It’d certainly be trivial for the manufacturers to make an AC-powered dummy battery, akin to what’s common in cameras.
It’d certainly be trivial for the manufacturers to make an AC-powered dummy battery, akin to what’s common in cameras.That PSU most likely will be more expensive than AC powered tool, and likely oversized quite a bit to have enough power. I doubt you want something like 0.5-1.5kW PSU attached to the tool. Somewhat reasonable only for low power tools.
Sure, it might take 2kW peak and 500W average to achieve the same you get from a battery with 500W peak and 50W average, but it's insignificant in energy bill if you use it for a few minutes a year.
Sure, it might take 2kW peak and 500W average to achieve the same you get from a battery with 500W peak and 50W average, but it's insignificant in energy bill if you use it for a few minutes a year.Many if not most battery powered tools still use brushed motors. And they are not that much worse than BLDC variants of the same tool. Saying that if powered from AC, the same tool suddenly becomes 4-10x less efficient is nonsensical.
It is true that BLDC motors tend to be a bit more efficient and produce more output power for a given input power, important on a battery powered tool but less so on mains powered equipment where a bigger fan is usually sufficient to deal with that problem.
Sure, it might take 2kW peak and 500W average to achieve the same you get from a battery with 500W peak and 50W average, but it's insignificant in energy bill if you use it for a few minutes a year.Many if not most battery powered tools still use brushed motors. And they are not that much worse than BLDC variants of the same tool. Saying that if powered from AC, the same tool suddenly becomes 4-10x less efficient is nonsensical.
I think unless you are doing a complete home renovation, the electricity bill for either tool type is essentially negligible, and even then almost every other cost will outweigh it. It is true that BLDC motors tend to be a bit more efficient and produce more output power for a given input power, important on a battery powered tool but less so on mains powered equipment where a bigger fan is usually sufficient to deal with that problem.
"A bit more" and 4-10X are very different figures. Brushed motors are quite efficient actually, so 4x improvement in efficiency is physically impossible.
I was surprised by how efficient my electrician-friend's battery powered SDS was. Whilst it wasn't quite as quick at going through the brick as my 1500W rated mains powered SDS, it was close.
Using mains powered tools is probably unlikely in US given how they still cling onto 120V and low-amperage sockets.
Sure, it might take 2kW peak and 500W average to achieve the same you get from a battery with 500W peak and 50W average, but it's insignificant in energy bill if you use it for a few minutes a year.Many if not most battery powered tools still use brushed motors. And they are not that much worse than BLDC variants of the same tool. Saying that if powered from AC, the same tool suddenly becomes 4-10x less efficient is nonsensical.
Using mains powered tools is probably unlikely in US given how they still cling onto 120V and low-amperage sockets.
At least in EU it's possible to draw 2-3kW without melting the plug, socket or wiring. To standardize on 230V and CEE 7/7 was a really smart decision.
Using mains powered tools is probably unlikely in US given how they still cling onto 120V and low-amperage sockets.
120V 13A or ~1.6kW is plenty for all of these typical low-cost power tools we are discussing. Even in 230V 16A land, (where our crap sockets also melt at rated current, which has been mentioned to you), these power tools are usually in 500W-1500W range.
There is no such thing as a 13A circuit on this side of the Atlantic.
If you don't believe me, observe it yourself: look how easily an electric drill rated to 500W or more stalls and compare it to even a cheap battery powered drill.
Using mains powered tools is probably unlikely in US given how they still cling onto 120V and low-amperage sockets.
At least in EU it's possible to draw 2-3kW without melting the plug, socket or wiring. To standardize on 230V and CEE 7/7 was a really smart decision.
Here's a fun fact to you: in the UK, the country of EVEN BETTER plugs than ours, there is a complete separate ecosystem of 120-volt power tools for really serious professional use at construction sites*, so clearly 120V isn't a problem. Let that fact sink in; OTOH, with a political anti-USA agenda, I'm quite sure you are not interested about such trivial things as facts.
*) the idea is to use a 240-V input, 120V output transformer with earthed center tap. This way, potential between either legs to true earth/PE/plumbing is 60VACrms, which is deemed pretty safe. One can see how great this idea was before the era of RCDs; UK electrical system is full of great ideas implemented well.
If you don't believe me, observe it yourself: look how easily an electric drill rated to 500W or more stalls and compare it to even a cheap battery powered drill. The difference in power consumption isn't 10x I admit that but 4x difference is well possible. If one is 60% efficient then the other can be 15-20%. You can also see how much more air flow the cooling fans on these cheap-ass corded tools produce compared to battery variants.
When it does, either you feel like renovating the motor by changing the brushes yourself (as long as you can find the parts), or you throw it away as finding the motor itself as a spare part is even less likely. Brushless motors have much, much longer lifetime.
When it does, either you feel like renovating the motor by changing the brushes yourself (as long as you can find the parts), or you throw it away as finding the motor itself as a spare part is even less likely. Brushless motors have much, much longer lifetime.If you replace brushes timely, brushed motor can last a very long time. In better tools, brushes usually have a wear protection, they electrically disconnect when become worn out to prevent motor damage. As of DIY use, they'll last forever. The downside of BLDC is that it can accumulate magnetic dust and shavings.
Yep. And while efficiency per se is not that much different as you pointed out, a brushed motor will by design wear out much faster. When it does, either you feel like renovating the motor by changing the brushes yourself (as long as you can find the parts), or you throw it away as finding the motor itself as a spare part is even less likely. Brushless motors have much, much longer lifetime.
Yep. And while efficiency per se is not that much different as you pointed out, a brushed motor will by design wear out much faster. When it does, either you feel like renovating the motor by changing the brushes yourself (as long as you can find the parts), or you throw it away as finding the motor itself as a spare part is even less likely. Brushless motors have much, much longer lifetime.
It’d certainly be trivial for the manufacturers to make an AC-powered dummy battery, akin to what’s common in cameras.That PSU most likely will be more expensive than AC powered tool, and likely oversized quite a bit to have enough power. I doubt you want something like 0.5-1.5kW PSU attached to the tool. Somewhat reasonable only for low power tools.
Cordless drills usually are more like electric screwdrivers that can also drill. So RPM will be like a half of an average mains powered drill that has higher RPM and no torque adjustment, so not suitable for screws. And again, cordless tools, especially cheap usually have brushed motor. BLDC is usually used in better tools. Often basically the same model comes in both variants with some performance advantage in BLDC version.