New tools or portable generator

[vineyridge]

I own a whole bunch of tools. Some are corded, and some are cordless. For instance my circular saw is corded; my oscillating tool is corded; my pressure washer is corded; my scroll saw is corded; my portable table saw is corded, my pruning saw is corded, etc. There is no useable electricity down at the barn at the moment, and I need tools for repairs.

If I buy a portable generator of an appropriate size, I can use all my old tools. Or I can buy new cordless tools. The generator I’m looking at is a 2,500 small generator/inverter that will cost close to $700. I can buy a lot of cordless tools for $700, but then I would have duplicates. I already have duplicate drills and reciprocating saws.

My current tools are all in very good shape. And I was brought up on the mantra, “Wear it out, use it up, make it do, or do without.” It just somehow seems wrong to duplicate what I already have.

Which of those two alternatives seems better to y’all?

[AKB]

Will you use the generator during power outages? While camping? I love having a generator.

[Bluey]

What tools you have depends on what you need and how often you use them.
Some tools like a grinder with a cutting wheel and drills of all kinds, I think, are unbeatable with a battery.
Others, you can do working with them where you can plug the cord on the old ones.

We always have a portable welder, which is a generator.

We have corded tools and keep using them, but when we need a new one, we have been getting the M18 Milwaukee red ones.
We have now a grinder, drill/driver in those, will be adding to them as the by now real old reciprocating saw and circular saw, etc. die.

Have been eyeballing the chop saw and smaller band saw 18Fuel ones with batteries, what is not to like to cut well pipe and all kinds of tubing with.

Watching most tradesmen building today, electricians, plumbers, they all any more have everything on batteries.
If it works for them, it is a better mousetrap, because they sure have electricity most places they work in.
The extra handiness of no cord is worth it when doing any such work.

[wsmoak]

A generator is a very useful thing to have. So I would get the generator and use your existing tools.

As your existing tools wear out, you can make the decision whether to replace them with corded or battery ones.

[goodhors]

I would also ask " how handy will the generator be in a power outage?" Then do you get bad weather often, to use the generator to water horses, keep the fences hot, run your house furnace and refrigerator?

If you have nice tools that can be used with the generator, choosing to buy the generator would be my choice. We bought our generator during a power outage and love it! It ran for a week before power was back. I did not “suffer” in any way during that time. Horses were watered, fences were hot, house was warm. We only needed it once the whole next year for a 24 hour period. But the third year it got a lot of use during several storms when the power was out.

I would use your present tools until they wear out, shop the new technology then for replacement as each dies.

Spray paint stuff is the only “go buy new when needed” I would do. Advances in that are amazing and cheap! Husband did some stuff in the trailer with his expensive older sprayer, took forever. Was talking about the chore it was at a picnic to a car painter. Paint guy said just throw away old sprayer, buy new, it has improved that much. So next paint job husband bought a cheap sprayer at TSC, which was so much superior to his old sprayer that he was amazed. Did a great job, much lighter to hold and use, very fast application, done painting the manure spreader in short order. He did toss his old paint sprayer stuff!!

[gumtree]

“I’m looking at is a 2,500 small generator/inverter that will cost close to $700”

At only 2,500 watts this must be a high end super quiet Honda or something of like. Don’t know why you would need an inverter? Generators only put out AC. Thought the average generator doesn’t usually put out “clean” AC that maybe needed for sensitive electronic stuff.

Is that 2,500 watt peak or running? That’s not a lot of power in either case. May struggle to fire up a well pump and other things of like.

I have a 7,500 running watt contractor genny that I bought close to 20 years ago. It has been used a lot and still in good shape. Powered a lot of stuff in my house and the barn wells, lights etc during a 2 week outage a couple of winters ago.

I bought my first battery driver a Makita over 25+ years ago. It served me well.But struggled compared to what can be had now for less money. Battery tool have come a LONG way since. Mostly thanks to lap top computers, cell phone and all the other portable electronic stuff people want.

I have several of the M18 Milwaukee red power tools. Love their drill/driver and Impact driver. But you need to have at least 1 spare battery if not 2 depending on what is being down and the power demand. I strongly recommend both of these for farm use. They can be had in combo pricing. But generally with their small battery.

If I was working the trades I would get the circular saw the cut-off, miter saw. For the convenience of not being tied to a cord. Spare batteries in a charger if not 2 chargers.

I’m fine with my table saw being corded, circular, planner etc. May pick up a battery angle grinder when it is on sale. For jobs out and about I fine with putting my generator on a small trailer and using that.

Personally I would rather have a good generator. But a much more powerful one then you are considering.

