lastest Makita recip saws, but is there amongst the top with the new Bosch & Flexvolt. Comparisons by reviewers have said as much. Given their age, I think the FUEL recip saw and circular saw have proven to be incredible tools, way ahead of their time. Obviously if they want to be back on top, they'll need to improve them again.

we'll definitely be testing and informing people of the power drop associated with the more 'normal' batteries.

Hey Toolbane. Yeah I agree mostly. However some of these tools have been designed with a motor designed to take advantage of a higher-draw battery, while some have not. In this case, I think it important to show what the grinder is capable of.

A Hilti rep would agree I'm sure. I daresay that Bosch and Metabo would feel very hard done by.

Essentially the test will show the best power/run time you can get out of each of the grinders with the current battery options, but also if theres a power drop running regular (18650) batts (e.g. 5/6Ah)

I hear ya ToolBane. How would you respond to one of the manufacturers though, if they say that the grinder comes with a premium battery in kits, and was designed for it (ala Bosch).

Cheers mate, we are planning to do exactly that actually. Not to include it in the comparison of course, but a reference for power. I've go a 900W Dewalt for the job.