When is it going to be our turn?!

Coach Steve

Coach Steve

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It seems like just about every tool imaginable is now available in a cordless version. They've come a looooooong way in the past decade with regard to powering tools via battery - even the ones that you would never think they could: chain saw, radial arm saw, etc. Not only that, they're making them work for quite a while on a single charge,.
My question is when is the industry going to recognize the need - our need - for a cordless DA? Imagine the possibilities and the freedom... OMG the freedom!
Is anyone aware of anything currently even in R&D for a cordless DA? T'would be awesome! And sure, just like everything else that hits the market, the first version is going to be expensive but I'd guess within a year or so after the prototype drops, the prices would come down to the reality level.

Thoughts...?
 
Man that would be the thing to have, cordless DA would love to have one...
 
I've thought about it as well. You would need a ton of battery packs. Most cordless tools lack balls.
 
It would be nice, but like any cordless tool, peak power will be right at the beginning.
 
I think an effective cordless da is still a decent time away. Battery powered tools have come a long way with lithium batteries, polymer lithium, lithium manganese. The problem is still weight vs run time with the batteries. For a battery to have enough capacity to power a 500w da for long enough to polish an entire car it would have to be heavy. A heavy battery would mean a very heavy da and cause some serious arm fatigue. an alternative would be a battery pack, but that means a power cord which is what you're trying to get away from.
Then there's the problem with voltage drop as the batteries drain. You set your speed to 5 to start a section pass and after a few sections speed 5 is the same as speed 3.
Last, who wants to deal with a battery dying in the middle of a section pass with something like m105 and have to deal with removing it?
Batteries have come a long way in powering tools, I just picked up a cordless 36v blower I use to blow dust and leaves off of my boat that I love. Maybe in a few more years there will be smaller higher capacity batteries that won;t have voltage drops.
 
I'd kill it quick unless someone was to come up with some special batteries and motor to at least do half of the car or had plenty of extra batteries.
I have no problem using a DA with a cord.
 
That would be really cool to see, but I can't see that happening anytime soon
 
I would rather deal with a cord then the added weight of a battery pack. One or two extra pounds really matters when you are using the tool all day.
 
You would lose the consistency .... as the battery was draining your speeds wouldnt be the same anymore so setting it to say 6 on your DA would end up changing once it started dying, which I can imagine would be pretty quickly doing correction work. However, if you had a cordless DA you used to apply wax now that could be useful!
 
I think something like a drill, saw, chainsaw etc is fine because you aren't perfecting something, you're break away the surface. Where with a da you are evenly perfecting it and consistency is important. I'd rather keep the cord.
 
I hear what you all are saying about the power draining quickly and the peak power being available for a short time which leads me to believe many of you haven't seen the latest and greatest in battery powered tools and their incredible efficiency. For instance, the new Porter-Cable angle grinder uses an 18V battery that has been engineered to deliver maximum torque and performance from charged till depleted instead of dwindling down slowly and losing speed as the battery drains - and it spins at 8,500 rpm's and weighs in at only 5.5 lbs. with battery pack.
I think we'll see a cordless version that actually performs the way it should a lot sooner than some may think. And if not, hey it's MY fantasy... I'm goin' with it! :D
 
I think some people are looking at this the wrong way. Like corded saws or drills; for an all day job corded is the way to go. But some of us (myself included) would love a cordless DA for smaller tasks. I live in an apartment; I could go outside and machine apply my wax really easy with a cordless DA, or do spot corrections or other things. The pro market, I think, could find a use from them also with mobile detailers; NOT for paint correction; but for machine applying sealants and waxes. Lots of guys do lots of wash/wax jobs; a cordless DA would, I bet, make that easier and quicker.

The creme de la creme, though, would be a 2-in-1. A plug-in DA with a battery option. Although it would probably be more like a battery powered DA with a plug in option. In essence, you could just plug a cord with an adapter into the battery socket.

Would it ever be used in a professional detailers production shop? No of course not. Nor would it be used in battery mode for a 20 hour multi-step correction. But, there are certainly uses! I'd buy one (if it were reasonably priced) JUST to machine apply waxes, since I hand apply them now.

Meguiars has a drill attachment. But it's such a small pad I feel like I could wax/seal by car just as fast by hand without dealing with a drill.

Batteries and cordless tools have come a long way. Cordless tools are even finding their way onto assembly lines and big production jobs. They are a staple for construction workers and they are using fewer and fewer batteries. I even read a review a while back of one particular drill where a guy worked at an RV factory building the interiors (So I assume cabinets and things like that) and he said he was able to get through an entire 8 hour shift on just the 2 supplied batteries.
 
A small light weight DA to apply sealants and waxes (even AIO's)would be its best use. Most of the lithium battery tools will maintain full power until it can no longer do it then shut down. There's no slow drain of power like the older battery types.

I bought a cordless WEN DA probably 8 years ago. It was kind of heavy due to a solid steel backing plate and the battery. Could only use 4" pads. The batteries were absolute junk. I still have it but the batteries are dead.
 
That 18v porter cable grinder works well as a grinder. The battery pack is maybe a 3amp battery pack. If you had a 400w da the run time on a pack that size would be about 8min
 
I'd design the battery pack to be worn in the back around your waist and a cord from your back to the polisher. That would keep the tool lightweight. Not something I need but I can see why some would want one or two....
 
Shtexas said:
That 18v porter cable grinder works well as a grinder. The battery pack is maybe a 3amp battery pack. If you had a 400w da the run time on a pack that size would be about 8min
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haha its worse the spec I saw on it was a 1.5 amp-hour battery. I cant find any specs on the motor itself but with such a small battery output yeah that thing may work a few seconds here or there to grind things but continuous duty....i think not.
 
My stepdad has a DeWalt cordless circular saw and we used it for hours working on his basement remodel.

Of course that's not constant like a DA. But again, a cordless DA probably wouldn't be for full correction; but for wax application or spot correction. It could, of course, have a much less powerful motor. Even a lightweight, cordless 'orbital buffer' may fit the bill (but in a DA form factor, preferably), just for wax and sealant applications. There is a chinese knockoff one on eBay from time to time; but I'd like to see a name brand one with a good quality battery.

Meguiars did make one at one time, the G104, but it doesn't seem available anymore. Seems like the ticket though. Small, light, uses a 'stick' type battery instead of hanging a drill battery off of the back, and would be great for throwing down a quick layer of wax.

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Doesn't appear to be available any longer.
 
Romans5.8 said:
My stepdad has a DeWalt cordless circular saw and we used it for hours working on his basement remodel.

Of course that's not constant like a DA. But again, a cordless DA probably wouldn't be for full correction; but for wax application or spot correction. It could, of course, have a much less powerful motor. Even a lightweight, cordless 'orbital buffer' may fit the bill (but in a DA form factor, preferably), just for wax and sealant applications. There is a chinese knockoff one on eBay from time to time; but I'd like to see a name brand one with a good quality battery.
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Yeah thats what I said in my first post, good for wax actually prefered because I wouldnt have to reverse direction around the car so the cord isnt wrapped around it. Thats pretty cool it has been done already though I definitly had no clue. I wonder if they didnt catch on because of poor operating characteristics or the market just didnt have a big need when these were being produced. I would definitly buy one to spin some 3in pads in wax and go to town!
 
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