I plan on replacing mine in the near future with the one pictured from Harbor freight the next time it goes on sale for under $500. I have heard, read lots of good reviews.

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[vineyridge]

Gumtree, I need something that a 70 year old woman can lift into the box of a truck, drive to the worksite, and drive back. It can work out of the truck bed, can’t it? Generators seem to me to be very, very heavy, and the smallest, lightest ones are the generator/inverters. I can only use one tool at a time, and I’ve checked all the amps on each tool. The pressure washer uses the most power, and it only needs 13 amps, which is less than 1500 watts. Everything else uses much less power. I could probably use one with only 1800 running watts, but there is something comforting about a small generator that is advertised for the jobsite. The generator that I’m looking at is the Westinghouse Pro 2500, with 2200 running watts from Home Depot or Lowes. https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-…/dp/B06VST9FRJ It would not be much use in an emergency, but I have a whole house propane generator for that.

I need to buy it fast if I am going to get it because it looks like it’s been discontinued. Lowes had it a couple of weeks ago but are now sold out, and it’s gone from most other websites. One said it was discontinued; the others said “sold out.” Home Depot still has it. There was a recall on these in 2017, but the manufacturer must have fixed the problem because it continued to be sold.

I know with old style gas generators run time was very important. My whole house generator is continuous running, but small gas generators were not. No a problem for this because I doubt if it will ever run for six hours or more.

I don’t mind extension cords, although cordless is definitely easier.

[Guilherme]

What you are looking at is very handy as a “tool power source” but won’t do much during a power outage but run a coffee pot and an oscillating fan (a nice thing to have in The South ;)). Stay with the tool mix and get the generator. It has its limits but I’m 72 and have mine, also. If you want to have more “oofmph” then get a second one and the parallel kit and now you can run about anything you need to, including a small air conditioner. Add an extended run fuel tank you are set for both routine work and emergency.

Good luck in your choice.

G.

[Bluey]

If you are going the generator route, get one of these:

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to…CABEgIXi_D_BwE

This one even mounts on the receiver hitch:

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200672544_200672544

Works also for most any other you have to lift into the pickup bed.

[FitToBeTied]

I used to have a portable generator for running tools around the farm but now the battery powered tools are so good I didn’t the generator. I have some heavier duty corded tools as well that I use in the garage and barn. I gave the generator to my nephew for his landscaping business. G is right a portable generator is not going to run much in a house, that is what we have a whole house generator for.

[AKB]

If you get a generator, make sure it is easy to start. Some generators start with a key or push button start. This is a lot easier than a pull cord.

[yaya]

Since you already have a whole house generator (so you don’t need it for that purpose), and may have trouble lifting a generator into a truck bed (they can be really heavy, and awkward to lift that high), I’d go for the cordless tools. They can be used anywhere, and no back strain!

[clanter]

@vineyridge

I need to buy it fast if I am going to get it because it looks like it’s been discontinued. Lowes had it a couple of weeks ago but are now sold out, and it’s gone from most other websites. One said it was discontinued; the others said “sold out.” Home Depot still has it. r.

the Atlantic coast hurricane may have had more to do with this being sold out, you might want to check a web site called Power Equipment Direct.

home page
https://www.powerequipmentdirect.com/

generators
https://www.powerequipmentdirect.com…rs-direct.html

[tangledweb]

Go cordless.

Your heftier corded tools (like a circular saw) might draw twice their rated wattage on startup. A little generator that can power them while running is likely to trip the breaker on startup for some of your tools. A generator that can reliably start them all is going to take a strong person to lift into a truck bed.

Modern cordless tools with lithium ion batteries are great. It’s so much easier to just go pick up a tool and work than to load a generator and tool into the truck and then go to the site, then climb in the truck and start the generator, then move the truck closer so the cord reaches.

[Mango20]

If this is a short-term project, you might want to look into renting either cordless tools or a generator from your local tool rental place.

[clanter]

get both cordless tools and the generator ? … the cordless tools have come a long way in past few years, the two cordless tools I use the most are the drill and impact wrench but the two that are wonderful to have for barn/fence repairs are the circular saw and the receptacle saw… just get cordless tools of the same voltage and manufacturer… and get the flashlight that matches up with your tools, really a nice addition rather grabbing the regular flashlight only to find the batteries are dead or weak

portable generator would be nice for long term projects

[YankeeLawyer]

I would get the cordless tools. I’m pretty finicky about having exactly what I need to do chores / maintenance/repairs though.

[saultgirl]

Generator!

[Bluey]

Spam reported.