The Cordless Revolution

Choosing the right power tool for the job or application is paramount to getting the job done in a timely fashion and more importantly with the correct amount of safety for both yourself and anyone else in the vicinity.

While a lot of this is down to personal preference there are a few factors that are consistent when selecting the correct tool, particularly cordless tools. Weight is very important factor particularly with a tool that is in constant use such as a drill, impact driver or grinder. Using a tool which is heavy or cumbersome leads to at least aching arms or at worst more serious ailments such as white finger. Heavy tools in conjunction with overreaching or working on platforms or ladders can also be exceptionally dangerous and could lead to serious falls or accidents.

Vibration is now a major concern across Europe with legislation now in place to ensure workers are protected from vibrating tools and the symptoms thus associated with. In April of 2006 a worker in France won an astounding 25,000 Euros from his employer after loses the use of fingers in his right hand as a result of vibrating tools. The employee was using a grinder for extended periods during his working day, somewhere in the region of 4 to 6 hours per day on a five day working week. Doctors carried out tests on the subject and their findings where sufficient that a court of law concluded that the evidence was such to press charges against the employer.

Cordless drills are now standard across work sites for their ease of use and of course their portability. But there are unfortunately downsides to products like this, not just due to vibration and weight but also health and safety issues such as battery safety which is now causing problems in the United States of America as voltage rises. The higher rating of battery power leads to an increase in the running temperature and the risk of fire or even explosion when the core operating temperature of the battery runs out of control and chemical reaction is such that the products alights or worse explodes.

Of course, the cordless tool revolution brings about many changes that are positive and amongst others the portability of tools allows them to be used in situations where it was previously impossible or completely impractical. Imagine having to drag a generator across a muddy field to a barn renovation in order to power all your tooling requirements (and don't forget all the tool would need to work off 110v) and then at the end of a long days work drag it back again, or run the risk of leaving the generator only to come back the next morning to have had it stolen or vandalized.

So in short, there's no stopping the continuous improvement of cordless power and to be honest I don't think anyone would really want that and in time I think it's fair to say that work sites and even the humble garden shed will one day be clear of the tangle of wires and extension leads and I for one think that can't be too much of a bad thing, bring on the revolution!

By:

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Paul Disley is a cordless fanatic at DeWalt.