Patriarch wrote:
I bought 12v tools, because they work well for me, and were much less
expensive for the same levels of build quality. Very seldom do the
batteries need recharging before I do. And I do these things for the
fun of it...

Patriarch

I'm still not sure price point for price point the drills of today offer
that much functional superiority over those of a decade ago, not that
I've done an A B comparison (if such a test exists, I'm sure someone
here will point it out) but the nickel metal hydride cells at least
remove a source of toxic cadmium from landfills. NiMH cells do have
greater capacity size for size, I just think most makers use such crappy
cells to start with to save $$$ (and reap $$$ selling replacement
cells), it may not amount to much in actual use. Also they don't tend
to use the best charging technology. The charger for my old Skil, as
with most nicad units, relied on the temperature of the pack to
determine a full charge, a crude method that's hard on the cells. I
haven't taken the cover off my Makita charger, but I'd be surprised if
it was all that much more sophisticated. We can agree on a preference
for the lower voltages. One reason I like my new 14.4v Makita is it's
small & (especially) relatively LIGHT! The heft of those 18 & 24 volt
monsters 'bout breaks my arm, especially with my "painter's elbow" (same
thing as tennis elbow, only I got it PAINTING! ;-/ )

Dan