Corded vs. Cordless: I Did the Math, and It Broke My Brain a Little

There's a debate that's been running in shops and job sites for decades, and I don't think it's getting settled anytime soon. Corded versus cordless. Everybody's got a side. I've got a foot in both camps, and this week on the podcast, I finally sat down and did the actual math on what going cordless really costs. It got a little ugly.

Where I Stand (Sort Of)

I'll be honest, I'm on the fence. My Metabo Sawzall is corded. My jigsaw is corded. My circular saw is corded. My multi-tool is corded. I've also got a cordless drill and a corded drill sitting right next to each other. So, depending on how you count it, I'm leaning corded, but I'm not about to tell anyone they're wrong for going cordless. I get the appeal. You're not hunting for an outlet or dragging an extension cord across the yard.

Why the Shelves Are Stacked With Cordless

Next time you're in Home Depot or Lowe's, take a look at the power tool aisle. It's almost all cordless. There's barely a section dedicated to corded tools anymore. That's not some secret plan to phase out corded tools; it's just profit. Companies like DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Ryobi make more money on the cordless side, plain and simple. It's more expensive, the margins are better, and that's where the shelf space goes.

The Actual Math

Here's where it got interesting. I pulled up two nearly identical DeWalt circular saws, one corded and one cordless, to see how the numbers actually shake out.

The corded version runs about $170 and puts out 5,200 RPM.

The cordless version, tool only, runs about $230 and puts out 5,500 RPM (though that number is a no-load rating, so it's not a fair fight once you're actually cutting).

So right out of the gate, the cordless tool costs $60 more, and that's before you've bought a single battery.

A decent battery runs about $180. Add that in, and you're at $410 for one cordless saw with one battery. Compare that to $170 for the corded version, and you've already spent $240 more just to go cordless.

But one battery isn't realistic. You need a second one so you're not standing around waiting for a charge mid-project. That's another $180, putting you at $590.

Then there's the charger. I found a combo deal for around $200 that includes two batteries, which sounds like a win, except now you're at $790 for one tool with four batteries and a charger.

Call it an even $1,000 once you factor in the tool itself. For one saw.

The Real Cost Isn't the Tool, It's the Ecosystem

Once you're four batteries deep into a brand, you're not just buying a saw anymore; you're buying into an ecosystem. Want the oscillating multi-tool too? That's another $170, but at least you don't need new batteries. Except now you're building out a whole battery rotation, and the math just keeps stacking.

I'll admit there are combo deals that soften the blow. I found one deal with a drill and impact driver plus two batteries and a charger for $250, marked as a $575 value. That's a legitimately good deal. But it doesn't change the bigger pattern.

There's also the brand loyalty trap. Once you've sunk money into batteries for one brand, switching gets expensive fast. Yes, there are third-party adapters that let you use, say, a Milwaukee battery in a DeWalt tool, but I wouldn't trust those. If something goes wrong, your warranty is gone, and you're stuck with a tool that just sent up the blue smoke of death.

A Quick Detour Into Printers

This might seem random, but it's the same story with HP printers. The printer itself is cheap, but HP has built a whole subscription model around ink cartridges. If you don't pay for their ink subscription, your printer won't print even with full cartridges installed. If you're shopping for a printer, look at Brother or Epson instead, or spring for a laser printer if you print often. Those toner cartridges last a long time.

Why I Still Keep Corded Tools Around

At the end of the day, here's my case for corded. I don't have to worry about a battery dying mid-cut. I don't have to keep track of charge levels. I just plug it in and go. Yes, I might have to grab an extension cord, but that's a small price to pay.

My hammer drill is corded, and I can run it through a cinder block all day. My shoulders won't thank me for it, but the tool will keep going. Try doing that with a battery.